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Friday’s Three Stars: Bruins eliminate Flyers; Wings survive

No. 1 Star: Milan Lucic, Boston Bruins

The Bruins power forward scored 30 goals in the regular season but didn't have a single tally through 10 playoff games. He picked a hell of a time to get rolling: Game 4 vs. the Philadelphia Flyers, scoring two goals in the Bruins' sweep-completing 5-1 win. Lucic scored the Bruins' second power-play goal of the postseason in the first period and then iced the win with a breakaway goal off a Matt Carle turnover in the third.

No. 2 Star: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings

With the Red Wings facing elimination — and potentially the end of an era — the captain came through with two first-period goals in Detroit's 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks in Game 4. Lidstrom's first tally was a blast off an Antti Niemi rebound; his second was a shot from the slot on the power play.

No. 3 Star: Darren Helm, Detroit Red Wings

Helm's second goal of the playoffs at 18:33 of the third period gave Detroit the 4-3 lead. The goal came after the Wings blew a 3-0 lead, as Dany Heatley tied the game at 1:14 of the third period. Here's Helm's tally:

Honorable mention: Johnny Boychuk scored the game-winner for the Bruins on a deflected shot past Sergei Bobrovsky (22 saves) … Brad Marchand scored his fifth of the playoffs into an empty net. … Kris Versteeg scored the Flyers' lone goal. … Jimmy Howard made 25 saves, including some key stops late in the third, for the Red Wings. … Ryane Clowe had three assists for the Sharks, getting helpers on goals by Logan Couture, Dan Boyle and Heatley. … Todd Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist. … Tim Thomas made 22 saves.

Did you know? Lidstrom's first goal gave him 181 career playoff points, breaking a second-place tie with Ray Bourque for scoring by a defenseman, and broke an 11th-place tie overall with Jaromir Jagr. (AP)

Dishonorable mention: Jeff Carter had no points and was a minus-4 for the Flyers. … Scott Hartnell finished the Boston series with no points and a minus-5. … The Flyers (18) and Sharks (13) lead the NHL in first-period goals allowed in the playoffs. … Finally, potentially tough break for the Bruins as Claude Giroux takes out Patrice Bergeron, who skated one shift in the third period:

Conn Smythe Watch: 1. Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning; 2. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins; 3. Ryane Clowe, San Jose Sharks; 4. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks; 5. Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins; 6. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks; 7. Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators; 8. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings; 9. Nathan Horton, Boston Bruins; 10. Vinny Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning.