Boston Bruins fans celebrate in Western Massachusetts

One fan declared the team's victory 'the best birthday present ever!'

Staff photo by Patrick JohnsonSteve Borden, right, shouts at the row of TV screens at JT's in Springfield as the Boston Bruins score the final goal in their Game 7 win Wednesday night. He called the victory the "best birthday present" he ever had.

SPRINGFIELD – In hockey there are shots on goals and goals, and you won’t find it in the stat book, but there’s also shots after goals.

And beers.

After the Bruins scored their final goal Wednesday night, cementing game 7 of the NHL playoffs and clinching their first Stanley Cup in 39 years, Steve Borden hoisted beer skyward and shouted “This is the best birthday present ever!”

Borden, like a lot of people, wasn’t around the last time the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. But the New York state resident and his friends gathered at JT’s in downtown Springfield not to dwell on the past, but to celebrate the present and the Bruins.

“It’s one small step for man, but it’s one large (expletive deleted) step for the Bruins!” shouted Borden’s friend, Dave St. John of Feeding Hills.

As the clock wound down to 0:00, JT’s owner Keith P. Makarowski chimed the brass bell hanging behind the bar as patrons whooped and hollered.

Chris Scuderi, also of Feeding Hills, joined St. John and Borden in a celebratory shot when the Bruins were awarded the Stanley Cup at center ice.

“Let’s just say I’m going to the victory parade,” he said.

Chris Brown of Springfield said “We’ve never seen it in our lifetime. It’s a major championship for Boston. That’s good.”

Hockey is a rough and tumble sport, no question. But the Bruins celebration was more than just a men’s only affair.

Seated at the corner of the bar Mallory Ryan of Chicopee and Maria Merritt of West Springfield did a celebratory shot with their friend Christopher Cross.

“We deserve to win this because we outscored them by a lot in the four games,” Merritt said.

“We haven’t won in 39 years – we deserve to be champions of the world,” said Ryan.

Over in the corner, Allen and Lois Warren of Ludlow watched the clock tick off.

Lois Warren said she was a Bruins fan growing up. “This rears back to the days of Gil Gilbert and Gerry Cheevers,” she said.

Allen Warren said he was pleased they won.

Pleased?

“I’m not much of a Bruins fan,” he said. “I like the Chicago Blackhawks. When they won last year, I went out there.”