It all comes down to this. After 82 regular season games and a playoff series that can go no further, a pair of sports' most hated rivals will square off in a do-or-die Game 7 when the Boston Bruins host the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET, Versus and NESN). The winner advances to the Eastern Conference semifinals, while the loser is left spending a summer wondering what if.
The puck drops on Game 7 exactly 24 hours after Game 6 started, in Montreal. The Canadiens were able to take advantage of costly Bruins turnovers for the 2-1 win to force at least one more day of their 2010-1 season.
The Bruins already got a small bit of good news on Wednesday when Milan Lucic avoided suspension for hit on Jaroslav Spacek, meaning he's available for Game 7. But if they hope to win Wednesday night, they'll need to figure out how to score on the power play, something they have so far been unable to do in this series.
"Our power play is struggling lately," said Boston forward Patrice Bergeron. "They won the game tonight because of their power play. We have to make sure we find a way and bear down. It all comes down to one game so you have to make sure you're ready and play desperate."
And because it should be noted: Boston has never won a best-of-seven series after falling behind 2-0.
If the Bruins win, they'll head to Philadelphia for a rematch with the Flyers in the Conference Semifinals. Should Montreal win Game 7, they'll face the Washington Capitals.