Bruins Look For First Game 7 Win Since 1994
BOSTON (CBS) -For the Boston Bruins, a Game 7 at home has not been good news the last 17 years.
The last time the Bruins won a Game 7 on home ice was April 29, 1994 in the old Boston Garden. Boston beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 to advance to the Conference Semifinals. The Bruins lost that series 4-2 to the New Jersey Devils.
Since then, it has been four Game 7 losses (three at home) leading to four very long off-seasons.
The Bruins will try to snap that streak against the Canadiens Wednesday night after dropping Game 6 in Montreal 2-1. Although home ice has not been kind in win-or-go-home situations, the Bruins are still confident they can get it done in front of their home crowd.
"I know the guys will be ready. I trust the guys, we've been through this all year together," Mark Recchi said after Tuesday night's loss. "We have a great trust in each other, we all believe each other. That's going to count (Wednesday night) again."
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Tim Thomas, not one to use more words than necessary, said the message was simple after their Game 6 loss.
"Win. Go home and win," the Bruins netminder said. "We've won three, if we play the same way we did to win the three we'll win the fourth."
"We worked all year for home ice," said Recchi. "We'll focus on what we need to do, make some adjustments. But for the most part we're going to save our energy and get ready."
"It's win or you're done," Thomas added.
Two of the losses in the Bruins four-game, Game 7 losing streak have come at the hands of the Canadiens; back in 2004 (a Habs team coached by Claude Julien) and in 2008 (in Montreal), both in the first round. The Bruins have also lost a pair of Conference Semifinal Game 7's since 1994; in 2009 to the Carolina Hurricanes and last year to the Philadelphia Flyers.
