And then out of nowhere, a Canadiens goal was manufactured by of all people, Scott Gomez. Gomez has had a terrible season in Montreal and has been heavily criticized by fans and media, but on this night was one of the team's heroes with 2 assists. Gomez stole the puck inside the Bruins zone and fed Brian Gionta for the goal that sealed the Bruins fate. This was a bad goal for the Bruins on a couple of levels. It was the result of a turnover in their own zone late in the game and it was a shot that Tim Thomas should have stopped. If you're a Bruins fan, you have to wonder if Thomas is the type of goaltender that can take a team to the Cup. His playoff record coming into this game was a mediocre 10-8. Yes, he put up Vezina Trophy winning numbers this season as he did 2 years ago, but the question is, can he be relied upon in a big game? To date, the answer is No. He doesn't project the confidence that you expect from a big game goalie, and his unorthodox style can sometimes leave him out of position and vulnerable. Until this season, Carey Price may not have inspired that confidence either, but Price has excelled in big game situations in the past with Team Canada in the World Junior Championships and more recently with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Price now appears to be bringing that game to the NHL Playoffs. This isn't a major revelation, but this series is going to come down to the goaltenders and in that regard, the Canadiens have an advantage. This loss substantially hurts the Bruins chances of winning the series as they have played poorly at the Bell Centre in Montreal this season (losing all three contests convincingly), and now they are going to have to win a game in that building to survive.
- Brian Lomax