Entering the always critical Game 3, the double rainbow right outside the TD Garden was as positive a sign as you could have for the hometown Bruins.
In fact, the worst thing to happen to Boston all night was captain Zdeno Chara taking a tumble during the pregame skate. He needed a few stitches, but he was good to go by game time.
At first, it seemed like the offense might never get on track against Chicago netminder Corey Crawford.
But then Daniel Paille put the B's up 1-0 a couple of minutes into the second period.
Though that score would be the eventual game-winner, Patrice Bergeron gave Boston an insurance goal 12 minutes later off this sweet cross-ice pass from Jaromir Jagr.
The puck movement was absolutely sublime.
The Chicago defense was so stunned that Bergeron even had half a second to steady the puck on his stick first before shooting.
Chicago's offense was stagnant and ineffective all game. And the Blackhawks' last best chance clanged off the post with 45 seconds to play, their fate long sealed.
Play got a little chippy in the game's waning moments, but the outcome was long determined.
With 28 saves, Tuukka Rask had his third shutout of these playoffs, and he didn't make it seem that difficult.
Rask even got a little salty in his postgame comments about the ice quality. In the end, nothing seemed to affect the 26-year-old Finnish goalie.
