Boston scored five goals in the second period en route to a 6-5 victory over Tampa Bay Tuesday in the Eastern Conference finals at Boston.
The Lightning jumped out to an early 1-0 lead before the Bruins tied the game at one. Tampa Bay scored in the last minute of the first to take a 2-1 lead into intermission.
The Bruins responded by scoring three goals in the early stage of the second for a 4-2 lead with two goals by Tyler Seguin and a goal by David Krejci.
Seguin wasn't even supposed to play in the this series, but a concussion to Patrice Bergeron has inserted the 19-year-old into the lineup.
Tampa Bay cut the lead to 4-3 on a goal by Vincent Lecavalier, but two goals by the Bruins' Michael Ryder put the home team up 6-3 heading into the third.
Dwayne Roloson was pulled after the second, which was his first bad game of the playoffs, and Steven Stamkos and Dominic Moore scored to cut the deficit to one, although Boston was able to hold off the Lightning.
Although he gave up five, Tim Thomas made 36 saves for Boston, including several breakaway chances in the second.
The Bruins also won the special teams battle by going 2-for-6 on the power play and allowing only one goal against Tampa Bay's vaunted PP.
That said, I still like the Lightning to win Games 3 and 4 at home before closing out the series in Boston.
What a coming out party for Seguin. The one thing the Bru Cru has lacked is scoring punch. Can the rookie 1st round pick be the guy who picks that aspect of their game up, or was this a flash-in-the-pan type game?
ReplyDeleteRoloson, the 41 year old netminder has been brilliant for the Bolts thus far these playoffs. I thought he was due for a stinker two series past against the Pens, but he just kept playing lights out. He is a veteran's veteran, so I see him bouncing back strong at home, but he may not be as steller (or lucky) as he was in earlier rounds. Maybe the D oriented Bruins will crack the netminder the aggressive forechecking Pens and Offensively Loaded Caps could not. Every series is a different matchup, and Rollie has played 3 very different teams thus far.
What a game last night if you like high scoring affairs, and beside coaches, goalies, and Devil fans who doesn't?