Tampa Bay started the third period with 1:06 remaining on Andrew Ference's cross-checking penalty, and the Lightning did with it exactly what they'd done with the other chances, when the Boston defense collapsed and Steven Stamkos got free at the left face-off dot, one-timing a shot off the crossbar and in, giving Tampa a 4-2 lead.
The Bruins didn't seem to have any legs to respond with by that point, and Tampa was all-too-happy to continue to wear away at their opposition in advance of Friday's impending game seven.
The Bruins struggled to generate any offense in wake of Stamkos' goal, and didn't get a shot on net in the first until over a minute into Vincent Lecavalier's hooking penalty, when Nathan Horton found David Krejci in front of the net on the power play and Krejci dumped it into an open side to make it a one-goal game.
It didn't last long, though, as Johnny Boychuk got caught pinching on the very next shift and Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos executed a perfect 2-on-1, with Stamkos getting Tim Thomas out of the net and feeding it to St. Louis, who tapped it into a wide open net.
But while the Bruins looked dead in the water early in the period, David Krejci wouldn't let his team quit. He threaded a pass from Milan Lucic between Roloson's legs with 6:32 to play in the period to earn himself a hat trick and his team a chance to even the game up.
A flurry of Bruins activity followed the Krejci goal, but it was not to be as Roloson stood tall and the Lightning forced a game seven Friday night in Boston.
SOG Boston 5 (19) Tampa 9 (26)
Goals Boston: Krejci (2, 9), PPG: Horton, Kaberle, 9:46; Krejci (3, 10): Lucic, Kaberle, 13:28. Tampa: Stamkos (6), PPG: Brewer, St. Louis, 0:34; St. Louis (2, 10): Downie, Stamkos, 10:15.
Penalties: Boston: 6:58: Kaberle, Interference. Tampa: 8:12: Lecavalier, Hooking