Former Bruin Nick Boynton raises the Cup after Chicago's victory over the Flyers in Game 6. (photo: Getty)

While the Bruins’ Stanley Cup drought remains at 38 years and counting, fellow Original Six franchise Chicago ended an even longer stretch between titles as Patrick kane scored at 4:10 of overtime in Game 6 tonight in Philadelphia to close out the Blackhawks’ first Cup since 1961.

And at least two former Bruins will get their names on the Cup thanks to that victory. Veteran defenseman Nick Boynton, who played his first 299 games with Boston from 1999-2006, earned his first ring, as did forward Kris Versteeg. Boynton, a trade deadline pickup from Anaheim, didn’t dress in the playoffs until the finals, but played in the final three games and finished a plus-2. Versteeg was a staple up front all season and posted 6-8-14 totals in 22 playoff games with 55 shots and two game-winning goals.

Goalie Hannu Toivonen was also up with Chicago for the playoffs after coming over from St. Louis at the deadline, but the ex-Bruin netminder never appeared in a game for the Blackhawks.

The Bruins had a little to do with the start of Chicago’s Cup drought, fleecing the Blackhawks in a 1967 deal that brought Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield to Boston for Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin and Jack Norris. That, along with that Bobby Orr guy, helped lay the foundation for the Bruins last two Cup wins in 1970 and 1972.

The Blackhawks got the Bruins back a little bit four decades later, stealing Versteeg away for the immortal Brandon Bochenski in 2007.

While the Blackhawks celebrate tonight, it’s a disappointing end for the Flyers and head coach Peter Laviolette, a former Bruins assistant from Franklin, Mass.

“I think when you go through something together as a group, you know, you learn a lot about your team, a lot about your players, what they’re made of,” said Laviolette. “I’m proud of the guys for giving themselves an opportunity to compete for the Cup.  It’s going to sting for a while.  It hurts right now. But they never quit.  They are a resilient group.  I think we grew through adversity. …  And I’m proud of the way they competed and the way they fought.”

Michael Leighton got the start in goal and finished with 37 saves on 41 shots, but will likely be replaying Kane’s bad-angle game-winner over in his head for some time. Brian Boucher (Woonsocket, R.I.) didn’t get a chance to play tonight, but did make it back for the finals after suffering injuries to both knees against the Bruins. Boucher came on in relief in both Games 1 and 5, stopping 22 of 26 shots he faced in 64 minutes.

The B's will have a long summer to dissect the shocking end to their season. (photo: Getty)

The Bruins will convene for the final time as a group tomorrow morning with the annual break-up day at the Garden.

The players will all be on hand to give their post-mortems, followed by general manager Peter Chiarelli and coach Claude Julien addressing the assembled media.

While we await that, we’ll offer up our own independent autopsy of just what caused the worst collapse in NHL history. And make no mistake, this was the worst collapse, with the Bruins blowing not only a three-game lead in the series, but also a three-goal lead in the seventh game.

The stakes were higher when Detroit blew a 3-0 series lead against Toronto in 1942 in the Cup finals, but the Red Wings never led by more than a goal in Game 7 and eventually fell to the Leafs 3-1. Pittsburgh squandered a 3-0 series lead against the Islanders in the same round as the Bruins, but never led at all in Game 7 as New York squeaked out a 1-0 win.

So how did this historic collapse come out? Here are seven key to explain the source of their seven-game meltdown.

1. David Krejci’s injury

This was the turning point. The Bruins had survived the absence of Marc Savard down the stretch and for the opening series against Buffalo and the loss of Dennis Seidenberg on defense, but they couldn’t overcome losing Krejci. The Bruins scored 28 goals in nine playoff games with him, and just eight in the four without him (four in the final three). Linemate Miroslav Satan was the most affected, scoring five goals and nine points in his final six games with Krejci as his center, and no points in the four games without him.

2. The no show in Game 5

The Bruins had two chances to close out the series on home ice, but the golden opportunity was in Game 5 last Monday. The Bruins just missed completing the sweep with an overtime loss in Game 4 after Mark Recchi scored in the final minute of regulation, but still had things set up perfectly as they returned to the Garden, where they had been 5-0 in the playoffs. But the Bruins turned in their worst effort of the postseason. They came out like they expected the Flyers to just roll over and hand them the final win they needed. Instead, Philadelphia played with a level of desperation Boston never matched and took control of the series.

3. Too many penalties

The too many men call will be the one always associated with the Game 7 loss, but the Bruins spent way too much time in the box long before that. The Bruins gave Philadelphia 16 power plays in the final three games. Boston was called for 22 minutes on 10 penalties in Game 5 alone. The club’s outstanding penalty kill kept the damage to a minimum, but their luck finally ran out on the last bench minor in Game 7 as the Bruins’ undisciplined play came back to haunt them.

4. Lack of a killer instinct

The Bruins sat back too much and let the Flyers dictate the game in the second half of the series. They abandoned the aggressive approach that helped them build both a 3-0 series lead and a 3-0 lead in the final game. Every time the Bruins had the Flyers on the hopes with a chance to deliver a knockout blow, they let them off the hook. After Game 7, several Bruins openly admitted that they had become too complacent in the series and sat back too much after jumping out to the 3-0 lead on Friday.

5. Failure to get shots on net

The Bruins ended up getting beaten in the final three games by a journeyman goalie had hadn’t played in nearly two months. Michael Leighton might have stood on his head and stolen the series anyway, but the Bruins never tested him enough to find out. They did little to pressure him when he came in cold midway through Game 5 after Brian Boucher was hurt and in the final two games the Bruins let the Flyers defense do most of the work. Just 56 of the 136 shots Boston took in those two games ended up on net, with Philly defenders blocking 48 and another 32 missing the net. At the other end of the ice, far too few Bruins were willing to make the same sacrifices to keep pucks from reaching Tuukka Rask.

6. Rask wore down

Rask could have used the help, as he was clearly worn down by the workload by the end of the series. That’s not to say that the Bruins made a mistake by riding the hot rookie throughout the postseason. Rask deserved to start every game and played well enough to win most. But he was not the same goalie at the end of the Philly series that he was against Buffalo. Whether it was the Flyers’ relentless attack, the heavy late-season workload catching up to him or a combination of both, Rask wasn’t at his best in the last few games. The Bruins needed to do more to protect him by limiting Philadelphia’s chances on him and pressing the attack at the other end.

7. Too many passengers

Late in the season, Recchi publicly questioned the commitment of some of his teammates after a particularly troubling 1-0 home loss to Florida. The Bruins seemed to get the message and a consistent, determined effort down the stretch helped them secure a playoff spot and advance past Buffalo. But some of those same lackadaisical efforts crept back into the play of too many Bruins in the second half of this series. Some of the struggles can be explained, such as Marc Savard’s disappearance after his dramatic return in Game 1. He clearly wasn’t his usual self after the severe concussion and nearly two-month layoff, and his 0-0-0, minus-2, 8 PIMs (not to mention his role in the too many men penalty) in the final three games show just how far off he was. But excusing Blake Wheeler (0 points, 3 shots in final 3 games) and Vladimir Sobotka (0 points vs. Philly), among others, is less easy, especially when an equally short-handed Flyers team was playing with so much more tenacity and determination.

In the end, the team that wanted it more earned the victory in this series. The Bruins didn’t want to become associated with the worst collapse in NHL history. But they didn’t want to avoid it enough either.

Montreal's Hal Gill (Bolton, Mass.) dispatched ex-teammate Bill Guerin and the Penguins last week, now he's setting his sights on the Flyers in the conference finals. (photo: Getty)

Bruins fans never really warmed to Hal Gill.

Despite the fact that he was a hometown kid from Bolton, Mass., the Garden (or FleetCenter then) faithful even booed Gill when the club announced that he had been named an alternate for the U.S. Olympic Team at a game in 2006.

But while Boston fans never grew to love Gill, and probably like him even less now that he’s playing for the dreaded Canadiens, they can at least share a common hatred with him.

Gill added some spice to the Eastern Conference finals that open tonight with Montreal playing Game 1 at Philadelphia as he expressed a sentiment common around these parts right about now.

“It’s easy to hate the Flyers,” Gill told the Canadian Press. “They’ve been the Broad Street Bullies, their fans are loud and obnoxious. If you’re from Philly that’s great, if you’re not you hate them. It’s fun to hate the Flyers, just like it’s fun for them to hate our fans and our team. It should be a good series as far as hate goes.”

Boston fans have no problem hating the Flyers, though right now their disdain is probably even stronger for the Bruins after they blew a 3-0 series lead and a 3-0 lead in Game 7 against Philadelphia, depriving Boston puckheads a chance of witnessing another chapter in the B’s-Habs storied rivalry and instead adding the Bruins to the list of all-time choke artists.

Bruins fans may not be in the mood to watch any more hockey after the way their club’s season ended, but the Stanley Cup semifinals promise to provide plenty of intriguing storylines and exciting action if you bear to watch.

Here’s a quick rundown of the two conference finals.

Eastern Conference: No. 7 Philadelphia vs. No. 8 Montreal

How they got here: Boston fans don’t need to be reminded of how the Flyers reached this point. After needing to beat the Rangers in a shootout in the final game of the regular season just to qualify for the playoffs, Philadelphia knocked off New Jersey in five games in the first round, then became just the third team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit when they beat the Bruins. Montreal had the worst record in the playoff field, but rallied from 3-1 down to knock off Alex Ovechkin and President’s Trophy-winning Washington, then came back from trailing 3-2 to beat Sidney Crosby and the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins.

Bruins Connections: Flyers coach Peter Laviolette coached in the Bruins system, winning a Calder Cup in Providence in 1999, and served as an assistant in Boston in 2000-01. Gill spent the first eight seasons of his career in Boston, but has flourished away from the hometown spotlight, developing into a top shutdown defender and winning a Cup last year in Pittsburgh. Fellow blueliner Paul Mara also played for the Bruins and signed with Montreal last summer, but underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in March. Habs forward Glen Metropolit resurrected his career in Boston in 2007-08 after winning a job on a training camp tryout, and set a career high with 16 goals this year in Montreal.

New England Ties: Laviolette hails from Franklin, Mass. and played his college hockey at Westfield State, while Flyers goalie Brian Boucher, who was injured in Game 5 of the Bruins series, is a Mount St. Charles product from Woonsocket, RI.  Philly rookie James van Riemsdyk played his college hockey at UNH. On the Montreal side, Gill hails from Bolton, Mass. and played at Providence College, while Mara is from Belmont, Mass. Max Pacioretty (New Canaan, Conn.) began the year with Montreal, but was assigned to Hamilton (AHL) in January, where he’s currently sidelined with a shoulder injury. Brian Gionta played at Boston College and mid-season addition Dominic Moore was a Harvard man before turning pro.

Players to watch: The Habs’ three big offseason acquisitions have all come up huge in the playoffs, with Michael Cammalleri leading the team with 12-6-18 totals and three game-winners, while Gionta and Scott Gomez each have 12 points. Gill leads the league with 54 blocked shots in the playoffs despite missing one game after getting cut with a skate, while Jaroslav Halak has been a force in net, going 8-5 with a 2.42 GAA and a .930 save percentage and making 34 or more saves seven times in the first two rounds. Philadelphia captain Mike Richards derailed Boston’s season with his hit on David Krejci, but is also capable of hurting opponents on the scoreboard, as he leads the Flyers with 17 points in 12 playoff games. Simon Gagne returned from a broken toe to score four goals in four games against Boston, including the game-winner in OT in his first game back and the series clincher with 7:08 left in Game 7. Danny Briere has 15 points in 12 games and Chris Pronger has chipped in 11 points while leading the Flyers defense. Michael Leighton is now the man in goal after Boucher’s injury, and he was 2-0 with 1.54 GAA and a .940 save percentage against the Bruins.

The lowdown: It’s the first meeting between 7 and 8 seeds since the NHL went to the 1-8 conference format in 1994, which means there will be Cinderella in the Cup finals no matter who wins. The Flyers have the home-ice advantage and are 4-1 in Philly this postseason, but the Canadiens are 5-3 on the road and have already won a pair of Game 7s in enemy rinks. Both of these teams have shown their character and resiliency in the first two rounds, so don’t expect this one to go less than seven games either.

Western Conference: No. 1 San Jose vs. No. 2 Chicago

How they got here: The top-seeded Sharks exorcised some playoff demons by avoiding a first-round upset against Colorado with a 4-2 win, then dispatched Detroit 4-1. Things looked bleak early on when San Jose fell behind 2-1 to the Avalanche after Dan Boyle put the puck into his own net in overtime for the only goal of Game 3, but the Sharks have gone 7-1 since that disaster. Chicago also trailed 2-1 in the opening round, but rattled off three straight wins to beat Nashville 4-2, then beat Vancouver 4-2 as well in the second round.

Bruins Connections: San Jose is of course now home to former Bruins captain Joe Thornton, who was dealt to the Sharks in 2005 for Brad Stuart, Marco Sturm and Wayne Primeau in one of the most infamous trades in NHL history. Defenseman Jay Leach also wore the C for the Bruins, albeit the Providence Bruins, where he played parts of four seasons and got called up for two games with Boston in 2005-06.  For Chicago, Kris Versteeg was sent away in a much smaller, but similarly ill-advised trade for Brandon Bochenski in 2007 that remains one of Peter Chiarelli worst moves. The Blackhawks front office includes director of player development Norm MacIver, who was an assistant coach in Boston earlier this decade, while former Bruins Martin Lapointe and Dennis Bonvie are now pro scouts for Chicago.

New England Ties: The Sharks, whose AHL affiliate is in Worcester, have mined the Bay State for plenty of talent. Forwards Benn Ferriero (Essex, Mass.) and  John McCarthy (Andover, Mass.) are among the club’s Black Aces after making their NHL debuts early in the season. Defenseman Joe Callahan (Brockton, Mass.) also enjoyed a brief callup, while Leach also has local ties, having played at Providence College before turning pro. The best Chicago can muster on the New England front is skating coach Paul Vincent, who lives in Falmouth, Mass. He previously worked closer to home with Harvard, Boston College, Northeastern and Dartmouth, and most recently with the Bruins from 2004-08.

Players to watch: Thornton has begun to shed his playoff bust label with 11 points in as many games, including nine in a six-game point-scoring streak. And for a guy frequently accused of choking in the clutch, Thornton has come up huge this spring by scoring when it matters most. He has nine points in San Jose’s six one-goal wins, and seven of his 11 points have been scored in the third period or overtime. Joe Pavelski has been even hotter with team-leading 9-6-15 totals and three game-winners, while Dany Heatley (2-9-11) and Patrick Marleau (3-4-7, 2 GW goals) have shown up this postseason as well. Boyle has made up for his own-goal gaffe with 2-7-9 totals and Evgeni Nabokov has gotten the job done in goal (8-3, 2.43 GAA, .910 save percentage). For Chicago, Jonathan Toews has been dominant with 20 points in 12 games, while fellow young star Patrick Kane has 15 points. Marian Hossa has chipped in 10 points and Versteeg has a pair of game-winners. The biggest surprise might be Patrick Sharp though, as he already has 14 points. Antti Niemi is 8-4 with a 2.57 GAA and a .910 save percentage between the pipes.

The lowdown: It’s the complete opposite of the East, as the West’s top two teams remain alive. It’s just the sixth time that a 1 and 2 seed will meet in the conference finals since the format change in 1994. San Jose has home ice, where the Sharks are 5-1 this postseason. But the Blackhawks are 5-1 on the road, winning five straight away from the Windy City — including all three games in Vancouver in the second round. Thornton is on a mission to erase the doubts about his ability to deliver in the playoffs, but Toews and Kane might be too much to handle. Plus, everyone knows Hossa doesn’t lose until the Cup finals.

Bruins (l-r) Daniel Paille, Johnny Boychuk, Michael Ryder and Mark Stuart line up dejectedly for the post-game handshakes with Danny Briere and the Flyers. (photo: Getty)

Final: Philadelphia 4, Boston 3

This one will hurt, and hurt for a long, long time. This is a franchise-changing failure of epic proportions. All the positive strides the club had made in the last three years – the valiant effort against Montreal in the 2008 playoffs, the first-place finish in the regular season last year, the Winter Classic win in overtime and upset of the Sabres in the first round this spring – will all be overshadowed by this historic collapse. The Bruins didn’t just become the third team in NHL history – and fourth in all major pro sports leagues in North America – to blow a 3-0 series lead. They did it in an equally embarrassing fashion in Game 7, blowing a 3-0 lead. The Bruins will now be back off the radar of the average Boston sports fans, except of course when they need a punchline for a joke about incompetence, while the die-hard hockey fans will now have a wound that may never completely heal as the scab will be picked at every time another team has a seemingly insurmountable lead in a playoff series.

Series Status: The Flyers win, 4-3, and advance to the Eastern Conference finals against Montreal.

Revisiting the Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Get shots to the net – The Bruins continued to pound pucks into shinpads and dent the boards all night, as they put shots just about everywhere except on net. They did manage 25 shots on goal, but that was less than half their attempts, as the Flyers blocked another 18 shots and 14 more missed the net. In the final three games, the Bruins managed to put just 79 of 192 attempts on goal (41.1 percent). The Flyers once again didn’t have nearly as much trouble, peppering Tuukka Rask with 27 shots while the Bruins blocked just 12 and only seven missed the net. For the last three games, the Flyers were on target with 85 of 134 shot attempts (63.4 percent).

2. Set the tone early – The Bruins did this perfectly, jumping all over the Flyers in the opening minutes. They took advantage of two early power plays with Michael Ryder and Milan Lucic each scoring, then got an even-strength goal from Lucic to make it 3-0 just 14:10 into play. The Bruins were in complete control and appeared on their way to winning in a laugher. Then they stopped skating, fell into a shell and let the Flyers back into the game. Once Philadelphia answered late in the first, the Bruins’ fragile psyche shattered and the Flyers took over.

3. Get the offense rolling again – Again, for the first 15 minutes of the game the Bruins played as well as they have all season offensively, attacking relentlessly, pressuring the Flyers into mistakes and capitalizing on their opportunities. Then, just as suddenly, it all disappeared, and the floundering attack that finished dead last in the regular season in scoring and managed just one goal in the previous two games reemerged. The Bruins scored three goals on 13 shots in the first 14:10, then managed only 12 shots – and no goals – over the final 45:50. The Flyers had four goals on 23 shots after the Bruins made it 3-0.

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette (center), of Franklin, Mass., settles his troops in a timeout after Philadelphia fell behind 3-0 in the first period of Game 7. (photo: Getty)

Key Play of the Game:

The Bruins had everything going their way and the Flyers were on the ropes after a three-goal explosion in the first 14:10. But Boston let Philly get up off the canvas and get right back in the game with a late first-period goal that completely changed the complexion of the game. UNH product James van Riemsdyk scored it with a shot that actually appeared to be heading wide, but took a strange hop of Mark Stuart’s broken stick and hit off the inside of Rask’s leg and trickled over the goal line. Instead of going into the first intermission down 3-0 and demoralized, the Flyers had new life and all the momentum, which they carried into the second period for two quick goals to even the game. It really never was even after that first Philly goal though, as the Flyers had the Bruins back on their heels the rest of the way and never doubted their ability to complete their historic comeback.

“The goal at the end of the first gave them some life,” said Bruins forward Mark Recchi. “We didn’t come out as sharp in the second, but if we could have kept it at 3-0 that would have been a big boost to us. (Being) 3-1 made a big difference.”

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette (Franklin, Mass.) agreed on the importance of that first Philadelphia goal, which came less than three minutes after he took a timeout to settle his club down after falling behind 3-0.

“The timeout was just to try and slow things down, to get us back in there,” said Laviolette. “I think that the biggest message there was to just score one goal, get us on the board. I think it was really important to just get in the game. That first goal for me was huge. You go in three to nothing, it’s a little bit of a different feeling. You go in 3-1, then you just have to win the second period. Second period was good. The guys came out real strong and we got back into it. I thought we took the lead on that one play.”

Fight Card:

Amazingly, a series between the Bruins and Flyers went the full seven games and did not feature a single fight. Maybe it’s not that amazing, considering the Bruins showed little fight – literal or figurative – after going up 3-0 in the series and playing like they could coast to the fourth win without having to outwork the Flyers.

Quotes of the Night:

A sampling of the reaction from a stunned and morose Bruins post-game locker room:

“I’m not going to stand here and find excuses,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien. “The bottom line is we had a 3-0 lead in the series and we had a 3-0 lead tonight and we blew both. So there is no excuse. We have to take the responsibility that goes with it. Everyone.”

“You don’t get too many chances like this,” said forward Mark Recchi. “This is two years in a row now, and you don’t get too any chances to get to the third round. … This is what we play for. This is what I play for. It’s just really disheartening.”

“It’s up there,” added Recchi when asked if this was the toughest defeat he’s suffered in his 22-year career. “I’ve had some Game 7 losses, but this one hurts a lot. … But what are you going to do? It’s over now and we have a long summer to think about it. It’s disappointing. … The feeling right now is awful, and if you don’t feel awful, then you’re playing for the wrong reasons.”

“It was more so us,” said forward Milan Lucic of the reasons for Philadelphia’s rally from three goals down. “We just sat back. We didn’t keep going and that’s why we lost.”

“There was definitely some complacency, that is for sure,” added Lucic of the team’s performance after building the 3-0 series lead. “It’s something that we are going to have to deal with for the whole summer.”

“It’s going to be a while, that’s for sure,” said Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk when asked how long it will take to recover from this loss. “I’m going to be thinking about it for quite some time. I’m kind of in shock right now that we’re not going to be playing anymore.”

“I’m more disappointed,” said forward Shawn Thornton. “Nothing really shocks me anymore. I have been around too long, but I am pretty disappointed at the way things ended here.”

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara (right) shakes hands with the man whose goal ended his season - Flyers forward Simon Gagne. (photo: Getty)

Flynn’s Finest:

How do you find positives in a historic collapse that will have huge repercussions for the franchise for years to come? The first 15 minutes were amazing, a tantalizing tease of what the Bruins were capable of doing when they played an aggressive, attacking style with passion and intensity. But it was just a tease, as that style disappeared for good after they took a 3-0 lead and opted to sit back and try to passively hold on to the win. … Milan Lucic scored two of Boston’s goals and played with a passion absent from too many of his teammates, setting a tone early by giving himself up to block a Chris Pronger point shot. He also came within inches of a hat trick, hitting the left post from the slot just 13 seconds before the Bruins were called for too many men. That’s how close the Bruins came to avoiding the disaster to come. Even his game had warts though, as he still wasn’t the physical presence he was in the past with just one hit, and he had just one shot after scoring his second goal and none in the third period. … Michael Ryder had the other goal for the Bruins, cashing in on an early power-play chance with a rebound from the right circle. He finished with three shots and three hits in 16:02. … Mark Stuart had his best game since returning from injury in Game 4, as he had five of Boston’s 12 blocked shots and a team-high four hits in 19:43. … Zdeno Chara did his best to shed his reputation as a Game 7 failure, picking up an assist on the first goal as his point shot got the play started. Don’t be surprised if Chara reveals some serious ailments he was playing through this postseason now that the season is done, as he was in obvious pain while talking to the press post-game, grimacing noticeably with the effort it took to stand after his interviews. … Mark Recchi had an assist and three hits in 19:08, leading by example with passion and purpose as he did all season long. And that continued long after the game was over, as an emotionally distraught Recchi nevertheless stayed at his stall in the locker room for more than 20 minutes to answer every question the assembled media had, trying to put the defeat into perspective with his usual class and dignity. … Steve Begin hobbled painfully through the locker room after the game, having played with his usual passion and tenacity. That included a painful block of a Kimmo Timonen slap shot that briefly sent him to the locker room, as well as dishing out a pair of hits. … The power play converted 2 of 3 chances to stake the Bruins to their early lead.

Flynn’s Sin Bin:

The Bruins made history with their epic collapse, and there were plenty of parties to share the blame for this utter failure. … Vladimir Sobotka had no shots and won just 3 of 7 face-offs, so he certainly didn’t have a great game (though he did play physical with three hits despite a banged-up body of his own). But he’ll no doubt get unduly blamed for jumping on too soon in the third for the too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty that led to the game-winning goal for Philadelphia. But the fault actually should go to Marc Savard, who signaled for a change, then circled back to rejoin the play, leaving Sobotka hung out to dry after hopping over the boards to replace him. Savard didn’t do much else positive on the night, as he also took a hooking penalty, won just 3 of 10 draws and was a minus-1 in 15:53. There’s little doubt that Savard still wasn’t himself coming back from his concussion, and not having a full-strength Savard clearly hurt the Bruins. … The blame for the bench minor also has to fall on Claude Julien, whose club committed that miscue with way too much regularity in the regular season and the sloppy changes came back to haunt the Bruins with a season-ending mistake here. … Daniel Paille was demoted from the top line and did not to make Julien regret the decision as he had no shots and no hits despite playing 19:20. … Moving Blake Wheeler up to that top line, however, is probably something Julien wishes he had done differently, even though the available options were limited. Wheeler had just one shot and no hits in 13:22, and was once again a complete non-factor in a huge playoff contest. He now has just one goal in 21 career postseason games. … Miroslav Satan remained invisible without David Krejci to set him up, finishing with no points for a fourth straight game and managing just two shots and no hits in 17:01. … Matt Hunwick was a minus-1 with just one shot in 14:37, and Danny Briere’s game-tying goal on a wraparound late in the second period went in off Hunwick. … Tuukka Rask was one of the main reasons the Bruins even reached the playoffs and upset Buffalo in the opening round. But he struggled mightily in these four losses to the Flyers. Rask allowed four goals on 27 shots, and while deflections of Stuart’s stick and Hunwick’s body led to two of those goals, Rask didn’t make the game-saving stops a goalie needs to come up with to close out a game of this nature. He allowed just 21 goals in his first nine playoff games, but surrendered 15 in the final four.

Next: The Bruins will have a long wait until their next game, which won’t come until next fall. They’ll open the 2010-11 season in Prague, which still might not be far enough away from an irate Boston fan base after how this playoff run flamed out.

BOSTON — Welcome to the Garden, where the Bruins and Flyers will finally decide this one in a Game 7 showdown.

There are no changes to either lineup from Game 6, though the Bruins will be trying out some new line combinations as they try to get their offense going again after scoring just one goal in the last two games.

Check back here throughout the night for updates on all the action.

Final: Philadelphia 4, Boston 3

All done at the Garden, which is now the site of arguably the worst collapse in NHL history, with the Bruins blowing not only a 3-0 series lead, but also a 3-0 lead in Game 7.

19:07-3rd – Bruins timeout.

18:50-3rd – Rask is out for the extra attacker.

12:52-3rd – Philadelphia goal

Simon Gagne makes the Bruins pay for the bench minor. He tried to direct a Mike Richards pass on goal but it was blocked out front. Gagne regathered the puck and wristed it inside the far left post. The Bruins historic collapse is just about complete.

Gagne from Richards, Leino (12:52-3rd) pp; Philadelphia, 4-3

11:10-3rd – Bruins with another costly mistake, as they are caught with too many men, giving Philly the power-play chance.

10:56-3rd – Lucic with a bid for the hat trick with a shot from the high slot, but it clangs off the left post.

10:00-3rd – Shots are even at 23-23. We’re virtually in sudden death now.

5:26-3rd – Pronger hits the post with a blast from the left point. They might take a look at that one at the next whistle.

5:00-3rd – The teams have traded control early in the third. Boston dominated for several shifts, creating chances with several near misses, but now Philly has the Bruins hemmed in their own zone.

End of second period – Tied, 3-3

- The Bruins put on a truly pathetic display in the second, squandering their 3-0 lead and abandoning the aggressive approach that got them this lead.

- After making it 3-0 at 14:10 of the first, the Bruins did not have another shot in the first and were outshot 14-3 as Philadelphia scored three straight to tie it. The Bruins put on a little pressure late, but still were outshot 11-6 in the second.

- The Bruins are again having trouble getting shots through the Philly defense and on net. They had Leighton rattled early, but let him get settled again with some easy shots right into his pads, then let the Flyers defense take over.

- It all comes down to one period now. If the Bruins play the way they did for the first 15 minutes, they can still salvage this series. If they play like they did for the last 25 minutes, which is exactly how they played for the previous two games, then Montreal can book its flights to Philly now.

19:06-2nd – The Bruins finally putting together some offensive pressure and get a face-off in the Philly end. Julien sends out … the fourth line! Of course Trent Whitfield loses the face-off and the chance is gone.

15:09-2nd – Bruins have been outshot 14-3 since scoring their third goal. Talk about letting up when you have an opponent on the ropes.

14:46-2nd – It was reviewed, and Rask and Wideman combined to keep it out – just barely. No goal.

14:46-2nd – Mad scramble in front of the Bruins net. Several Flyers raise their sticks in celebration, but the red light stays off and the ref rules no goal. This one might be reviewed.

14:34-2nd – Bruins kill off penalty, allowing just one shot. Begin returned to the ice for the PK.

12:34-2nd – After the Bruins failed to convert their power-play chance, the Flyers get one of their own with Boychuk in the box for hooking.

9:07-2nd – Bruins with a chance to regain some momentum as Dan Carcillo goes off for high-sticking.

8:39-2nd – Philadelphia goal

Breire with the wraparound at the left post, up and under the crossbar. The play was reviewed, but the goal stands. The Bruins in-game collapse is as complete as their series collapse.

Briere from Hartnell (8:39-2nd); tied, 3-3

8:01-2nd – Bruins kill off penalty, allowing just one shot.

6:46-2nd – Steve Begin blocks a slapper from the point by Kimmo Timonen, but limps off and heads to the locker room.

6:01-2nd – And the implosion continues, as Marc Savard takes a bad offensive-zone penalty with a hook to give Philly its first power-play chance of the night. This is a huge kill for the Bruins, who have lost all momentum in this one.

3:40-2nd – Philly with a 2-on-1, but Rask stones van Riemsdyk in front. The Bruins have stopped skating and are letting the Flyers take it to them this period. Complete reversal of the first period and the Bruins are in danger of letting this one slip away.

2:49-2nd – Philadelphia goal

And the Bruins have let the Flyers back into this one. Scott Hartnell roofs a rebound at the right post after Ville Leino’s initial bid in front with a backhander as he was falling was stopped.

Hartnell from Leino, Danny Briere (2:49-2nd); Boston, 3-2

End of first period – Boston, 3-1

- The Bruins got the start they needed, dominating play early and jumping out to a 3-0 lead. They did ease up a bit after the third goal and Philly made them pay with a goal to stay in the game. The Bruins can’t afford any letups whatsoever. They need to carry the intensity they showed in the first 15 minutes all the way through the final two periods.

- Milan Lucic is finally looking like the Milan Lucic of playoffs past. He’s driving the net and throwing his weight around, and that aggression has been rewarded with a pair of goals.Lucic also set the tone early when he gave himself up to block a Chris Pronger point shot. That’s the kind of commitment that was lacking the last two games, but has been on display in spades in this one.

- Lucic is far from the only Bruin showing his commitment in this one. Boston is getting solid efforts from throughout the lineup. Seeing guys like Matt Hunwick, Michael Ryder and Blake Wheeler throwing hits shows that everyone is involved in this game. Mark Stuart, Johnny Boychuk and Mark Recchi have also thrown big hits, but you expect it from those guys.

18:59-1st – Simon Gagne almost in alone on a breakaway, but Rask gets to the puck first and clears it away.

17:12-1st – Philadelphia goal

You didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you? The Flyers get on the board with a goal Tuukka Rask would like back, as James van Riemsdyk sends in a shot from the left slot that appeared to be going wide, but it hits off the inside of Rask’s leg and trickles over the line. This could be a game after all.

van Riemsdyk from Mike Richards, Claude Giroux (17:12-1st); Boston, 3-1

14:10-1st – Boston goal

The Bruins make it 3-0 as Lucic strikes again. Lucic breaks down the right wing with Miroslav Satan on the left and Marc Savard coming along as the trailer and only Brandon Coburn back for the Flyers. Lucic takes the shot and beats Michael Leighton 5-hole.

Lucic unassisted (14:10-1st); Boston, 3-0

13:40-1st – Boychuk lands a huge hit on Hartnell in front of the benches.

13:14-1st – Bruins nearly make it 3-0 but Daniel Paille fans on a Boychuk rebound at the right post, then Vladimir Sobotka hits the crossbar from the slot.

9:02-1st – Boston goal

And the Bruins cash in again. This time Wideman makes a rush down the right side, and fires a pass out from the corner to Lucic driving the net at the left post for the quick strike. Bruins in control early, but they can’t take their foot off the pedal.

Lucic from Wideman, Johnny Boychuk (9:02-1st) pp; Boston, 2-0

7:41-1st – Bruins going back on the power play with Danny Briere off for high-sticking Dennis Wideman.

5:27-1st – Boston goal

And the Bruins waste no time in converting the power-play opportunity. Michael Ryder sends in a rebound from the right circle as Boston jumps out to a quick lead with the all-important first goal. The next goal is even more important though.

Ryder from Zdeno Chara, Matt Hunwick (5:27-1st) pp; Boston, 1-0

5:19-1st – Bruins get the first power-play chance of the night with Scott Hartnell off for high-sticking.

4:46-1st – Milan Lucic gives up the body to block a Chris Pronger shot. That’s the kind of commitment the Bruins were lacking in the last two games.

2:50-1st – Bruins trying to set the tone early in this one, with Mark Recchi, Mark Stuart and Matt Hunwick all throwing big hits in the opening minutes.

0:00 -1st – Interesting atmosphere for this one tonight. The crowd is loud, but there’s definitely a feeling more of anxiety rather than the electricity that marked earlier playoff games here. Also a surprising number of empty seats for the start of this one.

BOSTON –Well, this is it. The Bruins and Flyers are ready to square off in the seventh and final clash of one of the stranger playoff matchups this city has seen in recent years.

The Bruins will make history either way. They’ll either reach the conference finals for the first time in 18 years or become the first team since 1975 – and just the third team ever – to blow a 3-0 series lead.

Perhaps feeling the pressure of that history and the three straight losses coming into tonight, Bruins coach Claude Julien canceled the morning skate today. That could prove a brilliant way of reducing the tension or might smack of desperation if the Bruins don’t pull out of their tailspin in time tonight.

There were no surprises in the pre-game warmup. It appears that the same lineup will be on the ice for both teams that we saw in Game 6. The Bruins did skate with the new line combinations debuted yesterday at practice. Here’s the breakdown:

Wheeler-Bergeron-Recchi

Lucic-Savard-Satan

Paille-Sobotka-Ryder

Begin-Whitfield-Thornton

Chara-Boychuk

Wideman-Stuart

Hunwick-Ference

Rask in goal

Brad Marchand and Andy Wozniewski also skated in warmups, but didn’t skate in the line drills. They are expected to be scratches once again.

The Bruins will look to avoid adding a dubious new entry in the NHL record books tonight as they try to avoid becoming the third team ever to blow a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven series.

While all the momentum appears to be on Philadelphia’s side as the Flyers come in having won three straight over the Bruins, Boston fans can take solace in having the statistics firmly on their side. Of course, if they do lose, that will just make the collapse all the more monumental.

The Bruins are 16-0 in seven-game series they have led 3-0. This is just the second one to go to seven games. The other was all the way back in 1939, when the Bruins recovered in time to 2-1 in triple overtime in Game 7 against the Rangers.

This is just the sixth time in NHL history a team has forced a Game 7 after losing the first three games. The Bruins were involved in the first against the Rangers, and the Flyers were involved in the most recent in 1975. Philadelphia also squandered a 3-0 lead but prevailed in Game 7 against the Islanders after the Isles had overcome another 3-0 deficit against Pittsburgh one round earlier. In a positive harbinger if the Bruins can pull this one out, both the 1939 Bruins and the 1975 Flyers went on to win the Cup after surviving their scare, so the rest of the NHL better watch out if the Bruins find a way to win tonight.

Here are the previous series that have gone the distance after one team led 3-0:

1939 Semifinal – Boston up 3-0, NY Rangers force Game 7, Bruins win 2-1 (3 OT)

1942 Cup Final – Detroit up 3-0, Toronto forces Game 7, completes comeback, 3-1

1945 Cup Final – Toronto up 3-0, Detroit forces Game 7, Leafs win 2-1

1975 Second round – Pittsburgh up 3-0, NY Islanders force Game 7, complete comeback, 1-0

1975 Third Round – Philadelphia up 3-0, NY Islanders force Game 7, Flyers win 4-1

Even with just two teams coming back from three games down to win a series, the NHL is actually home to more such rallies than any of the other major sports. Teams going up 3-0 in the NHL are 158-2, but NBA teams with a 3-0 lead are a perfect 92-0, including 4-0 this year, and Major League Baseball teams are 30-1 when up 3-0. Of course, Boston fans are plenty familiar with the one exception, with the Red Sox rallying against the Yankees in 2004 en route to their first championships in 86 years. Overall in the three major sports that play seven-game playoff series, teams are 280-3 when going up 3-0.

Some other stats to whet your appetite for tonight’s do-or-die Game 7:

Bruins in Game 7: 9-9 (9-5 at home)

Flyers in Game 7: 7-6 (2-3 on road)

Both coaches will be behind the bench for the fourth time in a Game 7. Claude Julien has lost both Game 7s he’s coached for Boston, and his lone win came against the Bruins with Montreal in 2004. Peter Laviolette (Franklin, Mass.) is 2-1 in Game 7s, but both his wins came at home.

Claude Julien

Overall: 1-2; With Bruins: 0-2; Home: 0-1

2004 – First round with Montreal, won at Boston, 2-0

2008 – First round with Boston, lost at Montreal, 5-0

2009 – Second round with Boston, lost vs. Carolina, 3-2 (OT)

Peter Laviolette

Overall: 2-1; With Flyers: 0-0; Road: 0-1

2002 – First round with NY Islanders, lost at Toronto, 4-2

2006 – Conference Final with Carolina, won vs. Buffalo, 4-2

2006 – Cup Final with Carolina, won vs. Edmonton, 3-1

This will also be a matchup to two of the league’s top defensemen. Both Zdeno Chara and Chris Pronger have a Norris Trophy on their mantel, but neither has enjoyed much success in Game 7 showdowns. Chara is 0-4 in Game 7, including losses the last two years with Boston. Pronger is 1-5, but his lone win came more than 11 years ago. Here are the numbers:

Chris Pronger (left) and Zdeno Chara will be shaking hands again tonight, but which star defenseman will have finally exorcised his Game 7 demons? (photo: Getty)

Zdeno Chara

May 23, 2003 – Conference Final with Ottawa, lost vs. New Jersey, 3-2; 0 points, plus-1, 1 shot

April 20, 2004 – First round with Ottawa, lost at Toronto, 4-1; 0-1-1, plus-1, 2 shots

April 21, 2008 – First round with Boston, lost at Montreal, 5-0; 0 points, minus-3, 0 shots

May 14, 2009 – Second round with Boston, lost vs. Carolina, 3-2 (OT), 0 points, minus-1, 2 shots

Totals: 0-4 record, 0-1-1, minus-2, 5 shots, 2 PIMs

With Boston: 0-2 record, 0-0-0, minus-4, 2 shots, 2 PIMs

Chris Pronger

May 16, 1996 – Second round with St. Louis, lost at Detroit, 1-0 (OT); 0 points, E, 0 shots

May 4, 1999 – First round with St. Louis, won at Phoenix, 1-0 (OT); 0 points, plus-1, 4 shots

April 25, 2000 – First round with St. Louis, lost vs. San Jose, 3-1; 0-1-1, minus-2, 3 shots

April 22, 2003 – First round with St. Louis, lost at Vancouver, 4-1; 0 points, minus-2, 3 shots

June 19, 2006 – Cup Final with Edmonton, lost at Carolina, 3-1; 0 points, minus-1, 4 shots

May 14, 2009 – Second round with Anaheim, lost at Detroit, 4-3; 0-1-1, E, 2 shots

Totals: 1-5 record, 0-2-2, minus-4, 16 shots, 4 PIMs

Not surprisingly, veteran Mark Recchi leads all players from both teams with appearances in seven game 7s. He is 4-3 in those games with 2-3-5 totals.

No player on either team has ever scored a game-winner in a Game 7.

That elusive fourth win against the Flyers has remained just out of the reach of Marc Savard and the Bruins, but they have one final chance to reel it in tonight. (photo: Getty)

Matchup: Philadelphia Flyers at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN; 98.5 FM)

Series Status: Tied, 3-3. Boston jumped out to a 3-0 lead after pulling out a dramatic 5-4 win in overtime in Game 1, a 3-2 victory in the second game on the strength of a Milan Lucic game-winner with 2:57 remaining and a 4-1 win in Philadelphia in Game 3. But the Flyers stayed alive with a 5-4 win in overtime in Game 4 to avoid the sweep last Friday, then made it a series again with a resounding 4-0 win at the Garden in Game 5 on Monday and held on for a 2-1 win in Game 6 on Wednesday to force a decisive Game 7 tonight.

Regular-Season Records: Boston 39-30-13, 91 points; Philadelphia 41-35-6, 88 points

Regular-Season Results: Boston took the season series 2-1-1. The Bruins pulled off their most memorable win of the year in the Winter Classic at Fenway Park on New Year’s Day, as Mark Recchi scored with 2:18 left in regulation and Marco Sturm scored in OT for a 2-1 win. The Flyers prevailed in the previous two meetings, winning 4-3 in a shootout in the first meeting in Philadelphia on Oct. 22, and rallying with three goals in the third for a 3-1 win in Boston on Dec. 14. The Bruins enjoyed the only blowout in the series, winning 5-1 in Philly on March 11 as Bergeron had a goal and two assists and Sturm, David Krejci and Blake Wheeler each had a goal and an assist.

Playoff Path: The sixth-seeded Bruins pulled off the upset of No. 3 Buffalo in the opening round, winning the series 4-2 with a 4-3 win in Game 6 at the Garden on April 26. Philadelphia pulled off an even bigger surprise, as the seventh-seeded Flyers ousted No. 2 New Jersey in just five games, capping off the series with a 3-0 shutout in New Jersey.

Past Playoff History: Prior to this series, the Bruins and Flyers hadn’t met in the postseason since 1978. But there was a time when the fierce rivals clashed almost every year, as they played four times in a five-year stretch in the mid-70s, with both teams winning two series. Philadelphia won the first two meetings between the rivals, with the Broad Street Bullies prevailing 4-2 in the Stanley Cup finals in 1974 and 4-1 in the semifinals in 1976. The Bruins earned some revenge with a 4-0 sweep in the 1977 semifinals and a 4-1 win in the 1978 semifinals.

Bruins Connections: Flyers coach Peter Laviolette coached in the Bruins system, winning a Calder Cup in Providence in 1999, and served as an assistant in Boston in 2000-01. Recchi and injured defenseman Dennis Seidenberg each spent time with the Flyers. Recchi had two stints in Philadelphia, playing there from 1992-95 and 1999-2004, while Seidenberg came up with the Flyers, playing there from 2002-06.

New England Ties: Laviolette hails from Franklin, Mass. and played his college hockey at Westfield State. Goalie Brian Boucher is a Mount St. Charles product from Woonsocket, RI, and took over as starting goalie after injuries to Ray Emery and Michael Leighton, and led all goalies in the first round with a 1.59 GAA and a .940 save percentage, but suffered his own serious knee injury in Game 5.  Rookie James van Riemsdyk hails from New Jersey, but he did play his college hockey at UNH. Peter Luukko, the president and chief operating officer of Flyers’ parent company Comcast-Spectacor, was born in Auburn, Mass.

Injury Update: Philadelphia got Simon Gagne (broken toe) back in Game 4 and he proceeded to score the game-winner in OT upon his return and two more goals in Game 5. But the Flyers did lost Boucher in Game 5 to a knee injury that is expected to sideline him for the rest of the playoffs. The Flyers are also still without leading goal-scorer Jeff Carter (broken foot) and veteran tough guy and key penalty killer Ian Laperriere (brain contusion, concussion). Blair Betts injured his right shoulder on Wednesday and did not finish the game, but is expected to play tonight. Emery (hip surgery) also remains out, while defenseman Mike Rathje (back/hip) missed the entire season.

The Bruins are without one of their best playmakers, as David Krejci is out for the rest of the postseason after needing surgery following Wednesday’s game when he suffered a dislocated wrist on a hit by Mike Richards in the first period. That comes on the heels of losing Marco Sturm in Game 1 when the Bruins’ leading goal-scorer this year suffered a torn ACL and MCL on the first shift of the series. He’ll miss the rest of the playoffs and likely a good chunk of next year as well. Seidenberg also remains out after forearm surgery, but fellow defenseman Mark Stuart (finger surgery) returned in Game 4. He replaced Adam McQuaid, who has missed the last three games after suffering a leg injury in Game 3. He has resumed skating, but is not expected to play tonight.

Fight Card: There have been no fights in the first six games, and with everything on the line for both teams in a Game 7, it’s extremely unlikely we’ll see any at this point in the series. Both sides will continue to play a strong physical game with plenty of hitting and intensity, but neither team wants to risk taking any extra penalties by dropping the gloves now.

In the regular season, Shawn Thornton and Dan Carcillo made fight history, with Carcillo dropping Thornton in the first regular-season outdoor fight in the NHL early in the Winter Classic at Fenway. Stuart also took on Carcillo, as well as Laperriere, on March 11, while the first meeting of the year featured unlikely combatants Ole-Kristian Tollefesen, since traded to Detroit, and Trent Whitfield. The Flyers were second in the league in the regular season with 77 fighting majors, led by Laperriere (25), Carcillo (17) and Arron Asham (14). The Bruins were 17^th in the league with 47 fighting majors, led by Thornton’s 21. But it was Boston that had a league-high three fighting majors (Milan Lucic, Zdeno Chara, Vladimir Sobotka) in the first round while Philadelphia did not have any against the Devils.

The Bruins need to get more shots on - and behind - Flyers goalie Michael Leighton. (photo: Getty)

Matchup to Watch: Tuukka Rask vs. Michael Leighton. Playoff series usually come down to goaltending, and that is magnified even more in a Game 7. So the two most important men in this matchup could be the guys behind the masks. On the surface, that gives the Bruins a clear edge, as Rask has been outstanding throughout his rookie season and inaugural playoffs. After leading the NHL with a 1.97 GAA and a .931 save percentage in the regular season, his playoff numbers are solid with a 7-5 record, 2.49 GAA and a .916 save percentage. But he’s appeared more human of late, allowing 11 goals in the last three games after giving up only 21 in his first nine playoff games. He did bounce back in Game 6, allowing just two goals on 27 shots, but he’ll need to be even sharper in this one. Leighton has been that sharp since taking over for the injured Boucher in Game 5. Leighton hadn’t played for nearly two months after suffering a high ankle sprain, but he’s shown no rust in stopping 44 of 45 of the shots he’s faced for an 0.63 GAA and a .978 save percentage in his two appearances.

Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Get shots to the net – If the Bruins are to beat Leighton, they’ll have to do a better job of getting shots on him. In the last two games, they’ve attempted 135 shots, but put only 54 of them on goal. The Flyers, meanwhile, have put 58 of 88 attempts on net. Not coincidentally, Philadelphia has outscored Boston 6-1 in those games. The Flyers have blocked 51 shots in those two games compared to just 16 blocks for the Bruins. The Bruins have to find a way to get more of their shots through the Flyers defense, and it wouldn’t hurt to see them show the same kind of willingness to sacrifice their bodies to block a few shots of their own down the other end of the ice.

“They’re really doing a good job blocking shots,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien. “They’re really collapsing and taking away those shooting lanes. We have to find ways to get those pucks to the net. We obviously need some traffic in front as well, but having traffic there and not getting the puck to the net is not going to do much.”

2. Set the tone early – The Bruins survived falling behind Buffalo regularly in the first round, but they haven’t been as fortunate against the Flyers. Philadelphia scored at 6:41 of the first in Game 5 and 6:58 of the first in Game 6, and the Bruins never recovered either time. Boston has the home-ice advantage, and they have to make full use of that by keeping the crowd involved. They also need to play with a lead instead of trying to play catch up, so scoring early and snatching any momentum the Flyers try to take into the game from their three straight wins is vital.

“That’s one of the keys to tomorrow,” said Julien. “We’ve got to be ready to go at the drop of the puck. One team is going to try to get the momentum. When you have Game 7 at home, the one thing you’d like to do is get your crowd into it as soon as possible.

“You look at (Wednesday) night what Montreal did,” added Julien of the Canadiens’ 5-2 Game 7 win at Pittsburgh which opened with the Habs scoring on the power play just 32 seconds into the first. “They took Pittsburgh’s crowd out of it right in the first 30 seconds and it was tough from there on in. It’s important for us to get the crowd behind us. When you get the seventh game and you get what you call the seventh player. That’s our fans and we need those guys to give us a boost because they do help us out.”

3. Get the offense rolling again – After finishing the regular season with the lowest scoring offense in the league, the Bruins found their groove in the postseason with 28 goals in their first nine games, posting a 7-2 record in that span. But the old problems have re-emerged since Krejci left the lineup, with them scoring just five goals in the last three games, including only one in the last two games. Julien attempted to shake things up at practice yesterday, moving Blake Wheeler up to the top line with Patrice Bergeron and Recchi and dropping Daniel Paille to the third line. Putting Wheeler, who has one goal in 20 career playoff games and just one goal in his last 26 games overall this year, on the first line might not be the cure, but the Bruins need to do something to get some production.

“Just a change, change our lines around,” said Julien. “You’re trying to find something to spark certain people, and you see that happen quite often. I just thought it was time for a change.”

The Lowdown: The Bruins have one final chance to avoid becoming a punchline for history. They’ve squandered three chances to close out the Flyers already. Now both teams are in the same situation – win or go home. The Flyers appear to have all the momentum having won the last three games, but then again, the Bruins looked like they had all the momentum after winning the first three and we all saw how that worked out. Just two teams have squandered a 3-0 lead in a seven-game series in NHL history, the last coming in 1975. The Bruins don’t want to be the entry in the record books as the third club ever to blow a 3-0 lead. They have one last chance tonight to show just how much they want to avoid that ignominy.

Flyers forward Daniel Briere (left) celebrates his second-period power-play goal that stood up as the game-winner as Tuukka Rask fishes the puck out of the net. (photo: Getty)

Final: Philadelphia 2, Boston 1

Well, so much for that commanding 3-0 series lead. The Bruins and Flyers are now even in their best-of-seven series, with one game left to decide the final spot in the conference finals. The Bruins will have home ice in Game 7 on Friday, but all the momentum is on the Flyers’ side after Philadelphia won its third straight over Boston tonight. It was a better effort than what the Bruins showed in Game 5 at home, but it was still not enough. Boston’s scoring woes have returned in full force and the Bruins simply haven’t been able to match Philly’s speed and skill since Simon Gagne returned to the Flyers lineup and David Krejci was lost for the postseason. They have one final chance to find an answer and avoid the ignominy of becoming the third team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 lead.

Series Status: Tied, 3-3.

Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk (55) lands a hit on Mike Richards, but the Flyers slipped past Boston to tie the series at 3-3. (photo: Getty)

Revisiting the Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Get offense from the defense – After managing just two combined shots from their six defensemen in Game 5, the Bruins did a better job of generating shots from the blue line. The defense had 15 of Boston’s 31 shots, led by Zdeno Chara, who had five shots after finishing with none in the previous two games. But the Bruins still had trouble getting shots through from the point, as the defense had 16 other attempts blocked and seven miss the net, and most of the ones that did get through were perimeter shots that didn’t present much of a challenge for Flyers goalie Michael Leighton.

2. Stop Gagne – The Bruins kept Simon Gagne from scoring a goal for the first time in three games since he returned from a broken toe in Game 4, but he still assisted on Philadelphia’s first goal and had four shots in 17:59. He remains on ongoing concern and a matchup problem every time he’s on the ice that the Bruins will have to pay special attention to in Game 7.

3. Stay out of the box – The Bruins did a slightly better job of avoiding penalties, but after committing 10 penalties for 22 minutes in Game 5 there was really nowhere to go but up. They still committed four penalties, plus a fifth that resulted in a penalty shot, and Philadelphia’s winning goal came on the power play. That came on a 4-on-3 with both Marc Savard (high-sticking) and Daniel Paille (elbowing) in the box. Mark Stuart also took an elbowing call for an overly rambunctious hit and Blake Wheeler took a bad holding penalty in the final minute of the second period. Vladimir Sobotka’s hook on Ville Leino led to the penalty shot in the third, but Tuukka Rask made the stop to keep it a 2-0 game.

Key Play of the Game:

It was during Boston’s first penalty – Stuart’s elbowing call – that the Bruins had a chance to change the complexion of the entire game. The Flyers dominated the early going, scoring 6:58 in and having a chance to double that lead with the game’s first power play at 11:02. But the best chance to score on that power play was by the Bruins, as Steve Begin made a nifty backhand pass to Trent Whitfield, who had snuck behind Chris Pronger and was in alone on a clean breakaway. Whitfield’s shot was right into Leighton’s chest though, and the Flyers dodged that bullet and remained in control.

Fight Card:

Still no fights in the series, and none should be expected at this point as the stakes are too high to risk any extra penalties in an elimination game. Both sides continued to play a strong physical game with plenty of hitting and intensity, but neither side had anyone come close to dropping the gloves.

Quote of the Night:

Bruins coach Claude Julien on the club’s struggles to finish chances:

“We didn’t probably get enough scoring chances in the second (period), even though we had the puck in their end quite a bit,” said Julien. “But in the third we got a few more scoring chances, hit a few posts and the pucks just weren’t going in for us tonight. I’m not going to criticize my players’ effort. I thought we were ready. But somehow we’ve got to find a way to score goals.”

Flynn’s Finest:

Tuukka Rask looked a little uncomfortable early, playing deeper in the net than usual and scrambling around a bit, but he settled down as the game went on and came up with some big stops to keep the Bruins in the game. His biggest save was a glove snare of Leino’s backhand on the penalty shot to keep it 2-0 with 7:21 left in the third. It was a nice rebound effort after letting in nine goals in the previous two games. … Milan Lucic finally got Boston on the board – after a scoring drought of 134:12 – when he banged in a shot from out front with a minute left. He had three shots in 16:20, but had just one hit. It was his third goal of the series to go along with two assists, a welcome addition to Boston’s floundering offense, but the Bruins need him to be more of a physical presence as well. … Zdeno Chara had an assist on Lucic’s goal and five shots and four hits in 27:36, while Dennis Wideman also had an assist and was plus-1 in 23:49 with four shots and three hits. Those hits included a crushing shot on James van Riemsdyk in the neutral zone early in the second period. … Johnny Boychuk chipped in three shots, four hits and a blocked shot in 21:22. … Trent Whitfield only played 8:43, but he created one chance with the short-handed breakaway and also hit the near post with a shot from the left boards. He had two hits and won 8 of 11 face-offs (73 percent). … The Bruins as a team outhit Philadelphia 33-20 and won 39 of 64 draws (61 percent). Patrice Bergeron won 15 of 27 draws (56 percent0 and also hit a post from in close and Marc Savard won 8 of 12 face-offs (67 percent).

Flynn’s Sin Bin:

The Bruins outshot Philadelphia 31-27, but they could have put a lot more pressure on Michael Leighton as many of those shots were from the perimeter and the majority of their attempts never even made it on net. The Bruins attempted 79 shots, but 30 were blocked and 18 missed the net. By comparison, the Flyers put 27 of their 43 attempts on net, with the Bruins blocking just 10 and only six missing the net. The Flyers’ 30-10 advantage in blocked shots shows which side really wanted this one and was willing to make the sacrifices necessary for the win. … Blake Wheeler didn’t have a shot and committed a bad holding penalty in the final minute of the second period. … Daniel Paille had just one shot and also took an elbowing penalty that put Boston down two men briefly and led to Danny Briere’s goal on a 4-on-3 power play. … That penalty came on the heels of Marc Savard high-sticking call. Savard had just two shots in 17:28. … Miroslav Satan has picked a horrible time to go ice cold. After scoring nine points in a six-game point streak, he has no points in the last three games, all Boston losses. He hasn’t scored since Krejci was injured and has struggled to find similar chemistry with Savard. Satan was one of just two Bruins to finish a minus on the day at minus-1 in 16:06. … Matt Hunwick was the only Bruins defenseman without a shot on goal, as both of his attempts in 19:18 were blocked. … The Bruins power play was 0 for 4 with just three total shots.

Next: It all comes down to one game now, with a winner-take-all Game 7 on tap back in Boston on Friday.

The Bruins are coming home. One more effort like this and they will be going home for good.

Boston finally managed to end a goal drought that had lasted for 134 minutes and 12 seconds when Milan Lucic banged home a rebound in front with one minute left and Tuukka Rask pulled for the extra attacker. But that was it for the Bruins offense in this one, as Philadelphia held on for a 2-1 win to push the series to a deciding Game 7 on Friday at the Garden.

A couple quick thoughts on the third period before returning with a full post-game breakdown:

- The Bruins tried to get something going, outshooting Philly 10-6 in the third. But even with Lucic’s late tally, they never really threatened Philly’s control of this one. They finished with a 31-27 edge in shots, but didn’t do nearly enough to challenge Michael Leighton, who was allowed to shake off the rust with relatively few truly testing chances on him.

- The Flyers defense had a lot to do with that. Philly finished with 30 blocked shots to Boston’s 10. That included a 13-2 edge in the third period. The Bruins put just 31 of their 79 shot attempts on net, while Philadelphia put 27 of their 43 attempts on goal.

- The Bruins actually got a break with 7:21 left when Ville Leino was awarded a penalty shot when Vladimir Sobotka hooked him from behind to disrupt a 2-on-1 bid from Danny Briere after Johnny Boychuk made a leaping attempt to glove a clear down at the blue line and missed. it probably should have just been a two-minute penalty, but the penalty shot was called and Tuukka Rask made the glove save, keeping it 2-0 with two more minutes of even-strength time left to rally.

- The Bruins hit a second post early in the third when Patrice Bergeron found iron on a bid from Michael Ryder, sending a shot off the right post with 12:35 left.