Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask (4) makes a save on forward Jarome Iginla (12) in a 3-0 triumph over the Penguins in Game 1. (Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH -- Three storylines for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins on Hockey Night in Canada on Monday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 8 p.m. ET).
The Bruins won the series opener, 3-0 on Saturday; Game 3 is Wednesday at Boston.
1. Can Rask continue his outstanding play for the Bruins?
Tuukka Rask will carry a 109-minute, 21-second shutout streak into Game 2, a stretch in which he has stopped the last 53 shots he's faced. In the series opener, Rask recorded his first career Stanley Cup playoff shutout with a 29-save effort.
The 26-year-old Finnish native has been providing the type of goaltending Conn Smythe winner Tim Thomas did when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup two years ago. Thomas finished with a .940 save percentage and 1.98 goals-against average. Rask has a .933 SP and 2.06 GAA through 13 games.
"Tuukka is at his best when he's square to the puck," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said. "Tim is more of a battler.
"Timmy wasn't about style he was about the battle. Tuukka's normal, really.
"You know what, I'm not going to get into Timmy. I'm just saying Tuukka is normal as I've ever seen in a goaltender.
"I can talk to him during periods and go talk to him about a couple of things. I wouldn't dare do that with any other goaltender I've had in the past.
"They're in their bubble. But with Tuukka, he listens and it's no problem, so on and so forth.
"He's very relaxed. But you've seen the other side of him, when things don't go his way.
"He's got a temper. That, to me, is normal."
Tomas Vokoun will start in goal for the Penguins in Game 2.
2. Can the Penguins keep their emotions in check?
Sidney Crosby took a couple of penalties and Evgeni Malkin fought. The Penguins appeared to be frustrated at times in Game 1 and became too involved in scrums after whistles. They were frustrated by Rask's play early in the game, too. The Penguins got off to a fine start, but were not rewarded with an early lead.
"We could have stuck with our game a little longer," Pittsburgh forward Craig Adams said. "The first 30 or 40 minutes, we were unlucky not to have scored a goal.
"We opened it up a little bit and we probably didn't need to."
3. Will the Bruins continue to dominate the faceoff circle?
When it comes to winning draws, the Bruins have dominated all post-season long. They kept up that trend in the series opener by winning 32 of 48 faceoffs. Boston's top three centres each enjoyed solid games in the faceoff circle. Chris Kelly went 9-3 followed by David Krejci (5-1) and Patrice Bergeron (10-6).
Julien remarked that assistant coach Doug Jarvis deserves credit for the team's faceoff prowess.
"I know I get asked this at every series about our team because we've been a good faceoff team and we practice it all the time," Julien said. "Doug Jarvis was a really good faceoff guy in his day.
"I used to do that work with our centremen. But he was the guy that I felt this year would help us a lot in that area.
"There's certain players that were maybe average who are better than average now because he's gone in there and worked with those guys. But we work on faceoffs a lot with our centremen and take a lot of pride in that.
"I said it and I feel like I'm repeating myself here, but start with the puck. You're a better puck possession team than if you have to chase it."
But it's more than the centremen winning draws. The Bruins have exhibited an excellence in getting in there and retrieving pucks off draws, too.
Projected lineup for Pittsburgh
Forward
Chris Kunitz -- Sidney Crosby -- Pascal Dupuis
Jarome Iginla -- Evgeni Malkin -- James Neal
Matt Cooke -- Brandon Sutter -- Brenden Morrow
Craig Adams -- Jussi Jokinen -- Tyler Kennedy
Defence
Brooks Orpik -- Paul Martin
Mark Eaton -- Kris Letang
Douglas Murray -- Matt Niskanen
Goaltender
Tomas Vokoun
Projected lineup for Boston
Forward
Milan Lucic -- David Krejci -- Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- Jaromir Jagr
Rich Peverley -- Chris Kelly -- Tyler Seguin
Daniel Paille - Gregory Campbell - Shawn Thornton
Defence
Zdeno Chara -- Johnny Boychuk
Matt Bartkowski -- Dennis Seidenberg
Torey Krug -- Adam McQuaid
Goaltender
Tuukka Rask
Follow Tim Wharnsby on Twitter @WharnsbyCBC
Tim Wharnsby
Tim's worked the sports beat at The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Sun, specializing in Canada's one true sporting obsession - hockey. He knows the players, the coaches, the backroom boys and most importantly, the fans. That's what he brings to his stories. Knowledge, fairness and understanding are trademarks of a Wharnsby story. That's what you will get here as he writes for CBCSports.ca.
