This Week in Boston Bruins History: May 9, 1990

The date was May 9, 1990. The place: the Cap Center in Landover, Maryland.

The Boston Bruins defeated the Washington Capitals, 3-2, in Game 4 of the Wales Conference Finals to advance to their second Stanley Cup Finals in three years.

In typical Bruins' fashion, they shut down the Capitals, limiting Washington to only 14 shots the entire game.

Cam Neely scored two goals for Boston in the finale, including the eventual game-winner less than two minutes into the third period which gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead.

While Dale Hunter scored late for Washington to make things interesting, the Caps could get no closer.

For the entire series, Boston completely dominated the Capitals, who were missing injured stars Dino Ciccarelli and Kevin Hatcher.

The most telling stat of the series? Boston outscored Washington 8-1 in the third periods of the four contests.

The Bruins trailed just once during the four games—and not at all in the final three contests—and were led by a top line including Neely and playmaker Craig Janney, a tough blue-line corps led by Ray Bourque, and Andy Moog’s goal-tending.

Up to that point, Neely had 12 goals in 16 playoff games, while Moog had a 12-3 record and led all goalies with a 1.92 GAA in the playoffs.

Neely, the Bruins power forward, was peaking at the right time, tallying six goals and 10 points through a five-game scoring streak.

Moog was also the star of the series, having allowed just six goals in the sweep, including a shutout. Moog, who had taken over the No. 1 role in the Bruins net in place of Reggie Lemelin during the first round, outplayed the Capitals duo of Don Beaupre and Mike Liut in the Wales Finals.

Having finished the 1989-90 regular season with the league’s best record (46-25-9 and 101 points), the Bruins were poised for home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals.

(Unfortunately for the Bruins, they fell to the Edmonton Oilers in five games in the 1990 Finals, losing to the same team that had beaten them in the 1988 championship round.)