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Bruins host Lightning in Game 7 of East finals by The Sports Network
The Bruins and Lightning have split the first six games of this best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals and the winner of this evening’s final meeting will go on to face Vancouver in the Cup Finals. The Canucks, who eliminated San Jose in five games for the West title, will host Boston or Tampa in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday.
Boston grabbed a 3-2 lead in this series on Monday with a 3-1 victory on home ice, but the Lightning evened the set Wednesday in Tampa with a 5-4 decision in Game 6.
Tonight’s test marks the first Game 7 in the East finals since Carolina beat the Buffalo Sabres in 2006. This will also be the second time this spring that the Bruins and Lightning have gone to a seventh game. Boston beat Montreal in seven games in the conference quarterfinals and the Lightning came back from a three-games-to-one deficit to eliminate Pittsburgh in the opening round.
Boston is 10-10 all-time in Game 7s, while the Bolts are 3-0 in their history in decisive games.
Martin St. Louis was the hero in Game 6 for the fifth-seeded Lightning, notching two goals, including the winning score midway through the third period.
St. Louis is tied with Boston’s David Krejci for the NHL lead with 10 goals this postseason and his 20 points is second only to Henrik Sedin of the Canucks. St. Louis has played in three career Game 7s, but has managed just one assist in those contests.
“We knew it was going to be a long series. This is a good team,” said St. Louis after Game 6. “Comes down to one game. Luckily and fortunately, all our team has been through a Game 7. Some of us have played more but we’ve had that experience. So we know what to expect.”
Teddy Purcell also lit the lamp twice for the Lightning on Wednesday. Steven Stamkos recorded a goal and two assists for Tampa Bay, which last won the conference finals in 2004, when it went on to defeat Calgary for the Stanley Cup.
Dwayne Roloson turned aside 16 shots for the victory and the 41-year-old backstop improved his lifetime record in elimination Games to 7-0. Roloson, who benched in favor of Mike Smith in Game 5, is 2-0 in Game 7s.
Krejci had a hat trick for the Bruins, who are trying to reach the Cup Finals for the first time since 1990.
“It’s not over,” Krejci said. “We’re still one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals, and we’re not going to quit. That’s what we want really bad. That’s what we’re going to fight for in Game 7.”
Tim Thomas made 21 saves in the Game 6 loss and is 1-2 lifetime in Game 7s.
The third-seeded Bruins had an opportunity to end the series Wednesday, up 2-1 after one period, but the Lightning took control thanks to an effective power play. Tampa went 3-for-4 on the man advantage, while the Bruins scored once on five power-play opportunities.
The Lightning won Wednesday’s tilt despite playing without forward Sean Bergenheim, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 5. Bergenheim is second to St. Louis and Krejci with nine goals in these playoffs and is questionable for tonight.
The Bruins are in the conference finals for the first time since 1992 and they lost their previous two trips to this stage since their trip to the Cup Finals in 1990. Tampa wound up winning the franchise’s only Stanley Cup title in 2004, when it made its only other trip to the conference finals.
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