The Eastern Semis Against Philadelphia:

The Bruins were fortunate to advance to the ECSF against the Flyers. This is the third year in a row the B’s have made it this far. In the previous two tries, the B’s went down hard in Game 7. Maybe this year, it’s their turn to advance; for the coach’s sake, let’s hope so. After last year’s epic collapse, there’s no doubt that the B’s feel that payback is in order. They played all season with a bitter taste in their mouths from last year and NOW is the time to atone.

Game 1 ECSF at Philadelphia (4/30/11):

As expected, the hits arrived right after the opening faceoff. Thomas was called upon to make a stop early on, but it was the B’s who drew first blood as Krejci scored at 1:52 when he backhanded in a pass from Horton from the right point. Giroux came back to fire a shot that Thomas smothered. Versteeg then fired a shot into a crowd that Thomas was somehow able to cover. Briere tied the score at 11:02 when he picked a rebound in front of the net and fired it home. Briere was positioned perfectly out in front to play the rebound. At 14:06, the B’s went on the power play after the Flyers crashed the net and were caught for goalie interference. The B’s went ahead at 19:24 as Horton tipped in a pass from Seidenberg from behind the net. Horton missed his first chance before chipping in the rebound.

Pronger and Marchand (brave soul) exchanged shoves and greetings early in the second period. Versteeg put a hard shot on Thomas and Carcillo (goon) followed by crashing into Thomas. Van Riemsdyk came back to put a nasty shot on Thomas that was swept away as the Flyers continued to crash the net. B’s then went up 3-1 at 2:24 when Recchi took a pass from Bergeron, the initial stop was kicked out by Boucher but Recchi knocked in the rebound that trickled through Boucher’s pads. After the goal, The B’s poured on the pressure in the Flyers’ end. Versteeg popped Ryder hard and was sent off for slashing at 5:11, giving the B’s woeful power play another crack. Again, the power play was powerless. Briere was then sent off at 7:46 but the power play fizzled before Marchand was sent off for slashing. The Flyers came back and three of them slashed at the puck in front of the net but Thomas held tight. Van Riemsdyk broke in alone with the puck but Thomas came out of his crease to deflect the puck away. Boychuk then went off for a high stick at 12:37 but the PK unit did a good job of pinning the Flyers in their end for most of the power play. The B’s went up 4-1 at 15:26 as Krejci tipped in McQuaid’s blast from the point. Why did the Flyers’ coach have his fourth line out there against the B’s top line? The B’s made it 5-1 at 17:14 as Marchand banged in a rebound of Ference’s shot from the left point. Just as Briere did earlier in the period, Marchand was sitting in the cat-bird’s seat waiting for a fat rebound. Sergei Bobrovsky then replaced Boucher in goal for Philly. Van Riemsdyk then made it 5-2 as he fired a wrist shot past Thomas at 17:30 on a pass back from the faceoff in the B’s end. Van Riemsdyk then fired a shot from in close that Thomas knocked away. Giroux went off for slashing Krejci at 18:12 as Krejci has been a target all night (as was the case last year when Richards broke his wrist). Versteeg then broke in on a shorthanded attempt and Krejci knocked him flying.

After the power play expired, the Flyers crashed the net to open the third. Five minutes again, they did it again against the B’s fourth line. Thornton took a little exception and there was some of the usual pushing and shoving. Ference went off for hooking at 8:30 but the Flyers were unable to capitalize with the man advantage. Midway through the period, Flyers scored on a 5-on-3 power play as Richards fired a loose puck over Thomas’ shoulder. Marchand scored at 14:59 as the B’s aggressively forechecked, Bergeron forced a turnover and fed Marchand directly out in front. Rinaldo went off for trying to mix it up with Lucic and got bopped in the snout for his trouble. At 17:39, Gregory Campbell made it 7-3 as he broke across the net with the puck and slid it past Boborovsky. That goal took the wind out of the Flyers’ sails and the Philly faithful made a hasty exit. It was a nice start for the B’s, but just that – only a start.

Game 2 ECSF at Philadelphia (5/2/11):

Anyone who thought that the Flyers would take the loss in Game 1 has rocks in their heads. The Flyers would be without Pronger and Carter for this one. James van Riemsdyk scored at 29 seconds on a tip-in from a shot by Giroux. Thomas was called for delay of game and the B’s withstood the onslaught. The Flyers carried the play in the ensuing minutes, out hitting and out hustling the B’s at every turn.

The B’s had an early power play as well as Shelley went off for boarding at 3:37. Campbell then went off for holding and van Riemsdyk scored again on the power play at 9:31 when he chipped in a loose puck directly out in front of the net. Chris Kelly made it 2-1 at 12:50 when he knocked in a rebound of Ryder’s shot directly out in front. Marchand then tied the score at 14:15 on a wrist shot from the high slot on a pass from Bergeron. Krejci and Versteeg were then sent off for matching roughing minors. Paille then had a breakaway but Boucher stoned him cold! McQuaid then went down hard after he went to check Richards but missed and landed awkwardly into the boards. McQuaid needed help getting back to the bench. In the closing minutes, Zherdev fired a hard shot on goal that Thomas covered. Versteeg then made a great stick block of a shot by Peverley breaking in alone.

The B’s came out fast in the opening minutes of the second, pressing hard in the Flyers’ zone. Five minutes in, the Flyers regained the momentum and van Riemsdyk had a quakity chance that Thomas turned aside. Boychuk then broke uo Richards; chance coming down right wing. Leino had a great chance but his shot went wide. van Riemsdyk followed up with another great chance as the Flyers crashed the net. Halfway through the period, defense was just a rumor as the teams rushed back and forth with the puck. Sergei Bobrovsky then replaced Boucher in goal after Boucher suffered a leg injury. van Riemsdyk came back with another shot and Thomas made an incredible sliding left-to-right save. Krejci then came back and hit the goal post on a break in alone. Horton fired a shot that Bobrovsky scrambled to save and Krejci came back with another quick shot. Hartnell went off for slashing putting the 0/27 power play back at work.

van Riemsdyk opened the third with a backhanded attempt that Thomas knocked away. Seidenberg stepped into the play and cleared the puck away. Machand was sent off for cross-checking at 3:31. Briere fired a wrist shot that Thomas snared. Briere then broke in alone with the puck and Thomas came up with another acrobatic save. After the power play expired, van Riemsdyk fed Richards but Richards just missed getting to the puck. Midway through the period, Briere put a testing shot on Thomas The B’s attack definitely slowed down as the Flyers had many more opportunities to score the go-ahead goal. With six minutes left, Lucic was stoned cold by Boucher on one of the B’s rare forays into the Flyers’ zone. Chara was then called for roughing at 17:21 and Thomas was called on to make four big stops. After three periods, the Flyers put 43 shots on Thomas.

Overtime: Both teams came out somewhat passively to open the extra session. Giroux had a backhanded attempt a few minutes in as the Flyers were slowly building momentum. Versteg followed up with another shot as the Flyers turned up the heat. Krejci fired a long-distance shot that Boucher snared. Chara left the B’s bench for reasons unknown and returned a couple of minutes later. Richards followed with a low drive that Thomas was able to handle. Peverley then rang a shot off the goal post. Hartnell then broke up Recchi’s attempt with great slide that sent Recchi ass-over-teakettle. GOAL!!! The B’s scored at 14:02 as Krejci fired a shot from the high slot that went into the back of the net and out. Play continued as the referee initially called it no goal, but a video replay conclusively indicated the puck went into the net. Thomas wound up making 52 saves tonight and was the key player in the B’s win. So now they’re up 2-0 in the series, but the B’s can’t let up for a moment.

Game 3 ECSF v. Philadelphia (5/4/11):

On Wednesday night, the B’s returned to the Garden for a pivotal Game 3 against the Flyers. The joint was banged out and loud. Jeff Carter returned to the lineup after missing Game 2 but Pronger remained out of the lineup. Bang! The B’s scored at 30 seconds as Chara fired a bomb from the left point after Boucher turned aside a shot by Marchand. The B’s scored again at 1:03 as Krejci backhanded in a shot after they crashed the net. Thomas made his first big stop of the night five minutes in off of a shot by Hartnell. Chara and Hartnell then exchanged shoves after Hartnell collided with Thomas. Lucic was sent off for goalie interference at 9:00 Timmonen fired a blast that hit the post. Other than that shot, the PK unit held the Flyers at bay. Marchand then leveled Leino with a heavy check. Krejci had a tip-in attempt that was knocked away by Leino. Thomas made a brilliant save on a shot by Betts. Late in the period, Paille bopped Versteeg but good, separating him from the puck. Bergeron was sent off for hooking at 19:44.

The B’s killed off the penalty to open the second period. Horton and O’Donnell had a go early on but both were gassed beforehand so it wasn’t much of a fight. Van Riemsdyk was sent off for high sticking at 7:05, giving the 0/28 power play a crack. Bergeron had a great chance from the high slot that went just wide, and Chara followed with a shot that was kicked out by Boucher. Make that power play 0 for 29. The B’s had a break in on Boucher but a couple of shots out front were turned aside. Dan Paille made it 3-0 at 13:39 as Campbell skated down right wing, drawing two Flyers’ defenders. Paille was wide open coming down the middle and Campbell made a perfect pass. Thomas then made a spectacular glove off of a blast by Meszaros. Nathan Horton made it 4-0 at 15:14 on a wrist shot coming from a feed from Chara. Boucher was replaced by Bobrovsky at that point. The Flyers came back to score at 16:26 as Meszaros scored on a wrist shot from the left circle. The B’s had a 3-on-1 break but Timonen hooked down Peverley and was sent off at 17:29. Peverley hit the post and Bergeron then rang the pipe seconds later, Make that power play 0 for 30.

The B’s were expecting the Flyers to come out at full blast, but in the early going of the third it was the B’s who pushed hard in the Flyers’ zone. Ryder hit the post with a shot from the right circle. Midway through the period, the B’s continued to play smart defensively and thwart every advance made by the Flyers. O’Donnell put a puck into ythe net but Hartnell knocked the net off its pegs before O’Donnell’s shot went through. The play was reviewed to make sure it wasn’t a goal. Seidenberg fired a shot from the high slot that was deflected away. Campbell followed up on a pass from Horton that Bobrovsky knocked away. Bobrovsky was pulled with 2:10 left and Bergeron was hooked down by Richards at 18:06. Finally, the power play scored as Chara fired a bomb from the left point to make it 5-1. So, the B’s went up 3-0 in the series, same as last year. They haven’t proven anything yet.

Game 4 ECSF v. Philadelphia (5/6/11):

One year ago, the B’s were precisely at this point against Philadelphia before everything imploded. On this night, they had an opportunity to step on the Flyers’ throats and erase a painful memory. To do this, the B’s had to come out and exceed the Flyers’ intensity and determination to keep the series alive. The Flyers’ coach vowed that they would not go down without a fight. Sergei Bobrovsky started in goal for Philly against Tim Thomas. Braydon Coburn had a quick break with the puck three minutes in that Thomas smothered. Shane Hnidy then went off for slashing at 3:10. The Flyers’ had limited chances on the power play but continued to collide into Thomas with every chance. At the conclusion of the power play, the Flyers crashed the net again but Richards’ try was foiled. Van Riemsdyk was sent off for hooking at 5:44 but the feeble power play just couldn’t get untracked. Marchand and Versteeg went off for matching roughing calls at 9:32. Carcillo then went off for cross-checking Campbell from behind at 11:31 and this time the power play worked as Lucic took a pass from Horton at the low post and banged it into a wide open right corner at 12:02. After the goal, the B’s had a 2-on-1 break with Ryder but his pass was broken up. The B’s went back on the power play at 15:03 as Giroux went off for tripping. That power play didn’t do much but the B’s maintained the pressure in Philly’s end. In the final seconds, fireworks erupted as Chara had enough of Hartnell’s stickwork in front of the net and pummeled him. Chara was sent off for a double-minor while Hartnell got only the two. The coach and Recchi were hot over the call.

The Flyers opened the second on the power play but the B’s did a good job limiting the Flyers’ chances. Dan Paille then had a clean break directly out front but Bobrovsky kicked away the loose puck. Richards came back to fire a wrist shot from the right circle that Thomas covered. Briere followed up with a tricky shot that Thomas knocked away. Peverley then nearly scored when he tried to backhand the puck at the near post but lost control of it. Tempers flared again midway through the period as Hartnell and Lucic had a pushing and shoving incident in front of the B’s bench. Both were sent off for matching roughing minors. Versteeg scored on a backhander coming off a clean 2-on-1 break at 13:22 to tie the score. Briere nearly put the Flyers ahead as he broke in with the puck before getting dumped by Horton, who was sent off at 13:54. On the power play, Richards fired a shot from the point through a crowd that Thomas was somehow able to pick up. But that was the only real chance the Flyers had. Carcillo was sent off for cross-checking at 16:55 but appeared to suffer a leg injury on the play and needed help to the dressing room. At 19:36, Briere was called for hauling down Kelly, setting up the B’s with a power play to open the third.

Boychuk fired a shot from the point that popped up in the air and went wide. Late in the power play, Bergeron had a chance from the side of the net as another opportunity with the man advantage came and went. Bergeron then took a very hard check and skated off toward the dressing room. The obvious concern was whether Bergeron suffered a recurrence of his concussion. At 2:42, Boychuk fired another shot from the point that changed direction and flew past Bobrovsky, putting the B’s up 2-1. van Riemsdyk followed up with a low drive that Thomas covered. Chara then laid out Leino with a hard check as the Flyers (finally) started to play with some desperation. Lucic scored at 15:03 as he broke in alone on a perfect feed from Horton and slid it five-hole. Campbell and Peverley then broke in on a 2-on-1 but Bobrovsky hugged the far post and held onto the puck. By this time, the Garden crowd was going wild, but what is it with the towel waving? That sort of thing is definitely not Boston, for cryin’ out loud. Bobrovsky was pulled with 2:30 left and Marchand scored at 18:04 and it was time to break out the brooms. Bobrovsky was pulled again with a little more than a minute to go. Paille scored an empty-netter with 24 seconds left to put the Flyers out of their misery and the B’s advanced to Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since…1992.

With the sweep, the B’s avenged last year’s disaster and should celebrate a well-played series. But the challenge now gets much tougher as the B’s face the tough and highly skilled Tampa Bay Lightning, who swept Washington in the other Eastern semi-final.