2011 NHL Playoffs: The Boston Bruins' 3-0 Stranglehold over the Flyers, Take 2.

Game 3 is at the Garden and, according to Philadelphia Flyers' coach Peter Laviolette, they will win a game in Boston.  

Bold words, but Laviolette has a Stanley Cup ring and made a historic comeback against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinal last year.

Boston needs to get their power play clicking, as they have yet to score on the man advantage.

The Flyers know they need to win this game. While they also know it is possible to come back from a 0-3 hole; it's something that has happened only three times in the history of the NHL, and this is a different team the Flyers are facing in this series.

The Game

First Period

It's the Bruins' turn to get the quick start.  

Just 30 seconds in, Captain Zdeno Chara got the wide open shot to rip one of his cannon blasts low in the slot to beat Brian Boucher, left side.

Just 33 seconds later, David Krejci popped in his fifth of the playoffs (fourth in this series) on a centering pass by Milan Lucic.

Krejci was right at the doorstep of the Flyers' net to put the Bruins ahead 2-0.

Boston was hitting anything and everything throughout the period, and this was throwing the Flyers completely off their game. With the close checking, it was taking away the time and space of Philadelphia preventing any traffic in front of Thomas.

Second Period

Daniel Paille got his first career playoff goal.  

Greg Campbell passed the puck to Paille, who was streaking down the slot. Paille wristed it over Boucher's left shoulder, 4-0 Bruins.

Less than two minutes later, Nathan Horton scored his fifth of the playoffs (second of this series). Horton went in looking like he was going to slap shot it, but he faked the shot, took a few steps and opened Boucher up to five-hole it, giving the Bruins the commanding 4-0 lead.

Laviolette saw enough and pulled Boucher to put Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes.

Shortly after, Andrej Meszaros got the Flyers on the board. Darroll Powe was skating up the point and quickly passed it to Mezaros, who popped the shot in past Thomas.  

4-1 Bruins.

Horton got into a fight with Sean O'Donnell, earning him the Gordy Howe hat trick.

Third Period

The Flyers were pressing a little bit and fired the puck at the net with Thomas completely out of position. Scott Hartnell slid into the net though and struck the post, taking it off its mooring before it went in.  

The goal was immediately waved off.

The Bruins went on a five-on-three power play the last minute of the game and it was Chara who finally, after 32 power plays, got the Bruins their first power play goal of the playoffs.  

Chara blasted a shot from the point, and it went right over Bobrovsky's left shoulder and top shelf.  

Final score, 5-1 Bruins.

By Laviolette's reasoning, the Flyers have the Bruins right where they want them. Or do they?

The Bruins have played a 60-minute game tonight, and if they play this way in Game 4, this could be a sweep. I can see the Flyers coming out in the next game with more jump though.

The bigger differences in this series as opposed to last years' are Boston's healthy lineup, as opposed to the injuries the Flyers have, and Tim Thomas' superior goaltending.

The goalie musical chairs continue with the Flyers.

The difference-maker in this game was the sustained physical presence of the Bruins; the Flyers did not look good in this game.

Game 4 is Friday at the Garden. The Bruins look to finish this series at home and move on to play the Tampa Bay Lightning, who just swept the Washington Capitals and earned a date to the Eastern Conference final.

Magic Number: Nine.

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