By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Friday, May 27, 2011
Three stars
NATHAN HORTON: The Bruins wing had a strong overall game and scored the lone goal with just 7:33 left in the game.
DWAYNE ROLOSON: The Lightning goalie was a big reason Tampa Bay was in the game with his impressive 37-save performance.
TIM THOMAS: The Bruins goalie wasn't tested a lot, but he posted his second shutout of the series with 24 saves.
Steep ticket
Tickets for Friday's Game 7 at TD Garden went for an average $383, a record for a Bruins game, excluding the 2010 Winter Classic vs. the Flyers at Fenway Park, the Boston Herald reported. That was not a box office price but reflected prices on ticket websites such as StubHub and FanSnap. "These are among the highest prices we've ever seen," Michael Janes, chief executive of FanSnap, told the Herald.
Stat of the day
The last 0-0 Game 7 after two periods in the conference finals or later was in 1950, Red Wings-Maple Leafs, the Elias Sports Bureau says. Detroit won 1-0 in OT.
The series Bruins win 4-3
Game 1, Lightning 5, Bruins 2: Three goals in 1:25 of the first spark Lightning.
Game 2, Bruins 6, Lightning 5: Bruins score five in the second.
Game 3, Bruins 2, Lightning 0: Bruins prevail in tight defensive game.
Game 4, Lightning 5, Bruins 3: Lightning scores five unanswered goals.
Game 5, Bruins 3, Lightning 1: Bruins G Tim Thomas huge with 33 saves.
Game 6, Lightning 5, Bruins 4: Three goals, five assists from Lightning's Big 3.
Game 7, Bruins 1, Lightning 0: Nathan Horton scores with 7:33 left.
It's raining rally drums
As expected, the league didn't discipline Bruins F Nathan Horton or the Lightning for the aftermath of Tampa Bay's 5-4 Game 6 victory Wednesday at the St. Pete Times Forum, during which fans threw rally drums onto the ice much like Boston fans throw rally towels after a win. But at the Times Forum, Bruins F David Krejci was beaned by a drum, and Horton sprayed fans with water from a bottle. Neither was available to reporters before the game. Some players found the lighter side of it all. "I almost got hit with a couple," Lightning C Steven Stamkos said of the rally drums. "Those things were pretty hard. Thank goodness they didn't hand out pucks that day." "They were throwing everything there," Bruins W Mark Recchi said. "You'd rather not see it, because they were hard objects. It's not like it was towels they were throwing onto the ice."
Quote to note
"There are 27 teams right now that would love the opportunity that we have in the playoffs. This is one of those days where I think if you don't enjoy the moment, you're wasting a precious day. You get ready, you get excited, and you leave it all out there on the ice. Simple as that. Anything less than that is a waste of a day."
Bruins coach Claude Julien, before Game 7
Number of the day
1,800 Minimum number of times Rene Rancourt has performed the national anthem at Bruins games since 1976