A playoff game for the ages.

[Burnsey]

I've been playing in the Replay Hockey League, commished by Mark McNeil, since the summer of 2000.
This is the most memorable game I've been in.

I did the write up, on the fly, I guess I was 'live-writing'...?

Edmonton comes into Boston, leading 3 games to 2, and hoping to end the series.
Thornton takes an early holding the stick penalty, but the Bruins manage to kill it off.
Reaves takes a holding penalty, but again the Bruins PK is up to the task.
About halfway into the first, Killorn makes it 1-0 Oilers.
Now Stalberg takes a cross checking penalty, but again, the Bruins PK prevents the Oilers from
scoring. Late in the period, Coburn sends a pass to a streaking Stalberg, and he ties up the game.
Shots for the first was 11-8 for Edmonton, while scoring chances were even at three.
The second period begins with coach Burns starting to sub in his third and fourth lines more with his first
line, as Fiddler and Frolik are on his #1 PK, and he doesn’t want them to get burned out to fast.
Four minutes in, and Victor Rask makes it 2-1 for the home team.
About two minutes later, Backes takes a roughing penalty, and the crowd starts to amp up the noise in
The arena. The Oilers are able to kill the penalty, and increase their lead in shots.
The period ends with the Bruins nursing their one goal lead, shots were 11-6 for the Oilers, with Rask’s
goal being the only scoring chance that the two teams could muster.
The third period beings and coach Burns knows that he cannot hold back, he has to send out all four of
his lines, and hope that they can get the win for the raucous home crowd.
Four minutes in and still no scoring, the Bruins even manage a couple of shots.
Then Reaves takes another holding penalty, but this time Backes makes them pay.
Six minutes in, and we are tied, 2-2.
Eight minutes in, and Mitchell takes a High Sticking penalty, and the Oilers are again equal to the task.
Ten minutes in, shots are six-one for the Bruins.
12 minutes in, and this time Reaves draws an Ericsson cross checking penalty, again no Bruins PP goal.
16 minutes in, shots are 26-24, coach Burns sends out his second line, hoping for something.
Last shift of the period, coach Burns sends out his fatigued top line and D pair hoping for a goal.
Williams loses the puck to Thornton, Thornton sends a nice pass to Stalberg, Stalberg loses it to Lovejoy,
Lovejoy loses it to Kucherov, And Kucherov’s shot misses the net.
Shots are ten to four for the Bruins, 2-1 in scoring chances, but the Oilers have the one goal in the
period.
OT starts, and coach Burns puts out his #1 line again, mindful of how fatigued that they are.
In the first shift, the Bruins get three shots in a nice little flurry, which gets the crowd amped again.
Second shift, and the Bruins increase their shot lead to 29-27, and 5-1 in the OT.
Mitchell cross checks Raffl, and the Bruins go on the PP, Oilers had tied up the shots at 29.
Reaves on the PP hits the post, and the Oilers manage to kill another Bruins PP.
12 minutes in, everyone’s tired, coach Burns tosses out the fourth line. Bruins lead the shots 33-30.
Now Rask hits the post. 14 minutes in, still tied, shots are 33-32, coach Burns takes a time out to rest his
first line. Joe Thornton hops over the boards. After an exchange of possessions, he’s in the box for
Unsportsmanlike Conduct, shorthanded, Emelin hits the post. Fiddler and Frolik head out to kill off the
penalty, and they do. Thorton’s line is too fatigued, so coach Burns sends out the fourth line for the last
shift. The Bruins survive the 1st OT and we head to the second. Shots were 10-8 for the Bruins, but
neither team was able to generate any scoring chances.
The Bruins send out the first line, but mindful of the fatigue of their first D pair they send out Benn and
Scuderi, nothing happens on the first shift. Six minutes in, still no scoring, although the Oilers have
gotten a shot. Mitchell takes another penalty, all Bruins’ D men are tired, but not their # PP, who get
some shots, but no goals. Six minutes left, coach Burns throws out his fourth line, “I don’t care what you
smell!” Out goes the second line, four minutes left. It’s like the Thrilla in Manila. After some shots by
both sides, the first line goes back on, and Coburn hits the goalpost. The period ends still 2-2, shots
were 5-3 Bruins, but still no scoring chances.
Once again, we start with the #3 D pair, and the #1 line to being the third OT period. The Oilers get a
nice flurry of shots of, and manage to get a scoring chance, but Elliot knocks it aside, and the second line
comes out on the ice. Six minutes in, shots are 6-0 Edmonton in the period, and 2-0 in Scoring chances,
third line comes out. Rask draws an Ericsson holding penalty. PP killed, eight minutes in, Bruins again
send out the first line. Fifty minutes into OT, and the Bruins are hoping that ANYONE can beat Bishop.
Fifty-Five minutes in, Olli Maatta suffers the first injury, a -1. With all of this fatigue on both sides, I’m
surprised it didn’t happen earlier. After Rask has to cover on D for Hutton, ever seen 40/35 for defence
shifts? neither have I, the first line and D pair head out for the last shift of the first hour of OT.
Shots are 7-4 Oilers, 44-43 overall, 2-0 in scoring chances.
Fourth OT, First line, third pair, five minutes in, and Elliot is forced to make another save on an
Abdelkader scoring chance. There’s something wrong with the boxscore, it shows that the shots are 0-0
In the 4th OT, but it’s 6-5 for the Oilers. We plunge into the fourth OT shift, fourth line, third D pair.
First line, first D pair, thirty-fifth shift of OT, now, seventy minutes of OT, second line, second D pair.
Lindholm has played 45.6 shifts? minutes? I’m unsure. Third and third. Seventy-Four minutes in,
and coach Burns is hoping that the spirit of Mud Bruneteau can help the Bruins survive to game seven.
Shots even at 51, Oilers lead the Bruins 7-6 in scoring chances. 4th line, first D pair. third line, second
D pair, four minutes left. Bruins’ third line is the only one not exhausted. Rask takes a late holding
penalty, and Abdelkader ends the game and the series at 78:20 of OT.

My Bruins scared the hell out of the Oilers, in pushing the series to six games, but their weakness, lack of
discipline finally caught up with them in the end.

Lindholm played 47 minutes, 36 seconds (?) for the Bruins, and Nick Leddy played 48:24 for the Oilers to
lead their respective teams.

Both goalies were far better than in game five, Elliot stopped five of eight, and Bishop stopped four of
six. The Bruins did drag the game into OT, but they were unable to generate any scoring chances after
that. ☹

STARS OF THE GAME
1st Star Trevor Daley (3A 5S )
2nd Star Justin Abdelkader (1G 1A 5S GWG )
3rd Star Ben Bishop (4/6IRS W )

[JMD]

Good God, what a game for the ages!