I was worried. Not only coming into the series after going down 2-0 in the series, I was even more worried. Then Horton was knocked out of the game (probably the series) and I was at DEFCON 1 panic. Here’s your sniper that’s had a bunch of game winners this postseason and now he’s gone.
The other lines and have been inconsistent and would have to step up their game. Thus far in the series they hadn’t. Worried and panicked I didn’t turn off the game.
But the stories of how Claude basically said that the NHL made a ruling and Vancouver made a mockery of it were talked about in the broadcast and the stories were over on ESPN.com. You could see it early on when Recchi was taunting and making up for the Canucks taunting of Patrice in game 2.
You have to imagine that Claude gave the speech I referenced yesterday at that first intermission about how Horton played like a tank for this team and the rest of the team needed to step it up.
Then in a play taken out of their opponents playbook, the Bruins scored just 11 seconds into the second. They weren’t done, in fact they were just getting started. Recchi scored on the power play, then Marchand played a puck off the boards to himself and made it 3-0.
My wife looked at me and said, “I’m still not comfortable.”
Krejci added another to end the period 4-0. I felt a little more comfortable.
Then the third period started and I got the sense that they were reverting back to the Claude, “put it in cruise control and dump and chase for the rest of the game.” We’ve seen it so many times and it’s that not stomping on your opponent’s throat that has hurt the Bruins.
About nine minutes in the Bruins got their second shorthanded goal of the game as Paille beat Luongo. Sure they gave up a goal after that but they weren’t done scoring. In the midst of what seemed like a hundred or so penalty minutes the Bruins managed to get three more into the net.
The final was 8-1. More importantly the Bruins got goals from a bunch of different guys. Ryder, Paille (shorthanded), Marchand (also short handed), Recchi (twice), Kelly, Ference, and Krejci.
The huge downside was the loss of Horton. To a lesser extent was the fact that Thomas didn’t get the shutout. Not a coincidence that Boychuck was on the ice when it happened. He seems to be out there every time the opponent scores this playoffs.
Now the question on every fan’s mind (mine as well) is that “Did they use up all their firepower last night?”. We’re just hoping they still have some more bullets in the chamber to not only tie the series but go on a run so Vancouver doesn’t win another game.
Here’s hoping.
