They're history

Bruins suffer epic collapse to Flyers

May 15, 2010|Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

Less than an hour after Simon Gagne popped in the season-ending power-play goal behind Tuukka Rask last night, Shawn Thornton had shaved off his playoff beard. Zdeno Chara was signing his Easton stick for a member of the team’s medical staff. The poster next to Rask’s stall — a graphic of the Stanley Cup with the caption “Pride and Passion Prevail’’ — had been ripped off the wall. The still image of Bobby Orr sipping from the Stanley Cup on the television in front of the greaseboard had been wiped off the screen.

“See you next year,’’ said one unrestricted free agent as he shook hands around the room. “If they don’t kick me out of here.’’

Seems so quick that a season just one win from being extended had been cut short by a Philadelphia club that didn’t understand the meaning of quit.

“Disappointed,’’ said Johnny Boychuk, “is an understatement.’’

The Bruins, who delivered their latest below-the-belt boot to their long-suffering fans, will not soon forget the garish facts of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Leading, 3-0, in the series. Up, 3-0, in the first period of Game 7. Losing the game, after all things, getting caught with too many men on the ice in the third period.

And now, the 2009-10 Bruins will walk forever in infamy, having gagged away a game and a series in a manner that cannot be denied.

They choked.

“The bottom line is that we had a 3-0 lead in the series. We had a 3-0 lead tonight. And we blew both,’’ said coach Claude Julien. “There are no excuses. We have to take the responsibility that goes with it. Everyone.’’

The 4-3 loss before 17,565 at TD Garden hinged on a botched change. Marc Savard was headed off. Vladimir Sobotka rolled over the boards to replace him. But for some reason, Savard stayed on, the Flyers rapped their sticks against the boards to notify the officials, and Thornton found himself in the penalty box at 11:10 of the third period to serve the most ignoble of penalties. Gagne took the gift and shoved it down the Bruins’ throats by beating Rask (23 saves) at 12:52.

The truth, however, is the Bruins lost the series well before six skaters were caught on the ice. In a thunderous first 15 minutes, the Bruins pasted every Flyer in sight and grabbed a 3-0 lead that should have been their chokehold on the game and the series. With Scott Hartnell in the box for high-sticking, Michael Ryder scored at 5:27 to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Less than four minutes later, after carrying the puck deep into the right corner, Dennis Wideman spotted Milan Lucic at the far post for a power-play tap in at 9:02.

Lucic capped the first-period explosion with a snap shot between Michael Leighton’s pads at 14:10. It was the sprint out of the blocks that coaches dream of.