Nathan Horton News

They literally handed a goal to a dead, desperate team in front of a listless home crowd to completely change the environment late in the second period.

Black Aces play a unique and important role to an NHL team's postseason run, but who the Boston Bruins will use as Black Aces now that Providence has been eliminated from the playoffs is impossible to guess.

What they were not ready for was the next 28:24. During that span, their lead - and second-round playoff hopes - vanished, leaving fans, players and the media wondering: What went wrong for the Maple Leafs in the 2013 NHL playoffs? Making the playoffs in 2013 was a big deal for the Maple Leafs and their fans.

AP PHOTO Boston Bruins left wing Milan Lucic celebrates a goal by teammate Zdeno Chara in front of New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist during Thursday night's playoff game in Boston.

The second round of the 2013 NHL playoffs is heating up, with the Boston Bruins having already put the New York Rangers on the brink of elimination, the Detroit Red Wings taking a 2-1 series lead over an angry and flustered Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks handing the L.A. Kings two straight losses to even their series at two games each.

The Bruins seized control of the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden taking a 3-0 lead in the series on the strength of a third-period rally.

New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist makes a save on Boston Bruins forward Nathan Horton.

David Krejci's deft touch has played a key role for the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Patrice Bergeron scored the game-tying goal with 50.2 seconds left in regulation and then netted the game-winner 6:05 into overtime to cap a furious Boston comeback and send the Bruins into the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their quarterfinal set from TD Garden.

If the big, bad Bruins should push even deeper into the Stanley Cup playoffs this year, they'll have the little guys to thank.

Coach John Tortorella delivered a cryptic message relating to adjustments "not on the ice" the Rangers require in advance of this afternoon's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bruins, but alternate captain Dan Girardi wasn't cryptic at all in assessing the club's performance in Thursday's Game 1, 3-2 overtime defeat.

Giving the puck to Brad Marchand during the Toronto series was like tossing it into a black hole.

The motto stuck with Andrew Ference after befriending Staff Sergeant Lucas Carr and a group of Army Rangers in 2007.

It was unfolding perfectly for the visitors at Boston's TD Garden on Monday. In the best-of-seven opening playoff round, the Leafs had won the previous two games; surviving late Boston flurries for consecutive 2-1 victories that forced a Game 7 on the Bruins' home ice.

Bruins fans may not be able or willing to put Game 7 in the past and move on just yet, but the Bruins themselves have no choice.

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer, left, makes a save on Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, center, as Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri looks on during the third period of Game 3 of their first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, May 6, 2013, in Toronto.

It's Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Bruins and Rangers have no secrets.

From his perch on the ninth floor, Peter Chiarelli looked down on the ice at what he feared were the last few minutes of the Bruins' season.

In a come-from-behind Game 7 win over the Maple Leafs on Monday, Bruins' Milan Lucic dominated physically, scored a goal and set up another.

With a seemingly insurmountable 4-1 lead over the Bruins midway through the third period, Nathan Horton 's goal made Leaf fans a little nervous.