When the Bruins hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2011, players like Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand really provided the spark the team needed. They scored timely goals and drove opponents up the wall. Lucic has been “off his game” so far this season which isn’t good for the Bruins, but thankfully the playoffs are a whole different story.

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But as previously mentioned, Lucic came up big when his team needed him. Since being “awakened” in game three of the series after a three assist night, Lucic was flying all over the ice posing as a serious threat every game. Using his size and strength to out-power opponents on the boards and in front of the net. Combine that with his relentless forecheck and a fairly fast-skating large man and you have a monster on your hands. Even when Lucic isn’t scoring you don’t want to play him, his bone-crushing hits alone will leave you questioning why you tried to go to battle with him.

When it seemed like all hope was lost for the Bruins and they would go down in game 7 on home ice for the second year in a row, Milan Lucic put the Bruins on his back.

He made a beautiful play to gain the zone and find Nathan Horton for the Bruins 2nd goal, then scored the goal to bring the Bruins to within one and although he wasn’t credited with an assist, he initiated the play where Patrice Bergeron tied the game at 4. Just your average 11 minutes in the 3rd period of a game 7.

While Bergeron will go down as the hero who scored two goals including the game-winner, Milan Lucic deserves a lot of credit. He showcased every aspect of his game that makes him so dangerous and decided that the Bruins, his Bruins wouldn’t go down in embarrassing fashion on home ice. When Lucic decides to single-handedly take a game over, you better watch out. There’s not a soul in the NHL that can match what Lucic brings to a team and when he wants to motivate his teammates, there isn’t likely anyone who says no.

For 11 minutes and 32 seconds on Monday night Milan Lucic played a perfect game and sparked his team onto victory. He put the team on his back and carried them out of the trenches, leading one of the most historic come-backs in NHL history.

While you may not like Milan Lucic, he is an invaluable commodity to a team. He brings physicality, tough play, relentless forechecking and a great attitude. Teams win the Stanley Cup with guys like Milan Lucic on the ice.

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Depending on which side of the puck you’re on, this was either one of the biggest single-game playoff collapses or one of the biggest single-game playoff comebacks. Tonight was a game to remember for both teams and both fan-bases. A team has victory in their grasp and can taste the next round only to have it stolen away with less than 11 minutes in the third period. There are no words to describe the massive gut-punch.

That tonight is exactly what happened to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs held a 4-1 lead late into the third period. But with just over 11 minutes left in a game 7 that seemed to be all but over as the tides turned and the Bruins came storming back to force overtime.

• The Boston Bruins are the first team in NHL history to come back from being down 3 goals in the third period of a game 7 and claim victory. When the Bruins laid claim to the Stanley Cup, they overcame three game 7′s. Needless to say the Bruins seem to thrive when everything is on the line.
• Heading into game 7 all the pressure was squarely on the Bruins. The Leafs had already won two in a row and were looking to just prove everyone wrong by making it to the 2nd round. The Leafs were the better team for most of the game, but you can’t win a hockey game when you only play 48 minutes. Tonight was the perfect example of why a full 60 minutes is key to a hockey game. It ain’t over till the fat lady sings.
• Yes the Leafs lost in dramatic fashion, but why are Leaf fans so upset or disappointed in their team? Raise your hand if you said to yourself the Leafs would be in a game 7 against the Boston Bruins and just 11 minutes away from round 2. Most Leaf fans wrote their team off before the puck was even dropped. For the young, in-experienced Leafs to push the more experiences, bigger and tougher Bruins to a game 7 is a remarkable feat and something the Leafs should be proud of. No one gave the Leafs a shot in this series, yet they nearly stole it.
• Despite the loss, this series was huge for the Leafs. They gained valuable playoff experience and even better playoff confidence. James Reimer, Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak, Joe Colbourne and Jake Gardiner as well as the rest of the Leafs now know how to win in the playoffs. Now they can use what they learned and the heartbreak they feel to insure this doesn’t happen again. While the Leafs may have lost the series, it was a win-win for the future of the Leafs.
• In the end experience lucked out. The Boston Bruins knew what it took to not only win in the playoffs but to win a game 7.
  

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  They’ve been there before, experienced the heartache and the joy. They knew exactly what they had to do in order to pull off the victory and they did it. This was the Bruins series to win, they let it get away from them by under-rating the Leafs game, but they brought it home when it mattered most.

• Patrice Bergeron had seen James Reimer have his number in both games 5 and 6, but tonight Bergeron had his revenge. The Bruins centre scored 2 goals including the overtime winner as the Bruins stunned the Leafs.
• What a big game by Cody Franson. The defenceman who has faced much criticism throughout his tenure with the blue and white scored 2 goals tonight and jump-started the Leafs offence.
• You can say all you want about how face-offs aren’t important but tonight the Leafs got clobbered in the face-off circle and it cost them. If you don’t win face-offs you immediately have to start the shift chasing the puck to gain control. With Tyler Bozak on the shelf the Leafs won just 18 face-offs to the Bruins 43.
• For the first time in 9 long years, the Leafs proved everyone wrong. They made the playoffs, they didn’t get swept, they made it past game 6 and nearly snuck out the victory in game 7. Tonight the Leaf players will hang their heads, but tomorrow they should hold them high. This was a successful season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
• How big of a series was this for James Reimer? While he didn’t manage to sneak out a win for the Leafs he played fantastic and has given the Leafs a goalie they can look forward to in the future. Without him playing strong between the pipes, the Leafs would have been done in game 5.

Welcome back to the playoffs Leaf fans. Sometimes it breaks your heart and sometimes it leaves you shouting for joy, just depends how the cookie crumbles.