Nobody Will Consistently Let You Down Like The B's Who Fell 4-3 To The Panthers In Game 7 OT

 

    In any playoff format-particularly the ultra marathon that is better known as the NHL playoffs-when you have the chance to knock out an opponent, you have to do it. Otherwise, you run the risk of an epic choke job like the latest one suffered by your Boston Bruins. The best regular season team in league history was up 3-1 in their first round series vs. Florida and then they proceeded to fall apart rapidly, culminating with tonight's soul-crushing 4-3 overtime defeat in Game 7 at TD Garden. The B's got what they deserved both this evening and in this series as they came out flat yet again and trailed 2-0 in the second period before they finally woke up. Boston admirably rallied to tie it and even go ahead 3-2 in the third period but obviously they allowed the backbreaking tying goal with a minute left in regulation. Center Carter Verhaegae's series-clinching goal at 8:35 in OT felt like a formality as the Panthers dominated the extra session and now they advance to play the Maple Leafs in the second round (who picked that second round matchup?) while the Bruins are left wondering where it all went wrong? 

    Boston head coach Jim Montgomery made a big change by starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman (27 saves) for the first time in the series and in a vacuum, I would not say that it blew up in his face (because Swayman was OK) but it certainly did not rally the team like I'm sure he hoped that it would. Instead, a group with so much experience and talent seemed to crack under the pressure of such high expectations after a perfect regular season. It is a credit to Florida as well since they were the exact opposite: they never flinched as they won the final three games at the Garden including the last two in overtime. They don't give out MVP awards for a first round playoff series but if they did, UMass alum and Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour would get it as he scored not once but twice in Game 7. He opened the scoring with a power play goal at 12:23 of the first period. Center Anton Lundell and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (33 saves) had the assists on a backhander that Swayman probably should have stopped but it went in for Montour's fourth goal of the series. 

    Any thoughts of the Bruins coming out strong in the second period were quickly extinguished as center Sam Reinhart took a wide open drop pass in the slot and beat Swayman with a high shot at 1:14 for a stunning 2-0 Florida lead. Defenseman Eetu Luostarinen and Lundell provided the helpers on Reinhart's fourth goal of the playoffs. One of Boston's oldest players was the one to finally stem the tide as center David Krejci one-timed in a power play goal at 7:52 of the second period that cut the Panthers' lead to 2-1. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov and center Pavel Zacha assisted on Krejci's first goal of the series. Boston still trailed though 2-1 entering the third period. 

    The B's tied it at two 55 seconds into the third as they scored another power play goal. Left wing Tyler Bertuzzi tipped in Orlov's shot for his team-high fifth goal of the series, assisted by Krejci. Boston soon after gained its only lead of the third period when Bobrovsky allowed a juicy rebound that right wing David Pastrnak was able to follow up for his fifth goal of the postseason and a 3-2 advantage for the Black and Gold. Defenseman Brandon Carlo and Krejci had the assists at 4:11 as the Garden went wild. It would have been great to see the B's build on that lead but they seemed to sit back and try to hang on for dear life rather than take the game by the scruff of its neck. Bobrovsky was out for an extra attacker and the puck deflected right to who else but Montour who put it in for the devastating tying goal. Center Aleksander Barkov and Verhaeghe notched the assists on the biggest goal in Montour's life and one of the biggest in Panthers franchise history. 

    Each team had five shots on goal in overtime but if you watched it, Florida completely dominated zone time and in terms of puck possession. Swayman actually stopped a breakaway by Panthers star left wing Matthew Tkachuk and made a few other quality saves as his petrified teammates mostly stumbled around their defensive zone. After captain and center Patrice Bergeron contemplated retirement for a long time last summer and Krejci returned from the Czech Republic, you have to wonder if they are both done after this latest depressing result. On the one hand, it feels like it would be impossible to go out on this pathetic note after such great Bruins careers but then again, both guys seemed extra emotional leaving the ice after this one. Who knows? It should not have ended like this for the 2022-23 Bruins, they should have done so much more damage in the Stanley Cup playoffs or maybe not since this follows an all too familiar pattern of postseason letdowns for a club that still has only won a single Stanley Cup since 1972 (in 2011). 

The Bruins Cap A Horrific Two Nights At The Garden With A 4-3 Overtime Loss To The Panthers

 

    This postseason is supposed to be different but tonight's gut punch of a 4-3 overtime loss by the Bruins to the Panthers in Game 5 of the first round felt hauntingly familiar. With a chance to be the first team to advance to the second round of the playoffs in the league, the B's made it harder on themselves as they never led and fell despite outshooting Florida by a huge margin (47-25). The overtime goal came courtesy of a horrific mistake by Boston's goaltender Linus Ullmark (21 saves) who went to play the puck behind his net but instead, fumbled it away then tried to scramble back in time to stop Panthers star left wing Matthew Tkachuk. Ullmark was down and out as Tkachuk patiently waited before lifting a backhander over Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk at 6:05 of overtime. Florida center Carter Verhaeghe (3 assists) had the lone helper on Tkachuk's third goal of the series. Now, instead of getting some extra time to rest before their next series (against a better club), Boston has to schlep back to the Sunshine State for Game 6 on Friday (7:30, NESN). Ugh. 

    Among many things that the B's wasted in this contest was the emotional return of captain Patrice Bergeron who made his first appearance of the series and scored his 50th career playoff goal because of course he did. In a potential close out game, the Panthers picked a good time to score their first goal in a first period during this series. Verhaeghe fed left wing Anthony Duclair who knocked the puck out of the air in traffic to net his first goal of the postseason at 8:26. Florida's much-maligned goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (44 saves) got another start and he had some shaky moments but ultimately he came out on top. B's left wing Brad Marchand continued to play really well as he tallied a power play goal that tied it at one early in the second period. He took a shot that Bobrovsky stopped but like a basketball player that misses a shot, he followed up his own rebound and put it in for his fourth goal of the series. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy registered the lone assist at 2:27. It looked like it would be tied 1-1 heading into the third period but the Panthers scored a crushing goal at 18:52 as center Sam Bennett ripped a wrist shot from the slot into the top corner past Ullmark. Verhaeghe and left wing Nick Cousins notched the assists on Bennett's third goal of the series. 

    Trailing 2-1 to begin the third period, Boston's power play once again clicked to get an early goal to knot it up. Bergeron perfectly tipped a shot by Marchand with McAvoy grabbing the other assist. The Garden's PA announcer had not even talked about Bergeron's goal before Florida answered with another go-ahead tally: right wing Sam Reinhart (much like Sam Bennett) was left wide open in the slot where he cranked a shot past Ullmark. The power play goal was his second goal of the series with assists to Tkachuk and center Aleksander Barkov (who has been noticeably quiet for most of these games) at 5:14. No worries though as the B's had one last mini-comeback left in them: left wing Taylor Hall (who is currently on fire) found a loose puck in front of Bobrovsky, he wheeled away from defenders and fired a rocket that went in the top corner. Defenseman Brandon Carlo and center Charlie Coyle picked up the assists at 9:16 on Hall's team-leading fifth goal of the playoffs. In the final seconds of regulation, Marchand had a breakaway but Bobrovsky stopped what would have been an insane series-clinching strike 

    Going back on the road might actually not be the worst thing for the Bruins at least in this series since they are 1-2 at the Garden (losing their last two) and 2-0 in Florida. There is guaranteed to be tons of Bruins fans in the building which has to help matters. As the hockey cliche goes: the fourth win is the hardest one to get in a playoff series. Much like the Hawks last night, the Panthers proved something by showing up and battling rather than rolling over after they lost the crucial Game 4 at home. Wacky stuff constantly happens in the NHL playoffs but you have to believe that the B's will not let another opportunity to eliminate Florida slip through their hands. Needless to say, they want no part of a Game 7 against an opponent that has absolutely nothing to lose so all the pressure would be solely on them.

Bruins Take A 3-1 Series Lead & Depart Florida With The Panthers' Soul After A Lovely 6-2 Victory

 

    After radio silence for the first three games of this first round playoff series, I just had to chime in today after the Bruins and Panthers treated us sleep deprived young dads to a rainy Sunday afternoon special. Boston kept the momentum rolling from Friday's pivotal 4-2 victory in Game 3 as they won 6-2 today at good old FLA Live Arena to put the Panthers on the brink of elimination facing a 3-1 deficit. The teams get an extra day off (for Florida to start booking those tee times and island vacations?) before they meet again for Game 5 on Wednesday (7, NESN) at TD Garden. After surprisingly crumbling in the third period of Game 2 and getting blown out 6-3, the B's righted the ship with a memorable weekend in the Sunshine State. Neither performance was perfect but they looked much more like the club that had the best record in NHL regular season history. 

    The two main stars in Game 4 for Boston were goaltender Linus Ullmark (41 saves)-shown above challenging Panthers bozo Matthew Tkachuk to a fight in garbage time-along with left wing Taylor Hall (2 goals, 2 assists). Shouts to left wing Jake DeBrusk who also added two goals plus left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (goal, assist) who has six points (2 goals, 4 assists) in his first four NHL playoff games and fellow newcomer Dmitry Orlov (assist) who has a point in all four contests. This was a true team win for the Black and Gold as every guy that suited up (and remember that they were once again missing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci) seemingly made a positive contribution. 

    Boston never trailed in Florida this weekend and their much maligned power play scored a goal in the first period and in the second period to stake the Bruins to a 2-0 lead. Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (25 saves) was making his first start since March 27 and shocker, he looked rusty. He made a good save but then couldn't cover up the puck which allowed left wing Brad Marchand to knock the puck in at 9:45 of the first period. Center Pavel Zacha and Bertuzzi had the assists on Marchand's third goal of the series. 

    After Tkachuk picked up a stupid cross-checking penalty at the end of the first period, the B's made him pay as DeBrusk finished a pretty passing sequence from Orlov and Hall at 1:52 of the second period. Jake's second goal of the postseason gave Boston a 2-0 lead. Tkachuk briefly made up for his idiocy with a goal at 16:00 of the second period that cut the Bruins' advantage down to 2-1. He made the most of a favorable bounce and put in a sweet shot between his legs before Ullmark could recover. His second goal of the playoffs was assisted by center Carter Verhaeghe and UMass defenseman Brandon Montour.  

    Once again, Boston struck early-this time in the third period-to regain control of the contest. Bertuzzi had an awesome re-direct of a shot by defenseman Brandon Carlo. Left wing Nick Foligno added the secondary assist at 2:26 on Bertuzzi's second goal of the series. Florida briefly made it interesting as center Sam Bennett's power play goal made it 3-2 Boston at 6:11. He went to the net and was rewarded when Ullmark left a rebound on the doorstep. Montour and Tkachuk assisted on Bennett's second goal of the playoffs. The B's wasted little time wrapping it up though as DeBrusk scored a similar tally to Bennett's less than two minutes later at 8:05. Zacha and Hall provided the helpers on that one before Hall clinched it with a beautiful goal via a breakaway. His filthy dangle around a helpless Bobrovsky was a reminder that he used to be an NHL MVP not that long ago. Center Tomas Nosek and Ullmark notched the assists on probably the prettiest goal that a Bruin will score this postseason. For good measure, Hall added an empty netter at 19:31 for the final margin. Rookie left wing Jakub Lauko and Kennebunkport native Garnet Hathaway got their names on the scoresheet with the assists. 

    This is not the NBA and we are talking about the Bruins so even with a commanding 3-1 series lead, this is not fully over quite yet. Still, you have to like their chances to get this done in three possible games. They are clearly better than the Panthers so there is no need to give them any hope and have to go back to Florida for a Game 6. Get this over with on Wednesday and hope that the Leafs-Lightning series (which Toronto currently leads 2-1) goes seven games before you have to face one of those much better teams in the second round.

    

Everybody Knows That A Four-Goal Lead Is the Most Dangerous One In Hockey, Wait What?

It's hard for a single sporting event (played early in the regular season) to create a wider range of emotions than what the Bruins (11-3-4) and Panthers (9-4-5) produced tonight at TD Garden for Military Appreciation Night. The first period might have been the most boring in NHL history (slight exaggeration but it was scoreless with 12 combined shots) but the B's followed that with four goals in a thrilling second period for what should always be an insurmountable 4-0 advantage. However, Florida responded with not one, not two (LeBron voice), not three but four goals in the third to send it to overtime. It was a thrilling five minutes that sadly lacked a goal, setting the stage for yet another shootout loss for the Black and Gold (their 2nd in 3 nights and 3rd of the season), 5-4.

Where to begin? Outside of the playoffs-which are a whole other ball of wax-it's tough to picture the Bruins suffering a worse loss from now until mid-April 2020 when the regular season mercifully ends. The Panthers should be commended for rallying behind backup goaltender Sam Montembeault (15 saves) who came on in relief of Sergei Bobrovsky (19 saves, 4 goals allowed) who was pulled after two periods. Still, Florida isn't exactly Washington or St. Louis, they are probably a fringe playoff team in the Eastern Conference at best. This also painfully extended Boston's losing streak to four games (0-2-2) although they've taken single points in the last two not that anybody feels too thrilled about that.

Every team has bad stretches and maybe that's the biggest explanation at the moment for the B's. The injuries that keep piling up especially to their forwards can't help either: Zach Senyshyn left tonight's game with a knee injury that hopefully isn't too serious since he's looked pretty promising in four games since being recalled from Providence. This is a club that prides itself on closing out games and with so many dependable veterans in the lineup, losses like tonight are super rare but incredibly painful.

The first omen that it was going to be a wacky night was when the lights conveniently went out for a few seconds early in the second period when Florida happened to have the puck in a dangerous scoring position. After Bobrovsky made a few quality saves, Boston found a way to bombard him with four goals just 7:36 apart from the middle of the frame to near the end of it. Obviously David Pastrnak opened the barrage with his NHL-best 16th goal of the season at 11:55. Bergeron had picked off the puck at center ice and fed him for a 2-on-1 with Brad Marchand. In his second game back after missing eight of nine with an elbow infection, Joakim Nordstrom made it 2-0 Bruins at 14:02 with a low snipe on Bobrovsky. Charlie Coyle had the lone assist on Nordy's second goal of the season. Anders Bjork's power play goal at 17:16 was I'm sure the one that Sergei would like to have back since he tipped it with his glove but couldn't snap it closed in time. David Krejci and Marchand had the assists on Bjork's third goal of the season. Finally, the captain Zdeno Chara flipped in a loose puck and topped that off with Jake DeBrusk's (a nice tribute to a sidelined buddy) signature celebration for a 4-0 Bruins lead at 19:31. Krejci had the primary assist after Bobrovsky flat out robbed him and Danton Heinen had the secondary assist on Chara's third goal of the season.

Tuukka Rask's (25 saves, 7-2-2) shutout bid ended 50 seconds into the third period as Aaron Ekblad cranked a one-timer past him. Milton MA native and Cushing Academy alum Keith Yandle and Aleksander Barkov had the assists on Ekblad's second goal of the season. That didn't seem like a big deal until Boston was whistled for a couple shaky penalties (slashing on Chris Wagner and hooking on Sean Kuraly) that ended up both costing them dearly. UMass alum, Longmeadow MA native and former Bruin Frank Vatrano cut Boston's lead to 4-2 at 5:26 with a one-timer that he snuck under Rask's leg pads. Jonathan Huberdeau had the lone assist on Vatrano's sixth goal of the season. The wheels really started to come off for the B's and the crowd got understandably nervous when Rask gave up his extra soft goal of the game. Mike Hoffman tried to backhand a pass across the crease but it ended up in the back of the net, an unforgivable mistake for Tuukka (which will surely serve as fresh kindling for his usual haters). Hoffman's seventh goal of the season was assisted by Yandle and Huberdeau.

Boston seemed to finally regain some semblance of balance as Coyle hit the crossbar then Sean Kuraly drew a tripping penalty on his former linemate and PC icon Noel Acciari. Florida's penalty kill unit survived that one though and Yandle unbelievably tied it up when he roofed the puck past Rask at 18:21. A huge defensive breakdown led to his second goal of the season, assisted by Barkov and Huberdeau (the 1st star of the game). I'm not going to say it was a foregone conclusion at that juncture since Marchand had a breakaway in overtime (and Rask also stopped Hoffman's breakaway) but when it got to the shootout, you felt like Boston's kryptonite would get them once again like it had on Sunday night vs. Philadelphia. This time they did get a goal in the shootout (Coyle in the 3rd round to extend it) but lost in the fourth round as Hoffman scored and Charlie McAvoy did not. Vincent Trocheck provided the other shootout goal for Florida in the second round.

There is no practice tomorrow for the Bruins which honestly is a good thing since I'm sure the last thing they want to do is get yelled at by the coaching staff for a few hours after this debacle. Instead, they'll be back on the ice on Thursday before traveling to Toronto (9-6-4) for another showdown with the Maple Leafs on Friday (7, NESN). That is sure to be an emotional and competitive game with an even better team-the Capitals (13-2-4)-waiting for them at the Garden on Saturday night (7, NESN). Eventually, Boston will get itself out of this funk and against the Leafs would be as good a time as any to look like themselves again. They have already split the first two games with them this season with each team winning on its home ice. The Caps are another story since no team has owned the Bruins for years quite like them but we'll deal with that come Saturday morning.

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The Bruins Push The Blue Jackets To The Brink Of Elimination With An Insane 4-3 Victory In Game 5

You could watch a lifetime of hockey and you might never see a more crazy third period in a playoff game than the one that took place tonight at TD Garden. Heading into the frame up 1-0, the Bruins later led 2-0 and 3-1 before the Blue Jackets scored twice to tie it up, setting the stage for David Pastrnak's incredibly clutch tally with 1:28 left in regulation. From there, Boston held on for the extremely important 4-3 win in Game 5 that gives them a 3-2 series advantage. Game 6 is at Nationwide Arena on Monday (7, NBC Sports) as the B's will get a chance to knock out the Jackets once and for all.

Believe it or not (given the final score), the story for much of this contest was the continued dominance of Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (33 saves). After playing one of the best games of his NHL playoff career on Thursday (a 4-1 victory at Columbus), he appeared poised to somehow top that with a shutout. In the span of 3:35, Columbus managed to score three goals to erase that two-goal deficit. In the long, storied history of the Black and Gold, this was only the second time ever that they had blown a multi-goal third period lead then recovered to still win it in regulation (1989, division semifinal at Buffalo).

Boston's first forward line (Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand) had been the best in the NHL not only this season but the last few which made their struggles earlier in the series vs. Columbus so puzzling. Were Pastrnak and Bergeron hurt or just in a major offensive drought at the worst possible time? They have certainly answered their critics with the back-to-back crucial wins that they starred in. Marchand (goal, 2 assists) and Pastrnak (2 goals) each had their best games of the postseason and Rask once again outplayed Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (32 saves) who is still making some of the best stops that you'll ever see.

Interestingly enough with the top two power plays left in the postseason (Columbus is #1 & Boston is #2), all seven of the goals came via 5-on-5 action. After a scoreless first period, David Krejci opened the scoring at 1:39 of the second. Who cares if he almost whiffed on the shot which actually helped it fool Bobrovsky? Jake DeBrusk and David Backes had the assists on Krejci's third goal of the playoffs (his 35th career playoff goal that moved him into 7th place on the club's all-time list). Boston doubled its lead at 4:51 of the third period on a Marchand goal and at that point with the way that Rask was completely shutting down the Jackets, you thought that would be more than enough. Bobrovsky robbed Marchand with a spectacular glove save but Brad stuck with it and beat the brilliant goalie with a snipe in basically the same spot. His fifth goal of the postseason was assisted by Quinnipiac's Connor Clifton (his 1st career playoff point!) and Bergeron.

Columbus' ill-fated comeback attempt fittingly started with another shady goal (at least it wasn't the boneheaded no call from Game 4 when the puck clearly went into the netting over the rink before the Blue Jackets scored on the same play). Seth Jones' shot deflected off Matt Grzelcyk's stick and Rask was hugging the near post but he wasn't able to keep it out of the net, apparently. It was called no goal on the ice then after a very lengthy review (and to the dismay of the Garden crowd), it was overturned for Jones' third goal of the playoffs. Zach Werenski and BC's Cam Atkinson had the assists on the goal by Jones who once again nearly played half of the game (he skated a game-high 29:49). 43 seconds later, Pasta ripped a laser by Bobrovsky who barely moved. Marchand had the lone assist but Pasta did most of the work on their 2-on-1; his fifth goal of the postseason was an understandably emotional moment for him after he'd been bashed for the last few weeks by local media and fans alike.

It's a real credit to the Blue Jackets that they still wouldn't die after that (when most other clubs would have) as Ryan Dzingel cut it to 3-2 with a top-shelf shot 51 seconds later. Matt Duchene and David Savard had the helpers on Dzingel's first point of the postseason. Even more unlikely than that, something named Dean Kukan (haha who the hell is that?) tied it up at 13:58 with a blast that went off of Brandon Carlo's skate. It was the first goal-regular season or playoffs-of Kukan's NHL career. Artemi Panarin and Josh Anderson notched the assists on Kukan's tying goal which proved as always that if you give almost any NHL player that much time and space, they can hurt you in a major way. Assuming that you weren't dead already, the B's saved us further heart problems (for now!) since they bypassed (get it?) overtime for the excruciating third straight contest at home.

The Bruins left it to be decided late but doesn't the additional drama make it that much sweeter? Carlo started the winning sequence by stripping the puck from Panarin then Marchand threw it towards the Columbus net where Pastrnak was situated and he re-directed it enough to elude Bobrovsky to the far side. Needless to say, I think that Pasta's first career game-winning goal in the playoffs will be one that he'll never forget.

Boston now has a little bit of a cushion (2 chances to get 1 win) as they enter Game 6. Keep in mind that Carolina is relaxing and waiting for the winner of this series in the Eastern Conference Finals after they finished their sweep of the Islanders last night. Unlike the Leafs series, the Bruins have learned to give themselves some breathing room but make no mistake, they need to do everything in their power to eliminate Columbus as soon as possible. You don't want to see them and especially Bobrovsky in a Game 7 situation.

Some numbers to keep in mind for Monday: the Bruins are 10-16 all-time in Game 6s when they lead a best-of-seven series 3-2 while the Blue Jackets are 0-2 in Game 6s when they trailing a series 2-3. Also, Boston is 21-5 all-time in best-of-seven series when they lead in a series 3-2 and Columbus is 0-2 when they trail in a series 2-3. The B's have won their last two games and what better time to make it three in a row and reach their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2013 (vs. Tampa Bay) than Monday in Columbus?

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Counting On Surviving Overtime(s) In The NHL Playoffs Is No Way To Live For Very Long

With two teams that appear to be such mirror images of each other, both in terms of playing style and overall talent, it's no surprise that Boston and Columbus have required overtime to decide the first two games of their first-ever playoff meeting-in the 2nd round of the 2019 postseason. Tonight at TD Garden, the Blue Jackets took advantage of a critical mistake (tripping on Patrice Bergeron) as Matt Duchene scored a power-play goal in double overtime for a 3-2 Columbus victory and a series that is now tied at one game apiece.

Obviously the longer a game goes on, the tougher it is to swallow a crushing loss such as this but it only feels right that after Boston took Game 1 3-2 in overtime, Columbus returned the favor with an even later game-winning goal. As you can predict with so few goals, the best players for both teams were the goaltenders: Tuukka Rask was the hard-luck loser as he made 38 saves while Sergei Bobrovsky was no slouch with 28 of his own. Of course, Artemi Panarin (2 goals, assist) was also unstoppable for the Blue Jackets as he extended his point-streak to a franchise-record six games (4 goals, 5 assists).

For the second game in a row, the Bruins scored first which is often a harbinger of good things to come in any playoff contest. Their power play produced a tally as Matt Grzelcyk bagged his first career NHL playoff goal by blasting a shot through traffic at 7:50 of the first period. His BU buddy Charlie McAvoy along with David Krejci had the assists on the memorable goal for the pride of Charlestown, MA. Panarin answered early in the second period with a power play goal of his own: he unloaded on a one-timer from Seth Jones (who played a game-high 38:01!) and BC's Cam Atkinson. Panarin's third goal of the postseason came at 1:03.

The B's quickly responded to take a 2-1 lead as Charlie Coyle threw the puck in front from behind the net and it just so happened to deflect in off of David Pastrnak's skate. Maybe that'll get Pasta going again since he's looked like a shell (no pun intended, it's late!) of himself for almost all of the Toronto series and now definitely against Columbus. Pastrnak's third goal of the playoffs was also assisted by Marcus Johansson at 2:01. The Bread Man aka Panarin showed off some more of his superb skill set with another tying goal. Stationed below the faceoff dot in Boston's defensive zone, he beat Rask up high with an absolute snipe when it was 4-on-4. Jones had the lone assist on the stunning shot at 8:01 of the second period.

Since the first line hasn't looked like themselves in a bit, Boston was sloppy in the second period (outshot 10-7) but they found their legs in the third period (outshooting Columbus 8-7) yet they weren't able to end it in regulation. The B's managed to survive a high-sticking penalty on McAvoy in the first overtime and either Bergeron (who was robbed multiple times by Bobrovsky) or Coyle (who hit the post from the doorstep) should have won it right then and there. The lazy penalty by Bergy early in the second overtime was surprising but the fact that the Bruins lost because of that certainly was not. With so many tired guys, you can't expect to get away with that type of mental error. Duchene made a great play on the goal too as he kicked the rebound from his right skate to his stick (lefty) before burying the puck at 3:42. Panarin and Atkinson had the assists on what was probably the biggest goal of Duchene's career-remember that he was traded to Columbus from Ottawa earlier this season.

We at least know that there will be another game at the Garden in this round/postseason (Game 5 on Saturday night at 7:15 on NBC). Before then, Boston is off tomorrow followed by practice on Monday and travelling to Ohio. The fatigue from a seven-game series with the Leafs and then two overtime tilts right out of the chute vs. the Blue Jackets has probably taken a physical toll on the Bruins. They have been playing pressure packed games every other day for a few weeks so getting away from it all for a second should help them immensely. Game 3 is Tuesday (7, NBC Sports) and Game 4 is on Thursday (7:30, NBC Sports) at Nationwide Arena. Two more overtime games is unlikely but there is clearly very little separating these clubs so a pair of one-goal (or maybe two goals with an empty-netter) games seems like a reasonable expectation.

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Charlie Coyle Saves the B's With the Tying & OT Goal in a 3-2 Win vs. Blue Jackets In Game 1

Ahead of tonight's Game 1 of the second round between the Bruins and Blue Jackets, you couldn't help but wonder which was more important: rest (Columbus had last played nine days ago when they completed their historic sweep vs. Tampa Bay) or momentum (Boston closed out their grueling seven-game series vs. Toronto only two days ago)? Ultimately, the B's found a way to come out on top as Weymouth native and former BU star Charlie Coyle tied it late in the third period then scored the game-winning goal in overtime as Boston topped Columbus 3-2 at TD Garden to take a 1-0 series lead.

Other than a bounty of tallies, this contest had a little bit of everything: great goaltending, physicality, world-class goals, drama and a memorable comeback. Are you not entertained, haha what more could you ask for as a neutral hockey fan let alone as a Bruin honk? For much of the night, it looked like Noel Acciari's shorthanded goal midway through the first period (the 1st shorthanded goal of his NHL playoff career) would be the only goal of Game 1. Charlie McAvoy started the sequence by knocking the puck away from a Blue Jacket where Acciari was able to recover it and skate it down the ice before uncorking a beautiful low, hard shot past Sergei Bobrovsky (34 saves) at 10:34. It was the former Providence College star's first goal of this postseason and McAvoy's (former BU star, what up Hockey East?) third assist of the playoffs.

Boston actually should have been up by more than a goal after the first period since they blitzed a noticeably rusty Columbus, outshooting them 14-4. As you would expect, the Blue Jackets started to percolate in the second period as they outshot the B's 10-6 but they couldn't find the back of the net. Brad Marchand hit the crossbar early in the frame but surprisingly, the top two power play units in the league both went 0-for-4 on the evening.

Columbus tied it at one at 7:39 of the third period as Brandon Dubinsky was able to deflect in Seth Jones' shot which originally went off the stick blade of former Bruins great Riley Nash. It was the former Rangers forward's first goal and point of the postseason. Before Boston had a chance to take a breath, they trailed 2-1 as Pierre-Luc Dubois tipped in a shot by Artemi Panarin just 13 seconds later. Dubois' second goal of the playoffs also featured another helper by Jones. The Bruins had a little more than half a period to find a tying goal of their own and that's what they did thanks to Coyle. Marcus Johansson had a beautiful backhand sauce pass that Coyle was able to crank so hard on a one-timer that it bounced in and out of the net in rapid speed. Torey Krug had the second assist on Coyle's fourth goal of the postseason and at that point, probably the biggest goal of his life.

Strangely enough, neither team had played an overtime game in the first round so it seemed like the perfect way to kick off the second round of the NHL playoffs (this was the 1st game of the 2nd round). It didn't take the Black and Gold long to end it as they outshot the Blue Jackets 4-1 and once again the Coyle-Johansson emerging connection was money. This time (at 5:15), Johansson threw the puck to the side of the net where Coyle was perfectly stationed and able to redirect it in for the unforgettable goal. I can't imagine what it feels like to be a local guy and do something like that for the team that you grew up cheering for. Talk about a goosebumps inducing moment.

You'll remember that Boston never officially led in the first-round series vs. Toronto as they trailed 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 before winning the final two meetings in epic fashion. Game 2 of this series is on Saturday night (8, NBC) and you better believe that the Bruins would love to put more pressure on the Blue Jackets who had never won a playoff series before a few weeks ago and never trailed against the chokeartist Lightning. Tuukka Rask (20 saves) wasn't nearly as busy as Bobrovsky but he made some quality stops and his solid play from the last few games vs. the Leafs appeared to carry over.

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Anything Goes On A Friday Night In Columbus

Being such a hopeless creature of habit, I will admit that I was completely thrown off by having the Bruins play on a Friday-something which happens about as often as Kim Kardashian covering up his gigantic ass. For two periods tonight at Nationwide Arena, Boston (13-8-0) was terrible as they fell behind host Columbus (6-11-2) 2-0.

Thankfully, the B's had just enough resiliency to rally in a bonkers third period and then eventually win 4-3 in a shootout. Nobody scored through six rounds so rookie Anton Khokhlachev ended it in the seventh with the lone goal in only his second career NHL game. It had all the makings of a trap game with Montreal and Pittsburgh waiting on the horizon not to mention Thanksgiving break.

Beginning tonight, Boston has three games in four days so head coach Claude Julien elected to sit Tuukka Rask in favor of rookie Niklas Svedberg (25 saves). The move was a no-brainer, even when Svedberg gave up a pair of soft goals in the first period. Ryan Johansen blocked Kevan Miller's shot in his own zone then skated on a partial breakaway before letting loose a shot that Svedberg got plenty of but couldn't keep from crossing the line at 9:52. Johansen's seventh goal of the season was unassisted.

Just 1:38 after Johansen's goal, the Blue Jackets went up 2-0 on Nick Foligno's deflection which actually went off his body. Jordan Leopold took the shot and Johansen had the second assist on Foligno's team-leading 10th goal of the season. Earlier in the frame, Patrice Bergeron's shot was swept off the goal line by a Columbus defenseman.

Svedberg's gaffes had nothing on Sergei Bobrovsky (38 saves) who breathed life into Boston by allowing one of the worst goals you'll ever see in the NHL. To the left of the faceoff dot, Dennis Seidenberg decided to put the puck on the net at 1:28 of the third period and somehow it went in despite not bouncing or doing anything wacky. Matt Bartkowski (who went to nearby Ohio State) and Chris Kelly received the joke assists.

That turned out to be the spark that the B's needed as they tied it at 9:33 on Matt Fraser's re-direct of Bartkowski's slap-pass. Fraser's third goal of the season (1st in 8 games) was also assisted by Bergeron who played it back to Bartkowski at the point. Before you could say full meltdown, the B's were up for the first time (3-2) 1:59 after Fraser's tally. Daniel Paille picked the perfect time to break his slump (1st goal in 37 games!) as he took advantage of the turnover created by Carl Soderberg.

Boston enjoyed that lead for a grand total of 1:15 since Jack Johnson (please read his tragic bankruptcy story) one-timed a pass from Johansen and Foligno. The Bruins quickly bounced back from that devastating goal as they outshot the Blue Jackets 7-1 in overtime. Bobrovsky made up for his poor play by owning overtime. The shootout went on for way too long with not enough goals but you can't argue with the final result.

Columbus is a train wreck so for that reason alone, Saturday (7, NESN) vs. Montreal figures to be way harder. Boston has suffered two humbling defeats (6-4 on Oct. 16 & 5-1 last Thursday) already this season in Montreal so they owe the Canadiens a beating at the Garden. It is a given that the atmosphere will be great, hopefully the game follows suit. Rask has to prove that he can beat Montreal and likewise, his teammates (looking at you Lucic) need to stay focused and not get caught up in the Canadiens' usual garbage.

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"9 out of 10 points ain't bad,"-The Bruins

After starting off with such a blah result (a 3-2 shootout loss to the Stars last Tuesday), the Bruins sure closed their season-long five-game homestand off in style: Milan Lucic scored with 48.6 seconds left in overtime tonight as Boston topped Columbus 3-2 at TD Garden for their fourth straight victory. The B's (12-5-1) have the look of the best team in the Eastern Conference, even if they still trail the Tampa Bay Lightning (who beat Anaheim 5-1).

Columbus (6-10-2) has to be kicking themselves as somehow Chad Johnson (2-1-0, 32 saves) beat Sergei Bobrovsky (28 saves) who won the Vezina Trophy last season but like his team is off to a crappy start to 2013-14. Johnson made his first start as a Bruin in Boston since the B's are in Ottawa tomorrow night. He hadn't played since November 2 so even though he wasn't anything special, he had to be rusty after so much time off from real action.

This is the classic example of a game that you sell to a friend if you are a season-ticket holder. Who wants to see the anonymous Blue Jackets? Especially when Nathan Horton (shoulder) has yet to play a game with his new employer. Columbus actually led 1-0 as Blake Comeau was the recipient of a breakdown in the Bruins' backline. Two guys went after Mark Letestu against the boards (why?) so all he had to do was throw it in front to Comeau for a one-timer that beat Johnson at 12:48 of the first period.

Boston responded with Loui Eriksson tying it at 18:10. Once again, he scored a strange goal (his 3rd of the season) as he stuck his leg out and Zdeno Chara's wrist shot from the point deflected off his skate. Apparently there was no kicking motion since the refs didn't even look at the replay. Haha ok then. Patrice Bergeron had the second assist.

It was a fourth line kind of night and Shawn Thornton scored a pretty goal, sniping a shot just under the bar at 10:09 of the second period. His second goal of the season was assisted by Gregory Campbell and Torey Krug (5-game point streak). Thorny might rarely score a goal but it feels like whenever he does, it's impressive or at least memorable.

This being Chad Johnson we're talking about, he couldn't let Boston have nice things that easily. His biggest mistake of the night was pounced on by the Blue Jackets. He coughed up a juicy rebound right in front and Nick Foligno potted a backhander at 16:34 of the second period.

All I can say is thank god that it didn't go to a shootout. Both teams are playing tomorrow and who wants to see the Blue Jackets for way more time than you are required to? Lucic isn't known as a particularly great two-way player but all the credit goes to him on the game-winner (the first OT goal of his NHL career) as he blocked a shot in Boston's end then had the wheels to get on a breakaway and shoot the puck through Bobrovsky's five-hole.

The Bruins hit the road for three games beginning tomorrow (7:30, NESN) in Ottawa (7-7-4). It is the first meeting of the season between the Atlantic Division rivals and I don't have to tell you that Tuukka Rask will be back in net for the B's.

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While You Were Watching College Football, Bruins Beat Blue Jackets 3-1

If I had my way, there would never be any afternoon games in the NHL. I probably want that since it seems like the Bruins never play well during the day. In their first road game of the season, the B's won 3-1 this afternoon over the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

Boston (3-1-0) played like they didn't want to be there for the first 20 minutes as Columbus (2-2-0) made it 1-0 at 18:52 on Jack Johnson's power play goal. From there, Tuukka Rask (26 saves) and Co. woke up. The B's allowed one goal for the fourth straight contest. They were helped out by a leaky Sergei Bobrovsky (33 saves) who don't forget won the Vezina Trophy last season (that'll be a great trivia question some day).

Chris Kelly's slap shot from just inside the blue line found its way through Bobrovsky's legs at 16:18 of the second period. Jarome Iginla and David Krejci had the assists on Kelly's second goal of the season, the former's first point as a Bruin. NHL goaltenders let alone ones that are supposed to be among the best should always make that save, no excuse.

Perhaps to prove that Kelly's goal wasn't a fluke, Bobrovsky allowed another questionable tally when Loui Eriksson's slow motion one-timed backhander (when do you ever see those?) went past him 49 seconds into the third. Eriksson's first goal as a Bruin turned out to be the game-winner, a fitting reward since he could have easily had another goal or two (one shot off the post). Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith were credited with the assists.

All that was left for the not ready for primetime Blue Jackets was a gift empty netter for Milan Lucic. Columbus couldn't clear the puck out of its own end and it ended up going off Looch's skate and into the net. Zdeno Chara and Johnny Boychuk had the assists on Lucic's second goal of the season.

Since it is Columbus Day, Monday's game is also in the afternoon (1, NESN) but at least it is against a legitimate opponent: Detroit (2-2) who will be looking to answer for the 4-1 beating the B's threw them last Saturday.

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19 years in the making: Bruins sweep the Flyers and move on to Eastern Conference finals vs. Tampa Bay

For some reason, I was totally confident going into Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers last night.

With a commanding 3-0 lead (just like last year), I felt like this Bruins team was different and the shadow of last season's epic demise was about to get forgotten.

My premonitions couldn't have been more right as the Bruins won 5-1 at TD Garden to sweep the Flyers and erase the demons of last season. It's a new team and a new season, time to move on.

Boston advances on to its first Eastern Conference finals in 19 years and they'll have home-ice advantage against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The final score is misleading since the B's added two empty-net goals but Boston led for a majority of the game and gave their skittish fan base reason to believe that they would get this one done in regulation.

The only bad news (there always seems to be some with this franchise) for the B's is that Patrice Bergeron-their MVP so far (not named Tim Thomas)-suffered a mild concussion on a hit by Philly's Claude Giroux. It looks like he's out for the Tampa Bay series, opening the door for Tyler Seguin to get his first NHL playoff experience.

I am beyond bummed for Bergeron. He has almost had his career ended (twice) with nasty concussions. Nobody deserves that but especially not him. Fingers crossed that he can recover and his career wouldn't be further affected. It makes me sick to think how well he has played in this playoff run and how he's probably done for it no matter how far they go.

With the power-play scoreless streak finally ended in Game 3, the biggest issue facing the Bruins was getting Milan Lucic off his personal goal-less streak. Mission accomplished as Looch put in his first two of the 2011 playoffs and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Lucic gave Boston a 1-0 lead at 12:02 of the first period on some tic-tac-toe passing with linemates Nathan Horton and David Krejci on the power-play. All he had to was redirect it in.

The Flyers showed some fight as Kris Versteeg (1st of the playoffs) tied it up at 13:22 of the second period. Mike Richards assisted on the goal but it was all thanks to Brad Marchand who gave the puck away at center ice, allowing Versteeg to basically walk in alone on Thomas (22 saves).

Right after Bergeron went off with his injury in the beginning of the third period, Johnny Boychuk (2nd of the season) scored what turned out to be the game-winner and series-clincher. Michael Ryder sent it back to Boychuk at the point and the put it up high over Flyers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (22 saves), who got the start for the first time in the series.

Lucic scored his second of the game at 15:03 after a nifty pass in the neutral zone from Horton sprung him. Marchand (5th of the playoffs) scored his empty-netter at 18:04 from Mark Recchi and Rich Peverley while Daniel Paille (2nd of the playoffs) got his at 19:35 from Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton.

Exhale. So yeah, your Boston Bruins are one of the final four teams left in the NHL playoffs. One series win away from the Stanley Cup finals. Eight wins away from breaking a 39-year Stanley Cup drought. Heady stuff.

Don't know too much about the Lightning other than obviously Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier. Goaltender Dwayne Roloson has played well in the postseason but honestly, I haven't seen much of either series (vs. Pittsburgh and Washington). I do remember from the regular season vs. Boston that Tampa Bay plays the slimy style of Montreal. Lots of flopping, diving, crying, whining. Not good. As we saw from the first round vs. the second round, the B's matchup so much better with a team that plays with an edge.

The Eastern Conference finals could start as early as Tuesday night, depending on when the Western Conference semifinals (Vancouver up 3-1 on Nashville and San Jose up 3-1 on Detroit) end, or as late as Saturday. The Hub of hockey is alive and well with plenty of action left for us, what a time to be a Bruins fan.