During his seven years as a member of the Dallas Stars, playoff hockey didn’t come around too often in “The Lone Star State.”

Loui Eriksson’s Stars managed to qualify for the playoffs just twice during his tenure in Dallas. The sixth seeded Stars were eliminated in seven games in the first round of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Eriksson got his second taste of playoff hockey the following season where he and his Stars were defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion, Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Final.

Tasting playoff hockey for the first time since 2008, Eriksson is enjoying being back in the playoffs. Eriksson scored his first goal of the series Saturday afternoon as the Bruins eliminated the Red Wings in Game 5.

The goal was Eriksson’s first playoff tally since May 14, 2008.

“Yeah, it was definitely a nice feeling to score a goal and get the win for sure” said Eriksson.

“I thought they did a good job, they are a tough team to play against but we managed it good and got the four wins. Now we’re going to play against Montreal and it is going to be good.”

Thanks to a pair of concussions during the regular season, Eriksson’s first season in Boston was a bit of a rocky one. Eriksson wasn’t able to produce as much as he had hoped he would.

Eriksson did manage to get better as the season moved along. Post Olympic break, Eriksson was one off the better Bruins, showing great chemistry with line-mates Carl Soderberg and Chris Kelly.

Eriksson joined the Red Wings’ Daniel Alfredsson, Henrik Zetterberg, Gustav Nyquist, Jonas Gustavsson, Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall on Team Sweden, a group that brought home the silver medal in Sochi this past February.

For Eriksson, it was nice to beat some of his Swedish teammates in the series.

“For sure, it was a good feeling. I know them a lot, I played with them, they are great players but our team was better this series and I thought we did a good job playing against them. It was definitely nice after this game to say hello” added Eriksson.

Despite just a goal and an assist in the five games against the Red Wings, Eriksson had a very good series and was one of the Bruins best forwards in Game 5.

“I think, when you look at Loui, you think, what are we getting from Loui, and we’re getting a lot. If you look at tonight’s game, he was a really good player for us and I think Loui just wants to be part of it” said head coach Claude Julien.

“He’s a smart player, he has a great stick and that is one of the things I thought our guys did great in this series, we had good sticks, we turned pucks over and Loui is one of the best at that. I don’t know that Loui has to learn a lot form guys who have won, he just wants to be a part of it. He will fit in no problem, he just has to compete and play the way he has.”

Between their cup winning season in 2011 and their near cup win in 2014, the Bruins know what it takes to get to, and win a Stanley Cup.

Eriksson is just happy to be part of such a special group.

“It’s definitely – we have a lot of experience on this team so it’s a little bit easier for the guys who haven’t been in that situation a lot. So they definitely help you and you can see how professional they are all the time and we have great leaders on this team so they do a good job there” Eriksson stated.

The 28-year old Eriksson has come close to getting to play in the Stanley Cup Final once before. Eriksson and the Bruins surely hope they get more than close to the Stanley Cup Final this season.

If Eriksson and the Bruins can continue to play the way they did against the Red Wings that dream can easily become a reality.

Hear what Eriksson and others had to say following the Bruins series clinching Game 5 victory Saturday afternoon: