NHL Network presents: Game 7 2011 ECF: Lightning vs. Bruins

All summer long, NHL Network will be replaying the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs -- from every jaw-dropping goal to every highlight-reel save to every crushing defeat.

Each game of the postseason -- spanning the more than two-month period from the opening round to Boston's Game 7 clincher of the Stanley Cup Final -- will be shown on the Network throughout the offseason.

Fans can tune in at 8 p.m. ET nightly for a different game -- and different chance to re-live history. A complete program schedule can be found on NHLNetwork.com.

With the series so tightly contested, featuring various momentum swings and memorable moments, it was only fitting that the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals between the Lightning and Bruins went to a decisive Game 7. This marked the first time a conference final went to the limit since 2006, and it was the second seven-game series of this postseason for both teams -- Boston defeated Montreal in the first round after trailing the series 2-0, and Tampa Bay knocked out the Penguins in its opening series, capping a comeback from a 3-1 deficit.
 
Throughout the playoffs, much attention had been given to Dwayne Roloson’s record in elimination games, which stood at 7-0 after a 5-4 win in Game 6 where he hardly played his best. But he certainly brought his A-game to TD Garden for the series finale, stopping all 15 shots he faced in the first period as the B’s looked for an early knockout blow. The clutch veteran saved almost as many in the second period, as Boston fired 14 more shots in hopes of breaking a scoreless tie.

With the ultimate sudden death overtime looming, Nathan Horton etched his name into the record books. At 12:27 of the third, Horton skated to the top of Roloson’s crease and redirected a David Krejci pass into a gaping net to give Boston the lead. That was all the Bruins needed, as they hung on to defeat Tampa Bay 1-0, making Horton the first player in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to score two Game 7 winners in the same year. He also notched the game-winning goal in Game 7 against Montreal -- in overtime, no less.

This series was as close as could be, decided by the slimmest of margins in Game 7. In fact, each team scored 21 goals in the series. And while Roloson seemed unbeatable on this night, it was actually Tim Thomas who played a flawless game. Thomas stopped all 24 shots he faced, posting his second shutout of the series and lifting the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1990.