ECF Game 4 Recap: Boston Bruins (3) at Tampa Bay Lightning (5)
by Meredith Qualls on May 21, 2011 6:58 PM EDT
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The Tampa Bay Lighting came back from a three goal deficit to beat the Boston Bruins 5-3 in game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Among other things, this win puts the Lightning among only three other teams in NHL playoff history who have come back to win after trailing by three goals.
The Lightning opened with the energy that was lacking in game three, but had considerable trouble managing the puck. That, matched with defensive issues early in the first period, gave the Bruins the opportunity to jump out to a 3-0 lead.
Patrice Bergeron opened the scoring at 11:47, taking the puck from behind the net to score against Dwayne Roloson. Two more goals within 84 seconds, one shorthanded, gave the Bruins the 3-0 lead by the end of the first.
Really, it looked like things were over for them. But if you thought this was the team that was going to give up and let the Bruins walk all over them, again, you were wrong.
Mike Smith made his second appearance of the series in net after the third goal, coming in for Roloson.
The Bolts returned in the second period to turn the game around, scoring three goals in a four minute span to tie the game at three. Teddy Purcell scored goals one and two, followed by Sean Bergenheim's game-tying goal at 10:53.
The Bolts battled through the second and into the third, finally breaking the tie 7 minutes into the period with Simon Gagne's goal coming off a pass from Ryan Malone to bring the score 4-3.
"Whenever it's a big moment, you know he's there," Guy Boucher said afterwards.
Martin St. Louis brought the score to 5 with an empty-netted goal with thirty seconds left in the game, assisted by Simon Gagne and Victor Hedman.
Mike Smith made 21 saves to stave the Bruins off the rest of the game.
And for a team who refuses to give up, Smith is the very definition of such. Considering his journey this season, being sent the minors mid-season, Smith said afterwards that at the time, he didn't the he'd play with the Lightning again.
"I decided to work really hard, and choose the hard road instead of the easy way out. The hard way is to bear down and work really hard and try to get an opportunity again."
Anyone who has followed Mike Smith knows how impressive his performance tonight was. Roloson said of Smith afterwards:
"Very proud. He came in and played amazing for us, especially going in, he killed off that big penalty and made some big saves for us. He gave the guys a lot of confidence."
As for not giving up, all of this and we haven't even talked about some of the calls in this game. There was the time when Tim Thomas punched Adam Hall, which went unnoticed. There was the 10 minute misconduct given to Steve Downie after the first period, matched by only a five-minute major to Rich Peverley. Oh, and then there was the diving call given to Downie at the end of the second. I'm not one to harp on officiating, but there was an awful show of it tonight.
The Bolts and the Bruins are now tied 2-2 this series. We'll be looking to see if the Bolts can continue the turn around in Boston on Monday night.
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great teams overcome crap officiating
heart. all heart.
Pucell and Smith get my #1 star. But the whole team really gets it.
Even Roli – he wasn’t sharp (obviously) but the SHG was such crap in front of him. But then again, if that doesn’t happen, do they come back?
Best of three folks. It’s been a wild ride so far. Next 2 or 3 will be gut-wrenching!
Oh look our old friend
delicious irony. (I hope it’s nothing permanent but I’m not above chuckling if he hurt himself diving.)
Hockey Blog Adventure: New Post: Round 1: NO HABS NO (I’m also on Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)
by Cornelius Hardenbergh on May 21, 2011 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Travels at 140,000 mph. Produces 500 megajoules of energy. Originates from the heavens.
...
He has a rep as a dirty and whiny player that will do pretty much anything to gain an edge.
Stanley Cup of Chowder: A Hearty Helping of Hockey in The Hub
by Stanley Cup of Chowder on May 21, 2011 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Travels at 140,000 mph. Produces 500 megajoules of energy. Originates from the heavens.
there's even more than just that now
I’m just going to ignore the things they have to say about Downie, because they make me angry.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on May 21, 2011 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Really? I was at a sport bar out on Boston Harbor, I thought the place was going to have a collective stroke, until people saw a dive call was coming.
I'm really not sure how anyone can look at that and see a dive
and I also think Downie’s reputation is becoming less and less accurate. He still has a penchant for fighting, but he’s settling down, and the rep isn’t.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on May 22, 2011 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions
I'll give you bias, and I admit to not watching much of Montreal
but whenever people are saying that they’re glad a guy is injured, that crosses a line in my mind. And I’ve seen a lot of dives before (I am, after all, a soccer fan); it’s really hard to say going down after being boarded is one of them.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on May 22, 2011 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions
I know this is a bit belated
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
Look! I maded a two peekturs. One with a jedi in it.
@DigDeepNYR
"I like a man who grins when he fights." -Sir Winston Churchill
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
your arts and crafts are good but your english may need some improvement
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
Your words make feelings go cry.
@DigDeepNYR
"I like a man who grins when he fights." -Sir Winston Churchill
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
keep with the photoshops…your tears are a waste of time
"Don't look now, but there's one too many people in this room and I think it's you." Groucho Marx
In Prust We Trust
"Kovalev would work with Tortorella like a kitty would work in a microwave.
A lot of smoke and desperate clawing at the door. It wouldn’t work. It would just be a big, hot mess." -Dig Deep
Follow me @8kpower
:’(
@DigDeepNYR
"I like a man who grins when he fights." -Sir Winston Churchill
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
Simple Jack, is that you?!?
Typing is an adventure, and reading should be, too!
Raw Charge.
by John Fontana on May 21, 2011 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I admit it
After the first 20 minutes I was ready to just sit passively back in my chair, hoping the Bolts would score 1, just 1, so Thomas couldn’t have another shutout.
I’m not one for hyperbole, but the second period was epic and in many ways is a microcosm of the heart of the team. I’m glad Hedman woke up after sleeping through the first period—he made some good plays, not the least of which the flip pass to Marty on the drive for the ENG.
Can someone please explain this sequence to me? Downie gets 2 PIM for diving, but yet is told to go to the quiet room for evaluation. Well, did he dive or not, ref?
I thought overall the game was pretty well called—chippy plays not called on both sides, to be sure, but I’d prefer no calls than BS calls.
Has Kaberle had a brutal playoffs this year or what?
"[The Lightning] are uncanny. When they want to get a goal, it's like they just snap their fingers or hit a button. They just dial it up. You can see it. It's like they flip a switch. When they are down, it's just like they think, 'we know we are going to score.' I don't know what it is, it leaves [the opposition] flabbergasted." - Mike Knuble, 3 May 2011
He hurt himself diving
See posts above
Travels at 140,000 mph. Produces 500 megajoules of energy. Originates from the heavens.
I second pretty much all of that, particularly the first three paragraphs
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on May 21, 2011 10:12 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought it was over, plain and simple, after 1. There was 10 minutes of effort and then… Pfffffffffffffbbbbbbbbttttttttttt
Typing is an adventure, and reading should be, too!
Raw Charge.
by John Fontana on May 21, 2011 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions
"Pfffffffffffffbbbbbbbbttttttttttt"
That looks suspiciously like a Bloom County (more specifically, Opus) reference.
"[The Lightning] are uncanny. When they want to get a goal, it's like they just snap their fingers or hit a button. They just dial it up. You can see it. It's like they flip a switch. When they are down, it's just like they think, 'we know we are going to score.' I don't know what it is, it leaves [the opposition] flabbergasted." - Mike Knuble, 3 May 2011
I was looking at some of the attendance numbers for that amazing, diehard Bruin fanbase
Those great hockey fans of the north…2007-2008 season where they made the playoffs, they were one of the leagues worst teams in attendance…Bolts finished top 10 in attendance in 2007-2008 with a last place finish..
There is also the fact their tickets cost much higher than ours. House size is part of it, more disposable income as well.
Typing is an adventure, and reading should be, too!
Raw Charge.
by John Fontana on May 21, 2011 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions
well, yeah
but I was surprised how small theor barn is
by tampa_edski on May 21, 2011 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions
The old Garden sat about 14,500 for hockey, so the building is actually 3,000 so so more seats. Not sure how much larger they could make it, as the whole area was already developed.
it still surprised me the first time I went to a game there
it’s smaller than the college basketball arena in Knoxville.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on May 22, 2011 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
There’s also a hub in the building for the T subway system and the commuter rail system. I’m pretty sure that contributed to how large the venue could be as it’s all one large building.
I know
all too well. every time I fly (which is not infrequent), it’s a walk to the commuter rail, then the commuter rail to North Station, to the orange line, to the blue line to the airport shuttle. Pain in the ass. But I still have this expectation of professional basketball/hockey arenas being smaller than college ones. I understand football isn’t like that because college football is. . . well, I’m from the South. But it surprised me my first time at the Garden.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on May 22, 2011 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Tickets might cost more but you make more annually up there too
Also, when I looked, I was looking at the attendance %..
The product they put @ the civic center was the same one they use to trot out there
in the Trop several years ago. You can’t expect anybody to go watch that crap.
Those last two periods were pretty fantastic
but Boston has been pretty good about bouncing back so far. This was an amazing effort to come back today, but it’s going to take just as big an effort to keep up the pressure and steal a win in Boston.
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on May 21, 2011 10:14 PM EDT reply actions
This
Monday’s game is going to be very, very difficult for the Lightning.
"[The Lightning] are uncanny. When they want to get a goal, it's like they just snap their fingers or hit a button. They just dial it up. You can see it. It's like they flip a switch. When they are down, it's just like they think, 'we know we are going to score.' I don't know what it is, it leaves [the opposition] flabbergasted." - Mike Knuble, 3 May 2011
I miss Gags even more now...
Simon Gagne may move between towns, wear new jerseys and call different arenas home, but at the end of the day, he will always be a Philadelphia Flyer.
by PursuitOfLappyness on May 21, 2011 10:18 PM EDT reply actions
My theory: he is a modern-day Samson. He gets his strength from his playoff beard.
"[The Lightning] are uncanny. When they want to get a goal, it's like they just snap their fingers or hit a button. They just dial it up. You can see it. It's like they flip a switch. When they are down, it's just like they think, 'we know we are going to score.' I don't know what it is, it leaves [the opposition] flabbergasted." - Mike Knuble, 3 May 2011
I can't think of any other time
in which the Bolts overcame a three goal deficit in a game (though I’m sure it has happened before), let alone doing it in a must-win game in the Conference Finals.
Damn that was a thriller. Whether they can maintain prosperity heading back to Boston is the key. In a way, if this had to be a 2-2 series after four games, then I prefer having split in both places than both teams having held serve. At least we (and the team) know they can win at the Garden.
by FloridaownsFSU on May 21, 2011 10:35 PM EDT reply actions
More specifically
Game 4 was the first time in NHL Playoff History a team has lost in regulation after leading by three goals. Thus sayeth the NHL Network.
"[The Lightning] are uncanny. When they want to get a goal, it's like they just snap their fingers or hit a button. They just dial it up. You can see it. It's like they flip a switch. When they are down, it's just like they think, 'we know we are going to score.' I don't know what it is, it leaves [the opposition] flabbergasted." - Mike Knuble, 3 May 2011
I wish I could have watched it.
Even though I’d have felt bad for Roli. He got whooped up on in the 1st. It looks like Eric Brewer did all right, too. Hopefully he’ll be able to set up for a few goals in the next few games.
Let's Go Blues!
Support your local NAHL team. Seriously.
by Paperwork Ninja on May 21, 2011 10:37 PM EDT reply actions
I was with
my 2 tennis partners, neither are big hockey fans. But the TV was on for most of the game – without sound.
with about 2 minutes left Smith made a great toe save against the post. one of my friends says “that’s a game saving save!”
no, that ’s a series saving save!
I thought (like most) that it was over at the end of 20 minutes…thinking it’s not over 1-3…like I did in the 1st round…
And now it’s 2-2 :-D
I’m still having a hard time processing the event.
by tampa_edski on May 21, 2011 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions
This was a top 5 game for me. I’ve been fortunate enough to go to all of the games so far and the comeback with the fan response in the arena was insane. I haven’t heard a crowd that loud in a long time, I lost my voice and my hands are sore from clapping.
Its like they flipped a switch, the Lightning had some good chances in the 1st but the 2nd and 3rd really took the Bruins off of their game.
A proud Panthers season ticket holder since 1994 and Lightning ticket holder since 2011! Go Florida Hockey!
That list for 3 goal comeback teams seems kinda short
It would be the Sharks, Kings, Flyers, and Lightning.
"Skillet, we just spent $64,000 in that bar. So we're gonna have to get jobs to cover up the fact that we rob banks" -Mouse Fitzgerald
been busy with finals buuuuuuuuuuuut
just wanted to say…LETS GO BOLTS!!!!!
love,
Riv of Blueshirt Banter
Watching that third period was painful, but incredible hockey. Both teams forced turnovers, had great scoring chances, and there was some high-quality goaltending on both sides.
As a Bruins fan, I hope this Mike Smith resurgence is a one-hit wonder. It’s tough to take down two hot goalies in the same series and expect to move on.
As for the Lightning, great comeback on their part. Brad Marchand said that the Bruins laid back a little bit, and Tampa stormed back. I don’t know why this team keeps thinking that it’s okay to sit on any lead, especially in the playoffs, but it has to stop.
All this series is missing is a marathon OT game, (and a game 7, but I expect that) and it’ll be an instant classic. These two teams really match up for exciting hockey (even the 2-0 “snoozefest” by comparison featured some excellent goaltending). I want more of this next year.
by Johnny Appleseed on May 22, 2011 6:07 AM EDT reply actions
Thank you
Thank you for the sane, even-keeled reply.
My opinion: we’ve been missing that from some of the SCOC regulars. Their posts much of the time tend to be deliberate attempts to belittle or incite argument.
"[The Lightning] are uncanny. When they want to get a goal, it's like they just snap their fingers or hit a button. They just dial it up. You can see it. It's like they flip a switch. When they are down, it's just like they think, 'we know we are going to score.' I don't know what it is, it leaves [the opposition] flabbergasted." - Mike Knuble, 3 May 2011
I’m hardly an SCOC regular. I doubt 5 people would know who I am over there. But thanks anyway.
by Johnny Appleseed on May 22, 2011 10:51 PM EDT up reply actions
well...
I don’t know why this team keeps thinking that it’s okay to sit on any lead
It would seem that the Bruins still don’t consider the Lightning that good?
or..
Maybe the Bruins are not as mentally tough as they would like to think?
by tampa_edski on May 22, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
They did it to the Flyers last year, and there’s a solid handful of times they’ve had a 3-0 lead and either eked out a win or blew it completely instead of stepping on the throat. You’d think they’d have learned by now.
by Johnny Appleseed on May 22, 2011 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s a mental “shake up” when your opponent comes back after holding a 3 goal lead. Most players and teams think when you have that 3 goal margin that you can hold it and win. That belief got shaken and you could see the results.
The B’s are a good team, but when things like that happen any team would have an issue.
A proud Panthers season ticket holder since 1994 and Lightning ticket holder since 2011! Go Florida Hockey!
The Downie diving call has gotten me upset. He’s day to day now on an obviously injury, it took him a few minutes to get to the bench after the hit. Is there any real rationalization to the ref’s call?
One heck of a makeup call is due on Monday night. :) Plus the NHL should investigate. (Yeah right…)
A proud Panthers season ticket holder since 1994 and Lightning ticket holder since 2011! Go Florida Hockey!
Good game by the Bolts.
After that First Period, and chasing Roloson out, man, I thought things were looking good.
That was a great rally on part of your team, congrats.
On to Game 5. I have a feeling this is the decider. Sticking by 6 game series.
Refs have been awful… well unless your a b’s fan… no suspension for lucic and horton after game one? Kick ass bolts… [blueshirtbanter member]
@clalicata17
Bad calls go both ways, we just tend to ignore the bad calls that help our team.
by Johnny Appleseed on May 22, 2011 10:52 PM EDT up reply actions
just wanna say congrats on a beautiful come from behind win yesterday!
by Mr. Avery to you on May 22, 2011 2:17 PM EDT reply actions
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