Unlike the 1991 & 1992 series against Montreal, I did not watch any of the games in the 1990 playoffs between Boston and the Habs. However, I have had the opportunity to watch them on tape. A great series for Boston. Andy Moog had his first ever playoff shutout and the Bruins beat Patrick Roy and the Canadiens 1-0 to open the 1990 series. Harry Neale considered Game 2 to be the best of the 1990 playoffs (up to that point) - a game where Montreal took 4 one-goal leads only to see Boston tie it up each time - and Cam Neely scored LATE in the third period to send it to OT, and Gary Galley then scored to give the Bruins a 2-0 series lead. Neely had 2 goals and Stephane Richer had 2 for Montreal. Boston chased Patrick Roy in Game 3 and the B's dominated for a 3-0 series lead. Montreal avoided a sweep when super rookie Stephane Lebeau scored twice in Game 4 for a 4-1 B's loss. Game 5 was a thriller. If the Canadiens could win, they would have all the momentum in the world going back to Montreal for Game 6. It was a must-win for Boston. Boston led 1-0 for the longest time (in a tense game similar to Game 1) before Lebeau scored with less than a minute left in the 2nd period. Tied 1-1 late in the third, it looked like the pressure was on Boston to win. Lose and the B's would be in trouble going back to Montreal. With less than 2 minutes left, Roy lost sight of the puck and Glen Wesley scored the biggest goal of his career and the sight of him jumping up and down on the ice was memorable. Andy Moog didn't allow any more goals and Boston won and moved on into the Conference championship.
Game 1: Boston 1, Montreal 0 CBC
Game 2: Boston 5, Montreal 4 (OT) Spch
Game 3: Boston 6, Montreal 3 CBC
Game 4: Montreal 4, Boston 1 Spch
Game 5: Boston 3, Montreal 1 CBC
Other than Games 2 & 5 vs Montreal, there were other memorable comebacks/late goals throughout the regular-season and playoffs in this year of destiny: Game 4 in Hartford when Boston was down 5-2 after 2 periods and looked like they would fall 3-games-to-1 in the series, but they came back in the third and scored the winner with a couple minutes left (Spch). Game 1 in the Conference championship vs Washington: Boston again scored late in the third to clinch the win (CBC). Game 1 vs Edmonton in the Cup finals - another third-period comeback (albeit in an OT loss) (CBC). Nov 1989 vs Montreal when Boston trailed 2-0 with 4 minutes left - and scored 3 goals in under a minute - including Wesley's GWG - to win 3-2 (NESN), and a few nights later vs. New Jersey in a similar third-period comeback (disc damaged - need a replacement). Back-to-back wins vs Chicago in early March with third-period comebacks in each game (Spch & Euro sport), the Bruins' President-Trophy-clinching game at the end of the season where Janney scored the winner with under two minutes left to sew up the regular-season championship (NESN Classic), to and so on...
1990 seemed like a year of destiny for Boston - but they fell 3 games short of the Stanley Cup.