With David Krejci leaving the game early and the Bruins trailing 2-0 in Game 5, Bruce Cassidy’s squad faced another uphill battle in a must-win game against the Senators.

Once again they persevered and overcame a two-goal deficit to tie things at 2-2 thanks to David Pastrnak and Sean Kuraly, who replaced Ryan Spooner in the lineup.

That wasn’t the only bit of adversity that they faced. From the untimely penalties late in the third period to another night of questionable officiating and battling through fatigue in the extra session, the Black and Gold dug deep and got their much-needed win thanks to Kuraly’s second of the night. The former Miami (Ohio) captain also had a goal waived off in overtime due to a rather dubious goaltending interference ruling.

Here is what we learned as the Bruins forced a Game 6 with what essentially amounted to a 5-2 win in double overtime.

The officiating

David Backes: “However many they call back in overtime, we were gonna keep going to those areas until there’s a good one that stands”

— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) April 22, 2017

Here’s the thing, being a referee in the National Hockey League or in any sport is a pretty difficult job. They hardly get praised when they call a great game and will be widely critiqued by any fanbase if they think they were robbed of a decision at any point during a contest.

Game 5 may have been in Ottawa, but Bruins fans on social media were scratching their heads in overtime for good reason when Chris Lee waived off what would have been Kuraly’s original game-winner in the extra session if it weren’t for goaltender interference. Moments later, Lee and fellow referee Kelly Sutherland either ignored or forgot to look at the rulebook when Jean-Gabriel Pageau covered the puck in the crease following a scrum in front of Craig Anderson.

Certainly, Cassidy and company would have had every right to be upset at the officiating if the result was reversed, especially in a game where Chris Wideman’s knee on knee hit to Krejci went uncalled. Nonetheless, they dug deep and return to Boston with a chance to force a Game 7 on Sunday afternoon.

In a series that has seen its share of controversial calls from Riley Nash’s roughing penalty in overtime of Game 3, to the offsides challenge that waived off a potential Charlie McAvoy goal in Game 4, the last thing that is needed is for the trend to continue in Game 6.

Kuraly comes through in unlikely spot

Here’s another look at the winner, courtesy of @kurals9. pic.twitter.com/sb1ke5kM90

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 22, 2017

With two postseason games under his belt, Kuraly was brought in place of Spooner, who wasn’t 100 percent according to Cassidy on Friday. The moral of the story, though, is Cassidy liked what Kuraly brought to the table during the first two games of the series and wanted to give him another look with the team on the brink of elimination.

Well, Kuraly took his opportunity and ran with it. With increased ice time due to Krejci’s absence, the 24-year-old made the most of his 18:03 of ice time with six shots on goal and was flying on both ends of the ice. Finding time and space was never an issue for Kuraly, especially in front of the net as seen on his game-winner at 10:19 of the second overtime where he gathered a shot blocked by a fatigued Erik Karlsson and snapped a backhander past Anderson to send the series to a sixth game. The play was set up by David Backes’ pivotal faceoff win in the attacking end.

“A lot of good plays leading up to it. I was just on the tail end of it and the puck landed on my stick and it passes into the back of the net and the 4X6.” Kuraly told the press about his game-winner. ” Those are the good ones. You don’t get many of those and it bounced on my stick tonight, and I’m happy that it did.”

Just as impressive as Kuraly’s first two goals in the NHL? His celebrations. There’s always a first for everything.

Another night where Tuukka Rask proves his doubters wrong

No question that Rask was the best Bruin on the ice on Friday night.

The only two goals he gave up were results of the Sens getting behind the Bruins defense en route to breakaways from Mark Stone in the first period and Pageau during the second. Following Pageau’s first of the postseason 30 seconds into the middle stanza, the 2014 Vezina Winner stopped 32 straight shots, 19 coming in the extra session, en route to a 41-save performance.

Each and every stop was timely for Rask. From his pad stop on Stone following a McAvoy turnover to flat out denying Kyle Turris on a breakaway attempt, the veteran once again gave the Bruins a chance to win it on a night where they had to battle through another bout of adversity.

The saves didn’t start and end with overtime. At a time where the Bruins nearly suffered some self-inflicted wounds with a delay of game penalty on Dominic Moore for shooting the puck over the glass and a too many men call after a bad line change late in the third, Rask and company stood tall on those crucial shorthanded situations.

“Both teams were playing extremely hard, and, you know, the battles were all over the ice,” the ageless wonder Zdeno Chara said to the press after recording a team-high 36:46 time on ice. “You know, we had to kill some big penalties, a couple in a row. That always kind of boosts up the morale of the team and Tuukka made some big saves [all night].”

To those long line of detractors, yes, Rask is still one of the NHL’s best at his position. Maybe not Vezina worthy, but certainly capable of stealing a few games.