Schedule and 2010-11 Results
Regular Season Records: Boston 46-25-11=103pts, Tampa Bay 46-25-11=103pts
Game 1 on Saturday, 14 May: Tampa Bay wins at Boston, 5-goals-2
Game 2 on Tuesday, 17 May: Tampa Bay loses at Boston, 6-goals-5
Game 3 on Thursday, 19 May: Boston wins at Tampa Bay, 2-goals-nil
Game 4 on Saturday, 21 May: Boston loses at Tampa Bay, 5-goals-3
Game 5 on Monday, 23 May: Tampa Bay loses at Boston, 3-goals-1
Game 6 on Wednesday, 25 May: Boston loses at Tampa Bay, 5-goals-4
Game 7 on Friday, 27 May: Tampa Bay loses at Boston, 1-goal-nil

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: With a goal 12:27 into the third period, the host Boston Bruins defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 1-goal-nil to win MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1134, 4-games-3. With the series 1134 win, the Boston Bruins improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 43-45 overall and 15-16 in the Semifinals round, and improve their Game 7 record (all rounds) to 11-10. With the series 1134 loss, the Tampa Bay Lightning see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 7-5 overall and 1-1 in the Semifinals round, and see their Game 7 record (all rounds) fall to 3-1. In series 1134, the victorious Boston Bruins posted a win order of LWWLWLW: Series 1134 thus becomes the second NHL Semifinals series, the tenth NHL series (all rounds), and the 24th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow this win order to completion. In a very well-matched series (befitting the identical 2010-11 regular season records of the participants), each team in series 1134 tallied a total of 21 goals, with each team scoring one more total goal than its opponent on home ice. In series 1134 Game 7, the Boston goal at 12:27 of the third period became the only regulation goal ever scored in a best-of-7 NHL Semifinals Game 7 that ended 1-goal-nil. That goal is also the second-latest regulation goal ever scored in a best-of-7 NHL Game 7 (of any round) that ended 1-goal-nil, next only to the goal scored 14:42 into the third period by the New York Islanders in their series 295 Game 7 victory of 1-goal-nil in Pittsburgh over the Penguins (to cap their comeback from a 3-games-nil deficit in their 1975 NHL Quarterfinals series).

After Game 6: The Tampa Bay Lightning hosted and defeated the Boston Bruins 5-goals-4 to force MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1134 to a Game 7 in Boston on Friday. Tampa Bay has a 3-0 overall Game 7 record and a 1-0 Semifinals Game 7 record; Boston has a 10-10 overall Game 7 record and a 3-4 Semifinals Game 7 record. Of all the 139 best-of-7 NHL Semifinals series from 1939 through 2011, inclusive, only one also featured the LWWLWL @ HHVVHV win/site order seen in series 1134: In series 464, the Calgary Flames posted such a win/site order against the St. Louis Blues, en route to a Game 7 win in Calgary in the 1986 NHL Semifinals. Series 464 was noteworthy in that Calgary had led Game 6 in St. Louis 5-goals-2 with just under twelve minutes left in regulation, but the Blues rallied for a 6-goals-5 overtime victory in what is now known within St. Louis hockey circles as the "Monday Night Miracle," whose 25th anniversary was celebrated this month. Nevertheless, the overall series 464 precedent set by Calgary is a favorable one for Boston. For Tampa Bay, their most recent favorable NHL precedent from any round was series 635, in which the New York Islanders posted a WLLWLW @ VVHHVH win/site order through six games and won Game 7 in Pittsburgh over the Penguins in their 1993 NHL Quarterfinals battle, thus ousting the two-time defending NHL champions from the 1993 playoffs. So it is that the Lightning, which rallied from a 3-games-1 deficit to oust the 2011 Pittsburgh Penguins, now hope to emulate the team that ousted the 1993 Pittsburgh Penguins.

After Game 5: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1134 back in Massachusetts for Game 5, the Boston Bruins hosted and defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-goals-1 to take a 3-games-2 series lead. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Boston Bruins have an 18-4 overall series record, a 5-1 Semifinals series record (with an active four-series winning streak), a 10-12 overall Game 6 record, and a 3-3 Semifinals Game 6 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a 2-2 overall series record, a 0-0 Semifinals series record, a 2-2 overall Game 6 record, and a 0-0 Semifinals Game 6 record. Four times previously down 3-games-2 in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Tampa Bay Lightning have had an all-or-nothing history in Games 6-7: The two Game 6 losses necessarily meant series losses; the two Game 6 wins were followed by two Game 7/series wins. For the second game in series 1134 (the first was Game 3), the road team opened the scoring with a goal 69 seconds into the game.

After Game 4: Trailing 3-goals-nil as late as 6:54 into the second period, the host Tampa Bay Lightning rallied for a 5-goals-3 MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1134 Game 4 win to tie their 2011 NHL Semifinals series with the Boston Bruins at 2-games-all. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Boston Bruins have an overall series record of 14-13, a Semifinals series record of 4-7, an overall Game 5 record of 14-13, and a Semifinals Game 5 record of 4-7, while the Tampa Bay Lightning have an overall series record of 3-2, a Semifinals series record of 1-0, an overall Game 5 record of 2-3, and a Semifinals Game 5 record of 1-0. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff games from 1939 through 2010, teams such as Tampa Bay which trailed by three goals 6:54 into the second period (irrespective of site) had a 10-206 (.046) game record.

After Game 3: With MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1134 in west Florida for Games 3-4, the visiting Boston Bruins shut out the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-goals-nil to take a 2-games-1 lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1134. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Boston Bruins have an 18-7 overall series record, a 6-4 Semifinals-round series record, a 12-13 overall Game 4 record, and a 4-6 Semifinals Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a 3-2 overall series record, a 0-0 Semifinals-round series record, a 2-3 overall Game 4 record, and a 0-0 Semifinals Game 4 record. Thrice before have the Boston Bruins opened a best-of-7 NHL playoff series with a win/site order of LWW @ HHV: Series 527 (in the 1989 NHL Preliminary round); series 576 (1991 NHL Preliminary round); series 602 (1992 Prelim) - Boston won all three series.

After Game 2: The Boston Bruins hosted and defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-goals-5 to even MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1134 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a 4-3 overall series record, a 1-0 Semifinals series record, a 4-3 overall Game 3 record, and a 1-0 Semifinals Game 3 record, while the Boston Bruins have a 20-12 overall series record, a 7-4 Semifinals series record, a 15-17 overall Game 3 record, and a 6-5 Semifinals Game 3 record. The Tampa Bay Lightning tallied only 13 seconds into series 1134 Game 2: The goal ties for the seventh-fastest goal to start a best-of-7 NHL playoff game (the record is six seconds, set by the Los Angeles Kings in series 324 Game 4 against - ironically - the Boston Bruins in their 1977 NHL Quarterfinals series).

After Game 1: The Tampa Bay Lightning visited and defeated the Boston Bruins 5-goals-2 in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1134 Game 1. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a 4-0 overall series record, a 1-0 Semifinals series record, a 2-2 overall Game 2 record, and a 0-1 Semifinals-round Game 2 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Boston Bruins have an 11-32 overall series record, a 3-11 Semifinals-round series record, a 16-27 overall Game 2 record, and a 5-9 Semifinals-round Game 2 record. Tampa Bay took a 3-goals-nil Game 1 lead with three goals in 85 seconds - the fourth-shortest time span in which three goals were scored to give a road team a 3-goals-nil lead in best-of-7 NHL playoff game history, behind only 78 seconds (by the Colorado Avalanche in St. Louis against the Blues in series 836 Game 4, in the 2001 NHL Semifinals), 73 seconds (by the Boston Bruins in New Jersey against the Devils in series 513 Game 3, in the 1988 NHL Semifinals), and 56 seconds (by the Montreal Canadiens in Detroit against the Red Wings in series 99 Game 2, in the 1954 NHL Finals).

Pre-series assessment: In the 2010-11 regular season, Boston finished tied with Tampa Bay at 103 points. From 1939 through the 2011 NHL Quarterfinals round, when NHL teams tied their best-of-7 playoff series opponents in regular-season points, the teams with home-ice advantage have posted a 10-7 (.588) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1134 is the 12th best-of-7 playoff series for Tampa Bay, and the 88th for Boston. In best-of-7 playoff series, Tampa Bay has a 7-4 overall series record, a 1-0 Semifinals series record, and a 4-7 Game 1 record, while Boston has a 42-45 overall series record, a 14-16 Semifinals series record, and a 44-43 Game 1 record. Series 1134 is the first best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins.