Could you imagine if Paul Revere were still alive? He’d probably say something like, “The Canucks are coming, the Canucks are coming…”
OK… no need to go overboard with Massachusetts’ history references, but yes, the Vancouver Canucks are in town, and that means Stanley Cup memories from this past June have officially resurfaced.
Who doesn’t remember the night when the Boston Bruins defeated the Canucks in Game 7 to claim Lord Stanley’s Cup?
Don’t you remember the Black and Gold losing the first two games, but then rebounding at the TD Garden during Games 3 and 4?
And of course, who could forget all those nasty and ugly episodes that featured Alex Burrowsfighting with his teeth and tongue, and Roberto Luongosending Boston’s backstop, (Tim Thomas) messages about pumping tires.
Well, I doubt we’ll be hearing too much after Saturday’s matinee concludes, especially since this is the regular season match up. However, it’s a game that matters because the winner will earn two additional points in the standings, while the loser pick up one point, and a loss, too.
So, what’re you thoughts on this game? Who is going to win? Cast your vote, and then of course, watch the game!
With 2011 slowly coming to a close, and 2012 right around the corner, it’s officially time to reflect on the past few months, and remember some significant moments that occurred with the Boston Bruins.
Here are five memorable moments from the past year that’ll be inked in Bruins lore.
Celebrating Lord Stanley’s Cup in Boston:To kick-start the NHL season, the Boston Bruins held their final championship celebration on the TD Garden ice in early October by reenacting their post-Game 7 festivities with their loyal and passionate fans.
However, the Bruins weren’t able to play off their loyal supporters excitement, as the Philadelphia Flyers ruined their Stanley Cup homecoming with a 2-1 victory.
Winning the Stanley Cup:There weren’t exactly too many believers who thought the Boston Bruins would defeat the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lighting, but somehow, the grownup bumble bees did it. Yet, against the Vancouver Canucks, the Bruins were forced to rally from a 3-2 series deficit to earn their first championship since 1972.
Defeating the Canucks wasn’t exactly the easiest task, especially since Boston had to overcome Alex Burrows’ biting incident, Aaron Rome’s obnoxious hit against Nathan Horton, which led to a season ending concussion, as well as goaltender Roberto Luongo’s unnecessary words.
Boston ignored Vancouver’s unruly behavior, and used their unruly behavior as motivation to win the series, and the cup.
Nathan Horton’s Game Winning Goal Against Tampa Bay:During the finale of the Eastern Conference Championship, Nathan Horton became the hero, as he chipped in a pass from the far slot from David Krejcito secure the 1-0 victory. The win also marked the first time the Bruins had reached the Stanley Cup Finals since 1990.
Avenging the Philadelphia Flyers:During the 2010 NHL playoffs, the Bruins secured an impressive 3-0 series lead against the Philadelphia Flyers. However, Philadelphia refused to go quietly, as they staged one the greatest comebacks in NHL history, as they rallied to win the final four games, which sent Boston packing for the summer.
The Flyers then defeated the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals, but then ended their epic championship chase against the Chicago Blackhawks, who defeated Philadelphia in six games.
The Bruins and Flyers reunited in the second round again in 2011, but this time Boston made sure to not surrender a 3-0 lead, as they defeated Philadelphia in the fourth game of the series, and swept them out of the playoffs.
Philadelphia hasn’t won a championship since defeating the Buffalo Sabres in 1975.
Boston rallies to defeat Montreal in the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals:With the series tied, 2-2, Boston and Montreal skated onto the TD Garden ice for their fifth game of the series, which eventually became an instant classic five hours after the puck had been dropped.
Both teams recorded only one goal in a span of 60-minutes, but then needed an additional period-and-half to decide the outcome.
Andrew Ference rifled a shot from outside the far left circle in the Montreal zone, which was rebounded by Horton, and then immediately deposited by the right winger to secure Boston’s third win of the series, as well as the game winner in double overtime.
The victory provided Boston with all sorts of momentum that helped the Black and Gold eventually defeat their archrival in the seventh game.
Tim Thomas is just one of the many who could be awarded an end of the year award.
By Dan Rubin
The NHL’s official final act of the 2010-2011 season will be to hand out its awards amidst the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas. It’s the last day where the league celebrates the season it had, and it closes the book on a magical ride resulting in one team’s hoisting of the Stanley Cup. With news the NHL salary cap and salary floor are both increasing due to increased visibility, ratings, and revenue, there has never been a better time to be a player in the NHL. When free agency begins on July 1, there will be a crop of young stars waiting to make splashes in the new league, but first, we take a look and predict the winners of the major awards to be handed out on June 22, from The Strip.
Hart Memorial Trophy (League MVP):
Nominees: Corey Perry (Anaheim); Daniel Sedin (Vancouver); Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay)
Who Should Win: Perry. Perry posted 50 goals and 48 assists for a Ducks team that finished second in the Pacific Division. He was the only 50-goal scorer in the league this year, a plateau that is impressive unto itself. He also scored a full 18 points more than the team’s second-leading scorer (Teemu Selanne), and he had 16 goals more than the next highest goal scorer (Bobby Ryan). Compare that to Sedin, who had the same amount of goals as Ryan Kesler for the Canucks and Martin St. Louis, who led his team in points by only eight and had a season’s plus/minus of zero. If both Sedin and St. Louis are taken out of the equation, their teams probably have similar seasons to the ones they had. Taking Perry out of the equation puts Anaheim down the barrel of the division and possibly out of the playoffs.
Who Will Win: Sedin. Perry’s plus/minus pales in comparison to Sedin, who posted a whopping +30. Even though he was exposed in the playoffs, Perry doesn’t nearly have the name recognition. And even though he scored more goals than Sedin, the Canuck had a 104-point season that included 63 assists. Overall, Sedin had the better numbers, even if he was on a better team. Plus, the face of the league needs to be recognizable, and voters know that. Daniel Sedin is a much more recognizable name and face than Corey Perry.
It's been a long 39-years, but on Wednesday, Boston won its sixth Stanley Cup Championship against Vancouver!
By Matt Noonan
The Boston Bruins won the cup; the Boston Bruins won the cup!
Wait, did Boston actually win the Stanley Cup? That’s Lord Stanley’s Cup, right? Yep, the men dressed as grown-up bumblebees were victorious on Wednesday evening, as they defeated the New York Yankees on ice, (a.k.a. Vancouver Canucks), 4-0.
Wake up Mayor Thomas Menino, contact Governor Deval Patrick and alert the Boston Police Department because the home team was victorious.
This isn’t something that happens over night or once a month, but really, once every few years. The Bruins haven’t experienced this much joy since Richard Nixon was the president of the United States and America was involved with the Vietnam War. Although, 39-years later, the current men dressed in Black and Gold have something to celebrate, the franchises sixth championship.
Patrice Begeron and Brad Marchand each netted two goals a piece and yes, they baffled Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo, who finished Game 7 with only 17-saves.
“In this one game, they were the better team,” Alain Vigneault said via NHL.com.
Tim Thomas played phenomenally, as he denied 37-shots and ended the ’11 postseason with four shutouts, which is quite impressive.
“Boston played a real strong game. They’ve got great goaltending and [they] deserved to win,” Vigneault said.
All in all, it took seven games against Montreal, Tampa Bay and Vancouver, as well as four against Philadelphia, but in the end, Boston finished the ’10-’11 season as NHL champions for the first time since 1972.
Game 7 is Wednesday and yes, it should be a classic dog-fight!
By Matt Noonan
This has been a magical ride.
The Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks have put on quite a show the past few weeks and now it comes down to one game, Game 7.
This is the one for all the marbles. This is the one that you’ll tell your grandchildren about. This is the game that will decide who is truly the better team.
For the past six games, it’s been a toss up, who’s better? Both Boston and Vancouver haven’t lost in front of their home fans, which makes me wonder, does that mean the Canucks are a shoe-in for Game 7? Well, I’d probably say yes, but do statistics really matter now?
Really, this particular Game 7 is more about, “who wants it more,” instead of statistics, numbers and home crowds. Who cares that the Bruins have struggled in Canada for the past few weeks because hey, it happened in Montreal two months ago, remember?
The Canucks might have the better record, but really, are they that good? Seriously, what makes them ever so different from the men dressed in Black and Gold?
Although, the Bruins have taken shots at the Canucks too, which is why this series has somewhat turned into a USA vs. Canada fight, but we know who won that one last year in the Olympics… sigh.
Game 7 will be exciting and yes, I bet this will be one heck of a grand finale. Don’t assume the Bruins or Canucks are a lock to win this series because really, this isn’t about past history, but instead, who wants it more.
Boston hasn’t hoisted a Stanley Cup since 1972, while Vancouver has yet to win a championship in their 40-year history, so really, this game should be an instant classic, right?
Tim Thomas was spectacular again, as he helped the Bruins secure a Game 6 victory on Monday!
By NoontimeSports.com
Brace yourself, the Boston Bruins, yes; the team that all New Englanders consider second fiddle to the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots are headed to Vancouver for Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. Doesn’t that seem odd or unusual?
It does, especially since the Black and Gold haven’t encountered a game of this magnitude in their franchise history. Although, if there’s ever a time to end their 39-year-old drought, it’s now, especially against the New York Yankees on ice.
On Monday, Boston took care of business, as they recorded four goals in a span of four minutes in the first period. Cory Schneider replaced the talkative Roberto Luongo and finished the game with two goals allowed and 30-saves. However, his effort wasn’t enough to keep Vancouver in position to win their first Stanley Cup, as the Canucks registered just two goals by Henrik Sedin and Maxim Lapierre.
Brad Marchand, Milan Lucic, Andrew Ference, Michael Ryder and David Krejci all recorded goals for the Bruins, while Tim Thomas recorded 36-of-38 shots between the pipes.
Game 7 is Wednesday in British Columbia and yes; it’s for all the marbles. The Canucks are 3-0 at home this series and certainly, they’d like to make it a perfect, 4-for-4.
The Canucks are one game away from winning the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, but really, do they deserve the crown?
By Dan Rubin
There’s a part of me that, at the beginning of the Stanley Cup Final, didn’t mind losing to Vancouver.
As badly as I wanted the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup, I didn’t mind it if the Vancouver Canucks were the team they might lose to. I looked at Vancouver as a city that never really won anything, save for two other Western Conference championships. I remembered Vancouver’s shining moment when Canada took the gold medal out of American hands in the Olympics and thought, “This city is a great hockey town. I really want the Bruins to win, but if they have to lose, at least it’s to a hockey town with a hockey tradition.”
That whole feeling evaporated since Game 5.
When the Bruins lost Game 1, I didn’t know a whole lot about the Alexandre Burrows biting incident. I didn’t really know about all their unnecessary physical play and I felt the emotion was riding high, but it was right where it needed to be. But then, after Game 1 and going into Game 2, something totally changed, taking my positive attitude towards the Canucks, their organization, their fans, and the entire nation of Canada with it.
I realized the Vancouver Canucks do not deserve to hoist the most storied trophy in sports. They do not, and if the game expects to maintain its integrity, the Gallery Gods need to shine down and deliver the Cup to Boston, a place where it can have restored integrity and respect.
