WHERE: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
WHEN: 8 PM EDT | | TICKETS: Check Availability
MEDIA: Versus, CBC, RDS (television), 970 WFLA (radio)
OPPONENT COVERAGE: Stanley Cup of Chowder, Something's Bruin, The Hub of Hockey, Bruins Zone

Let me start this on a personal note: Seven years ago, I was writing independently at Boltsmag (if you click-through, you will see an error I have yet to correct with the database, so it's not worth your time). I started my conversation about the Lightning in February of 2004. That season, the team brought me and other Bolts fans to a destination that I never thought I would see: contention for, and then ultimately winning the Stanley Cup. It was a dream season for this fan, and something I will never forget.

There have been a number of comparisons between the 2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning and this season's squad... And really, all I can see is the contrast: Instead of living up to the expectations of a #1 seed, as the 2003-04 team did in their conquest, the current squad has accomplished exactly what you hear over and over again among the hockey faithful: Once a team makes the playoffs, anything can happen.

They're exactly one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals. You can't tell me you expected this in September.

The Eastern Conference finale is tonight, and before I get into the preview, I'd like to repeat something I wrote before the Lightning faced the Philadelphia Flyers in game 7 at the St. Pete Times Forum on May 22, 2004:

Potentially, sixty minutes of hockey is all that is left for one of these teams. A bitter resentment of how close they came will be all that lingers for the next three months....as they prepare themselves both mentally and physically to try, try again...

And the winner? The winner gets the chance at glory -- to realize boyhood dreams or to re-live them that they once experienced in a different town, among different people. Nothing is certain as any sports fan can tell you.

Throw out your clichés, for there truly is no tomorrow for the loser... The quest for Lord Stanley's Cup ends for all but one in the Eastern Conference tonight.

The 2011 Eastern Conference champion will be crowned, the Prince of Wales Trophy will be awarded, and the Stanley Cup Finals match-up will be determined.

It's Game 7. Game on.

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WHERE: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
WHEN: 8 PM EDT | | TICKETS: Check Availability
MEDIA:Versus, CBC, RDS (television), 620 WDAE (radio)
OPPONENT COVERAGE: Stanley Cup of Chowder, Something's Bruin, The Hub of Hockey, Bruins Zone

For the second time during the 2011 NHL Playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning enter a game on the brink of elimination from the playoffs at the hands of a team clad in black, yellow and white. The Lightning overcame such an obstacle during the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and squeezed off 8 consecutive wins to reach the Conference Finals.

Now, it's the Boston Bruins that have the Lightning backed to the edge of a cliff. One false move and they'll plunge into the abyss of the 2011 off-season.

But fans and the team should remember, the abyss is not the focal point that has rallied the troops during the NHL's second season. The Bolts have focused on the hunt ("Hunt It Now") and the most vital thing of all in the NHL Playoffs: Stay Alive.

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WHERE: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
WHEN: 8 PM EDT | | TICKETS: Check Availability
MEDIA: Versus, CBC, RDS (television), 970 WFLA (radio)
OPPONENT COVERAGE: Stanley Cup of Chowder, Something's Bruin, Days of Y'Orr

Well, you've already figured this out for yourself, but the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins are back at even in their Eastern Conference Finals match-up. It's no longer a best-of-7 series, it's turned into a best-of-3 series.

By the end of the week, the 2010-11 Eastern Conference Champion will be crowned, and Lord Stanley's Cup will be their next target. For the loser: a lament; reflection on what went wrong, and for certain, the long off-season without hockey.

Promises and guarantees be damned, the only thing for certain after tonight's game 5 is that there will be a game 6 at Times Palace on Wednesday night. One team will have the opportunity to clinch the series at that point. Which one, the Bolts or the Bruins, will be determined tonight at TD Garden.

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WHERE: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
WHEN: 8 PM EDT | | TICKETS: Check Availability
MEDIA: Versus, CBC, RDS (cable), 970 WFLA (radio)
OPPONENT COVERAGE: Stanley Cup of Chowder, Something's Bruin, Days of Y'Orr

Deep breathing aside, we're back at it tonight with Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bolts return home for tonight's contest. Streaks are over. The series is tied at 1-1...

We're back at even. We're back at 0-0 in what is now a best-of five games series.

One big change is reportedly in store for the Boston Bruins lineup tonight as B's center Patrice Bergeron will likely be returning from his concussion-caused playoff hiatus. Who he replaces in the lineup if he does indeed play remains to be seen, but it will not by Tyler Seguin. Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien's words in favor of Seguin sticking in the lineup:

"You don’t pull a guy like that out of your lineup that’s been very good. Like I said, he’s earned it, he deserves to be in the lineup, and that’s what we want to see. We want to see those kind of things happening."

But that's Boston's story. What about Tampa Bay and the injuries to Pavel Kubina and Dana Tyrell? More on that after the jump

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WHERE: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
WHEN: 8 PM EDT | | TICKETS: Check Availability
MEDIA: Versus, CBC, RDS (cable), 970 WFLA (radio)
OPPONENT COVERAGE: Stanley Cup of Chowder, Something's Bruin, Days of Y'Orr

It hasn't been said, specifically, but it feels like the Boston Bruins are trying to rattle the Tampa Bay Lightning's cage off-ice as well as on.

You all remember the way Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals ended, right? Nathan Horton's shot on Dominic Moore, Victor Hedman motions toward Horton and then -- boom! -- sucker punch by Milan Lucic:

Of course, that scrum just led to a 5-on-3 power play to end the game, and Lucic under scrutiny from the league for his actions.

Brad Marchand thought Hedman got what was coming to him:

"(He) had it coming," Bruins C Brad Marchand said of Milan Lucic's punch to Hedman's face late in the third period of Game 1. Marchand didn't elaborate...."(Hedman) was acting like he wanted to go back at (Lucic)," Marchand said. "I don't think that would be advised."

At what point was Hedman getting ready to go back at Lucic, Brad? When he was crawling ont he ice or skating to the bench?

My point is this: The Bruins key to game 2 is to be physical and rattle off an emotional reaction from the Lightning, and thus throw off the Bolts game. Verbal jabs can help the process along.

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WHERE:TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
WHEN: 8 PM EDT | | TICKETS: Check Availability
MEDIA: Versus, CBC, RDS (cable), 970 WFLA (radio)
OPPONENT COVERAGE: Stanley Cup of Chowder, Something's Bruin, Days of Y'Orr

But this is the second season. I've made it a point time and again to remind readers that seasonal (and series) accomplishments are moot at this point. Past tense. In the books. History.

I wrote that to acknowledge the forthcoming Eastern Conference finals match-up with the Boston Bruins. It was posted five days ago here on Raw Charge, and it feels like an outright eternity now. What is the precedent of a 10-day layoff during the playoffs in the NHL? That's how long it's been between the Lightning's sweep of the Washington Capitals (and nine days since Boston swept away the Philadelphia Flyers). Since then, we've waited for the Western Conference to finish their respective playoff series.

And waited.

And waited.

But at 8 PM Eastern Daylight Time, the 2011 NHL Playoffs continue with the beginning of the Eastern Conference finals. The good news is that this time off has afforded players (...for both teams) the opportunity to heal and recuperate. The bad news is that it wasn't enough time to cure Lightning defenseman Pavel Kubina, or Bruins center Patrice Bergeron who are both suffering from concussion issues.

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WHERE: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
WHEN: 7 PM EDT | | TICKETS: Check Availability
MEDIA: Sun Sports, NHL Network (Cable), 970 WFLA (radio)
OPPONENT COVERAGE: Japers' Rink, Rock The Red, Caps 'Round the Clock

For the second time in 24 hours, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Washington Capitals are set to square off.  Of course, aftershocks of last night's 4-3 win will be playing out over the next several hours before game time (more on that in a bit), but the only issue that should resonate right now is the amount of energy both teams have.

They have another 60 minutes of playoff hockey yet to play...  Are both teams able to go full-on tonight?  Can Washington take it up to another level and stave off elimination?

Strike that last remark, as it shouldn't be a question.  It's something we've seen in this series and it's something we've been made vastly aware of during the regular season:  The Caps have another gear.  The problem is, they have trouble sustaining themselves at that higher tier of play for longer stretches of play.

Boltosphere member and Kukla's Korner contributor Jon Jordan, remarked on Twitter during game two:

Caps imploding. Lucky it's only 2-1. Washington fans should be embarrassed. Games one and two tell me they still don't get it.

This remark I could not exactly take comfort in.  Not when I know full well that the Capitals can strike quickly at any given time.  But Jordan was right; the Caps third period was not of the same caliber as the previous assaults of the first and second.  We saw that exact same issue last night.

There was a difference, however:  The Bolts didn't simply hang on.  They strode ahead and took what they could.  This wasn't a theft.  This was victory, and it was rightfully theirs.

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WHERE: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
WHEN: 6:30 PM EDT | | TICKETS: Check Availability
MEDIA: Versus (cable), 970 WFLA (radio)
OPPONENT COVERAGE: Japers' Rink, Rock The Red, Caps 'round the Clock

The Bolts return to their home in Channelside this evening for what will be a quick homestand. All too quick for a wary team that has played five games in the past 10 days, jetting between Tampa, Pittsburgh and Washington and Tampa again. The Lightning and the Capitals go back-to-back, something not regularly heard of during the playoffs, for games 3 and 4, before getting a pair of days off before a Saturday matinée in Washington...

If necessary...

The Bolts have come home in what is close to the best circumstances possible: Leading the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinal series with the Washington Capitals, 2 games to 0. The Lightning, however, are not looking at things like they have the series in the bag:

"It means nothing," right wing Martin St. Louis said of the 2-0 lead. "We have to earn it every day. This is about whoever wins four games, not two. Obviously we are happy with the results, but we've done nothing yet.''

Of course, they aren't in the absolute best situation right now -- defenseman Pavel Kubina and left wing Simon Gagne were both knocked out of game 1 on Friday. While Gagne has stated that he's feeling well and wants to return to action tonight, there's no telling if that will actually occur or not.

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