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Flyers help Bruins make dubious history 05.14.10 at 9:33 pm ET
By Dan Rowinski

Summary — The Flyers became just the third team in the history of the National Hockey League to come back from a 3-0 series deficit and win a seven-game series, in the process coming back from a 3-0 first-period hole to score four straight goals to advance to the Eastern Conference finals with a 4-3 win over the Bruins at TD Garden on Friday night.

Tuukka Rask was the loser for Boston, allowing the four Flyers goals on 27 shots. Michael Leighton overcame a shaky first period to put the clamps down on the Bruins season with 25 saves. Simon Gagne scored the game-winner at 12:52 in the third period on the power play after the B’s were whistled for too many men on the ice.

The Bruins struck first (and, for that matter, second and third), jumping to an early lead eight seconds into a power play after Scott Hartnell went to the box for a high sticking call on Matt Hunwick in the neutral zone at 5:18 in the first period. Boston wasted no time, controlling the puck on the face off and getting a couple attempts on Leighton. The second — of the stick of Zdeno Chara — rebounded down to the right dot, where Michael Ryder sent it right back on the crease past a hopping Mark Recchi and the Bruins were off and running at 5:27.

Boston made it 2-0, again on the power play, at 9:02 when a broken rush through the neutral zone ended up in a reset by Dennis Wideman, who decided to take it all the way down the right wing into the corner and send it back towards the crease where Milan Lucic timed his crash perfectly to bang it past Leighton for the two-goal advantage before the first period was halfway over.

Leighton would let in a third straight Boston goal at at 14:10 as Lucic struck again when he turned a giveaway into a lamplighter when he rushed all the way down the right wing and let off a snap shot by the right faceoff dot that went five-hole and made TD Garden erupt.

But the Flyers, remarkably, refused to concede defeat. James Van Riemsdyk fought hard to the right of Rask, leveling Wideman and getting a broken-play dribbler under the net minder’s left pad for a soft goal that made it 3-1 at 17:12 in the first. It was Van Riemsdyk’s first career playoff goal in his second professional season (first in the NHL) coming out of the University of New Hampshire.

The Flyers made it a one-goal game early in the second period on an even strength play where Danny Briere was able to penetrate the Rask’s crease after Ville Leino put the puck deep. Briere did a spin-o-rama and put the puck across the crease, where Andrew Ference could not put a stick on it at the goal line and Scott Hartnell flipped it back over Rask at 2:49.

The comeback was complete when Briere struck on his own, this time with the assist from Hartnell at 8:39 of the second period. Briere came back down around the net and did a wrap-around on Rask that rattled through the net and back out the other side to tie the game at three. The play was reviewed but it was conclusive that Briere had put the puck in the net and Boston had relinquished another 3-0 lead in the series.

Three Stars

Simon Gagne — His Game 4 return from a broken toe made all the difference for the Flyers in this series as he scored his second game-winner of the series to complete the series comeback.

Danny Briere — Perpetual thorn in the Bruins side was instrumental in getting the Flyers back in the game as his goal and assist in the second period were the answer Philadelphia was looking for after it went down 3-0 in the first.

Milan Lucic — Two first period goals got TD Garden pumping as the Boston forward set the stage for the excitement that was to come.

Turning Point – When Briere and Hartnell teamed up to take over in the second period. The pair was able to bring the Flyers back from the brink as the Bruins went soft in front of Rask. The wily center and his large wingman were able to get deep into the crease twice to tie the game and give the Flyers a chance to win it in the third period.

Key Play — The Bruins took a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty at 11:10 of the third period, which set the Flyers up to score the go-ahead goal by Gagne when he found the puck on the right dot in front of Rask for the wrist shot top shelf to bury Boston and its Stanley Cup dreams once and for all.

Read More: Danny Briere, Game 7, James Van Riemsdyk, Michael Leighton Print  |  Email   | Bark It Up!  |  Digg It
  • Dave

    No heart pansies have their skirts lifted over their heads. Seriously, I would rather have a team that sucks all the time than a talented team full of wannabes. Well done Zdeno, you really carried the team. Well done Tuuka, only 4 goals tonight. Claude? Wideman? Savard? Wheeler? Satan? Anybody remember to bring their balls? Apparently not.

    All in all, a spirited effort by a girls midget team. I hate losing to Philly but I hate it even more losing by a bunch of pussies who have the proud spoked B on their heads. Can anybody say they should have lost? Only the Bruins who have tee times tomorrow. Have fun assholes.

  • Sean

    YOU SUCK. WHAT A JOKE.

  • NoCups

    And it ends as it typically has for 40 years…yup 40 years. Sad, looked like they might have cleared that hurdle and actually win two playoff series in the same year.

  • Harry

    I’ll say it here, like I said it befo…

    Three playoff seasons end in a pathetic game 7 Loss…
    Topped off with a historic collapse.

    When does an Ownership hold its Management/Coaching Staff accountable for consistent FAILURE???
    Would the Patriots, Celtics or RedSox Franchises keep a staff like this? Would any Franchise? No Way.
    Not if the Ownership is COMPLETELY committed to a championship franchise.
    The Bruins Owners are a joke and an embarrassment to the sport and the city. I hope this debacle is the FINAL nail in the coffin that’ll make fans finally say: “ENOUGH is ENOUGH !!!”
    Would Celtic, Pats or Sox fans keep paying to see a product whose Owners provide consistent FAILURE? Then why should Bruins fans? WAKE UP!
    Where is the OUTRAGE???
    These jokers will be drafting the #2 pick…How can we expect anything but another faliure?

  • bruinssuck

    Thanks Bruins, I appreciate the loss so I can solely focus on the Celtics, a team that doesn’t piss their pants when they have a chance to close it out.

  • NoCups

    Regardless of how the Celtics fare, they have already accomplished a great deal going into the third round of the playoffs. Coming from behind in the playoff series with Cleveland and winning. That’s Celtics.

  • No more

    I hate this team… You will NEVER do this to me again, EVER.

    I’m done.

    And any of you you tell me to chill, I’m done playing the battered wife who says “He won’t beat me anymore if I go back” BULL$HIT!!!!!!!!!!

    NO F-ing MORE!

  • policy of truth

    Once again they sucked us in only to leave us with the same pathetic result in the end, But this was far worse than the others, Up 3-0 in games and then to come out flying and take a 3-0 lead in game seven, then sit back and let the Flyers push them around once again left me sick to my stomach. The last time I felt like this was in October of 2003 when the Red Sox lost to the Yankees in game seven.

    As Depeche Mode sings in the song the Policy of truth……
    “Never again is what you swore the time before”

    I am done with the Bruins once and for all this time and I am sure I am not alone.

  • Dr. Bench Minor

    No more,

    Unlike the rest of your friends here, I encourage you to embrace your rage and shame and to USE it to change your life. As you may know, most victims of abuse return to their tormenters. They form a bond with the teams that treat them worst (you’re probably a Red Sox fan too, so if you’re older than 25 you already know), and they keep going back to them even though they know better. The summer will be the easiest time, though remember that the Bruins have the #2 pick and the draft has at least two franchise players. Don’t listen. They are just empty promises. Remember Joe Thornton. Carry your Gord Kluzak hockey card around. Light a candle for Len Bias. Ask yourself, will they really change? After 40 years will they ever really change? Really? No. They’ll never change. Ever since they abandoned the greatest hockey player ever to Chicago they lost their souls, and forever. It’s hockey’s version of the Bambino curse. Find some friends who can see the Bruins for who they are and stay close to them in the fall. Hope springs eternal in training camp so it is then when you be at your weakest. When you are tempted to turn on NESN, count to five. No, six. No, wait, five. Crap, how many skaters are we allowed? Spectator sports addiction is the hardest of all habits to break. Go back to the Bruins and they will beat your hopes into submission, again and again. I wish you the best of luck.

  • Rob

    now I don’t feel so bad being a Sabres fan here in New England, that is now. Not while the Bruins were pounding us like a veal cutlet. But I do feel for you Bruins fans-since I am also a Vikings fan. I know that despair that some of you who have posted are feeling, oh too well. There is always next right?? I HATE THAT saying…..

  • James

    I am an avid fan of all things Boston, and this loss is a kick to the junk. As far as permanently forsaking the team, I do not agree with that completely. The issue is ownership, once Jacobs decides to do the right thing and sell the team to an owner that wants to win, that is when I will come back. Until then, I am with you all in that we should not support a team that does not support us.

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