Seguin assisted on defenseman Andrew Ference's goal to give Boston a 3-2 lead and netted the game-winner in overtime to force a Game 7.
View full sizeBoston Bruins forward Tyler Seguin celebrates his game-winning overtime goal in Game 6 against the Washington Capitals.Where have you been Tyler Seguin?
It's good to see the Boston Bruins regular season leading scorer come to the rescue when needed most.
Seguin was frustrated during the first five games of the Bruins' Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Washington Capitals. He didn't have a point to his name despite 20 shots on Capitals rookie netminder Braden Holtby, but with his team in jeopardy of elimination from the playoffs, he came through.
Seguin assisted on defenseman Andrew Ference's third period goal then netted the game-winner at 3:17 in overtime to win 4-3 and force a Game 7 back in Boston Wednesday.
"I think in this series we’ve had a lot of chances and opportunities and I haven’t been bearing down and finishing them off and it’s just really nice to get that feeling of getting one," Seguin said after the game.
The 20-year-old Seguin ringed a shot at Holtby's head at 11:57 of the third period, which bounced off his mask and in front of the net. Four players missed the loose puck, but Ference was right behind them to rip it in.
In the overtime period, it was a group effort from David Krejci, Milan Lucic and Seguin. Krejci intercepted Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom's pass in the neutral zone, dished it to Lucic then Seguin in the middle who veered it around Holtby.
"When you’re a little kid that’s the dream is to get those big goals and keep your team alive," Seguin said. "I think looking back on my career so far this is probably one of the biggest goals I’ve got."
Besides Seguin stepping up, much can be said about the whole Bruins' top line.
Krejci scored a big power-play goal to give Boston a 2-1 lead in the first period assisted by Lucic and forward Rich Peverley who leads the team with five points (three goals, two assists).
Bruins coach Claude Julien may have to seriously think about keeping Lucic, Krejci, and Seguin together as the top line for Game 7.
"...I think putting them back together, you could see Tyler’s game coming around and when it comes around, you give him that opportunity to take it to the next level," Julien said Monday. "Putting him up on that line again just creates that excitement again – that’s where he wants to be."
The Bruins and Capitals will both benefit with a three-day break before their ultimate showdown, which will decide who moves on to the conference semifinals.
Boston played in three Game 7's last year against the Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vancouver Canucks on its way to bringing home the Stanley Cup for the first time in 39 years.
Let's see if they can do it again.