BOSTON, Mass – Led by a pair of goals from Michael Ryder and Tyler Seguin and some at-times spectacular goaltending from Tim Thomas, the Boston Bruins outlasted the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-5 to even the best of seven series at a game apiece.
Seguin contributed four points as he kept his torrid scoring pace through the first two games of the series. Combined with his two points in game one Seguin has registered six points. Ryder was integral to the Bruins success as he contributed in other ways. Ryder’s break-out pass sprung Seguin for the rookie’s first goal of the evening. The Bruins veteran winger also made several key plays in his own zone to help stave off a late Lightning rally.
Down a game already in the series, game two started ominously for the Bruins when Adam Hall poked in a puck that had caromed off the end boards just 13 seconds into the contest. Boston evened the scoring with a Nathan Horton goal and it appeared they were destined to head into the locker room with a tie after the first twenty minutes of play. But with just seconds remaining in the first frame Tampa’s Martin St. Louis banked a shot off of Boston defender Johnny Boychuk past Thomas. Somehow the Bruins best period of the series to date had ended in a deficit.
A breakaway by St. Louis early in the second period gave Tampa Bay a chance to break the game open, but St. Louis fired the puck over the net. Soon after St. Louis’ misfire Ryder sent Seguin in alone on Tampa Bay netminder Dwayne Roloson. After collecting the pass Seguin shifted into another gear, split the Lightning defense and deked Roloson out of position. After the game Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said Seguin’s goal was probably the turning point of the contest.
It was also the start of the Bruins best period of the series as Seguin’s goal opened a floodgate that allowed four more goals to flow. By the end of the middle period it was 6-3 in favor of the Bruins. David Krejci followed Seguin’s tally with a tip-in then Seguin notched his second to put the Bruins up 4-2. For the rookie the tallies were special after having been a healthy scratch for the first two rounds of the playoffs.
It’s definitely tough watching from above,” said Seguin. I tried to take everything in and learned as much as I can. But it’s hard sitting there and not being able to help with the boys, but I wanted to take advantage of any opportunity I got.”
“It was nice to see him (Seguin) respond that way. He competed extremely well,” said Boston coach Claude Julien. “He’s been an excited individual waiting for his opportunity and he’s made the best of it.”
Tampa rallied to narrow the deficit when Vincent Lecavalier’s slap shot went through Thomas, but the Bruins would answer back with Ryder’s pair. Little did anyone know at the time, but Ryder’s second score, seemingly little more than a piling on goal at the time would be the game-winner The breathtaking scoring pace had some likening the game to a “pond hockey” affair.
“It’s 2-1 for us, we get a breakaway and Marty St. Louis puts it over the net. You turn around, they get their breakaway and score, so instead of 3-1 its 2-2” said Boucher. “Then a two-on-one, we miss, they don’t, then we miss a breakaway and they don’t. Either way it seems like it was going to be a weird game. We have to make sure we’re not that weird for the next one.”
Boucher changed goaltenders to start the third period as he sent in Mike Smith, but it was basically a moot point. Tampa Bay out-shot Boston 15-8 in the final period and scored twice to pull within a goal before Thomas froze them out. The late rally allowed Tampa Bay to walk away thinking they could have won the game, rather than trying to shake off the effects of a blowout loss. Boston’s shaky play down the stretch may cost them as the series goes on.
“We didn’t do a good job in the third period. The first win of a series is always the toughest and we’ve got that under our belt.” said Julien.
Steven Stamkos began the rally with a pin-point wrist shot less than four minutes in. Dominic Moore brought the Lightning close when he banked one off Thomas’s head to punctuate a wild scramble. Arguably the whistle should have been blown as Thomas’s mask was definitely off before Moore fired the puck. After the game Julien reported the referees thought Tampa had an opportunity to score after Thomas’ mask came off. In that case the officials are not required to blow the whistle if they feel they are taking away a scoring opportunity.
Late in the period Boston had one more chance to give themselves some breathing room, but Milan Lucic fired the puck over the Lightning’s vacated goal. That miscue allowed Tampa Bay to take some more point-blank shots on Thomas before the night was over. Fortunately for Boston their goaltender was equal to the task.
“Just because we won the game doesn’t mean we’re happy with it.” said Julien. There’s no doubt we were hanging on. Thank god time was on our side and we came up with the win.”
Notes
The loss stopped an eight game winning streak for the Lightning….Roloson was attempting to win his ninth consecutive game. Had he posted the win he would have set an NHL record for consecutive wins in the playoffs for a player over 40 years of age….Boston centers Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron sat next to each other during the game. It was a poignant reminder of how far the Bruins have come with their top center out for most of the season and their top playoff performer out for the first two games of this series…Julien will have a roster decision to make if Bergeron can play in game three. It is inconceivable to think Seguin will return to the press box. Yet it will also be a waste if Seguin is demoted to the fourth line. Fourth liners Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille perform penalty-killing duties and no player on the roster can do what Shawn Thornton does. That being said, the only other choice to sit would seem to be Mark Recchi. It says here Thornton sits before Paille, Campbell or Recchi does.
Contact Tom.Schettino@prohockeynews.com
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