Did you think it was all over for the Tampa Bay Lightning this afternoon? Here's one view that it was.
The Boston Bruins had a 3-0 lead through one period and simply needed to hold on in order to go home with a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Then faster than you can say "Teddy Purcell", the game turned. Purcell scored twice and Sean Bergenheim added another to tie the game by the end of the second period, then Simon Gagne scored the winner in the third and an empty-netter gave the Lightning a 5-3 win.
Just like that, the series heads back to Boston tied at 2-2. Tampa Bay has a goaltending question, as Dwayne Roloson was pulled in the 3-0 hole and Mike Smith played shutout hockey in relief, but the Lightning also has all the momentum.
Saturday's game was just the fourth time in the Bruins' long history that they failed to hold a three-goal lead in a playoff game. The others included the infamous Game Seven loss to Philadelphia last season, a 7-5 loss to Montreal in 1971 -- and the May Day game at Memorial Auditorium in 1993. The Bruins, you might have forgotten, led that one by 5-2 before the Sabres rallied and finally won it on the Brad May goal.
And, of course, do we EVER give up a chance to put this one in here?
---Mike Harrington
(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)
