Eastern Conference Finals: Boston Bruins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
While we wait for the Sharks, Wings, Predators and Canucks to finally settle who’ll play in the Western Conference Finals, we already know who will go at it in the east. Both the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning swept their way into the ECF, the Bruins knocking off Philadelphia in four games and the Lightning doing the same to the top-seed Washington Capitals.
It was the first time a number-one seed had been swept in a playoff series since the current conference-based format began in 1994.
Boston entered into the postseason as the third seed and Tampa Bay fifth, but both had identical 46-25-11 records and 103 points. That was good enough for the Bruins to win the Northeast Division crown and for the Bolts to finish second in the Southeast.
Tampa Bay’s 247 goals were one more than Boston tallied, but the Bs only gave up 195 goals while the Lightning allowed 240.
The Bruins took three of the four games played between the two. On November 11 the Lightning won 3-1 and December 2 the Boston pounded the Bolts 8-1. Then on 28th of December Mark Recchi scored a power play goal with 19.7 seconds left in the third period to give his team a 4-3 victory and last March 3 it was Milan Lucic scoring with 3:42 remaining in regulation time as the Bruins won 2-1.
Your pick in the ECF
- Boston Bruins (74%, 403 Votes)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (26%, 140 Votes)
Total Voters: 543
Loading ...Lucic, who led the Bruins with 30 goals this past season, did not score a goal in the last ten regular season games and failed to find the net in the first ten playoff matches. However, he potted a pair in the 5-1 game-four win over the Flyers last Friday.
After snapping out of his scoring drought, he was quick to give thanks to his teammates for their support.
“My teammates, especially my linemates with Krejci and Horton, we’ve been able to create so much chemistry here”, he said. “They always have my back, and even for them, times were tough this year. I had to lift them up, and just tell them to relax, and that was the same sort of thing.”
“They had my back, and they just told me, ‘It’s going to come. Just keep sticking with it.’”
Tampa Bay, who trailed Washington for only 26 minutes and 15 seconds during the four game sweep, comes into this series riding a seven game winning streak. Boston has won five consecutive and eight of their last nine after falling behind the Montreal Canadiens two games to none in the opening round.
Both teams have gotten outstanding performance in goal during the postseason. Tim Thomas is 8-3 with a 2.03 GAA and .937 SV%. However, Tampa Bay’s Dwayne Roloson has been just a tad better statistically, 8-3 with 2.01 GAA, .941 SV% and 1 SO.
While I’m sure the Bolts’ skaters appreciate what Roloson has done for them this spring, he has nothing but praise for them as well.
“You call it whatever you want, relentlessness, willpower, desire, whatever word you want to use, but what I think it just comes down to is not being afraid to lose”, the 41-year old netminder said of his teammates. “The guys are not afraid, they are going out, they are playing and putting everything on the line day in and day out.”
“When you do that, it makes for a tough [team] to play against.”
Patrice Bergeron , who leads the Bruins with 12 overall points in the playoffs, will miss one possible two games with a concussion. This means rookie Tyler Seguin will see his first ever NHL playoff action. Brad Marchand, Davis Krejci and Nathan Horton each have 5 goals. And defenseman Zdeno Chara is a +11 and averaging a team-high 28:41 TOI.
Martin St. Louis leads team with 13 overall points, 6 goals 7 assists. Sean Bergeneim’s 7 goals leads the Bolts, Vinny Lecavalier has 5 goals and 7 assists, Steven Downie is a +9 while defenseman Eric Brewer’s 26:09 TOI leads the Bolts.
As for the outcome of this series, the only thing I’m really sure of is that it’s unlikely to end in the fashion both teams experienced in the second round…a sweep. This once should be fun to watch with plenty of action and will probably go deep, six or seven games.
I’ll go with the Bruins to win in six. If I’m right we’ll then get a chance to see former Thrasher Rich Peverley, who was traded to Boston in February, perform in the Stanley Cup Finals.
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139 comments Add your comment
The 27
May 9th, 2011
6:26 pm
Bolts in 6. Hate the Bruins can’t root for them.
Fan from Carolina
May 9th, 2011
6:48 pm
Please, enough with the +/- stats. PLEASE!! It is so misleading. For heavens sakes, Roloson didn’t even play the Bruins as a Lightning this season. It was ‘light em up’ Ellis and Smith in net. Even Bobby Orr would have been minus. Isn’t St Louis minus something in the playoffs? Is there anyone out there that doesn’t want him on their club? Enough!
Now back to the series. I picked Boston from the beginning but still haven’t picked the Lightning yet against either the Pens or Caps. I might as well keep my record going and pick the Bruins. Malone and Downie will help negate some of the pummeling that the Lightning experienced against Lucic and Boychuk. I believe they missed a few regular season games due to lengthy injuries. I also feel that Thomas will steal enough games to win the series. The Bruins will struggle to score most nights as they soon find out this isn’t the woeful Flyers goalies in net.
SOB, your reasoning for picking the Lightning is hilarious and right on the money.
HookyBob
May 9th, 2011
6:48 pm
In my mind the Bolts possess an intangible, much like the Blackhawks did last year. That intangible would be the ability to adapt, grow, and challenge veteran teams.
I’m thinking the Bolts may go down to the Bruins early but come back strong. They also have the “youth factor” over the Bruins (although I really like Marchand).
Bolts also play a wide, cross-ice game which could be problematic for Thomas.
Bolts on to the finals in 6.
Out west, I’m not picking any winners,… but first choice would be the Predators, then Canucks, to advance to the SCF.
ZAvalanche
May 9th, 2011
7:06 pm
bDH – It would be rough for Detroit to battle back, but never count them out.
Just the facts
May 9th, 2011
9:19 pm
The only facts regrding the Thrshers are this:
They have lost over 100 Million, they are for sale but no one is interested in the asking price. Atendance is terrble and the team is not likely to make the playoffs for years. Other than that everything is conjecture. Oh and Tampa beats the Bruins in 5.
Player to be named later
May 9th, 2011
9:33 pm
Just the Facts-you seem to have left out allotta facts that have lead to the current state of the Thrashers.
1. Lost $100M? That happens when you fail to INVEST in your product.
2. Attendence is terrible? See #1 for your reasons.
3. Won’t make the playoffs for years? Again, see #1
ZAvalanche
May 9th, 2011
9:34 pm
I am picking Tampa to close it out at home in 6 games, though if they do lose the series it will be due to Thomas. You have to imagine every team other than Vancouver is hoping to have their second round series pushed to 7 with a Nash win tonight. That would be game 7 series in a row for ‘Nucks and their opponents aren’t getting any easier.
ZAvalanche
May 9th, 2011
9:35 pm
I stand by my assertion that if Thrashy gets 2 stay at home D, move Buffy up, they make the playoffs.
World Be Free
May 9th, 2011
9:37 pm
Glovesave, once again you hit the nail on the head when truly describing the situation in Winnipeg, add Quebec City to the same description. This is all about the Canadian media’s obsession with stealing franchises from the South and taking back home to Canada. Truthfully, the people of Winnipeg deserve better than the BS they are getting from the Canadian media.
R/L we know we won’t get the facts from Vivlamore.
Red Light
May 9th, 2011
11:18 pm
Bill and I (a few others too I believe) are now 10-1 in the playoffs after the Canucks take out the Preds in 6 games. Bill pegged the # of games too, while I had it going 7 games. Preds finish without a home win in the series and that’s too bad.
Red Light
May 9th, 2011
11:20 pm
Glad to be going head-to-head tomorrow night in Game 6 with our esteemed host at the Joe. This means War, Bill!
Brendan
May 9th, 2011
11:33 pm
Finally, I have won a series in the CSF! Up to 7-4. The worst I can do now is 7-8 for the playoffs. One more win, and I match my “average.”
Nashville has nothing of which to be ashamed. They played well. They won road games. They just couldn’t win at home. For their ownership, Nashville earned $12 million in PURE PROFITS by hosting six playoff games. That’s excellent return on investment (ROI).
Trouble for Nashville? The only one I see is … they’ve raised the bar … to the point where FAILURE TO RETURN to the CSF constitutes a backwards step. And failure to reach the CF … means the Preds are not continuing to advance themselves. Such are the pressures that accompany success and patient building. I still say that Nashville is somewhat of a model franchise, for clubs trying to do it in a fiscally responsible manner. But there’s a time to spend … and for Nashville … I think that’s now. They must continue to advance their club. Tweak it a bit at the draft and free agency. They’re now close enough to a Cup … to justify sacrificing picks to get the players they need to win the Cup.
Rawhide
May 9th, 2011
11:41 pm
Red Light – That’s right…it’s on! An 11-1 record in the postseason predictions is on the line!
Go Wings!!!
(Good Gawd-almighty, I cannot believe I just said that)
Brendan
May 9th, 2011
11:49 pm
Eric Boulton is doing “On The Fly” tonight! Who knew?!!
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
7:32 am
Brendan: Seeing how the Preds had only ever won two playoff games in any one season, the fact that they won six games this year is a step forward. Now, they must lock up Shea Weber as he is due a new contract. Look for a very long deal at a lower cap hit then we might imagine, but he’s going to have to earn more than Byfuglien, so Nashville is probably looking at $30 million over five years…minimum.
Ward, Sullivan, Goc (injured) and O’Brien are the only others whose contracts have expired, so they have plenty of room to reward Weber. But, I don’t see them going much past the new floor ($47 million) next season.
Fan from Carolina
May 10th, 2011
7:41 am
As half the Thrashers nation asks, “What’s ‘On The Fly’?” LOL! Nah, most Thrashers posters are not even reading this stuff anymore. When the regular season ended they were long gone, off to Braves country.
By the way, even though I picked the Bruins I still want the Lightning to win for the Southeast division. Canadian markets can’t stand it. There are still Maple Leafs fans who will swear up and down that their Leafs teams were BETTER than the Canes and Lightning teams that won the Stanley Cup. Denial is a strange thing.
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
7:47 am
Leafs fans now have had 44 straight years of denial, and that streak is likely to continue at least for another three seasons.
World Be Free
May 10th, 2011
8:12 am
R/L – poor Loafs-breaks my heart
Melissa
May 10th, 2011
8:37 am
B’s will not win this cup…they will fall apart just like they always do year after year! And I will enjoy torturing all my friends the way they tortured me when the Habs went down! Might I add that Bruins fans…most of them around me…are not only jumping on the bandwagon for the playoffs, are not true hockey fans and never give any credit to the players of other teams with great players when they make great plays. The B’s have not won a cup while I have been breathing and god willing they wont win one til Im dead…but still a lot of GREAT hockey to watch…
World Be Free
May 10th, 2011
9:34 am
melissa-tonight’s game will be great!
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
9:59 am
I’d be very surprised if Detroit didn’t force Game 7. Sharks had their chance and you never give a good veteran team a second opportunity to get back into a series.
Fan from Carolina
May 10th, 2011
10:51 am
RL, I believe you are right. For Sharks fans, this is really nail-biting time. Maybe I was premature in thinking there wouldn’t be a Stevie Y – Red Wings finale. No way the Canucks advance. Kesler is a one man wrecking crew and he alone just won’t be enough against either the Sharks or Red Wings. I really think he was born in Canada. Not sure I have seen an American work so hard to get the Cup.
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
11:07 am
Fan from Carolina
Interesting point. Chris Drury in 2001 leaps to my mind, Kane last year, Orpik in 2009 and Rafalski in 2008, but did you know that only one American-born player has won the Conn Smythe Trophy since it was first awarded in 1965?
1994: The Rangers Brian Leetch, who was born in Dallas and reared in Connecticut.
ZAvalanche
May 10th, 2011
11:22 am
Like have always said that Detroit, no matter how far down, can not be discounted. They may not have the best players (but some damn good ones) but their system is top notch. lets see, I picked Tampa and Boston, and SJ and Van. I hope SJ gets their crap in order.
And Rawhide, you need some soap in your mouth (or on your keyboard or something) for rooting for the Big Red Borg. Though, understand I don’t blame you as it is a reasonable pick.
Tonight’s game. Datsyuk may not play and that could be the deciding factor. SJ has a history of choking and Detroit has, well, a history of winning. Are the tides turning? I can see a game 7 coming with a Det win but I am hoping against it.
Also, what are your peoples thoughts on JR’s lambasting of former teammate Patrick Marleau?
ZAvalanche
May 10th, 2011
11:25 am
FFC – The way Vancouver is playing right now I think they could take SJ or Det, but it will go 7 if they advance to face the Bolts.
ZAvalanche
May 10th, 2011
11:38 am
SJ is 2-7 in the Conference Semi’s. Detroit is 8-5 in the Semi’s for the same number of years going back to ‘92. Uhoh SJ.
World Be Free
May 10th, 2011
12:20 pm
ZAvs-totally agree with JR lambasting Marleau, his unfavorable review is long overdue. The Sedins get dumped on by the Candian media (and fans) when they don’t produce while Marleau gets a free pass by Don Cherry and rest of the CBC clowns.
Odd that the heart, sole and core of the Red Wings is largely European. Their character is based on Kronwal, Lidstrom, Zetterberg, The Mule and Pavel The Man. Toss in guys like Filpilla and Hudler too. Pavel Datsuyk is the best player in the world right now in every facet of the game. His absense tonight would be a shame. Kesler is a close 2nd to The Man.
Pittsburgh Pirate Fan
May 10th, 2011
12:33 pm
AJC hockey blogs-the tale of 2 philosophies-
Rawhide talking hockey and playoffs and Chick Little Viv feeding the trolls.
Keep up the good work Rawhide
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
12:45 pm
To continue the Datsyuk Man-Crush, I would simply say this:
When I watch this guy play, I think of Jean Ratelle, a Hockey Hall of Famer and one of my favorite players of all-time. That is the highest compliment I can give.
HockeyNorth
May 10th, 2011
1:28 pm
Bruins all the way. Not willing to put up money to back it though. Lost too much last year going with my heart vs Flyers. And about JR spouting off and suggesting Marleau doesn’t earn his paycheck and those other nasty names he shot out there. Very ironic as I recall his last few years coasting around on his “retirement” contract in Phoenix. He checked out about two years before he actually sent in his retirement papers. I guess the mouth never slowed down though. NHL should send a bill to Versus for allowing him to audition for 2 years at the ‘Yotes expense
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
1:48 pm
In fairness, Roenick was injured and never played a complete season after 2002-03, but I was never a fan of his on- or off-the-ice. Once a Flyer, always a pr–k.
Brendan
May 10th, 2011
1:55 pm
Red Light, if the Predators don’t realize that they stand at the precipice of playoff dominance, then they don’t deserve to win. Failure to make that recognition, on the part of GM Poile and the Predators ownership group, means that the team will step backwards, at $47 million. While there are no guarantees of anything by spending, it sure does help to buy the thoroughbreds that will carry the dogsled across the frozen tundra, in lieu of rounding up strays for the same voyage. If the Predators don’t have a $51 million “Opening Night” budget, they need to issue their fans an apology and a refund. To not spend at least this much, really does speak to intent. Do the Nashville Predators want to win the Stanley Cup, or not? If it’s an affirmative answer, they should increase their coffers and sacrifice some picks to go get whatever they’ve identified as their weakness, from these playoffs. That’s what an organization committed to winning would do. Poile knows what to do. Unshackle the man, and let him do his thing. It should begin at the Draft. Then continue during the Frenzy. I’m not suggesting the Preds be flush against the Cap. But I am saying that they need to at least reach something resembling the mid-point of the cap, if they’re going to make it to the CF next season.
Brendan
May 10th, 2011
1:56 pm
Jean Ratelle was a fantastic hockey player.
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
2:13 pm
Brendan:
I don’t disagree, but if you have just won six playoff games and you need to win another 10 to win a Cup (remember Lombardi didn’t play for 80 games plus the playoffs), the financial realities of a small arena and a small TV market doesn’t allow them to start spending willy-nilly when they clearly have one of the best recipes for limited success in the entire league. You can’t chase a Cup with money (as Glen Sather is keenly aware) but you can bolster what you have done with key acquisitions (Kostitsyn for example) that will reap dividends. With Fisher in the fold, having to re-sign Weber, not sure Poile will make too big a splash in free agency because his young farmhands continue to pay off. But you’re right, $50-$51 million is more logical than what I posted earlier this week.
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
2:14 pm
Reply to Brendan is a floater!
Pittsburgh Pirate Fan
May 10th, 2011
2:30 pm
Red LIght-nice Jean Ratelle reference, still have no idea why the Rangers EVER traded him especially to Boston! Ratelle was not as physical as Datsyuk; I still think Pavel is more like Bryan Trottier. I know he’s a former Islander but you have to give Trotts his due.
Preds are a real good team, one issue I have with them is the lack of speed with their forwards. They have good size, but lack the breakout speed through there forwards needed to keep teams honest in the neutral zone. Just a thought.
Roenick took too many shots to the head-it shows in most (not all) the things he says today. He’s a future Cherry clone without the silly suits.
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
2:48 pm
Cherry has a huge heart, Roenick is still looking for his transplant!
World Be Free
May 10th, 2011
2:57 pm
I turn off the VS intermission reports.
Hoof Arted
May 10th, 2011
3:16 pm
I bet the Wings at least force a game seven. The Sharks very well may have blown their chance the other night.
moriler
May 10th, 2011
4:55 pm
The time to win for San Jose was when they had a chance at a sweep. Missing the first chance put a little life back in the Wings’ legs, but it wasn’t so bad since the series was headed back to SJ. Missing the chance to put it away at home… well… the Wings might be old, but that just means they don’t have to imagine what it’ll be like to win — they can just _remember_. And they can remember what it takes to win, too.
Now SJ has to try to win it on the road, or face a Game 7 against a team with roughly twice as much experience _winning_ out of that particular situation. If I was SJ, I’d leave everything on the ice for Game 6 — Game 7 may be in front of their home crowd but that’s no gimme by a long shot.
Fan from Carolina
May 10th, 2011
5:10 pm
Red Light, I can’t believe I forgot Drury. Shame on me. Kane had a fine supporting cast, including big Buff, so I feel Kesler is doing more. Too many Canucks are invisible. The others you mention are defensemen and as great as they were in their respective years, not quite the ‘animal’ that Kesler is displaying right now. the position has alot to do with it. I also liked Ratelle back in the day but he wasn’t a beast as I remember, more of an Adam Oates type. Kesler, although not as big, is reminding me of Keith Primeau back in the ‘03 -’04 playoffs, just an unstoppable, determined beast, but even then he couldn’t carry the club all by himself, falling just short of the Cup finals.
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
6:12 pm
At long last, they have released the Conference Finals schedule, and lo and behold, the Lightning finally get a weekend home game for the first time, but it is at 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 14 at Boston, 8:00 p.m. VERSUS
Tuesday, May 17 at Boston, 8:00 p.m. VERSUS
Thursday, May 19 at Tampa Bay, 8:00 p.m. VERSUS
Saturday, May 21 at Tampa Bay, 1:30 p.m. NBC
Monday, May 23 at Boston, 8:00 p.m. VERSUS
Wed., May 25 at Tampa Bay, 8:00 p.m. VERSUS
Friday, May 27 at Boston, 8:00 p.m. VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Brendan
May 10th, 2011
6:13 pm
Red Light, a well reasoned reply. I do wonder, however, at what point will Nashville stop trying to be “slightly above average” with “limited resources” to one that makes a commitment, with a nice 2-4 year window, to make a run at a Cup. I, personally, believe that teams ebb and flow. Keep payroll low during rebuilding. Keep it high, as you challenge for the Cup. I would categorically reject any notion of trying to be the 15th-best team in the NHL, on an annual basis, and just hope one of those years produces a “miracle” run to the Finals.
If you’re saying that Nashville can’t afford to be within $5 million of the cap, then doesn’t that speak to how over-inflated the cap is? I mean, the global concept here, of the cap, is to “level the ice surfaces” between the haves and the have nots. When we have teams that cannot afford the FLOOR of the cap, without being arficially propped up by revenue-sharing dollars, then the cap is broken and needs to be fixed. And what does this cap really achieve, in terms of reigning in the big spenders, when they can just “stash” players in the minors, or “loan them” overseas? This system, as a financial institution, is broken. It needs to be fixed. Again. I still say, back in 2006, if the league just mandated that, “every year, for the next six years, the Cap will be $50 million,” that everything would have just fine. Instead, it went from $39, to $44. Then to $47. Then to $53. Then $56. And then $59. It grew $20 million. In the next Lockout, the issues of “stashing” and “cap circumvention schemes,” like Kovalchuk’s contract and Hossa’s contract, need to be better refined. In fact, they just need to be eliminated, period. Whatever you pay the player is the cap hit. No more dollar cost averaging. That fixes everything. And this way, the Nashvilles of the league wouldn’t have to scheme how close to the floor they can be, yet still make the playoffs.
Fan from Carolina
May 10th, 2011
6:57 pm
Wow, that’s another quick turnaround in Tampa again, almost like the Caps series on back to back nights. I understand the NHL wants the Canucks on HNIC on Saturday night but the Lightining and Roloson sure get the short end of the stick again.
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
9:08 pm
Tampa had an arena conflict with Disney on Ice from the 19th to the 22nd so I guess the kiddies will be a little disappointed with the schedule as is.
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
9:19 pm
Brendan: The cap is a sham. Still favors big market clubs and no way should it have escalated as much and as quickly as it has. Player revenue sharing has dictated the rise and the floor and cap should be narrowed next time around.
It will be re-written next time and will address a bunch of the crap that has come up as you mentioned. Something has to give!
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
9:21 pm
Shots on Goal: Detroit 24, San Jose 11 through 9 minutes of the 2nd and it’s still 0-0.
Advantage San Jose?
Rawhide
May 10th, 2011
10:40 pm
Advantage San Jose?
Red Light – Looks like the answer to your question is….no.
So, there will be a game seven Thursday night to decide the Sharks/Red Wings series. It’ll also decide which one of us goes 11-1 overall in our postseason picks.
Care to put something on it to make it intersting…say an adult beverage or two at Timothy Johns?
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
10:40 pm
How about a Game 7 Bill?
Shootout at the Shark Tank, with the emphasis on “tank.”
Red Light
May 10th, 2011
10:41 pm
Cold pint at TJ’s? Sure, anytime.