That's what the Bruins and their fans will have on their hands at 7:30 on Wednesday night as the defending Stanley Cup champions take on the Washington Capitals at TD Garden.
That means that Wednesday will undoubtedly be an uneasy day for B's fans, but the Bruins themselves are no strangers to Game 7 situations. In fact, this will be the seventh Game 7 the Bruins have played in since Claude Julien took over as head coach prior to the 2007-08 season.
Here's a look at how the Black and Gold has fared in those games.
2008 — Bruins lose 5-0 to Canadiens in first round
The Bruins entered the playoffs as the eighth seed in 2008 after a third-place finish in the Northeast Division. Waiting for the B's was the top-seeded Montreal Canadiens. The B's and Habs traded blows throughout the series, but Boston just ran out of steam for Game 7 as Montreal ran wild in Game 7 on the way to a 5-0 win. The highlight may have been this nifty goal by Mark Streit.
2009 — Bruins lose 4-3 to Carolina Hurricanes in second round
One year after being knocked out by the top-seeded Canadiens, the script was flipped in 2009. The B's entered the playoffs as the top seed, and they rolled over the Habs with a sweep. That set up a second-round series with the Carolina Hurricanes, their first postseason meeting since 1999, and a series that conjured memories of the franchises' past battles when the Canes were the Hartford Whalers.
One of the turning points in the series was in Game 5. Late in what would be a Bruins blowout, Carolina forward Scott Walker landed what Tim Thomas called one of the worst sucker punches he'd ever seen on Bruins defenseman Aaron Ward. The cheap shot went unpunished, at least in terms of a suspension, and naturally, Walker returned to score the game-winner in overtime of Game 7.
2010 — Bruins lose 4-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers in second round
The Bruins were rolling. They had just beaten the Flyers in Philadelphia to take a 3-0 series lead in their second-round series. However, the Bruins lost arguably their best offensive player, David Krejci, after a big open-ice hit from Mike Richards. Simply put, the B's were never the same.
The Bruins made history, and not in the good way, by blowing the 3-0 lead in the series and a 3-0 lead in Game 7 to cap one of the worst collapses in sports history. Simon Gagne, who had a monster series, finished things late in Game 7 when he scored the eventual game-winner on the power play following a brutal too many men on the ice penalty from Boston.
2011 — Bruins beat Canadiens 4-3 (in overtime) in first round
A Game 7 against the Canadiens is big enough. A Game 7 against the Canadiens that goes into overtime? That's bordering on unhealthy for Bruins fans.
That's exactly where the B's found themselves in the first round of the 2011 playoffs. A questionable penalty call against Patrice Bergeron gave the Canadiens a late power play, and they cashed in on it with a blast from P.K. Subban with time running out in regulation.
However, Nathan Horton endeared himself to Bruins fans forever when his blast from the point got by Carey Price for the game-winner in overtime.
2011 — Bruins beat Tampa Bay Lightning 1-0 in Eastern Conference final
It was one of the best hockey games you'll ever see, especially if you were wearing black and gold. The Bruins and Lightning capped a tremendous seven-game series with an unforgettable Game 7 at the Garden.
Tim Thomas continued his historic run by once again standing on his head, ensuring that the Bruins would only need one goal to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final in over 20 years. That one goal came once again from Horton who scored on a beautiful play through the three zones to beat Tampa's 1-3-1 defense and punch the Bruins' ticket to the Cup Final.
2011 — Bruins beat Vancouver Canucks 4-0 in Stanley Cup Final
The Bruins and Canucks entered the Stanley Cup Final as relatively unfamiliar adversaries. They left the seven-game war as hated rivals.
The two teams built an undeniable hatred throughout the series, with the Canucks pushing Boston to the brink of elimination after five games. With the Stanley Cup in Boston for Game 6, the Bruins pushed back with another home blowout, this time lighting Roberto Luongo and the Canucks up for a 5-2 win.
The series shifted back to Vancouver for a Game 7, and the Bruins would have to go into it without Horton who suffered a concussion after a crushing hit from Aaron Rome in Game 3. If the B's were missing the bruising forward in Game 7, it didn't show, as the B's came out early and often before cruising to a 4-0 win, allowing the B's to bring the Cup back to Boston for the first time in 39 years.
