After having chances to put away Toronto in both game 5 and 6, the Bruins made it has difficult as it could get for themselves. Factor win a third game in 4 nights, an early morning flight from Toronto to Boston, and a 3th period 4-1 deficit and the Bruins appeared to be in checkmate. What would follow these events would be a comeback for the ages that launched the Bruins into a second round matchup with the New York Rangers. Only one phrase can describe the feeling in Boston right now, and that is "Boston Strong."
The first period started in front of a jam packed loud crowd in the garden to watch the B's and Leafs in game seven. The Bruins started out hot with a first period goal by Matt Bartkowski. The Leafs would quickly answer with two straight goals and had a 2-1 lead going into the final period. Former Bruin Phil Kessel would score and assist and two more goals by the middle of the third period and the Bruins would find themselves down 4-1 with 15 minutes left in a game seven with the season on the line. The Bruins would face a daunting task and would need a comeback of historical proportions in order to walk out of the TD Garden with a win Monday evening.
First it was Nathan Horton who helped ignite the comeback as the first line forward scored at 9:18 in the third to draw the Bruins to within two goals of the Maple Leaf's. Then Horton's first fellow first line forward Milan Lucic scored with one minute and 22 seconds left in the game to make the score 4-3. Patrice Bergeron broke would then break out of his playoff slump in a big way by hitting a nail biting game tying shot with just 51 seconds left in the game. After a lengthy celebration by Bruins fans which featured fans throwing rally towels on the ice the game resumed and would end up having to be decided in overtime.
Bergeron followed his memorable game tying goal in the third period with an even more memorable moment that will go down in Bruins playoff history. The 2nd line Center nailed a red hot wrist shot by Toronto goalie James Reimer, who had been red hot through the first 2 and a half periods, to send the Leafs back to Toronto with a stinging game seven loss. Bergeron's goal at 6:15 in overtime saved the Bruins season. Boston hopes to stay hot as they host the New York Rangers in the TD Garden on Wednesday evening.
-Joe Passarelli
First it was Nathan Horton who helped ignite the comeback as the first line forward scored at 9:18 in the third to draw the Bruins to within two goals of the Maple Leaf's. Then Horton's first fellow first line forward Milan Lucic scored with one minute and 22 seconds left in the game to make the score 4-3. Patrice Bergeron broke would then break out of his playoff slump in a big way by hitting a nail biting game tying shot with just 51 seconds left in the game. After a lengthy celebration by Bruins fans which featured fans throwing rally towels on the ice the game resumed and would end up having to be decided in overtime.
Bergeron followed his memorable game tying goal in the third period with an even more memorable moment that will go down in Bruins playoff history. The 2nd line Center nailed a red hot wrist shot by Toronto goalie James Reimer, who had been red hot through the first 2 and a half periods, to send the Leafs back to Toronto with a stinging game seven loss. Bergeron's goal at 6:15 in overtime saved the Bruins season. Boston hopes to stay hot as they host the New York Rangers in the TD Garden on Wednesday evening.
-Joe Passarelli
