Favorite playoff memory: Hartnell recalls Flyers' comeback in 2010 Game 7

NHL.com is looking ahead to the Stanley Cup Playoffs by having former players discuss their favorite postseason game each Sunday and Monday.

Today, Scott Hartnell recalls the Philadelphia Flyers' historic, series-clinching 4-3 victory against the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 14, 2010.

Scott Hartnell said he remembers the feeling of being in a time warp, the game being played around him and his Philadelphia Flyers teammates, but the clock almost at a standstill, ticking down ever so slowly for 7:08.

"It felt like we were in 'The Twilight Zone,'" Hartnell said.

The Flyers were in the third period of Game 7 against the Boston Bruins in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals. They trailed in the series 3-0 but won three in a row to force Game 7, which they also trailed 3-0 before scoring four in a row to hold a 4-3 lead.

They had to kill the final 7:08 to make the historic comebacks matter, to become the third NHL team and the first since 1975, to win a seven-game Stanley Cup Playoff series after losing the first three.

"Hanging on would be a good way to describe it, especially that last minute, minute and a half," Hartnell said. "It was a pretty nerve-wracking seven minutes. I couldn't imagine being a coach or [general manager] up in the stands or fans back home. It was pretty insane."

The insanity ended with a Flyers win, the comebacks in Game 7 and in the series complete. Hartnell talks about it as though it happened yesterday, not 10 years ago.

"We were playing so good, better in each game," Hartnell said. "Game 4, we won in overtime [5-4]. Game 5 we won, smoked them [4-0]. Game 6 we won [2-1]. Game 7 we were feeling so good, [but] then we're down 3-0 and I was like, 'Holy man, what just happened? We just ruined this epic comeback.'"

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette used his timeout after Bruins forward Milan Lucic scored to make it 3-0 at 14:10 of the first period. Hartnell, who said the Flyers were "shocked" at that point, recalled Laviolette telling goalie Michael Leighton "to stop the puck" and the rest of the team to get one goal before the end of the period.

"Just one goal just to make it a game, to give us something positive to talk about in the room," Hartnell said. "It was just that."

Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk scored with 2:48 remaining in the period.

"The confidence in that dressing room during that first intermission was through the roof," Hartnell said. "It was 3-1 going into the second, and we felt we could do it. It was like the body armor was off and let's go."

The Flyers capitalized on their confidence with Hartnell's goal at 2:49 of the second period to make it 3-2.

"I was kind of just off the back post watching that whole play develop," Hartnell said. "It wasn't the best of angles on my backhand, but I was able to get it up and in the net. Any time you can score a goal is a good feeling, but to get one in that position, it was pretty unreal."

Hartnell then assisted on forward Daniel Briere's goal at 8:39 to tied it 3-3.

"Danny Briere made a great play, wraparound, it went in and it was just like, 'We're there again, next goal basically wins,'" Hartnell said. "You could feel it was that tight in the game and every mistake was magnified."

RELATED: [Video: Memories: Flyers erase 3-0 series deficit vs. Bruins]

Forward Simon Gagne's power-play goal at 12:52 of the third period gave the Flyers a 4-3 lead.

"Simon Gagne, the sharpshooter, went low blocker," Hartnell said. "Just an unreal feeling."

Then the clock started to tick down, the seconds feeling like minutes, the minutes feeling like hours, until finally it was over.

The Flyers, the No. 7 seed in the East, would have home-ice advantage in the conference final against the No. 8 Montreal Canadiens.

"We were just so jacked up," Hartnell said. "Not that I was scoreboard watching, but we knew Montreal beat Pittsburgh in Game 7, and it was like, 'Holy man, this is our chance to get to the Stanley Cup Final.' It wasn't like we just did something and that was it. It was like, 'We're going to smoke Montreal and head to the Final.' Everyone's mindset was right where it needed to be."

The Flyers eliminated the Canadiens in five games before losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in the Stanley Cup Final.

"The ending [to the playoffs] wasn't great, but that Game 7 against Boston, wow, we did something special," Hartnell said.