Split Decision

David Ortiz played the hero in Game One of Monday's doubleheader in Detroit but Tigers ace Justin Verlander shut down the Sox potent offense in the nightcap to spoil any chance of a clean sweep for Boston. 

You know what they say. 

Good pitching always beats good hitting. 

Proving the case once again, all that could stop the Sox from taking both games of a doubleheader Sunday in Detroit and sweep the three game series was the golden arm of Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander.

After David Ortiz hit a pinch-hit homer in the 9th to give Boston the first game 4-3, the Tigers bounced back in the night cap to secure a 4-0 victory thanks to a spectacular performance from the Tiger ace. 

With the split, the Red Sox finish their seven-game road trip through Cleveland and Detroit with an impressive 5-2 record. The overall record stands at 30-23, one game up on the hated Yankees for first place in the AL East. 

In the first game, the Red Sox picked up an early lead after home runs in the first two innings from Dustin Pedroia and Mike Cameron, who has gone 4-6 in his last two games. 

Sox starter Clay Buchholz seemed to be cruising until the bottom of the 6th when he surrendered a 3-1 lead by giving up a solo home run to Brennan Boesch and then an RBI single to Johnny Peralta. 

The game remained tied 3-3 until the top of the 9th. 

Luckily for the Sox, manager Terry Francona elected to pinch-hit David Ortiz in place of Jarrod Saltalamacchia. 

The move paid immediate dividends as Big Papi took Jose Valverde (2-2) deep for the game-winning, pinch-hit home run. 

"It's not like I have too many options coming off the bench to pinch hit," admitted Big Papi after the game. "I just looked for one pitch."

The pinch-hit homer was the first for Ortiz since 2003 when he hit his first career home run with the Sox as a pinch-hitter in the 14th inning of a game against the Angels.

"He made Tito look like a genius," mused Buchholz. "He threw him out there at the right time."

Matt Albers (1-2) came on in relief of Buccholz to pick up the win.

The Tigers snapped the Red Sox five game winning streak in the night cap thanks to a sparkling performance on the mound from Justin Verlander (5-3). The Detroit ace threw a career-high 132 pitches and over 7 2/3 quality innings, allowing just four hits to silence the potent Boston offense and shutout the Sox 3-0. 

"He had everything," said Francona of Verlander. "Velocity, breaking ball, changeup. Shoot, he got up in his pitch count and he started throwing harder. 

Verlander's final pitch was clocked at an astounding 100 miles-per-hour. 

Josh Beckett (4-2) was the hard-luck loser for the Sox, allowing just two runs over six quality innings. His ERA remains at a microscopic 1.80.  

It may have taken longer than fans wanted it to, but the Red Sox appear to have hit their stride. 

After all, they're in first place for the first time all season. 

From where they began the year, that's saying a lot. 

The Dream Lives On

The Boston Bruins pose with Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and the Prince of Wales trophy Friday night after defeating the Lightning 1-0 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

For the first time in 21 years, the Boston Bruins are headed back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

In one of the most epic, gut-wrenching, back-and-forth playoff games in team history, the Bruins edged the Lightning by the skin of their teeth Friday night, earning a 1-0 victory in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to win the Prince of Wales trophy for the first time since 1990.

Once again, Nathan Horton played the hero when he tapped home a cross-ice feed from David Krejci at 12:27 of the third period for his team-leading 8th goal of the postseason. That would be all the offensive support Tim Thomas would need as he made 24 saves to pitch his third career playoff shutout.

The Bruins now advance to the ultimate stage, the Stanley Cup Finals, to take on the mighty Vancouver Canucks with a shot at hoisting their first Holy Grail of hockey since 1972.

"I'm just happy to see those guys smiling in the dressing room right," said head coach Claude Julien. "Right now we're four wins from winning the Stanley Cup."

For the Bruins and their fans, the once-in-a-generation accomplishment feels so rewarding simply because of the hardship and heartache that the team and its supporters have endured the past two decades.

In 1996, Cam Neely was forced to retire with a bad hip way before his time. In 2000, then-GM Harry Sinden shipped Ray Bourque to the Avalanche and, while Bruins fans were happy to see #77 finally hoist the cup, it came in a Colorado uniform. In 2005, golden-boy Joe Thornton was traded to the Sharks when it became apparent he wasn't the guy to bring a cup to Boston.

Most recently, it's been horrific Game 7 losses to Montreal in 2008, Carolina in 2009, and the epic-collapse-that-shall-not-be-mentioned to the Flyers in 2010.

In the city of Boston, where the Sox, Patriots and, most recently, the Celtics have reigned supreme the past decade, the Bruins have become somewhat of an afterthought in the grand scheme of things.

Not anymore.

"It is hard to explain how good this feeling is," explained Horton, who had never played in a postseason game until coming to Boston from Florida.

"This feels incredible," added Thomas, who picked up his 22nd career postseason victory. "I can use all the words everyone uses; incredible, unbelievable. We found a way to do it again. I'm sure everybody else's blood pressure is up, our was too but we've just got such great character on this team. We got it done."

Oftentimes, when such monumental games take place, we tend to focus on the end result almost exclusively.

The Bruins won. They're going back to the Finals. They did it.

But what's most remarkable is how they got it done.

Simply put, Friday night's Game 7 was one for the ages that will go down in Bruins folklore forever. My father, a die-hard Bruins fan who instilled in me at birth the unconditional love for the Black and Gold, said afterward that it was the most intense Bruins game he's ever seen.

Ever.

Better than all those 1970s hey-day matchups with the Canadiens. Better than Bobby Orr flying through the air.

The reason why?

Because of the pace of the game.

A rarity in today's sport, not a single penalty was called on either side. As a result, there were very few whistles or breaks in play to delay the action. For sixty full minutes, the Lightning and Bruins gave it absolutely everything they've got, racing up and down the ice with such passion and vigor that every single check, shot and save sent chills down your spine.

Scoreless for the majority of the contest, Thomas and Roloson (37 saves) exchanged heart-stopping saves to keep the game deadlocked 0-0.

"I wasn't concerned about my team," admitted Thomas after the game. "I was concerned about Roloson playing so well. He played an unbelievable game today. It put a lot of pressure on me."

Then, just past the midway point in the third period, the Bruins finally broke through against Roloson.

Taking a break-out feed from defenseman Andrew Ference, center David Krejci entered the Tampa zone with speed, took the puck wide, then feathered a perfect cross-crease pass right on the stick of Horton who tapped it home for the eventual game-winner.

It marks the second Game 7-winning goal of the playoffs for Horton, who also eliminated the Canadiens in the second round.

"It felt like overtime the entire game," admitted Tampa coach Guy Boucher. "It was going to be who made that one mistake, and it was us."

Infused by the lead and reality of the situation, up 1-0 with less than seven minutes remaining, the sell-out crowd of 17,565 at the TD Garden began chanting "We want the Cup" in deafening unison.

Then, after Tampa pulled Roloson in the final minute but could not sustain any offensive pressure, the clock ticked down to 0:00, and it finally began to sink in that the Bruins had really done something legendary.

"It's great to be a part of something amazing," explained Patrice Bergeron. "That was the highest level of concentration I have experienced. I couldn't wait to jump on Timmy and enjoy the moment."

After the celebration subsided, the two teams shook hands in a customary show of sportsmanship. When Thomas reached Martin St. Louis in line, the two former UVM teammates embraced in an extra-long hug.

"I told him he's a warrior and I love him," said Thomas. "And he said-- he was obviously emotionally distraught because he gives everything he has out there-- but basically he said, 'Go win the whole thing.'"

Congratulations, Bruins fans.

Some of us have waited a lifetime to say this, others the majority of their adult-hood: The Big Bad Bruins are back in the Finals.

Sox in the World Series? Patriots in the Super Bowl? Celts in the Finals?

Forget it.

It simply doesn't get any better than this.

Teeing Off

Led by the spectacular two day hitting performance of Carl Crawford, the Red Sox made history on Wednesday and Thursday by putting up 14 runs in back-to-back games for the first time since 1998. 

Remember that feared offensive lineup Theo Epstein was talking about when he acquired Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford this past offseason?

It looks like it has officially arrived. 

For the first time since 1998, the Sox scored at least 14 runs in back-to-back games, destroying the Indians 14-2 on Wednesday and obliterating the Tigers 14-1 on Thursday.

Not only do the consecutive road victories improve Boston's overall record to 28-22 (a season-high six games over .500), but more importantly, it brings the Sox into a virtual tie with the Yankees for first in the AL East. 

Talk about picking yourself up by your boot-straps. 

After starting the season a dreadful 0-6, the Sox have gone an MLB-best 28-16 since, winning 11 of their last 13 games. 

"I'm glad we had two good days in a row," said manager Terry Francona. "It's nice to have games like that every once in a while." 

At the center of the recent turnaround is none other than the once eternally snakebitten, $142 million dollar man, Carl Crawford. Mired in a season-long slump that has been agonizing at times, the ultra-talented left fielder entered Wednesday's contest against Cleveland hitting just .212. 

Oh what a difference 48 hours can make. 

On Wednesday, Crawford just missed out on hitting for the cycle, but still went 4-4 with two doubles, a homer and two runs batted in. Then, on Thursday Crawford followed his stellar performance up by going 4-5 with two triples and three runs batted in.

Remarkably, Crawford now joins Sox legends Ted Williams and Carl Yazstremski as the only players in team history to ever record four hits and two triples in one game. 

He also became the first Sox player to record four hits in back-to-back games since Dustin Pedroia did it in 2008. 

And, oh yeah, Crawford's average now rests at a respectable .244. 

"Just going up there feeling a little bit more comfortable at the plate, trying to get my pitch to hit and not missing it when I do get a chance," explained Crawford. "It feels real good, just to be able to hit the ball and be yourself. I haven't felt that way in a long time. To have that feeling back felt great."

Red Sox fans can't help but hope and pray that feeling stays with Crawford for the rest of the season. 

"We all believe in him and I know he believes in himself," said Francona of Crawford. "It's nice to see him swing the bat like he did, that's for sure."

Watch out, American League opponents. 

The Red Sox have officially arrived. 

And Carl Crawford is at the center of it all.

Just like Theo Epstein had in mind all along. 

Giving In

Zdeno Chara and the Bruins blew a golden opportunity to close out the Lightning Wednesday night and now must play a winner-take-all Game 7 in Boston with a trip to the Finals on the line. 

Not even a hat trick from David Krejci could save the Bruins Wednesday night.

Victims of horrific special teams play and several back-breaking defensive collapses, Boston fought valiantly in Game 6 but no no avail, losing to Tampa 5-4 before a sell-out crowd of 21,426 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Forwards Teddy Purcell and Martin St. Louis scored two goals apiece for the Lightning, who also notched three power-play goals within a 12-minute-span late in the second period and early in the third period.

With the clutch victory, Tampa evens the Eastern Conference Finals 3-3 and forces a do-or-die Game 7 in Boston Friday night with the winner punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals.

"It all comes down to one game now," said Patrice Bergeron after the painful loss. "So it's about making sure we're keeping our chins up and heads up and make sure we're ready for that game."

Despite surrendering a goal to Purcell just 34 seconds into the game, the Black and Gold fought back to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Milan Lucic put the Bruins on the board first when he ripped a wrist shot from just outside the hashmarks that eluded Dwayne Roloson (16 saves) high, glove side. The goal marked the first point of the series for Lucic.

Then, with less than four minutes remaining in the opening period, Krejci put the Bruins on top with his first of three goals on the night.

However, the difference in the game was the second period. While the Bruins went scoreless in the middle frame, the Lightning scored a pair of power-play goals to take a 3-2 lead.

Then, just 34 seconds into the third period, Steven Stamkos notched a power-play goal of his own to extend Tampa's lead to 4-2.

Krejci would tip in a feed down low from Nathan Horton on the power-play midway through the final period to cut Tampa's lead to 4-3. But at that point, it was clear that Tampa's string of three power play goals within a 12 minute span decided the game for the Lightning.

"Obviously [special teams] was a difference maker," admitted Julien. "They scored three goals on the power play and it took us a long time to get our first one, and that certainly dictated the game."

The Lightning would reclaim their two goal lead just 29 seconds later to make it 5-3. Once again, it was St. Louis picking up the goal, his second of the game and league-leading 10th goal of the playoffs.

With just under eight minutes remaining in the period Krejci would complete the hat trick to cut Tampa's lead to 5-4. It marked the first hat-trick from a Bruin in the playoffs since Cam Neely accomplished the feat in 1991.

Suddenly, Boston began pouring it on and dominating the final ten minutes of regulation in search of the equalizer. They even pulled Thomas in favor of an extra attacker in the final minute but, in the end, came up just short.

Just like the Montreal series, the Bruins fail to close out an opponent and, as a result, must venture into the dangerous territory of a do-or-die Game 7.

All of a sudden, Boston's epic collapse in Game 4 is hanging over their heads like a death date on their playoff tombstone.

"The fourth win, they don't give it to you, as we learned once again," admitted Thomas, who finished with 21 saves after playing the game of his life in Game 5. "Not that we were looking for them to give it to us. It's just more proof that's the way it goes."

However, if the Bruins can hang their hats on anything, it's the fact that they've done well under these high-pressured, do-or-die scenarios thus far in the postseason.

"We've been in this situation before," added Thomas. "We were up 3-2 against Montreal on the road and couldn't close it out, so we went back home in Game 7 and got the job done."

So here we are, in late May, entering yet another one-game season.

But this time, the stakes couldn't be higher for the Bruins. Their season is on the line. A trip to their first finals appearance in 21 years is on the line. Their overall reputation is on the line.

Should the unthinkable happen and the Bruins lose, it would mark the fourth consecutive year that the've had their season end in a Game 7, but at a progressively deeper stage of the playoffs, making it that much tougher to swallow. Claude Julien would likely get the boot. Maybe even Peter Chiarelli, too.

But, if they win, the 2011 Bruins will be touted as Gods in the city of Boston, restoring pride to the Hub for the first time in a generation.

"You've got to be excited for it," admitted Milan Lucic. "You've got to enjoy it and you've go to be looking for to that challenge, because for almost all of us it's the biggest game of our careers. You've got to go out there, have fun and have no regrets."

Keep the faith and believe in the dream, Bruins fans.

We're living on a prayer that will change dramatically Friday night, one way or another.

Game-Saver

Infused by an off-the-charts stick save from Tim Thomas late in Game 5, the Bruins hung on to knock off Tampa 3-1 Monday night and grab a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

While the pursuit of Lord Stanley's Cup has been anything but smooth and uneventful for the Boston Bruins this postseason, the Black and Gold continue to have one major thing going for them along the way.

With their backs to the wall, the Bruins have yet to find themselves pushed off the proverbial playoff cliff.

Answering the call just two days after blowing a commanding lead and suffering a heartbreaking collapse to the Lightning in Game 4, the Bruins responded Monday night to play one of their most complete games of the postseason.

Led by the spectacularly untouchable goaltending of Tim Thomas, Boston picked up timely goals from Nathan Horton and Brad Marchand (as well as an empty-net goal from Rich Peverly) to edge Tampa Bay 3-1 in Game 5 before a raucous sell-out crowd of 17,655 at the TD Garden.

With the victory, the Bruins now hold a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals and find themselves just one win shy of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1990.

"We are one win away," admitted Thomas (33 saves) after the game. "But that isn't what we need to focus on. What we need to focus on is playing the next game as good as we can and trying to get one win."

Most of all, despite being the most successful Bruins team in a generation, Boston knows that the most pivotal game of the series, and more accurately, their season, comes Wednesday night in Tampa. After being ejected from the playoffs the last three seasons with heartbreaking Game 7 losses to Montreal, Carolina and Philadelphia, the last thing the Bruins need is another do-or-die Game 7 with a trip to the Finals on the line.

"Our goal now is to not play a Game 7," said Bruins head coach Claude Julien. "It's going to take our best game."

On Monday night, the Lightning jumped out to a fast start like they have in previous game to grab a 1-0 lead just 69 seconds into the first period. After finding himself on a two-on-one break with linemate Steven Stamkos, Simon Gagne, who also scored the game-winner in Game 4, one-timed a return feed through the legs of defenseman Johnny Boychuk and past Thomas for his 39th career playoff goal.

Tampa continued to carry the play until the first intermission gave the Bruins a much-needed breather.

"We told ourselves that we're actually pretty lucky to be only down one-nothing with that first period," explained Patrice Bergeron. "So we had to wake up and step it up and be desperate."

Boy did they step up.

Displaying their trademark resiliency, the Bruins bounced back to tie the score 1-1 with less than five minutes gone in the second period when Horton, who previously committed a pair of questionable interference penalties, corralled a beautiful cross-ice feed from Milan Lucic and blasted it past Lightning goaltender Mike Smith (17 saves) for his seventh goal of the postseason.

"It was a little bit frustrating up until that point because they scored first and I had a couple of penalties," said Horton. "But all you can do is keep working, keep playing hard, and hopefully things begin to go you way."

Luckily for the Bruins, it did.

Continuing to surge, Boston extended the lead to 2-1 late in the second period. After a clutch keep-in by Zdeno Chara, the captain cycled the puck along the sideboards to Patrice Bergeron. Almost instinctually, Bergeron took one look over his left shoulder, noticed Marchand streaking to the net, then feathered a beautiful rocket-pass directly on the tape of Marchand who tapped the puck home.

"I was just waiting for [Marchand] to get open," explained Bergeron. "I knew he was going to beat him with speed and I was just taking my time to kind of suck that defenseman to me too and I just tried to put the puck on his stick."

For Bruins fans, Bergeron's play represented yet another reason why the team's 25-year-old assistant captain is so vital to the team's success. Sure, he does all the little things correctly that rarely show up in the box score, but what sets him apart is his vision on the ice.

Simply put, he knows where everyone else is on the ice.

"He's pretty good at that," said Julien. "He's been playing so well for us and Patrice is capable of making those plays. We've seen goals this year from him and even Marchand driving the net and with Recchi, that line, they seem to find each other pretty nicely. There's some chemistry there and they've made some  of those plays."

In addition, Marchand's goal was so pivotal because of its timing. Before the goal, the Bruins were on their heels as the Lightning kept attacking in waves.

"Obviously tonight this is a winning goal for us and at a great time," admitted Julien. "I think it really gave us some confidence because, you know, I felt our team tightened up in the first period. When we scored that second goal, it kind of loosened our guys up a bit."

Then, the play of the century came midway through the third period with the Bruins clinging to a 2-1 lead.

With the Lightning pouring it on in search of the equalizer, Tampa forward Steve Downie found himself all alone with the puck on his stick and a wide open net to shoot at.

"I thought for sure it was going to be a goal," admitted Marchand. "Those are usually pretty easy tap-ins."

Nevertheless, Thomas reached back, full extension, with his right arm and caught a piece of the puck with the blade of his stick to rob Downie and secure the Bruins lead.

"I saw the replay on TV," said defenseman Adam McQuaid. "It was amazing. He stole one. That was a game-saver."

Needless to say, it was one of the greatest saves Bruins fans, and hockey fans alike, have ever seen.

"It was just a reaction and desperation," explained Thomas of his career-defining save. "I'll admit I got a little bit lucky there. A little bit."

Thomas could be seen watching the replay from his crease and smiling as the TD Garden faithful marveled at his game-saving stop.

"That's just a confident swagger. He definitely has that," said Boston forward Chris Kelly of Thomas. "It's a game. You've got to have fun with it. It's a great opportunity for all of us. It you're not going to enjoy it, you might regret it."

From there on out, Thomas willed the Bruins to victory, making several spectacular saves before Peverly scored an empty-net goal with 12 seconds left to seal it.

So here the Bruins stand. One win away from a date with destiny in the Cup Finals with the mighty Vanvouver Canucks. And, with a 17-4 all-time record when leading a playoff series 3-2, the Bruins appear to have the odds on their side as well.

Just don't mention any of the heartbreaking collapses in recent years to the Bruins. They know exactly what they have to do Wednesday night in Game 6.

"Nothing should change from our attitude," concluded Lucic. "And the last two series and what we needed to do to get that fourth win. And they're going to fight for their lives an they are going to come out as determined as possible. Their backs are against the wall, but we know what we have to do."

Fasten your seatbelts, Bruins fans.

This is what it's all about.

Like a Fine Wine

Making a spot start, Tim Wakefield stepped in and led the Sox to a 5-1 victory over Chicago Sunday night to pick up his 180th career victory with Boston, just 12 shy of the team's all-time record. 

The old man has still got it.

Defying the aging process with youth-like vigor, Tim Wakefield turned back the clock Sunday night and silenced the visiting Chicago Cubs with one of his best starts in recent memory.

Before a sell-out crowd of 37,688 at Fenway Park, the 44-year-old knuckleballer scattered just four hits over 6 and 2/3 stellar innings to lead the Sox to a 5-1 victory over the Cubbies. He also allowed just one earned run and struck out three to pick up his first win of the season.

In typical Wakefield-type fashion, the 15-year veteran tipped his cap and saluted the crowd as he exited the field to a thunderous standing ovation in the top of the seventh inning.

"He was terrific," admitted manager Terry Francona. "You go into a start where he's not tremendously stretched out, but the first five innings the pitch count was so low, he threw so many strikes. He was a huge lift, because the first three innings we didn't do much offensively. But because he was holding 'em down, it gave us a chance to get it going and score a few runs."

At the beginning of the season, many Red Sox fans felt the writing was on the wall for our beloved Wakefield. He had just come off an injury-riddled 2010 campaign in which he started just 19 games, compiling a less-than-stellar 4-10 record with a robust 5.34 ERA.

Many fans thought it was time for the old knuckleballer to hang it up.

Yeah, right.

The beauty of Wakefield is his undying dedication and commitment to the team. Ever since breaking in with the Sox in 1995, the knuckleballer has done anything and everything asked of him. He has been a starter, a long reliever and a set up man. He even saved 15 games as a closer in 1999.

And, all along the way, he has never once complained or lamented his evolving role for Boston. Instead, he's taken the mound when called upon and given the team everything he's got, for better or worse.

On Sunday night, Wakefield found himself starting as a result of John Lackey being placed on the disabled list with an elbow strain.

Just like he has done for the majority of his career, Wakefield didn't disappoint. After all, he already holds the distinguished record of being the oldest player ever to appear in a Sox uniform.

"He's been good for a long time and certainly don't want to overlook that, but the roles have changed a little bit now," admitted Francona. "But, boy, what a lift that gives us. Throw a guy in there when somebody gets hurt and he's so professional. I guess it shouldn't amaze us because he's been doing it a long time, but I think maybe the better word is 'appreciative.'"

With the victory, Wakefield picks up his 194th career win and 180th with the Sox. He now trails Cy Young and Roger Clemens by just 12 wins on the Sox all-time list. 

"Wake did an incredible job," added Adrian Gonzalez after the game. "His knuckleball was all over the place. The few guys who got on base kept talking about how much it was moving. That's what he does and that's why he's been here a long time."

The win also marked the Sox eighth victory in their last nine games. And, after starting out the season in a horrific slump, Boston is now 25-21 and just a half-game behind New York and Tampa for first place in the AL East. 

"On a personal side, ever win is precious," said Wake after the game. "But as long as the team wins... [that's] the most important thing."

Tim Wakefield, the ultimate professional.

Enjoy it while it lasts, Sox fans.

The clock's ticking, but after a performance like Sunday night's, our beloved Wake looks far from done.

Not Again

After coughing up a commanding 3-0 lead in Game 4 Saturday afternoon, Zdeno Chara and the Bruins blew a golden opportunity to take control of the series and now find themselves dead even with the surging Lightning.

It seemed too good to be true. 

And it was. 

After playing a dominating opening period Saturday afternoon in Tampa, the Bruins collapsed like only they can, blowing a 3-0 lead to the Lightning in Game 4 before eventually absorbing a devastating 5-3 defeat.

Infused by a pair of Teddy Purcell goals in the second period, the Lightning went on to score five unanswered goals, including the eventual game-winner by certified Bruins killer Simon Gagne with just under seven minutes gone in the final period.

Not only did the Bruins blow a golden opportunity to grab a stranglehold of the series, but Boston now loses the momentum and finds itself tied with Tampa 2-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

The series now shifts to Boston for a monumental Game 5 Monday night. 

"When you're up, you almost sit back a bit," admitted Bruins forward Brad Marchand. "You think that the game is over and that's what we did. We thought that we had them. We took it for granted. We didn't use it to our advantage and we didn't keep pushing forward and that's what we should have done."

The first period was a spectacular display of Bruins hockey: great forechecking, smothering defense, physical play, Berlin Wall-type goaltending from Tim Thomas and timely scoring as well. 

Playing in his second game since returning from a mild concussion, Patrice Bergeron gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period when he pounced on a defensive miscue from the Lightning behind their net and quickly hammered home the puck past Dwayne Roloson. 

Michael Ryder pushed the lead to 2-0 some five minutes later when he took a feed from linemate Chris Kelly and then rushed to the net. Ryder attempted to feed the puck to a trailing teammate on the backhand, but his shot had eyes and bounced off Roloson's pads into the vacant net. 

Then, with just over two minutes remaining in the period, Bergeron scored his second unassisted goal of the period, but this time it came shorthanded. The Bruins best two-way forward stole the puck in the neutral zone then raced up ice and snapped off a quick wrister from just inside the circle that eluded Roloson between the legs. 

Suddenly, the sell-out crowd of 21,216 at the St. Pete Times Forum were stunned, silenced by the Bruins dominating opening period. Lightning coach Guy Boucher had no choice but to yank Roloson in favor of backup goaltender Mike Smith, if only to break the Bruins sizzling momentum. 

From there on out, it was like watching a car crash in slow-motion. 

Content with their lead, the Bruins stopped playing their game. Boston allowed a pair of goals to Purcell early in the second period and then the game-tying goal to Sean Bergenheim near the midway mark. It was Bergenheim's NHL leading 9th playoff goal. 

"We stopped battling," admitted Bergeron, who has 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in 13 playoff games thus far. "The second, we sat back and they've got too much speed. We weren't executing at all. We were on our heels. It's frustrating. We've got to be a lot better."

Unable to stop the bleeding or curb Tampa's surging momentum, the Bruins caved in for good with just under seven minutes gone in the third period. 

Once again, it was Gagne scoring the game-winner. If you remember correctly, it was Gagne who also scored the game-winning goal for Philadelphia in Game 7 to lift the Flyers out of a 0-3 series hole and send the Bruins home last season. 

"I think what happened last year, it's behind (us)," admitted Gagne. "Things are different now. I'm playing with a different team. Boston is a different team. Right now it's just going out there and trying to be the difference in the game." 

Martin St. Louis, a former teammate of Tim Thomas at UVM, sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute. 

"We got outworked," admitted Thomas, who finished with 32 saves after pitching a shutout in Game 3. "They took over. They took the play to us. They started getting scoring chances and we stopped getting scoring chances." 

Stepping in for Roloson, Smith stopped all 21 shots he faced. 

"There's not time to think," said Smith. "It's just one of those things where we got behind the 8-ball there in the first. That's why I'm on the bench, to come in and kind of settle the team down and give thema little bit of momentum. It ended up working out."

With the devastating loss, Bruins fans can't help but have recurring visions of last season's epic collapse against Philadelphia in the second round. Sure, Saturday night's contest wasn't a do-or-die Game 7 in which the Bruins held a 3-0 series lead, but Boston was in control and coughed up a game they should have easily won. 

Now, the Bruins find themselves answering questions about last season when fans were all but certain those demons were exorcised when Boston swept Philadelphia less than two weeks ago. 

"A lot of our players did not play their best game," lamented head coach Claude Julien, possibly taking a subtle poke at David Krejci, who was a minus-3 and lost 9 of 12 faceoffs. "We lost our focus."

Regardless of how painful it was to watch the beloved Black and Gold crash and burn in Game 4, it doesn't change the fact that the series in tied and still far from over. It just means the Bruins let one get away. 

And hopefully, unlike last season, that won't come back to haunt them. 

"We just have to let this one go," concluded Marchand. "We're going home in our building for Game 5 and we're excited about it." 

A Star is Born

Chris Kelly and Michael Ryder embrace teammate Tyler Seguin (left) during the Bruins' 6-5 victory over Tampa Bay in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The 19-year-old rookie finished with four total points in the game.  

On Tuesday night at the TD Garden, a riotous sell-out crowd of 17,565 had the unrivaled privilege of witnessing a star being born right before their eyes.

Turning in one of the most electric performances from a young player in Boston sports history, 19-year-old rookie Tyler Seguin scored a pair of goals and added two assists to lead the Bruins to a pivotal 6-5 victory over the Lightning in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Thanks to the spectacular offensive outburst from Seguin, the Bruins even the series at one game apiece before it shifts to Tampa Bay for Game 3 Thursday night.

"He played unbelievable," said David Krejci of Seguin. "He was dominant today and it's good to see him play like that... Obviously you're not going to see every night a four point game from him. But as long as he'll be playing with the speed he is and the intensity, he's going to bring a lot to this team."

"He was really the reason we won," admitted Brad Marchand.

After surrendering a goal 13 seconds into the game and another with just 6.5 seconds left in the first period, the Bruins entered the first intermission trailing 2-1.

However, just 48 seconds into the second period, the Black and Gold responded to tie the score 2-2. Taking a breakout feed from inside his own defensive zone, Seguin used his great speed to split two Lightning defenders near center ice before roofing a backhand past Tampa goaltender Dwayne Roloson on a partial breakaway.

Not only did the highlight-reel, top-shelf goal energize the crowd but it displayed exactly what the Bruins were hoping for from Seguin after taking him with the second overall pick in last season's draft.

"It's surprising that he really steps up like that," said Dennis Seidenberg, who logged a team-high 31:25 time-on-ice. "It's crazy. I mean he comes in, he delivers, and he played great. I mean he played good defensively and offensively, he was really explosive and created chances every time he was on the ice."

Less than two minutes after Seguin's goal tied it, Krejci tapped home a beautiful give-and-go, cross-ice feed from Seidenberg to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead.

Boston extended the lead to 4-2 at the 6:30 mark on Seguin's second goal of the game. This time, Seguin found himself on a two-on-one break with Nathan Horton. However, instead of taking the puck in close on Roloson, Seguin elected to snipe a blistering wrister past the Tampa goaltender from just inside the right circle.

The Garden faithful soon began chanting "Ty-ler Se-guin" every time the talented rookie took the ice.

A Vincent Lecavalier goal would cut the Bruins lead to 4-3. However, Seguin would assist on a pair of Michael Ryder goals near the end of the period to stake the Bruins to a 6-3 lead entering the final stanza.

To put Seguin's second period performance into perspective, the rookie became the first teenager ever to score four points in a single period during the playoffs. Furthermore, Seguin joins only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux to accomplish the feat overall.

However, after scoring five goals on nine shots during the second period, the Bruins began to fold like a lawn chair during the third period. Less than four minutes in, Steven Stamkos scored to cut the Bruins lead to 6-4. Then, midway through the period the Lightning struck again to make it 6-5.

Suddenly, Boston's once commanding lead had evaporated. And with the Lightning carrying the play in the final period, the only reason the Bruins came out on top was because of their star goaltender, Tim Thomas.

"I think in the third we sat back a little bit and we weren't skating," admitted Ryder. "We were just kind of watching a little bit. Timmy came up huge. He made a lot of big saves and that's what we need out of him this time of year. I think we have to learn from the third period that we can't do that because the team on the other side, they're not giving up."

Thomas, after starting off shaky in the first period, saved his best for last. He stood on his head in the final period and finished with 36 saves.

"He made some big saves at the end and allowed us to win that game," said head coach Claude Julien.

But, as great as Thomas was in net, it was the rookie Seguin that stole the show.

After sitting out the first 11 games of the playoffs, the kid now has six points in just two games.

"I had to get my feet wet there in the first period of Game One," admitted Seguin. "The first couple of shifts, I was nervous and excited, but i felt more poised and confident as the game went on. Tonight I felt great."

Bruins fans can feel great as well. Sure, it was a sloppy defensive game and their team barely escaped with a victory. But, in the end, the Bruins showed heart, fought back and came out on top in a game they had to have.

Plus, they got to witness the coming out party of Boston's newest hockey sensation. And, oh yeah, their best two-way player is expected to be back in the lineup for Game Three.

"When you look back at the game, it certainly wasn't the perfect game that everyone would like to see," concluded Julien. "We won a hockey game and now the series is tied 1-1. We know we have to get better. The win is what you should be looking at right now and hopefully we'll get [Patrice Bergeron] back."

Remember the date, Bruins fans.

May 17, 2011: The day Tyler Seguin's star was born.

Power Outage

After an eight day layoff, the Bruins returned to the ice Saturday night and played one of their worst games of the postseason, falling to the Lightning 5-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

It wasn't quite as literal as the lights going out during both the 1988 and 1990 Cup Finals against the mighty Edmonton Oilers, but a power outage of a different variety plagued the Bruins Saturday night nonetheless.

Hosting their first Eastern Conference Finals game since 1992, the Black and Gold stumbled in Game 1 against the streaking Tampa Bay Lightning, surrendering three quick goals in a span of just 85-seconds during the first period before eventually absorbing a painful 5-2 loss. And, while much of the blame could be placed directly on the shoulders of goaltender Tim Thomas, who allowed a fair share of soft goals, it was the Bruins skaters in front of him that hung Thomas out to dry.

Much like the first round bout against Montreal, the Bruins now find themselves trailing the Lightning 1-0 in the series.

"It's tough, we pretty much gave them every single one of them," said defenseman Tomas Kaberle. "And we never gave up after. We know we are better in here we have to show it in the second game. We know it is not going to be an easy series. And we have to put it behind us right now and think about what is going to happen on Tuesday."

The first defensive miscue came when the usually reliable Dennis Seidenberg made a poor decision to reverse the puck and then coughed it up directly to Lightning forward Dominic Moore. Almost on cue, Moore found Victor Hedman at the point, who blasted the shot on goal. Although Thomas made the initial save, the rebound squirted off Seidenberg's skate directly to Sean Bergenheim who buried his league-leading 8th playoff goal, giving Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period.

Just 19 seconds later, the Lightning expanded the lead to 2-0 on a great individual effort from Brett Clark. Skating with the puck out of his defensive zone, Clark rushed all the way up ice, eluded four different Bruins and then backhanded the puck between the pads of Thomas.

Teddy Purcell extended the lead to 3-0 just over a minute later when he took advantage of a horrific Tomas Kaberle giveaway in his own zone.

Overall, all three goals were a result of the Bruins shooting themselves in the foot, or skate, to be more accurate.

"Those mistakes were mistakes that you can correct easily," admitted Bruins head coach Claude Julien. "Those things were uncharacteristic of our hockey club. Of the first three goals, I don't feel there was a good goal out of all of those things. A blind backhand from a touch angle. We lose a puck beside our net. Is it really something that they did so well that created that? No. I think it's more about us."

However, despite the Bruins defensive deficiencies, credit must be given to the opportunistic Lightning for making Boston's mistakes hurt.

"Give them credit for pouncing of those opportunities and capitalizing on them," explained Julien. "That's part of the game. But you've got to look at your team and say, 'What can you do better?' We have to make sure we're a little better with our puck management. That wasn't there tonight."

The lone bright spot for the Bruins came with just over four minutes remaining in the first period. Playing in his first career playoff game, newly inserted winger and 18-year-old rookie Tyler Seguin made a beautiful move in close before burying a wrister past Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson for his first career playoff goal.

"He had a good game," Julien said of Seguin. "I thought when he had his chance, he took advantage of it and scored and obviously he had a lot of energy tonight and excitement in his game, so he was a good player for us."

However, from there on out, Seguin's goal would be all the Bruins offense could muster. Sure, they added a second tally late in the third period, but with the score already out of hand at 5-1, the goal made little difference in the grand scheme of things.

"I think we could have had a better effort," concluded Julien. "I think overall as a team, we're definitely going to need to be better and get a better effort there."

"We gave them that 3-0 lead. It was certainly a little bit like in that Montreal series. I thought we gave them some easy goals. That was more of our doing that it was theirs. Until that point, I thought we had started the game really well and had good momentum. But those three goals certainly set us back."

Bruins fans can't help but think that if Boston's best two-way player and leading postseason scorer, Patrice Bergeron, was on the ice, Saturday's result would have been far different.

Get well, Patrice.

The Bruins need you.

Entering the Unforeseen

After being eliminated from the playoffs Wednesday night in Miami, Celtics GM Danny Ainge now must re-tool his aging basketball team before their window of opportunity to win a championship expires for good. 

And just like that, the Boston Celtics' season, and quite possibly their recent four-year reign of dominance, is over.

Self-inflicted victims of countless turnovers coupled with an epic fourth quarter meltdown, the championship-or-bust Celtics saw their pursuit of Banner 18 go up in a cloud of Miami smoke Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. In losing to the younger, faster and stronger Heat, 97-87, the aging Celtics not only drop the series to Miami, 4-1, but, more importantly, they find themselves at a troubling crossroads plagued with more questions than answers.

The first question being: is their window of opportunity to win another championship now closed?

To answer in one word: yes.

If the second round series against the Heat proved anything to Boston fans, it's that our beloved Big Three, despite their unrivaled experience and unparalleled credentials, are flat out too old to get it done by themselves anymore. As good as Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen still are, they cannot shoulder the lion's share of the championship-chasing burden anymore. In a dog-eat-dog NBA where fresh legs rule over all, Boston's Big Three simply has too many miles on the basketball odometer to continue at the pace we've been accustomed to seeing from them.

However, as painful and depressing as this all may sound, it still doesn't mean the Celtics can't win a championship next season. All it means is that the Celtics roster, as it currently stands with the Big Three as the centerpiece, cannot do it on their own.

As a result, the Celtics future now falls directly in the hands of GM Danny Ainge. The mad scientist that restored pride in Boston by landing KG and Allen in the summer of 2007 now has no choice but to pull a few more tricks out of his sleeve in order to ensure one final run at a championship in the Big Three Era.

On the bright side, Ainge does have options. After signing a multi-year extension last offseason, Pierce has three years remaining on his deal and, as a result, any tinkering of the roster will be made with the Captain in mind. However, Allen and Garnett find themselves in the final year of their deals. And, while it pains Celtics fans to admit, with Allen on the books for $10 million and KG $21 million next season, their expiring contracts would be greatly appealing to a team looking to unload salary in a trade, especially if it came later in the season around the deadline.

Beyond trading Allen or KG, Ainge could also hang onto them and add a piece like unrestricted free agent Nene Hilario to the puzzle. Not only would the Denver big man finally fill the void left by the mid-season departure of Kendrick Perkins, but Hilario is also just 28-years-old and could be a major chip in the rebuilding process centered around Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green.

Or, Ainge could sacrifice next season, hang onto Allen and KG and then let them walk after season's end. This strategy would erase $31 million off the books while also making the Celtics a legitimate contender to land one of 2012's prized free agents: Dwight Howard, Deron Williams or Chris Paul.

In the end, the possibilities are almost too much to fathom at such a dark period in time.

Sure, we can play scenarios in our mind all day about trading KG or signing Nene in an attempt to continue the dynasty, but all that many Boston fans can do right now is sit and wallow in the utter sadness and disappointment of watching our beloved Celts fall to the hated-Heat.

Of blowing an 87-81 point lead with less than five minutes remaining.

Of being outscored 16-0 in the final 4:29.

Of watching our beloved Big Three go down without a fight.

It's going to take a long time to recover from Wednesday night's Game 5 loss. Not because of the loss itself, but because of its ramifications.

Get to work, Danny.

The window's still open, but just barely. The Big Three need some help. And the responsibility falls on the Celtics GM to find a way to get them one more championship before it's too late.

The Moment of Truth

After losing Game 4 Monday night, Kevin Garnett and the Celtics find themselves down 3-1 to the Heat, needing a miracle to get back in the series. We're about to find out if they can pull it off. 

Despite dominating the Eastern Conference for the past four seasons, winning the 2008 NBA Title and reaching the NBA Finals last season, the Boston Celtics are about to play their most important game of the 21st century on Wednesday night.

The importance of Game 5 in Miami lies not only in its do-or-die nature. Sure, after losing 98-90 in overtime Monday night, the championship-or-bust Celtics now trail the Eastern Conference Semifinal series 3-1, forcing a must win scenario Wednesday night against the Heat. But what really makes Game 5 so significant is because it means so much more in the grand scheme of things.

Simply put, this could be the Celtics' last legitimate shot at winning a title during the Big Three era.

When Danny Ainge went out and traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the summer of 2007, he made the ultimate gamble. In pairing KG and Ray with the incumbent star, Paul Pierce, Ainge put his ultimate faith in the Big Three to restore basketball pride in the city of Boston.

Almost instantly, everything clicked and the Big Three hoisted Banner 17 in 2008, ending a 21 year championship drought. Since then, they reached the Conference finals despite playing without an injured KG, then lost in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Lakers. All the while, they have recorded at least 50 wins every season and played at a consistently elite level unrivaled league-wide.

For Celtics fans to beg and plead for another title from the Big Three would be asking too much. We've already been blessed enough.

Whether we like to admit it or not, the game of basketball is a young man's sport. The amount of energy needed to compete and succeed at the highest level is beyond calculation. This is exactly the reason why the Heat have been able to put a stranglehold on the series thus far.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and, to a lesser degree, Chris Bosh, have been performing at the peak of their games and simply outrun, outshot, outrebounded and outdefended the aging Celtics. The only game the Celtics have won in the series came in Game 3 when Rajon Rondo single-handedly (literally) beat the Heat.

So far, youth has trumped experience.

In the end, Game 5 Wednesday night will be the single most important game the Big Three will ever play together. We know all too well that Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are already well into the final chapter of the brilliant careers. This could very well be their final shot at another title together in Boston.

And, if the Celtics lose, all the talking heads and nay-sayers will say the window of opportunity is officially over for Boston. That the Big Three can no longer get it done. That the Celtics dynasty is over.

But if they win, it just might be the beginning of something great. The beginning of an epic comeback ignited by a trio of battle-tested veterans that everyone said were too old. Too slow. Unable to keep up with new young guns in the league.

Kevin Millar famously said, "Don't let us win tonight" before Game Four of the ALCS against the Yankees in 2004. He wasn't worrying about coming all the way back from an 0-3 hole. He was just focusing on one game. One game to keep the Red Sox season alive. One game at a time.

On Wednesday night, we will learn how the final chapter of the Big Three's legacy unfolds. They will either step up and begin one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Or they will fold against the Heat and bear witness to the literal and metaphorical end of their reign.

The moment of truth is now officially upon us.

Don't let the Boston Celtics win Wednesday night.

The Legend of Rajon Rondo

After dislocating his left elbow during the third quarter of Game 3 Saturday night, Rajon Rondo's season looked lost. Instead, he returned in epic fashion to lead his team to a legendary 97-81 victory over the Heat. 

In Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship series it was Curt Schilling pitching masterfully against the hated Yankees with a torn ankle and bloody sock.

In Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals it was Paul Pierce being carted off in a wheelchair only to return minutes later and fuel the Celtics to an epic 98-88 victory over the Lakers.

On Saturday night, Rajon Rondo became the latest Boston sports athlete to join the pantheon of legends who willed their team to victory despite suffering a major injury.

With 7:02 remaining in the third quarter of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Boston Celtics got the greatest scare imaginable. In the midst of a 14-6 run, Rondo pulled down a defensive rebound and looked to push the ball up court. Attempting to swallow up Rondo before he could start the break, Heat star Dwyane Wade pulled Rondo to the ground with great force.

However, instead of landing smoothly on the historic parquet floor, Rondo extended his left arm in an attempt to break his fall.

What happened next had Celtics fans holding their breath in unrivaled fear and misery.

Rondo's left arm snapped back like a toothpick. His elbow hyperextended so horribly that it left zero doubt in anyone's mind that his season was over. That the Celtics season was over. He began writhing in pain as the Big Three surrounded him.

The TD Garden's sell-out crowd of 18,624 was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

With every replay of the gruesome injury it looked seemingly guaranteed that the Celtics pursuit of Banner 18 was over. Rondo was done. And, despite how great the Big Three still are, there is no way they can win it all without their play-making point guard.

"I knew right away something was wrong when I went down," admitted Rondo. "But thank god for Kevin because I was having trouble breathing. I was worried about my elbow but I was having trouble breathing. I just kept hearing him tell me to breath."

And then something magical happened.

Just over seven minutes later, Rondo began walking back to the bench, sending the crowd into a jubilant frenzy. In one of the greatest moments in recent Celtics history, the former Kentucky star took the court and willed his team to victory.

"All of us sort of look at each other like, 'What is he doing out here?'" said Kevin Garnett after the game. "'Is he being smart right now?' When he came in, it was just typical Rondo. Shorty is a really tough, young individual and I don't know what he's going to be like when he's 35 but right now he's playing through a lot."

His improbable return was nothing short of legendary. Inspiring his team, Rondo played the rest of the game with one arm, dribbling the ball with his right arm while his wounded left arm hung lifelessly by his side.

He even dove of the floor for a loose ball and finished a momentum changing lay-up late in the fourth quarter.

And while Paul Pierce (27 points) and Garnett (28 points, 18 boards) finished with sparkling numbers, it was the return of Rondo that won the game for the Celtics.

"He's our leader," said Jeff Green of Rondo. "He's our go-to guy. Just as far as this team, to see him get back on the floor was big for us. It gave us that added push at the end so we could continue to put the pressure on."

In the end, the box-score will prove that Rondo scored six points, dished out 11 assists and grabbed three rebounds in Game 3, not exactly Rondo-like numbers. But real Celtics fans realize that without his inspiring return, there was no way Boston would have defeated Miami 97-81 Saturday night and cut Miami's series lead to 2-1.

After two lackluster performances in Game 1 and Game 2, the doubters began questioning the Celtics. They said they might be too old. That their window of opportunity had closed. That their season was over.

And then, almost on cue, their one-of-a-kind point guard stepped up and put his team back in the series.

"If I'm on the court, you may see me hold my arm but I'm not going to use it as an excuse," concluded Rondo. "That's how we play. That's our mentality. We show up Monday night and we're on the court and we're playing. "

"Don't ask me how I feel. I'm going to play regardless. I'm not going to use it as an excuse. We're a no excuse team."

A torn sheath in his right ankle couldn't stop Curt Schilling.

A strained right knee couldn't stop Paul Pierce.

And on Saturday night, a dislocated elbow couldn't stop Rajon Rondo.

Poetic Justice

With a resounding 5-1 victory in Game 4, the surging Bruins finished off the Flyers and now move on to face the upstart Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

For the first time in 19 long, agonizing and heart-breaking years, the Boston Bruins are headed back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Exorcising the demons of last season's devastating playoff collapse, the Black and Gold put any thoughts of a similar tragedy to rest Friday night by destroying the Flyers, 5-1, before an electric sell-out crowd of 17,565 at the TD Garden. 

With the Game 4 victory, the Bruins sweep Philadelphia out of the playoffs and now move on to face the streaking Tampa Bay Lightning. 

"I think the one thing that our team understands here is that there are some great fans here in Boston," said head coach Claude Julien in his post-game news conference. "And I said in the first round, they have been punished enough. And they have had some tough years. Yet our building is filled right now and the fans are into it. For us, it's rewarding to be able to give those fans what they have been waiting for for a long time."

"Oh it's great," said Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk, who scored the game-winning goal 2:42 into the third period. "We were up three-nothing and we wanted to make sure that when we have that chance to close it off, we wanted to close it off and we did."

Once again, Tim Thomas was stellar in net for the Bruins, stopping 22 of 23 shots. 

Offensively, Milan Lucic led the way with a pair of goals, including the opening tally on the power-play (yes, the power play) midway through the first period to give the Bruins an early 1-0 lead. He added a much-needed insurance goal with less than five minutes remaining in regulation to make it 3-1.

The offensive outburst is a great sign for Lucic. Despite leading the team in regular season goals with 30, the bruising winger had gone 20 games without a tally before Friday night. 

However, the game was far from the laugher it appeared to be. Tied 1-1 heading into the third period, the Bruins appeared to lose their edge and the Flyers quickly seized the momentum. Then, things took a serious turn for the worst. 

Less than three minutes into the final period, Flyers forward Claude Giroux leveled Bruins assistant captain Patrice Bergeron with an open-ice check in the Boston zone. Bergeron, who had his promising career derailed after a pair of concussions, immediately left the game looking dazed.  

However, instead of letting the loss of Bergeron create a psychological tailspin, the Bruins answered just four seconds after their best two-way player left the ice. Blasting a slapshot from the point, Boychuk beat Flyers rookie goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky top shelf to give Boston a 2-1 lead. 

Boychuck's blast ended up being the game-winner. 

"Well obviously that was a big goal tonight," said head coach Claude Julien of Boychuck's tally. "It certainly lifted the whole bench."

After Boychuk's goal, the Bruins took control. Lucic's second tally made it 3-1, forcing Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette to pull Bobrovsky early for an extra skater. 

Brad Marchand, after coughing up the puck in his own end that led to a Kris Versteeg goal to tie the score during the second period, bounced back to hammer home an empty-net goal to make it 4-1. Daniel Paille added another empty-netter to finishing the scoring. 

"We really didn't want to go back to Philly," admitted Marchand after the game. "If they were to steal tonight, we got back Philly and anything can happen. It is not a place we want to go. It was nice in front of our how crowd and they were right with us."

The lone black cloud in an otherwise Black and Gold utopia remains the status of Bergeron. Initial reports indicate a mild concussion, which would guarantee Bergeron sits out at least the first few games against the Lightning. However, after having missed nearly the entire 2007-08 season after suffering a major concussion stemming from a cheap shot by the infamous Randy Jones, as well as another concussion in 2008-09 that sidelined Bergeron for over a month, no one knows how Bergeron will respond after suffering his third concussion in less than four years. 

"When I spoke with him after the game," said GM Peter Chiarelli," he was a little despondent, but he was quite lucid, to me. But he was despondent having suffered another concussion."

The worst part of it all is that Bergeron had been by far and away the Bruins best player this postseason, leading the team in points (2 goals, 10 assists) and hits (28) entering Game 4. 

With Bergeron's status in jeopardy, rookie phenom Tyler Seguin should see his first career playoff action. 

Still, despite the injury to Bergeron, it's hard for Bruins fans not to be overblown with pride, happiness, and optimism after witnessing such an epic series-clinching game.

After all, it simply doesn't happen very often. 

"So you play for a city, you come from all over the place, but you are representing the city of Boston and the one thing you want to do is do them proud," concluded Julien. "And I think our guys have got that behind their minds here of continuing to do well here and hopefully bring in some pride to this city with the hockey club. We know that baseball, football and obviously basketball has done very well lately. And now it is time for hockey to step up and do the same thing." 

On Friday night, the Boston Bruins stepped up.

And the best part of it all?

Two of the biggest die-hard fans known to man got to cheer them on from the nosebleeds in the balcony. Sure, my father and I have attended our fair share of regular-season Bruins games but Friday night was our first ever playoff game together in the flesh. It was heaven. There we were, the man that put his son in a Bruins sweater upon birth and his eternal sidekick, waving yellow Bruins towels, screaming for the Black and Gold at the top of our lungs. 

And now we're back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1992. 

It doesn't get any better than that. 

Is this Heaven? No, it's Fenway Park

Wednesday night's 13-inning marathon loss to the Angels may not have been fun for the Sox, but it was as good as it gets for four best friends and die-hard Boston fans. 

Working at one of the most prominent restaurants next to Fenway Park has its pros and cons.

The unparalleled closeness- literally and figuratively- to the Red Sox is first and foremost among the positives. For up to three hours before and after the game, the establishment is packed to the gills with an endless sea of Boston fans. The atmosphere is electric and it feels like you're surrounded by family.

The aroma of freshly poured beer and sizzling burgers consume the air as a timeless reminder of everything we hold dear about the game of baseball. I often pass by fathers and sons sitting side by side, enjoying a pre-game meal, and a warm fuzzy feeling of nostalgia washes over me. In them I see myself and my father, circa the mid 1990s. Me sporting a Nomar Garciaparra jersey and him teaching me about Luis Tiant's unrivaled wind-up and the legend of Fred Lynn and Jim Rice, the Stardust Twins.

However, as comforting as it all feels, it's hard to stop and reflect when you're waiting on the needs of hundreds of paying customers. The music is blasting. It's hot. You're dripping with sweat and your legs feel like jello. Despite being surrounded by a plethora of mammoth HD televisions, you are unable to watch the game or even keep score.

In one word: it's mayhem.

But, once in a while, the baseball gods seem to smile upon you when you least expect it.

This happened to my three closest friends and I on Wednesday night.

After a torrential downpour delayed the Sox game against the Angels in the 5th inning, countless fans exited the stadium and called it a night.

Lucky for me, I was able to leave work earlier than usual as a result of the lack of customers. To my surprise, I noticed as I was leaving that the game would be resuming at 11:10PM. I immediately called my roommates and, after some convincing, lured them to catch a cab from Allston and attempt to sneak into the game with me.

After being turned away at Gate D because we didn't have any tickets, we seemed doomed. But, like a stroke of luck, one of my roommates called a security guard he knew from college and he got us in for free.

Just like that, we were at Fenway, watching the bottom of the fifth inning commence as the clock approached midnight. The stadium was completely empty. Some estimates had just 500 fans in the stands, total.

It was eery. Surreal almost. The rain stopped. The skies seemed gentle and forgiving. And here we were, literally the only four people in the right field bleachers, front row, leaning over the short fence in celebrated unison.

We began to carry on a personal conversation with Torrii Hunter. It went back and forth for hours. We asked him if he missed Minnesota and he shook his head. We asked if he liked LA and he said "it's aite." We told him he would look great in a Boston uniform and we always respected his game. We told him he belonged in center field, not right. He even threw me a ball.

The game stretched on for hours. A clutch hit by Jacoby Ellsbury pushed the game into extra innings and we watched as the scoreboard clock read 1am, then 2am, then 3am.

Dunkin Donuts began giving away free hot chocolates and I even offered Hunter one.

It seemed to make a lasting impression on the Angels right fielder.

"I could hear entire conversations (among the sparse number of fans)," Hunter told the Orange County Gazette. "They were like, 'Hey, Torii- you want some hot chocolate? We'll get you some hot chocolate.' So I said, "Yeah, alright. That sounds good."

"They went and got me one. One guy came back and he had two cups of hot chocolate- 'Here you go, Torii. We got you one if you want it."

THAT GUY WAS ME.

The Sox eventually lost the game, but it didn't matter to us. We had just witnessed the longest ending Red Sox game in the 99 year history of Fenway Park.

And we carried on a personal conversation with Torrii Hunter that will live on forever in our hearts.

Sometimes, the baseball gods reward those of us who love the game unconditionally.

Wednesday night, or better yet Thursday morning, we were in heaven.

Pushed to the Brink

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and the Celtics have had no answer for Miami's Big Three through two games and now trail the Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals 0-2. 

The Boston Celtics are officially in trouble.

After losing their cool and dropping Game One in Miami on Sunday afternoon, the championship-or-bust Celtics fell victim to the upstart Heat once again on Tuesday, 102-91, and now find their pursuit of Banner 18 in serious jeopardy.

For the first time in the Big Three era, the Celtics now trail a postseason series 0-2.

"Nothing we can do about it," said head coach Doc Rivers after the game. "We've got a third game and we've got to take care of that. Whatever the past is, it is. They've won two games at home. But we can't allow them to play like this, or it's going to be tough at our place."

Adding injury to insult, three of the Celtics Big Four suffered injuries during Game 2. First, it was Paul Pierce straining his left achilles midway through the first quarter. Then, Ray Allen had to be taken to the locker room with a bruised chest after absorbing an elbow from LeBron James during the second quarter. All the while, point guard Rajon Rondo battled a tight back that plagued him for the entirety of the game.

As a result, the Celtics were never able to get their starting five together on the court at once.

"It was a circus going on at one point," admitted Rivers. "Ray needed to be taken to the locker room, Paul was coming out of the locker room, Rondo was asking to come out, almost simultaneously. It was sketchy."

Beyond injury, the Celtics have struggled simply because their stars have yet to hit their stride in unison. While Garnett (16 points, 6 boards) and Rondo (20 points, 12 assists and 6 boards) rebounded after a poor showing in Game 1, Allen and Pierce struggled mightily in Game 2. Allen finished with just 7 points on 2-7 shooting on Tuesday while Pierce scored just 13 points in 33 minutes.

Meanwhile, Boston still had no answer for Miami's Big Three.

Lebron James (35, 7, 5), Dwyane Wade (28, 8, 7) and Chris Bosh (17, 11) combined to score 80 of Miami's 102 points.

"We're trying to figure it out and get it together," explained KG. "And we will. We have no choice. This is it."

In their storied history, the Celtics are just 1-7 all-time when trailing a best-of-seven series 0-2. Their lone comeback came in 1969 when the Bill Russell, John Havlieck-led Celts rallied to defeat the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

The only positive on their side is the fact that the banged up Celts have three days off to recover before Game 3 tips off in Boston Saturday night.

"A loss is frustrating," said Kevin Garnett after the game. "I'm not going to say one or two plays made it or whatever. We knew it was going to be hell coming in playing here. Now it's time to go home and take care of our home court."

The Celtics have no choice but to cowboy up and strike back against Miami before it's too late. And, while many younger teams would fold under the enormous pressure of trailing a series 0-2, the veteran Celts are experienced enough to realize that all it takes is one win to seize the momentum and turn the series around.

"Being down 2-0 doesn't scare any of us, doesn't make us nervous," concluded Allen after the game. "It's just an opportunity to come out shining."

In the Driver's Seat

Zdeno Chara and the Bruins celebrate Brad Marchand's first period goal in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals Monday night. Thanks to Tim Thomas, Boston escaped Philadelphia with a 3-2 overtime victory to take a 2-0 series lead.

In the quest for the Cup, there are games along the way that a goaltender must steal in order for his team to keep the journey on course.

Tim Thomas did just that for the Bruins Monday night against Philadelphia.

Turning in quite possibly his best performance ever wearing the spoked B, the former University of Vermont star finished with an astounding 52 saves to backstop the Bruins to a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

After spotting the Flyers with an early 2-0 lead, Thomas made 46 consecutive saves before David Krejci scored the game-winning goal 14 minutes into overtime.

The Bruins now lead the series 2-0 as it shifts back to Boston for Game 3 Wednesday night.

"If it's not for Timmy we might not be standing here tonight with a win," admitted head coach Claude Julien after the game. "But that's what goaltenders do for you in the playoffs and that's what you like to see in order to certainly develop some confidence for your team. We know that the goaltender is there to bail you out and and it certainly builds a lot of confidence and Tim has given us that."

After a pair of early goals from phenom James Van Riemsdyk, the Flyers took a seemingly commanding 2-0 lead. They were peppering the Boston goal non-stop and Thomas had to stand on his head just to keep the game within reach.

However, the Bruins answered with a pair of goals in just 1:25 to tie the game 2-2 midway through the first period.

"We knew they would have a big start," admitted Brad Marchard, who scored the second Boston goal (Chris Kelly scored the first). "We knew they were going to come out hard in the first period, we just wanted to weather the storm. It was great we were able to tie it up there. It was pretty bad there at one point. We did a great job of coming back and settled things down and got into the game."

Regardless, even after tying the score, the Bruins found themselves bowing at the altar of Thomas as he continued to make save after save in the second and third periods to keep the game deadlocked.

"It easily could have been 8-1, 8-2 at one point," added Marchand. "It was great we had Timmy there backing us up. It's good we can have a team push like that against us and we were able to push back and come through at a clutch time."

Then, as the game reached overtime tied 2-2, Boston seemed to feed off the unbreakable confidence displayed by Thomas. With six minutes left in the extra frame, Krejci blasted a one-time feed from Milan Lucic that appeared to elude Brian Boucher top shelf.

However, the puck immediately caromed out of the net and back on the ice. As a result, play continued until a whistle could be blown. The referees consulted video replay and, upon further review, the goal was waved good.

"All I saw was the referee wave his hand that there was no goal," admitted Julien. "And it didn't take us long to figure out that it had been in. So I felt pretty confident and it was nice to see us find a way to win."

The victory marked the Bruins fourth overtime win in four tries during the playoffs thus far.

And, while hockey lukewarms will point to Krejci's goal as the play of the game, diehards know the only reason the Bruins escaped with a win was because of their never-say-die, unorthodox backstop, Tim Thomas.

"He was by far the star of he game," condluded Juelien. "He made some outstanding saves, especially when they started coming at us. They had some unbelievable scoring chances, he stood tall and he made some great saves.

Still, the Bruins know that despite going up 2-0, the series is far from over, especially with the horrific visions of last season's collapse still fresh in their minds.

"We do know from the way we were able to come back from the last series, a 2-0 lead in a series doesn't mean the series is over. We still have a lot of work in front of us. "

On a sidenote, a terrifying moment occurred late in the first period. After whiffing on an elbow to the chest of a Flyer near the net, defenseman Adam McQuaid lost his balance and slid violently head-first into the endboards. He laid motionless on the ice for several minutes before finally being helped to his feet. Captain Zdeno Chara and Milan Lucic had to help McQuaid off the ice and back to the bench.

Luckily, postgame tests on McQuaid revealed only a sprained neck. After watching the replay, the injury appeared much worse.

"Everything so far has come out negative," explained a thankful Claude Julien. "He's a day-to-day player right now."

If McQuaid's injury forces him out of action, depth defenseman Shane Hnidy is expected to take his place.

First Degree Burn

The Celtics lost their cool and the game Saturday afternoon in Miami and now trail Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. 

Apparently all that time off wasn't quite the advantage it was supposed to be.

Exactly a week ago, the championship or bust Boston Celtics finished off their sweep of the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. And, because they made such quick work of their first round opponent, the Green were rewarded with six full days to rest, regroup and prepare for the next challenge that awaited them: the Miami Heat.

Instead, the veteran Celtics looked out of sync in Game One against the high-flying Heat on Saturday afternoon. The listless Celts trailed by as many as 19 points before eventually succumbing to Miami 99-90 before a raucous, sell-out crowd of 20,021 at American Airlines Arena.

Just like that, all the momentum Boston built up over the Knicks in round one seems to have been lost.

"There's so many things we need to do to get better," admitted Ray Allen after the game. "I think everybody in that locker room knows that, just from a small conversation we just had."

While many fans and analysts alike will point to the Celtics less-than-stellar showing on the court, the story of the game may instead be their loss of composure between the ears.

Having already been slapped with a technical after confronting James Jones earlier in the game, one would think captain Paul Pierce would seal his lips and recognize that another such indiscretion would put his team at serious risk.

Not so.

Instead, with his team down just 13 with seven minutes to play, Pierce collided with Dwyane Wade along the baseline and then got up in his face, with the two stars engaging each other in a staredown. Referee Ed Malloy instantly slapped Pierce with another technical, officially ejecting him from the game, striking an instant blow to any chance of a Celtic comeback in the game.

"It was what we call a verbal taunt," explained lead official Dan Crawford. "He directly profanity towards Wade. And in the rulebook, this is a verbal taunt. And it just so happened to be Pierce's second technical foul."

However, teammate Ray Allen explained the situation differently and eluded to the fact that the referees did not listen to what Pierce said exactly.

They merely T'ed him up on instinct.

"I don't think he said anything that was at the referee or that was even focused at D-Wade," said Allen, who was one of the lone Celtics to show up on Saturday (25 points, 3 boards, 3 assists). "Paul was just, 'I'm tough, I'm tough. That's not going to faze me.'"

However, at this point in the season, the veteran Celtics must know not to put themselves in any type of compromising position concerning the officials. Anyone who watches professional basketball regularly knows that NBA officials are by far the worst and most inconsistent referees of any sport. As a result, the Celtics should know better than to even give them an ounce of reason to make a call like Crawford did on Pierce.

"Anything can tick a referee off," added Allen. "That's why we always say don't put it in their hands. You've got to make sure that you're smart out there."

On Saturday afternoon, the Celtics were anything but smart. They lost their cool, let their emotions get the best of them and now find themselves trailing the Heat 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

"I was more disappointed letting my teammates down," admitted Pierce after the game. "You put yourself in a situation you can control, and it hurts your team, that's what I was most upset about. I can't do that. I'm too important to this team."

The Truth has his first shot at revenge Tuesday night when Game 2 tips off in Miami.

Let's hope the C's can keep their mouths shut and stick to playing the championship style basketball we've come to expect all season long.