Recap: Boston vs. Philadelphia
Sports Network | May 4, 2010
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Milan Lucic scored with just under three minutes remaining in the third period and helped the Boston Bruins take a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal set.
David Krejci held the puck behind the net and attempted to pass it over to the slot, but it hit off of a Flyer and popped into the air. When it landed, Lucic grabbed it and his shot got past Brian Boucher with 2:57 to play.
From there, the Bruins held off the Flyers, who pulled Boucher for the extra attacker with over a minute to play, to take a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven series.
"Yeah I think it was a real nice goal and hopefully a confidence boost for him as well," said Boston head coach Claude Julien about Lucic. "He hadn't scored in a while and I think just the way we scored was typical Lucic. He did a great job on that whole shift, as you mentioned, and it was nice to see him score that goal."
Miroslav Satan had a goal and an assist while Johnny Boychuk also lit the lamp for the Bruins, who took the first game, 5-4, on an overtime goal from Marc Savard in his first game back after missing time with a concussion. Tuukka Rask stopped 24 shots in the win.
"We knew they were going to be desperate today," said Krejci. "And I don't think it was our best game, but we got a win and that's what counts at the end of the day. We are happy about it, but we know we have to play much better in Philly."
Danny Briere had a goal and an assist and Mike Richards also had a goal for the Flyers, who will look to get wins at home as Games 3 and 4 will be in Philadelphia with the first contest taking place on Wednesday. Boucher stopped 24 shots in the loss.
"It would have been nice to win," said Boucher. "Obviously we are disappointed. We just need to take it one period at a time here. Obviously we wanted to get a split here and we didn't get it. We are going to a place where we play good hockey."
Boston drew first blood in the game off of a faceoff win. Richards was tossed out of the faceoff circle and replaced by Scott Hartnell, who lost the draw to Patrice Bergeron. The puck came back to Boychuk and he snapped a shot into the net 5:12 into the game.
The Flyers, though, tied it with 2:54 left in the first as Richards received the puck behind the Boston net, skated around to the right circle and wristed the puck past Rask.
The Bruins took the lead near the midway mark of the second. Blake Wheeler held the disc near the right boards and sent it over to the right circle for Satan, who wristed it past Boucher for a 2-1 advantage.
Philly again tied the game late in the period as Briere, just coming out of the penalty box, received a pass on the fly, and from the right circle lasered a shot into the left corner of the net with 25 seconds left.
Briere has scored a goal in four straight games...This is the first playoff meeting between these two teams since 1978. In the four times they have faced each other in the playoffs, each squad has won twice...Neither team scored on the power play with Boston having five chances and Philadelphia four...Lucic's goal was his first of the playoffs.
