While the Bruins were hanging on for dear life, coach Claude Julien admitted to feeling exactly was every Bruins fan was feeling watching the third period of Tuesday night’s Game 2 win over the Lightning at TD Garden. The Bruins were lucky to get away with a 6-5 regulation win to even the Eastern Conference final at one game apiece.

“I don’t think anybody in that dressing room is extremely happy with our game because we got sloppy at times,” Julien said of his team’s defense after building a 6-3 lead heading into the final period. “And we turned pucks over and weren’t strong on in the third period. But there’s no doubt we were hanging on. And thank God time was on our side and we came up with the win. So we need to regroup here, take the win for what it is in the playoffs, and know that we got to get better.

“When two teams start the series and they are two of the best defensive teams in the playoffs and then you see a game like this, I don’t think anybody’s happy. We want to score goals, there’s no doubt there. But the way we’ve been giving up goals is not something that we’re proud of right now. And we need to be better in regards to that.”

Julien also hinted that the play of Tyler Seguin and Michael Ryder could coincide with the return of Patrice Bergeron in Game 3. Bergeron missed the first two games of the series with a mild concussion.

“I think when you look back at the game it certainly wasn’t the perfect game that everybody would like so see,” Julien added. “But we won a hockey game and right now the series is tied at one. We know we have to get better and the win is what you should be looking at right now. And hopefully we get Bergy back, but in the meantime, I think our guys, especially tonight, a lot of our guys have stepped in.”

What was the aspect of the game that bothered Julien the most as the Bruins built a three-goal cushion? In a word, carelessness.

“It opened up to the point that there was breakaways,” Julien said pointing to chances by Ryan Malone in the second and Vincent Lecavalier in the third, both stopped by Tim Thomas. “And Tim made some big saves on those breakaways again. And they stressed us out and we stressed them out and I’m not sure about what their feeling is about that. But when two teams start the series and they are two of the best defensive teams in the playoffs and then you see a game like this, I don’t think anybody’s happy. We want to score goals, there’s no doubt there. But the way we’ve been giving up goals is not something that we’re proud of right now. And we need to be better in regards to that.”

The series now shifts to Tampa Bay for Games 3 and 4 Thursday and Saturday at St. Pete Times Forum.