Right now, the Vancouver Canucks hold a 2-1 series lead over the San Jose Sharks in three games in the Western Conference Finals. Across the bracket, we've got another seemingly even matchup going on between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins. They're currently locked in a 2-2 series battle after Saturday's game four, in which the Lightning took 5-3 in dramatic fashion.
Tampa Bay rallied back from a 3-0 deficit in the first period to score three of their own in the second, and two more in the third to get the win and the series tie. Simon Gagne was the hero in 6:54 into the third and final frame, with a wrister to beat TIm Thomas. Martin St. Louis added an empty netter at the end for good measure. Tampa Bay's second period consisted of goals from Teddy Purcell twice and Sean Bergenheim.
It wasn't all bad from the Bruins, but they definitely did not respond well to pressure. They did force Dwayne Roloson to be pulled in the first period with their goals from Patrice Bergeron (two), and Michael Ryder. One of Bergeron's goals in that opening frame was a shorthanded affair, benefiting from sloppy play by the lightning. Roloson was pulled after allowing three goals on only nine shot,s the second time in three games that he's been yanked.
Kudos goes out to Mike Smith, the goalie in relief for Tampa Bay, who stopped 21-of-21 shots for his first playoff win. Play goes back to Boston for game five in this series on Monday, on Versus at 5:00 p.m. pacific. Both of these opponents look like a formidable threat to our Sharks, but they still have to get past the juggernaut that is Vancouver.