That whooshing noise you just heard all the way from Florida was Claude Julien exhaling for the first time in minutes.
The B's survive, scoring the first five goals before allowing four straight. While the near-collapse may leave a bitter taste in the mouths of some, remember that this is three straight wins and it comes against one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference.
Boston has moved back into the top eight of the East and carries plenty of momentum cross-state for Saturday's meeting with Florida. The puck drops just after 7 p.m. in that one, and we will be following all the action right here.
Third period, 13.3 seconds, Bruins 5-4: A faceoff to Tuukka Rask's left will go a long way toward deciding this one. The B's will have Patrice Bergeron on the faceoff, in all likelihood. He has won 17 of 25 faceoffs tonight.
Third period, 2:01, Bruins 5-4: For those of you with superstitions, I take blame for this. It was back in the second period when I said the Bruins should try to save some scores for Saturday night. You can never have enough, as evidenced by this debacle.
Third period, 3:12, Bruins 5-4: As I said, it looked as if the Lightning had a little more scoring in them, and you can give Martin St. Louis credit again.
St. Louis strips Derek Morris, and after a pass and a shot from the point Steve Downie gets not one but two chances to beat Tuukka Rask, who has been a bit more pedestrian of late.
Third period, 3:54, Bruins 5-3: Marc Savard had Milan Lucic with him on a breakaway and chose to take the shot himself, but may have been wise to hit Lucic right there.
Third period, 5:36, Bruins 5-3: We are back to even strength but the Bruins failed to convert a 2-on-0 just as the penalty ended.
You get the feeling that the Lightning are not done scoring. It would've been nice for that golden opportunity to turn into something.
Third period, 8:09, Bruins 5-3: I take it all back. I, too, thought St. Louis had taken the shot but we will give the goal to Downie. Regardless, it's all Lightning of late and they will have a power play after Dennis Wideman picks up a hooking penalty.
Third period, 8:51, Bruins 5-3: Martin St. Louis, again, brings the Lightning closer. The superstar notches a hat trick with a floater that the shielded Tuukka Rask lets by.
Hard to imagine that this is a game again but the B's have made late-game struggles a habit at times this season.
The goal is given to Downie for the time being, but we expect St. Louis to get credit.
Third period, 11:15, Bruins 5-2: The Ryder-Krejci-Wheeler line puts forth a great shift. They've been solid all night, conjuring up memories of last season when the trio absolutely dominated for a long stretch.
Such dominance has been absent much of 2009-10 but perhaps things are coming together.
Third period, 13:37, Bruins 5-2: Hard to say if that blast would've been on net or wide but give Tuukka Rask credit for a fine-looking glove save.
Third period, 15:04, Bruins 5-2: A big kill for Boston and Big Z is back on the ice.
Third period, 16:30, Bruins 5-2: Zdeno Chara is sent to the sin bin for the second time tonight after a delay of game call. Martin St. Louis had a power play goal late in the second, so this is a tricky two minutes for the B's.
Third period, 17:26, Bruins 5-2: In case anyone is wondering, the Bruins have reached the six-goal mark three times this season, getting to seven two of those times.
The last time they had more than five goals was in a 6-4 win over Atlanta on Dec. 23.
Third period, 19:08, Bruins 5-2: Underway here in the third period and a few strong saves by Tuukka Rask away from a three-game winning streak.
The B's begin the third by killing off the rest of David Krejci's penalty. One bullet dodged.
End of second period, Bruins 5-2: A pair of cheap penalties opens the door for Tampa Bay to chip away at the lead, but Boston still is in control after 40 minutes.
The Lightning will have 20 seconds of a power play remaining when the third period begins, and can someone please mark up Martin St. Louis on that far post. Twice, the University of Vermont product was able to slide into position without a problem and score from the doorstep.
Second period, 59.4 seconds, Bruins 5-2: Martin St. Louis strikes again, nabbing his second goal in a span of minutes. Dangerous time for the B's, who just want to get to the locker room at this point.
Second period, 1:20, Bruins 5-1: Tampa Bay has a wonderful opportunity here with a 4-on-3 for a few seconds and then a 5-on-3 for a few more.
Second period, 2:35, Bruins 5-1: The B's get a chance to get that goal back after Todd Fedoruk is sent off, setting up a power play. But that chance is quickly gone when Michael Ryder picks up a holding call seconds into the man-advantage.
Second period, 3:14, Bruins 5-1: Martin St. Louis gives the Lightning a pulse just seconds after we return from a timeout, and it was probably the easiest of his 21 goals this season.
St. Louis drifted to the far post and was left completely alone. When a shot bounded his way he easily backhanded it in before Tuukka Rask could recover.
Second period, 3:54, Bruins 5-0: Tampa Bay's first power play goes for naught and in fact most of the play took place in the neutral zone or in the Lightning zone. Tampa failed to get a shot off in the two minutes.
Second period, 5:00, Bruins 5-0: A shorthanded tally would be just what the B's need to rub a little salt in the 'Ning's wounds here, and they nearly get it not once but twice on a pair of 2-on-1's.
David Krejci probably should've had the second of the two opportunities.
Second period, 6:23, Bruins 5-0: Zdeno Chara pounds away on Steve Downie, who sent Miroslav Satan off the ice earlier. Boy, did Chara make him pay, throwing hammers on Downie until the Lightning winger broke free and held his hands up as if to say, "Why didn't you stop that?"
Second period, 7:19, Bruins 5-0: Patrice Bergeron has won 10-of-14 faceoffs in this one, just one of the man categories the B's are dominating.
Second period, 9:20, Bruins 5-0: Some exceptionally crisp work keeps the pressure on Mike Smith. It was almost hard to distinguish between Boston's power play and an even-strength sequence.
Second period, 10:05, Bruins 5-0: Tampa Bay is able to kill the penalty, but early on Michael Ryder fanned on a chance to pick up a hat trick.
With both he and Milan Lucic at two goals, we have a hat trick watch on for a full 30 minutes of action.
Second period, 12:11, Bruins 5-0: This could get worse for the Lightning as a holding penalty gives the B's their second power play of the night.
Michael Ryder's second goal came 38 seconds into Boston's first man-advantage.
By the way, that Chara goal is given to Milan Lucic, who, for the second time this game, has deflected in a teammate's shot for a goal.
Second period, 15:07, Bruins 5-0: Mike Smith, meet Zdeno Chara. Or his slapshot, to be more precise.
Chara unloads on Smith to give the Bruins a commanding advantage and now you just hope that Boston saves some for Saturday when it meets Florida.
It's Chara's sixth of the season and gives him two goals and two assists in his last four games.
Second period, 17:42, Bruins 4-0: A rare rise from the crowd at the St. Pete Times Forum as Steven Stamkos skates in for a drive on Tuukka Rask, but it's deflected before it can get to net.
Second period, 19:30, Bruins 4-0: As you may have seen already, Mike Smith has replaced Antero Niittymaki in net for the Lightning. Niittymaki stopped 17 of 21 shots.
Smith has not played since Jan. 31, when he gave up three goals in a loss to Washington. He did, however, stop 31 shots in a 2-1 in over Boston on this very same ice back on Dec. 28.
End of first period, Bruins 4-0: In what has to be their best period of play since they scored four in the opening 20 minutes against Ottawa on Jan. 5, the Bruins dominate the Lightning.
After Tampa Bay takes the first five shots of the game, Boston takes 21 of the next 29 and has the red-hot Antero Niittymaki searching for answers.
Michael Ryder has two goals and Marc Savard two assists, giving him nine in eight-plus games since coming back from injury.
The B's are 11-0-0 when leading by three or more goals this season and with the way Tuukka Rask is playing it would be stunning if they failed to make this one hold up.
First period, 1:09, Bruins 4-0: Another Bruins rush gives Derek Morris a chance. His slapshot is brought in by Niittymaki.
First period, 2:41, Bruins 4-0: Michael Ryder is a Milan Lucic deflection away from a first-period hat trick, and the B's are threatening to chase Antero Niittymaki in a shocking first period here.
This time, Ryder takes a rebound off a Savard miss and lifts the puck past the Lightning netminder for his 15th. That's two goals in 1:35 for Ryder.
First period, 3:19, Bruins 3-0: Just as we get used to the thought of the Bruins having a three-goal lead (yes, you read that right) they get a power-play chance to try to make it 4-0.
First period, 3:19, Bruins 3-0: Wow, what a goal by the suddenly potent Bruins!!! If you missed it make sure to catch it later on.
Michael Ryder gets the goal after he and Blake Wheeler play a give-and-go that spreads the Tampa Bay defenders. By the time the puck is returned to Ryder in the slot on a beautiful feed by Wheeler, he has a virtually open net for his 14th of the season.
First period, 5:19, Bruins 2-0: The B's just had a sequence in which three straight players delivered quality checks, the last of which sent Milan Lucic barrelling into defenseman Kurtis Foster.
Steve Begin and Andrew Ference got into the act moments earlier.
First period, 6:30, Bruins 2-0: It looks like the goal will go to Milan Lucic after all, as replays suggest that it may have glanced off of Looch's stick.
Ryder does get his 10th assist and Lucic just his second goal since Thanksgiving.
First period, 8:18, Bruins 2-0: A Michael Ryder shot from the slot deflects into the net and the B's have grabbed a two-goal advantage. For now, they have the goal credited to Milan Lucici but that should be changed.
Regardless, the B's are putting a ton of pressure on Antero Niittymaki after a slow first couple of minutes, looking nothing like the club that has searched far and wide for an attack much of the season.
If it stands as his, it is Ryder's 14th goal of the season and second in four games.
First period, 10:06, Bruins 1-0: Some more quality puck movement gives Dennis Wideman a chance. His drive catches some metal.
First period, 12:05, Bruins 1-0: Miroslav Satan picks up a tripping penalty as Mattias Ohlund gets caught for a cross-check. The two were tangled in the corner and go off together, giving us two minutes of 4-on-4 hockey.
David Krejci nearly scores seconds into the penalties but Antero Niittymaki makes a fine save.
First period, 12:22, Bruins 1-0: A few quality shifts early for Blake Wheeler, who has one shot on net and two other attempts which have been blocked. Wheeler has just one goal and one assist over his last 11 games.
First period, 13:15, Bruins 1-0: Bruins fans have to like the way this one has begun, with a strong showing in a fight by Shawn Thornton and a quick strike by Miroslav Satan.
And Blake Wheeler nearly had another score after taking a feed from David Krejci on a 2-on-1.
First period, 15:37, Bruins 1-0: Miroslav Satan scores for the first time in almost a month after sneaking in behind Antero Niittymaki and the B's are on top.
Boston took advantage of a defenseman who had lost a stick and could not stop the pass through to Satan.
First period, 16:44, 0-0: Shawn Thornton a decided win in an early brawl with defenseman Matt Walker. Two of Thornton's last three fights have come just minutes after the game has begun.
First period, 16:44, 0-0: Some of you may have noticed the man in a red body suit sitting in the front row to the left of Tuukka Rask. Anytime you dress like that you will get attention, but it's even easier in the St. Pete Forum, which sees the Lightning draw among the smallest crowds in the league.
First period, 17:37, 0-0: The Lightning get the first four shots on net here, but also see rising star Steven Stamkos leave the ice gingerly after colliding with a teammate.
First period, 19:50, 0-0: We are underway at St. Pete Times Forum on the water in Tampa Bay and a pair of big points are up for grab here.
You can almost always expect a low-scoring affair with the B's, but against the Lightning those odds only increase. Tampa Bay brings the same solid defense and occasionally weak offense to the table.
And Antero Niittymaki has simply been a force at home this season. He is 10-3-3 with a goals-against average of 1.75 at the Forum.
For his part, Tuukka Rask has been a bit better on the road, posting a 1.99 GAA.
7:30 p.m.: No major surprises among the scratches for this one. Johnny Boychuk, Vladimir Sobotka and Byron Bitz are shelved.
Shawn Thornton is in the lineup for the fourth straight game after being a healthy scratch twice. He has fought in two of his last three games and will be a good candidate to throw down with Tampa Bay bruiser Zenon Konopka, who leads the NHL in penalty minutes by a wide margin.
7:10 p.m.: It is confirmed that Tuukka Rask will be in net for the fifth straight game, opposite Antero Niittymaki.
Expect Niittymaki to be facing a few power-play situations on the part of the Bruins; the Lightning lead the league in penalty minutes. And Boston's power play has been a bit better of late, due in large part to Marc Savard's return.
Puck to drop in a bit. We'll flash over any updates during pregame.
4:30 p.m.: The Bruins will try to continue climbing the conference ladder and make it three straight wins after a 10-game losing streak when they visit Tampa Bay.
It's hard to imagine the B's in this position after they piled up loss upon loss at the end of January and earlier this month, but after Tuesday's 3-2 shootout win in Buffalo things, may be pointing in a better direction.
Much of the credit can go to Tuukka Rask, who has allowed just six goals in four straight starts in net. His 43-save shootout win Tuesday may have further cemented Rask's place in the No. 1 spot between the pipes, ahead of Tim Thomas.
It was Thomas in net when the Bruins defeated the Lightning 4-1 back on Dec. 2 and again in a 2-1 loss at St. Pete Times Forum on Dec. 28. Rask, however, is expected to start again in this one.
Solid goaltending has also been behind Tampa Bay's recent surge. Antero Niittymaki is 7-0-1 with a 1.09 GAA in his last eight starts, a surge that has helped the Lightning climb into the playoff picture.
Entering the action, Tampa Bay sits tied for seventh place in the East, two points ahead of Boston.
The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. so be sure to follow along as the B's try to maintain some momentum.
