Stevens Comes Home to Haunt Bruins, 5-1 : NHL playoffs: In his hometown, he scores four goals, powers Penguins to 3-0 series lead.

Kevin Stevens grew up in the Boston area, went to Boston College and dreamed of playing for the Boston Bruins. Instead, he’s a Bruin killer.

Stevens scored four goals Thursday night, pushing his hometown team to the edge of elimination and moving the Pittsburgh Penguins to within one victory of the Stanley Cup finals in a 5-1 victory.

Before the season, the Bruins hoped Stevens would have a different kind of homecoming. They signed him to an offer sheet, but the Penguins matched it.

“That’s why we went after him,” Boston Coach Rick Bowness said after watching Stevens score three goals in 5:55 of the first period.

“I’m happy to be in Pittsburgh,” Stevens said. “That’s the place where we won the Cup last year.”

Pittsburgh, leading, 3-0, can sweep the best-of-seven Wales Conference finals with a victory Saturday night in Boston. The only teams to overcome 3-0 deficits were Toronto in 1942 and the New York Islanders in 1975.

“That’s why you can rewrite history,” Boston’s Don Sweeney said.

Crisp passing by linemates Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr set up two of Stevens’ goals. Lemieux also assisted on a third by Stevens. Jagr scored the winning goal in the opener, and Lemieux had two goals in Game 2.

“It’s great to come back and score four goals,” Stevens said after taking over the NHL playoff lead with 11 goals. “I don’t think I’ve scored in four games, and when you’re a goal scorer, you worry about those things.

“That was a good way to get it going. It couldn’t happen in a better place.”

Three of Stevens’ goals were set up by Lemieux, playing with a broken left hand. Five players, including Lemieux, hold the NHL record of five goals in a playoff game.

“Whenever you see in the papers that a guy like that is struggling, you sort of cringe,” Boston’s Dave Poulin said.

Pittsburgh’s Bryan Trottier, the eighth-leading playoff goal-scorer in NHL history, got his fourth of the season and 71st of his career midway through the second period.

Tom Barrasso’s shutout bid was spoiled by Boston’s Joe Juneau at 8:11 of the third period.

The Penguins won their seventh consecutive playoff game against the Bruins, outscoring them, 34-13, during that streak. Boston won the first two games of last year’s Wales final at home before losing the next four to Pittsburgh.