TORONTO – Kevin Shattenkirk has won a Stanley Cup and has 88 career playoff games on his resume.
But after three straight seasons of missing the playoffs in Anaheim and his 25-game run to the Cup in 2020 with Tampa coming without fans due to the pandemic, the veteran blue liner is making sure to cherish the opportunity in front of him.
“I certainly can attest to that. It’s been three seasons since I’ve been back in the playoffs. My opportunities are definitely getting less and less,” Shattenkirk said on Saturday morning ahead of a pivotal Game 4 between the Bruins and Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
“I think what we kind of impress upon, especially the young guys, is you never know when your next chance to win a Stanley Cup could come. It’s fun. I think we’re really enjoying the moment and having a blast together and soaking it up.
“I think we’re really focused on getting better every game and being grateful for the opportunity.”
On Saturday night, the Bruins have an opportunity to take a stranglehold of their first-round series against Toronto as a win would put them up 3-1 as they return to Boston.
“We know that they’re gonna come out with a lot of desperation,” said Shattenkirk. “I think our job is to match that and go above it. The way we came out in Game 2 after winning at home, it wasn’t acceptable. I think we came out slow and tried to get the game back later.
“Credit to them, they knew how important that game was. We’re not looking to make that same mistake tonight. We kind of do look at every game as make or break. I think we want to treat it that way.
“As series go longer and deeper, that next game gets harder to win, so it’s gonna be a good one tonight.”
Coach Jim Montgomery said he was pleased with the approach his club took during Saturday’s morning skate as they dialed in for what they know will be a difficult task.
“It’s the hard part in the series, especially when you have two evenly matched teams. It’s who can win two in a row, really can take control of a series,” said Montgomery. “It hasn’t happened yet so it’s a tough task. I liked where our team was at. I felt more people were business-like like Brad was at morning skate before Game 3.”
Montgomery added that despite holding a 2-1 series lead, he believes the Bruins must improve their 5-on-5 game if they want to sustain their success.
“Probably the area that needs to improve the most,” said Montgomery. “We’ve got to continue to grow and that’s the area in the series where we think we can continue to grow. And we have to grow if we’re gonna have success.
“Continue to have great puck support, come up with battles, and then spending more time in the offensive zone. It’s an area where we’ve got to continue to do that coupled with getting more Grade-A chances 5-on-5.”
