Here’s the good news: In the second and third periods of Game 6, the B’s looked like they started to key in on that urgency. Philly's Danny Briere, who scored what turned out to be the game-winner, said after the game, "We gave them a chance to build some momentum."
Want some more good news? Goaltender Tuukka Rask kept the Bruins in that game. He’ll have to do it again on Friday night at the TD Garden.
Because here’s the bad news: The Bruins staked a 3-0 series lead. Yes, this Bruins team has gone further this postseason than most imagined it would. Remember that 10-game stretch of losses earlier this year? Yes, that was this season. But successful playoff push or not, what started as a 3-0 series lead has this team staring at history – and not the good side.
Sure, Games 1 and 2 were not blowouts. Repeatedly, after each loss, the Flyers would say something along the lines of, "We’re a couple of bad bounces away." Even after the 4-1 Bruins win in Game 3, Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette said, "I like our game. … I don’t like the scoreboard."
Well, the Orange and Black like the scoreboard now. Philadelphia Daily News columnist Rich Hoffman is already calling the Flyers' fight during the series the greatest comeback in Philly playoff history. The real question is, will it be one of the greatest comebacks in NHL history? Fair to say we’ve all memorized the dates and teams: The 1942 Maple Leafs and the 1975 Islanders are the only two NHL teams ever to win a seven-game playoff series after going down 3-0.
Look, most pitted this series to be a battle. Hall of Famer Brian Leetch reminded us on Tuesday's SportsDesk that only three points separated these two teams by the end of the regular season.
A Bruins win in Game 7, and this series will still be the evenly matched war that was expected. The battle-tested and still-standing Bruins will host the surging eighth-seeded Canadiens for the Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
A Flyers win on Friday — well, that history won’t be forgotten.
