NO NEED TO SHAVE TONIGHT, BOYS!! BRUINS WIN, 1-0!!!

Stanley Cup Finals, here we come. The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning played one of the best games of hockey I have seen in my entire life, battling the entire game until Nathan Horton netted his third game-winning goal of the Playoffs with 7 minutes to go in the 3rd period, slamming the door closed on Tampa Bay's hopes.

This game saw some big hits, unbelievable goaltending, and Steve Stamkos getting his nose beat in by a Johnny Boychuk slapshot...only to come back 15 mintues later.

The series ended at 21 goals apiece in the 7 games for both Boston and Tampa Bay. The Eastern Conference Finals may have been some of the best hockey in the NHL this season.

Tim Thomas had 24 saves in net, posting another clean sheet, his second of the series, but the even more impressive stat was 41-year-old Dwayne Roloson making a baffling 37 saves. For 60 minutes of hockey, zero penalties were committed, much to the delight of Boston for many reasons.

Horton's goal was assisted by Andrew Ference and David Krejci. Both teams played 110% the entire game, with the Bruins kicking it up to about 170% with about 10 minutes remaining in the tilt.

Next stop: Vancouver, Wednesday night. Tough task ahead with the Canucks. They've had a lot of time off, but are still the best hockey team in the NHL as far as the record is concerned. If you thought this hockey was good, wait til the Stanley Cup Finals. Damn...

LET'S GO B'S!!!

Game 6 Tonight -- B's vs Bolts

Get ready for some great hockey. The Vancouver Canucks clinched the Western Conference Championship in a double-overtime thriller, and are awaiting an opponent.

As the great Kevin Millar said before Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS when the Red Sox trailed the Yankees 0-3, "Don't let us win one." Boom, Sox go on to be World Champions.

The Bruins are hungry, and pissed off after the Lightning players threw a hissy fit right after the final horn in Game 5.

Let's Go B's.

One Win Away From the Stanley Cup Finals, B's Take Game 5, 3-1

One minute and nine seconds into the tilt, the Tampa Bay Lightning lit the lamp. Simon Gagne was fed on a one-timer by Steve Stamkos that he slipped by Boston goalie Tim Thomas and through the legs of defender Johnny Boychuk.

The Bruins tied it up 7 shots later--which took them almost 25 minutes of hockey--with an absolute laser off the stick of Nathan Horton. The B's only managed 19 shots on the entire night, but scored 3 times to take Game 5, 3-1.

Brad Marchand took a pass from Patrice Bergeron that skimmed just in front of Mike Smith, and tossed it top shelf to take the lead, 2-1. With under a minute to go, Rich Peverley broke out down the ice to lock the game up with an empty-net goal.

Tim Thomas, brilliant again with 33 saves on the night, made one of the best saves of the entire season. The puck was launched off of Steve Downie's stick with about 11 minutes to go in the third period, but just in the nick of time, Thomas reached out with his stick as the puck dinged off of the left pipe and slapped it out of the fray.

The Bruins took Game 5 in front of 17,500 at the TD Garden, and are one win away from their first Stanley Cup finals berth since 1990. The Vancouver Canucks are also a win away from the Finals, and will host the San Jose Sharks tonight for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals will be from the St. Pete Times Forum Wednesday night.

Go B's.

Bruins Played 20 Minutes of Hockey

Last night’s Dunkin Donuts ‘Play for the Boston Bruins’ sweepstakes was ill-timed, as the bruins dropped Game 4 to even the series...wait, what? Oh, those were the real Bruins who played? Even the 2nd and 3rd periods?

Ah, well, one way or the other, the Lightning evened the Eastern Conference Finals at 2 games apiece by winning Game Four 5-3, with the next game coming Monday night in Boston.

Bergeron chalked up two goals, both on turnovers from the Lightning, with Ryder adding the other goal. The Lightning stormed back to score three in the second period, two of which came within two minutes of each other, both scored by Teddy Purcell. The Bolts would tack on one more, and then an empty net goal with under a minute to go, sealing the victory.

Like I said in the last post, this series is definitely going 7 games. It has to, these teams are just too damn good.

Bruins - Bolts: Game 3 Preview

The Boston Bruins are on the road tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The B's were one game away from reaching this stage last year, when something happened, no one really remembers.... But this year, they beat the Canadiens in 7 games, swept the Flyers, and are knotted up at 1 game apiece with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

19-year-old rookie Tyler Seguin came out banging on all cylinders the first two games so far. He has five points in the series, including two goals in the last tilt. Nathan Horton chalked up three points of his own in the 6-5 Bruins victory. Was it Tim Thomas' best game? Not even close. At times, he looked confused, with little to no help from his defense. The penalty-kill lines looked like they were formed by the equipment managers and a few fans, and need to be able to lock down the dangerous power play of Tampa Bay.

The Lightning may be the fastest team in the league this year, and are a serious threat to the livelihood of Boston. Stamkos, Lecavalier, and St. Louis are three snipers who know how to score against Thomas. Hopefully Claude Julien whipped the shoddy defense into shape yesterday, otherwise we could be in trouble.

Final score: 4-2, Lightning. The Bruins have the advantage of home-ice for Game 7, and I think it'll take all seven of those games for a winner. Tough loss tonight, but nothing the Bruins can't come back from.

Go B's

Do the Sharks Have a Chance?

No. This fight says it all. The San Jose Sharks are a good team, there is no doubt about it. They handled the Bruins 2-0 in February, one of the most frustrating games to watch (even though there are so many to pick from over the course of the '10-'11 B's season.)

When they reach the third period, the Sharks fall apart like the Yankees in the '04 ALCS. Between that and the dominance of the Vezina Trophy-candidate Roberto Luongo between the pipes for the Vancouver Canucks, the Sharks look like they're done.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Thomas

Well Tank had another brilliant start, making many B's fans conjure memories of his Vezina Trophy winning campaign two years back. Unfortunately for this fan, the other half of Thomas is the one that I'm most concerned about. One of the things that makes him so dangerous is his ability to make the best of chaotic situations, seemingly haphazardly jumping around the crease like a spider monkey, making one impossible save after another. Unfortunately this is what burns Timmy alot,as he is out of position more often than not. And this, his darker side inevitably comes out at some point during the season. So I for one will enjoy watching his circus saves for now, but the Bruins will need Tuukka Rask to step up when the potion wears off and the other side of Tank comes out later this season.
Q Man

I Miss Hockey

I miss hockey like a pregnant teenage misses her period. Those refs must've felt like rodeo clowns at a rodeo gone horribly wrong. Donald Brashear getting things start...Everyone else getting them finished. That's what hockey is all about. Mark Recchi getting in on the action a few times, gotta love it.

Bruins Update

Remember this? Bruins-Flyers, Fenway Park, New Years' Day, not even a month ago? The last time B's fans really felt like the Black and Gold could do some damage? Since the Winter Classic, the bruins are 3-12.

Something just isn't working, and I can't figure out what. The team seems unmotivated, and just flat out unable to play a whole 60 minutes. Over this rough patch, they're shown hundreds of signs of life. They've gone on plenty of hot streaks during periods, but then seems to just completely lose it. Coach Julien has been doing his part to keep them in line and keep the drive alive in them, but from their first line down to the 3-man penalty kill, it seems like the Bruins are struggling to keep it together in 2010.