Before hordes of jubilant, hoarse fans could run through the corridors of Boston Garden screaming, alternately, "We're Number One!" and "We're really gonna do it, the Cup is coming back!," before a few hundred of them could scale the plexiglass and mob their heroes, and before the cheering masses could spill happily onto Causeway St., the Bruins had to win a hockey game last night.

So they did. Stan Jonathan, known more for connecting on uppercuts than wristshots, lost his two front teeth but found the net for his first career hat trick to lead Boston to a rousing 5-2 stomping of the Montreal Canadiens. With their best-of-seven NHL semifinal series tied at three victories apiece, the two teams now travel to the Forum for Thursday night's deciding contest.

The winner of that climactic struggle will have the immense privilege of facing the New York Rangers for Lord Stanley's Cup. Fred Shero's overachievers sent the New York Islanders into deep depression last night by grabbing a 2-1 lead in the second period and holding it until the bitter end, when Madison Square Garden, better known for its pro wrestling exravaganzas, exploded into cheers.

Wayne Cashes in

Veteran winger Wayne Cashman, aching back and all, had put Boston up 3-2 at 16:30 of period two when he tipped home Brad Park's slapshot from the point for what turned out to be the winning tally, but the prospect of a seventh game seemed anything but certain until "Stan the Man"--"he's a scrapper," said Mike Milbury--Jonathan introduced samurai hockey to the sell-out crowd of 14,654.

With less than 13 minutes left in regulation, Bruin defenseman Rick "not Dallas" Smith kept the puck in the Montreal zone and shoveled it forward to UNH grad Bobby Miller. Miller closed in on Ken Dryden, then sent a slick pass towards Jonathan.

Chub

The stubby forward, barreling towards the net, clicked with a deflection to make the score 4-2, then promptly crashed, head-first, into the right post (with a little help from surrounding Canadiens).

After he was helped off the ice as fans showered paper cups and programs in celebration, Jonathan returned and struck again at 15:24, this time taking a set-up from Cashman and rapping it past Dryden.

Massive Montreal defenseman Larry Robinson had opened the scoring 8:05 into the contest when he completed a give-and-go with winger Pierre Mondou. Jonathan and Don Marcotte wristshots put Boston in front, but Mondou eased a backhander past Gilles Gilbert to leave the game tied at two after the first period.

PRO RESULTS

NBA: Phoenix 100, Seattle 91

AL: California 10, Boston 2

Baltimore 8, Oakland 2

New York Yankees 5, Seattle 3

Milwaukee 9, Toronto 5