"What a heck of a game, it was fun to be a part of that," said Mark Recchi.
When the oldest active player in the NHL says something like that, you know it means something. The ending to Game 1 of the conference semifinals between the Bruins and Flyers could've jumped straight from the rink at the TD Garden onto the screen of the nearest movie theater.
Franchise center Marc Savard had suffered through an injury plagued season, which quite possibly concluded with a vicious elbow to his head by Penguins goon Matt Cooke. For weeks, Savard was confined to his apartment with a Grade 2 concussion. He had little tolerance for light, noise and even food for a brief period of time.
Then, as Boston was about to start the playoffs, some hope came in the form of his symptoms disappearing. When the Bruins eliminated the Sabres in Game 6 at home, Savard was up in the press box, giant smile on his face, knowing that he had passed his neuro-psych test and would be back for Round 2. He finished off the first game of that round in style, scoring the game winner in overtime.
"He's such a great player and it seems like he didn't miss a beat at all," said Patrice Bergeron. Savard said that coach Claude Julien did a perfect job of getting him back into game shape while not running him ragged. However, before Savard focuses too much on Game 2 tomorrow night, he should take a step back and reflect on the impact his goal might have.
In the immediate aftermath, Savard certainly couldn't help celebrating as if he were still playing in juniors. His grin was infectious and he did the only thing he could think of, throwing his stick in the crowd. "I thought it was a treat for somebody, but that person threw it back," said Savard. "They probably thought I made a mistake, but that was actually a gift for somebody."
The real gift was the Hollywood-style ending Savard treated his team and the fans to on Saturday. "I guess you can't script it any better," said Savard. "I'll have a lot of time to enjoy it." He absolutely should, because for a long time it looked like this kind of moment might never happen for a player who definitely deserves it.
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