Bruins seem calm before Game 7

Associated Press

WILMINGTON, MASS.

Now the Boston Bruins know how the Philadelphia Flyers felt the past week. Win or put away the skates for the season.

Like the Flyers after they lost the first three games of their Eastern Conference semifinal, the Bruins are determined not to let three straight losses affect them in tonight’s Game 7. There’s no more leeway for either team anymore.

The Bruins showed calmness and spoke confidently after a nearly hour-long practice Thursday. Barely 12 hours earlier, that practice became necessary with the Flyers’ 2-1 win.

“They’ve had their season on the line the last three games and they’ve had an extra gear that we didn’t match,” Boston defenseman Dennis Wideman said. “Now our season’s on the line so, hopefully, we have that extra gear.”

The Flyers had to scrap just to get into the playoffs. It took a shootout win on the last day of the regular season. They’d hate to let an impressive comeback go to waste but they must play in front of passionate Bruins fans.

“When you’re down 0-3, you look at it as a lot of hard work by all the players,” Philadelphia coach Peter Laviolette said. “It’s a testament to them and their never-quit attitude. Now it comes down to one game. You don’t want all that work to go away for nothing.”

Flyers captain Mike Richards, who scored their first goal in Game 6, doesn’t think they played their best game Wednesday.

“We have to be at our best to get the win,” he said. “Get our legs moving, be confident with the puck and know that we can make plays under pressure.”