Broad Street Blowout

Brad Marchand celebrates one of his two goals Saturday afternoon against Philadelphia in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Bruins routed the Flyers 7-3 to take a 1-0 series lead. 

Riding the unprecedented momentum of Wednesday night's epic Game 7 win over Montreal, the surging Bruins took the next step in their celebrated quest for Lord Stanley's Cup Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia.

Kicking off the Eastern Conference Semifinals in jaw-dropping fashion, the Big Bad Bruins waltzed into the city of Brotherly Love and exposed the defensively inferior Broad Street Bullies 7-3 to take a 1-0 series lead. The crucial victory is pivotal for Boston, as it negates the Flyers home ice advantage while also sending a clear message that these Bruins are not the same Bruins who tragically folded against Philadelphia in the playoffs last season.

"What happened in the past is in the past," said Nathan Horton, who was not on the Bruins team that choked last season but watched it unfold from afar during his time as a Florida Panther. "There's been a lot of talk about it, for sure, so we just wanted to come out and show everyone that this is the series that matters to us now."

The star of the game for the Bruins was none other than their leading regular season point getter, David Krejci. The top-line centerman, who struggled at times in the opening round against Montreal, returned to his stellar play-making form, pacing the offense with two goals and two assists.

"I try not to think about what happened last year, but in the back of my mind, it's hard," said Krejci, who was knocked out in Game 3 against the Flyers last season with a broken wrist and had to witness the collapse unfold from the press box. "But I try to stay focused for the game. My teammates helped me out."

The biggest reason for Bruins fans to be so optimistic this time around is the fact that Krejci is healthy and displaying the type of offensive touch that can carry the team to great heights. In fact, many attribute the Bruins collapse last season to Krejci's injury. At the time he broke his wrist, the Bruins were leading the series 3-0. Once Krejci left the lineup, the Bruins seemed out of sync and promptly lost four consecutive games.

"That's the Krejci that we all know in here," added Horton. "A guy who gets us going, and gives us all a chance to score goals."

Beyond Krejci, the Bruins offense was paced by Brad Marchand (two goals, one assist) and Patrice Bergeron (three assists). Horton pitched in with a goal and an assist as well, while the ageless Mark Recchi and unsung hero Gregory Campbell added the other two tallies. Dennis Seidenberg finished with two assists to lead the blue-liners.

Despite their vaunted offensive attack and the fact that they secured the East's number two overall seed, the knock on Philadelphia all season long has been there goaltending. True to form, the Flyers got little in terms of production from the back end. Starter Brian Boucher was yanked in favor of rookie Sergie Bobrovsky during the second period after the Bruins raced out to a commanding 5-1 lead.

Interestingly, while the play of Boucher (give goals allowed) and Bobrovsky (two goals allowed) was shaky to say the least, Flyers head coach and former Bruins assistant Peter Laviolette was quick to point out his team's defensive shortcomings as a whole, not just from the goaltending position alone.

"Too many easy goals, too many easy plays," explained Laviolette. "We weren't strong enough right in front of our goaltender.

While the goaltending position is a glaring weakness for the Flyers, it remains a formidable strength for Boston. Once again, Tim Thomas was solid from start to finish. He stopped 31 of 34 shots and made several highlight reel saves.

Despite the favorable position the Bruins find themselves in after such a dominating performance, the team knows not to put too much stock into their Game One victory.

After all, with what transpired last Spring against the Flyers, there's no time to celebrate until the series is officially over.

"One good game doesn't make the playoffs," concluded the even-keeled Krejci. "So we've just got to keep it going."

The Bruins get their chance in Game 2 Monday night in Philadelphia.

Enjoy the ride, Bruins fans. And cross your fingers.

This team is for real.