Devils eliminate Flyers to reach Eastern Conference Finals

Ice storm: New Jersey's Dainius Zubrus (right) checks Philadelphia's Erik Gustafsson into the boards during the Devils' 3-1 win on Tuesday. AP

PHILADELPHIA — Martin Brodeur missed all the postseason fun a year ago. One of the game's all-time greats, the veteran goaltender considered retirement and the New Jersey Devils were absent from the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

Flash forward a year later. The cheering and hollering from behind closed doors in the Devils locker room could be heard way down the Wells Fargo Center hallway. Days after he turned 40, Brodeur has the Devils back where they've been six other times before in their 30-year history.

The Eastern Conference Finals.

Bryce Salvador, David Clarkson and Ilya Kovalchuk scored goals to lift New Jersey to a 3-1 Game 5 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, sending the Devils into the conference championship round for the first time since 2003.

The Devils await the winner of the New York-Washington series, which the Rangers lead, 3-2. New Jersey rebounded this season under coach Peter DeBoer in his first season on New Jersey's bench after the franchise suffered one of its worst years since general manager Lou Lamoriello took over in 1987.

Brodeur had 27 saves and the Devils hope they can ride him all the way to June one more time.

"It seems forever for a lot of guys," Brodeur said. "It's tough to do that. We're fortunate to have made it there so far."

The sixth-seeded Devils scored twice in the first period and became the first East team to win four straight games in these playoffs.

"It was just sticking with the game plan and doing what it takes to be successful," DeBoer said. "Marty made some saves when he needed to, and we held on."

Max Talbot scored for the Flyers, but Philadelphia was eliminated in the conference semifinals for the second straight season. The Flyers finished the season without suspended All-Star forward Claude Giroux because of his illegal check to the head on New Jersey center Dainius Zubrus in Game 4.

"It should have been a tighter series," Giroux said, wearing a suit.

The Flyers underwent a facelift last summer that saw them trade team captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings and acquire goalie Ilya Bryzgalov from the Phoenix Coyotes.

The Kings and Coyotes will play in the West finals while the Flyers watch from home.

The Flyers again failed in the postseason to hold a quick lead after Talbot scored in the first. Meanwhile, the Devils survived a rugged series of hits unleashed by a frustrated Flyers team that failed to build anything off the surprising first-round victory over Pittsburgh. Anton Volchenkov, Marek Zidlicky and Zubrus all suffered punishing hits that knocked them down to the ice in Game 5.

Bryzgalov had a disheartening end to an erratic first season in Philadelphia. He allowed two YouTube-worthy goals like only he can. Salvador unleashed a shot from outside the circle that skipped along the ice as if he threw a rock across a pond and sailed high over Bryzgalov for the tying goal.

In a season loaded with head-scratching tallies allowed, Bryzgalov saved the weirdest for the finale. Clarkson's dump-in was pushed by Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen toward the goaltender. Instead of controlling it, wrapping it around the boards or even just covering it, Bryzgalov pushed it right back toward a charging Clarkson, whose stick grazed the puck as it slid through the netminder and past the line.

"I honestly had no idea it went in until I heard the crowd yelling," Clarkson said. "Just to be on the forecheck when that went in is an unbelievable feeling."

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Mavs storm back to even NBA Finals

Clutch hoop: Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki goes up for the winning basket between Miami's Chris Bosh (left) and Udonis Haslem in the waning seconds of Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night. The Mavericks beat the Heat 95-93 to tie the series 1-1. AP PHOTO

MIAMI — Any pain in Dirk Nowitzki's left hand wouldn't have hurt nearly as much as a 2-0 deficit.

So he put the ball there — torn-up finger and all — and hoisted the shot that gave the Dallas Mavericks new life in the NBA Finals.

Nowitzki shook off an injury to his non-shooting hand and made the tie-breaking layup with 3.6 seconds left, and the Mavericks roared back from 15 points down in the fourth quarter to stun the Miami Heat 95-93 on Thursday night and tie the series at one game apiece.

"You can just sense it in us that we weren't going to give up, we were going to be resilient," Dallas guard Jason Terry said.

Capping a furious rally by scoring Dallas' final nine points, Nowitzki made two late baskets left-handed — despite a torn tendon on his middle finger. He finished with 24 points, saying the finger felt fine.

"Definitely a huge comeback for us and we never gave up, and that was big," Nowitzki said.

Nowitzki was hurt in Game 1 when he slapped at the ball while trying to make a steal from Chris Bosh. He fiddled with various braces and splints over the last two days before settling on a small one that sat lower on the finger and allowed him to keep a good feel of the ball.

Dwyane Wade had 36 points for Miami, but his desperation 3-pointer was off at the buzzer.

Game 3 is Sunday in Dallas.

Seemingly out of the game when the Heat led 88-73 with 7:15 remaining, Dallas held the Heat to just one field goal from there, a 3-pointer by Mario Chalmers with 24.5 seconds that tied it just 2 seconds after Nowitzki's 3 had made it 93-90.

But after a timeout, Jason Kidd ran the clock down before getting the ball to Nowitzki, who drove into the lane, spun back to the left and made the layup.

"We're a veteran team and we don't get too high with the highs and too low with the lows," Nowitzki said.

Terry, largely silent since the first half of Game 1, fueled the comeback with a couple of jumpers and finished with 16 points. Shawn Marion had 20 points for the Mavericks, who had lost four straight Finals games in Miami since taking a 2-0 lead in the 2006 series.

They were about to go down 2-0 this time before Nowitzki, who insisted his injured finger wouldn't hinder him, led a rally even more amazing than the one that won Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, when the Mavs trailed Oklahoma City by 15 in the fourth quarter before pulling it out in overtime.

"Just a different series, but we always believe we can come back regardless of the score," Marion said. "The game is over when the final buzzer rings."

LeBron James scored 20 points for the Heat.

He and Wade were running by and over the older Mavs for three quarters, and it appeared the only thing that could slow them down was that big trophy they would soon be holding.

Not so fast.

Wade angered the Mavs, particularly Terry, when he held his follow through after his 3-pointer from the corner with 7:15 left capped a 13-0 run and made it 88-73. Though Dallas said it was bothered by Miami's actions, James and Wade — who have already endured plenty of criticism for premature partying — denied that was the case this time.

"There was no celebration at all," James said. "I was excited about the fact that he hit a big shot and we went up 15."

The Heat suddenly went cold, holding the ball too long on possessions and forcing James and Wade to attempt long jumpers with the shot clock winding down, instead of playing to their strengths and driving into the lane.

"We just didn't execute down the stretch," Bosh said. "There's no shock. There's disappointment. But the reality is the reality. We might as well get used to it and focus on the next one."

A series of those missed jumpers eventually ended with the Mavs getting possession, and Nowitzki making a layup that tied it 90-90 with 57 seconds to play.

The Heat lost for the first time in 10 games at home in the playoffs and will have to win at least once in Dallas to force the series back here.

"That's about as tough a fourth quarter as you can have," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "When it started to slide, it just kept on going."

The Heat held the Mavs, whose offense was so precise in their victories over the Lakers and Oklahoma City, to one of their worst performances of the postseason in Game 1. Yet Miami didn't expect to shut down Dallas the way it did Boston and Chicago in the last two rounds, with Spoelstra saying before the game the Mavs would "hit back."

But Miami weathered the early storm and appeared to have nothing to worry about in the second half.

A 29-10 burst spanning halftime showed off the Heat at their athletic best: A dunk by James, a dunk by Wade, and a long alley-oop pass from Wade to James on the fast break that turned a 51-51 halftime tie into a 57-52 lead.

And just when Dallas got it down to four late in the period, James drove right for a powerful slam that left Tyson Chandler throwing his hands up in the air as if to say "How do we stop that?"

Eventually they did.

And they turned the tables on the Heat, who pulled off a stunning comeback of their own to spark the turnaround in the 2006 series. Dallas had a double-digit lead midway through the fourth quarter of Game 3 of that one, Wade brought Miami back, and the Heat never looked back.

Considering he has more help now with James and Bosh, Miami's inability to put this one away is even more amazing.

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Bruins edge Lightning, book trip to Stanley Cup finals

BOSTON — Vezina Trophy finalist Tim Thomas stopped every shot and gave the Boston Bruins a chance for the biggest prize of all — the Stanley Cup.

Intense struggle: Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis (left) and Boston's Mark Recchi vie for the puck in the second period of Game 7 on Friday night. The Bruins won 1-0 to take the series 4-3. AP PHOTO

Forget their 20-year absence from the finals. Don't talk about their epic playoff collapse of last season. And certainly don't mention their powerless power play.

None of that matters after the Bruins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 1-0 on Friday night on Nathan Horton's goal with 7:33 left in the penalty-free Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

"I'm just happy to see those guys smiling in the dressing room," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "Right now we're four wins from winning the Stanley Cup."

The Bruins will open the Stanley Cup finals in Vancouver against the Western Conference champion Canucks on Wednesday night.

Boston won its most recent championship in 1972 and hadn't reached the finals since 1990, when it lost to the Edmonton Oilers.

The Bruins left far behind the specter of last year's playoff failure. They blew a 3-0 lead in games and a 3-0 lead in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, losing 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers.

"From the beginning of the season, we knew we had some unfinished business," Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said. "Guys were hungry throughout the playoffs."

This season, they squandered 3-2 series leads in the first round against Montreal and then against Tampa Bay. But they beat the Canadiens 4-3 in overtime in Game 7, with Horton scoring the winning goal.

Then the forward, playing in the postseason for the first time in his career after five seasons with the Florida Panthers, came through again with his eighth playoff goal.

"He certainly has played like a big-game player," Julien said.

So has Thomas — all season.

The 37-year-old goalie led the NHL in goals-against average and save percentage after missing all of last year's playoffs because of a hip injury. After offseason surgery, he was as good as ever, and that includes the 2008-09 season when he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goalie.

"I think a lot of people thought I was over the hill," Thomas said. "I knew it wasn't true. I put in a lot of work over the summer and I've had an unbelievable year. I've been blessed."

He made 24 saves in his third career playoff shutout and second of the Lightning series. Horton's goal spoiled an outstanding game by Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson, who stopped 37 shots.

Thomas' playoff performance is even more remarkable because the Bruins scored just five goals on 61 power plays in the postseason. But there were no power plays for either side on Friday night in the clean, hard-hitting game.

"There wasn't anything out there to call," Roloson said. "Give the referees credit for not disrupting the flow of the game."

Horton beat Roloson by deflecting a pass from left to right across the slot from David Krejci.

"It is hard to explain how good this feeling is," Horton said.

His goal set off a loud celebration among Bruins fans, who have waited a long time for a trip to the finals.

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Big 3 brings Heat within one win of reaching finals

Temperature's rising: Heat forward LeBron James backs down the Bulls' Ronnie Brewer during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday in Miami. The Heat took a 3-1 lead in the series with a 101-93 victory. AP

MIAMI — Dwyane Wade missed a dunk in the first quarter. He didn't score in the second half. He was slow at times, sluggish at others, barely a factor for long stretches of the game.

That is, until it mattered most.

The Big Three is one win away from playing for the NBA's biggest prize, and all three had a huge hand in putting the Miami Heat on that doorstep.

LeBron James scored 35 points, Chris Bosh added 22 and Wade perked up to block as many shots — two — as Chicago made in overtime, as the Heat topped the Bulls 101-93 in a scintillating Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the series.

"You could tell that neither team wanted to lose," Wade said. "Both teams were clawing. If you're a fan of the game, this was a great basketball game. . . . This was will."

Miami will go for the clincher Thursday in Chicago, where the Heat can wrap up their first finals trip since 2006.

"It's one game away," James said. "We're not taking anything for granted."

Derrick Rose scored 23 points for the Bulls, who got 20 apiece from Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer. Chicago has lost three straight games for the first time this season, and afterward, the league's reigning MVP pointed the finger of blame at himself.

"It's not over," said Rose, who shot 8 of 27 and turned the ball over seven times.

Still, some doubt may be creeping in. Chicago had its chances, and knew it, but was unable to take advantage of a largely off night by Wade. Rose was guarded in the game's biggest minutes by James, and the MVP past had the upper hand against the MVP present.

"It's extremely hard," Rose acknowledged, "when a 6-8 (203-cm) guy can easily defend you."

The Heat were down by 11 early, led for only 4? minutes in the third and fourth quarters, and had Wade stuck on eight points from late in the second quarter until past the midpoint of overtime.

Somehow, it wasn't a problem. A sleep-deprived Mike Miller — whose wife delivered a baby last week — scored 12 points and made plenty of key defensive plays to help Miami outscore Chicago by a whopping 36 points with him on the floor.

And the stars, well, were stars.

"We know offensively, at times, we have rough stretches," James said. "But we give ourselves chances to win every game because we defend."

James was 11-for-26 from the field and 13-for-13 — his best playoff showing ever — from the foul line. Bosh was aggressive again, making 10 of his 11 free throws. Miami made its last 24 straight from the stripe, and the defense was again the biggest key of all.

"Defense is the reason that we're here," Bosh said. "Defense is the reason that we win every game. And defense is the reason why we have a chance of winning Game 5."

From the Miami perspective, this game will be remembered for how the Heat rallied around Wade — then watched him save his best for last.

"We reminded him in one of the final huddles, this is his time," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The 2006 NBA Finals MVP was in the arena late Monday night, trying to work on some things in one of his customary playoff after-dark sessions.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. This seemed like it would be the latter.

Whatever answer he sought, he didn't find for much of Game 4. Wade made just 5 of 16 shots from the field, lacking his usual lift at the rim. He made a pair of free throws with 1:50 left in the first half for his seventh and eighth points, and didn't score again until overtime.

Better late than never.

"Hey, they're a great team," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "They compete. They play hard. They play great defense . . . and they made plays at the end."

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