BIG MOMENTS - May 10, 2009: CAR @ BOS

The plays that turn the tide in every game of playoff action -- that is what the beauty of hockey history is built on.

Check back every night following all the 2009 playoff action to witness NHL.com's game-changing moment from each game, as well as the rest of each game's goals, saves and hits.

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Carolina at Boston - Game 5

A) Lucic hit on Seidenberg - The Bruins needed a spark in Game 5 if they were going to make a sincere effort to avoid elimination. Milan Lucic started a fire.

With the game scoreless, Lucic made a tremendous hit on Dennis Seidenberg, jarring the Carolina defenseman and igniting his teammates and the crowd. On the ensuing Boston rush into the Carolina end, Lucic took a pass in the slot and made a great redirect that Cam Ward stopped, but not before Seidenberg was sent off for slashing.

The Bruins would go on to score their first goal of the game on the resulting power play -- one that came courtesy of a rejuvenated Boston attack, an attack that was inspired by the Lucic hit.

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B) Chara shoots, Recchi scores - The game remained scoreless, with both teams trading chances late in the first period, when Milan Lucic drew a slashing penalty on Dennis Seidenberg.

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara fired a sneaky little wrist shot on net, instead of his customary slapper. Veteran Mark Recchi showed great hand-eye coordination, redirecting the puck from almost four-and-a-half feet in the air down to ice level, helping the frozen disc find its way through Ward's body.

The power-play tally opened the scoring and gave Boston a lead it wouldn't relinquish the rest of the game.

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C) Thomas' timely saves - Minutes after the Bruins took the lead in Game 5, the Hurricanes drew a penalty and were looking for the equalizer.

A pass came fluttering out in the slot to Sergei Samsonov, who put a quick wrist shot on net. Tim Thomas read the pass and took away the bottom of the net, making a pad stop. However the rebound came straight out to the pinching defenseman, Joni Pitkanen, who ripped a shot on net. Thomas somehow came across and got himself in front of the puck, stoning Pitkanen on his bid to tie the contest.

Instead of falling into a tie, Thomas' acrobatics enabled the Bruins to stay ahead, and let them extend their lead late in the first period.

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D) Kessel stuns 'Canes - Carolina was pressing for the tying goal, but the Bruins were looking to expand their lead heading into the dressing room for the first intermission.

Phil Kessel started the play, coming through the neutral zone with speed. Kessel spun a stellar backhand pass to Marc Savard, who made a tremendous tape-to-tape pass back to Kessel, with Milan Lucic causing havoc in front the net. Kessel shot the puck into a gaping cage, extending the Bruins' lead to 2-0.

The goal completely demoralized the Hurricanes, who had been pushing to head into the second period tied. Instead Carolina found its deficit doubled.

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E) Chara hits, Kessel scores - Five minutes into the second period, the Hurricanes were looking for ways to turn the momentum in their favor after falling behind in the first.

Eric Staal aimed a hit at the 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara. Staal bounced off the Bruins' captain and down to the ice, much to the delight of the hometown crowd. The momentum shift was represented on the score sheet just 20 seconds later as Chara knocked down a pass in the neutral zone. Marc Savard grabbed the puck and flew down the left wing. Chara drove to the net, taking the Hurricanes' defensemen with him and leaving Phil Kessel wide open. Savard made a sweet pass to Kessel in the slot. Kessel corralled the pass and put it into the back of the net for a 3-0 Bruin lead.

Chara's dumping of Staal and subsequent offensive rush proved to be the catalyst the Bruins needed to put Game 5 out of reach, and send the series back to Carolina.


FINAL SCORE: Bruins 4, Hurricanes 0

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