2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Bruins Take Series in Game 7 Horton Hero in OT

Game 7.

In the past recent playoffs, a Game 7 was not the Boston Bruins' best friend.

The Bruins lost in Game 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers last year in the second round after being up 3-0 in the series.

The year before that, the Bruins lost in Game 7 to the Carolina Hurricanes in OT.

Two playoff series before that, the Bruins lost to the Habs in Game 7.

Zero-for-26.  That was the record for the Bruins to take a series after being down 2-0.  Make that 1-27.  Still an abysmal record, but at this time, the guys in the Black and Gold will take it.

The Bruins needed to remember that they need to put that behind them and that what is done is done and what is now is now.

The Bruins had the game a couple of times, but the Montreal Canadiens, to their credit, hung in there to force OT in the final two minutes.

The key to the win was that the Bruins played hard and fast, getting the first two goals of the game.

Johnny Boychuk ripped a shot from the point to open the scoring of the game at 3:31.

Just over two minutes later, Mark Recchi fired a shot from the mid-slot and the Bruins were in command early in the game, 2-0.

Not so fast...I said EARLY in the game.

The Canadiens earned a power play opportunity and cashed in on it.  With Daniel Paille losing his stick, the Habs had a defacto 5 on 3 (sound familiar?).  Yannick Weber wristed over Tim Thomas' left shoulder to put the game within one, 2-1 Bruins.

In the second period, the Habs tie it up on the power play...a Bruins power play.

Dennis Seidenberg passed the puck to Recchi but it was too far behind him, and he could not control it.  Tomas Plekanec picked up on the fumble and was off to the races.  He had Thomas going from right to left, but he wristed the puck past Thomas' right side to knot it up.

With just over two minutes of the second period left, there were a number of Habs fans singing the Ole chant that is usually reserved for late in the game and when the Habs have the game in hand.  Someone should really tell these fans how it is really supposed to be used.  Last I checked, there are three periods, not two, and it was a tie game.

The third period was a doozy.

With Chris Kelly racing up the side of the ice, he ran into Roman Hamrlik with what appeared to look like a high stick, and he went down in a heap.  There was no call on it, and the replay showed Hamrlik down on the ice, but he was watching the play on his stomach instead of showing any pain according to his collapse on the ice.  

Shortly after, he got up and was skating seemingly unharmed at all, screaming at the referees.  Hamrlik is known to dive and it looked like the refs weren't biting this time.  The Bruins keep going, and Kelly gets the rebound off Andrew Ference's shot and puts the B's ahead, 3-2.

PK Subban ripped a shot from the point and tied the game at three apiece with just 1:57 left of regulation.  After he got the goal, he mocked the crowd and was exhibiting his well-documented cocky attitude.

OT is always interesting.  The series ended with Nathan Horton ripping a shot from the slot, and it went off Jeff Halpern  to go right by Price's left side.  That was Horton's second OT goal in the series and the Garden was rocking this night.

"It was pretty nice, it felt pretty good" Horton said at the post-game press conference. "I don't remember too much, but I remember Looch comin' up with the puck and I just tried to get open and I tried to get the puck towards the net.  It got deflected off someone and it went straight in and that's all I remember.  I mean it's pretty special again, and it doesn't get any better"

Mark Recchi paid kudos to Horton and his team.

"Just a great feeling, you know it's obviously a big relief and its great for Horty he scored two huge goals for us this series, ah, overtime winners and, you know, its just ah, you know the guys deserved it." 

Interesting statistic.  The only other team to go through a seven-game series without scoring a power play goal was none other than the 1952 Boston Bruins.  They lost that series against...the Montreal Canadiens.

So new statistic.  The 2010-11 Boston Bruins are the only team in NHL history to go through a seven-game series without a power play goal and win the series.

Next up are the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Bruins are looking to exact revenge on the embarrassing loss last season and hope to not repeat history.

This is Cory Ducey saying "Hit Hard, But Keep It Clean". 

The Final Score 4-3