Next up: The Cup

Imagine. A guy named Horton breaks a 0-0 tie in the 53d minute of play and sends his team to the Stanley Cup finals. Anyone want to invest in Nathan Horton’s Donuts?

There has to be a way for Mayor Tom Menino to take credit for this High Renaissance of Boston sports. Football, baseball, basketball … and now hockey. These are Boston’s Glory Days, Black-and-Golden Days, Lobster Salad Days.

“Right now, we’re four wins away from the Stanley Cup,’’ said oft-maligned coach Claude Julien. “That’s what matters to me.’’

The Bruins’ long-awaited return to the finals gives Boston a chance to become the first city to win championships in all the major sports in less than a decade. Should the Bruins win the Cup next month, the local team with the longest championship drought would be the Patriots, who haven’t won since way back in … 2005.

Certainly no fans are more worthy of a championship run than Bruins fans. They get knocked down, but they get up again.

“They’ve been supportive of this team through thick and thin,’’ said 43-year-old Mark Recchi. “Tonight, we could hear them while we were still in our [locker] room, before warm-ups. We were like, ‘Oh, they’re ready.’ ’’

The regular (not a pink hat in the bunch) sweater-clad 17,565 filed into the air-conditioned barn with considerable trepidation. In each of the last three seasons the Bruins finished their playoff run with a Game 7 loss. Hub Hockey Krishnas have schooled their young on a 39-year Cup drought, which is encroaching on territory formerly occupied by citizens of Red Sox Nation.

There was no disappointment on this magical night. No penalties, either. The Bruins and Lightning played the full 60 without anyone getting whistled or punched. How many of us have seen that before?

We know that no one under the drinking age has seen the Bruins in the Cup finals. They haven’t been to the championship round since they were smoked by Edmonton 21 years ago.