Sunday, April 20, 2008

Bruins - Inside Shots

Let’s do it again.

“These guys are resilient. I don’t think we’re ready to go away yet,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said Saturday night after his eighth-seeded Bruins won their second straight and forced a Game 7 with the top-seeded Habs in Montreal Monday night.

Julien was behind the Montreal bench in 2004 when his Canadiens trailed 3-1, won Game 5 in Boston, Game 6 in Montreal and then Game 7 right back in Boston.

That made the Canadiens the 20th team in NHL history to rally from 3-1. Four years later, the Bruins are trying to become the 21st.

“We’re just trying to exorcise the demons,” said defenseman Aaron Ward, a three-time Stanley Cup winner who can help this team with his experience Monday night.

The Bruins scored 21 goals in losing 11 of the first 12 games against the hated Habs this season through Game 4 of this Eastern Conference quarterfinal. They have scored 10 goals in the last two games, led by three from Phil Kessel, who has returned from a three-game exile with a vengeance.

The B’s have scored four goals in the third period against Canadiens goaltender Carey Price in each of the last two games.

Now, one game to advance to the second round for the first time since Boston beat Carolina in 1999.

“It’s just amazing, the resiliency of this hockey club,” said Julien.

Bruins 5, Canadiens 4: There are several ways one could think of that the Bruins could have beaten Montreal Saturday night to force a Game 7 Monday night in Canada. No one would have come up with what actually happened.

The B’s trailed, 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2. They took a 4-3 lead and gave it up 11 seconds later. Then they won on a Marco Sturm goal with 2:37 left in regulation.

“That was probably the most exciting game I’ve played in,” said B’s defenseman Dennis Wideman. “That was by far the loudest game I’ve even been in in this barn.”

The TD Banknorth Garden, filled with fans of both teams, was shaking when Sturm scored and kept shaking as the Bruins moved to the next step—Game 7.

“We were fighting for our lives the last two games,” said rookie Milan Lucic, who scored his second goal of the series Saturday night. “It’s been huge. But the job’s not done and we just have to be focused.”

Notes, Quotes

• The Bruins are 0-20 in playoff series they’ve trailed 3-1 as they head into Montreal for Game 7 Monday night looking for a franchise first. It is also the first time the Canadiens have even allowed a Game 7 when leading 3-1 in a series.

• Entering this year’s playoffs, only 20 of the 223 teams down 3-1 have come back to win. The New Jersey Devils joined the list of those failing to do it when they went out against the New York Rangers.

• After scoring 21 goals in the first 12 games of the season against the rival Habs, the Bruins have 10 in the last two games, eight of them coming in a pair of four-goal third periods.

• The B’s, who ranked No. 14 among the 16 playoff teams in goals scored this season, had five goals in their previous five games before the 10 in the last two, all coming in the four playoff games after getting shut out in the regular-season finale against Buffalo.

• The Bruins were 0-for-2 on the power play Saturday night and are 3-for-25 in the series and 6-for-55 against the Canadiens this season.

• Meanwhile, Montreal, which had the league’s top power play during the regular season, was 0-for-4 again Saturday night and is just 2-for-28 in this series—although both scores were game-winners.

• Saturday night marked the 160th playoff game between the two rivals, tops in the NHL. The Canadiens lead the series count, 23-7.

Quote To Note: “It’s going to be extremely loud in there and it’s going to be very emotional. We have to make sure we do a good job of containing our emotions and putting them in the right direction and not getting running around and stay calm and still continue to make plays. We can’t be just throwing the puck away and running all over the place or it’ll be a long night for us.”—Bruins defenseman Dennis Wideman on Monday night’s Game 7 in Montreal.

Roster Report

Goaltenders: Tim Thomas, Alex Auld.

Defensemen: Zdeno Chara, Dennis Wideman, Andrew Ference, Aaron Ward, Shane Hnidy, Mark Stuart.

First Line: Marco Sturm, David Krejci, Glen Murray.

Second Line: Milan Lucic, Marc Savard, Phil Kessel.

Third Line: P.J. Axelsson, Glen Metropolit, Petteri Nokelainen.

Player Notes:

• G Tim Thomas made 31 saves for the second consecutive game. He has started 14 of the last 15 games.

• RW Phil Kessel, the team’s No. 5 scorer, third in goals, in the regular season, is back on the ice and in the scorebook after spending three games as a healthy scratch because of his lack of a physical game. He had three goals in the last two games. “I’m happy for him,” said Thomas. “That bodes well for his future.” Kessel’s first goal Saturday was one that will be a highlight for a long time.

• D Aaron Ward returned after missing one game with a left knee injury, sending D Andrew Alberts back to the stands. Ward’s shot was tipped home by Milan Lucic in the third period.

• LW Jeremy Reich was again a healthy scratch.

• RW Glen Murray hasn’t scored in the last 11 games.

• LW Marco Sturm ended an eight-game goal-less streak with his shorthanded goal in the third period in Game 5 and then had the winner Saturday night after an earlier assist.

• C David Krejci, 1-0-1 in the first four games, had two assists Thursday night and then did it again Saturday.

• C Marc Savard had two assists Saturday and is the leading scorer in the series with 1-5-6.

• C Vladimir Sobotka has scored in each of the last two games.

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