By Alexander Monaghan
President

Tonight, the Boston Bruins hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972, turning Beantown back into a hockeytown.

Bostonians can now bask in the fact that their four franchises all earned the highest honors in their respective sports in the shortest time period. In short, the city has bragging rights.

When the series first began, we wondered how this Bruins team would react to such a powerhouse in the Vancouver Canucks as the latter was fresh off an impressive and decisive Western Conference Finals victory over the San Jose Sharks, taking the matchup in the only five games.

Meanwhile, the Bruins were just this same, blue collar team. They fought hard against the Montreal Canadiens, dominated a Pronger-less Philadelphia Flyers and snuck by a cinderella story in the Tampa Bay Lightning, stealing their identity with Nathan Horton‘s Game 7, overtime game winner. If you were to ask me, I thought they were out of the playoffs in each respective series but clearly what do I know.

As an up-and-down team during the regular season, this group seemed to win the Northeast Division by default. The Canadiens struggled down the stretch due to their beat-up blue line. Their only other competition, the Buffalo Sabres, needed to be one of the best teams in hockey just to make the show. Both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators improved later into the season but still finished in the bottom-10 in overall standings.

To say the least, this team became an underdog despite their high seeding and Vezina/Norris Trophy finalists.

We know they were not expected to win. However, what we are more concerned about is explaining exactly why this Bruins team actually won this series when most pundits put them out of the Cup in six or seven. Instead of breaking out the tape and analyzing this series in a game-by-game basis we found ten solid reasons why this team takes possession of Lord Stanley’s goblet and 29 other teams regroup for another grueling season.

Without further ado, we bring you a plethora of reasons why one team came away victorious.

1. Tim Thomas. Thomas was an absolute rock. He never allowed more than three goals, and never allowed more than two in regulation. When all the media focused on the struggles of Roberto Luongo and how he would handle the pressure, Thomas once again took control of the game and ultimately took home the Cup. He carried a very strong, record breaking season into the playoffs and never looked back. When anyone doubted him, or attempted to pump his tires he never looked back. With his back up against the wall, he stopped the last 73 of 75 shots, winning both games including a 37-save Game 7 shutout. There is absolutely no chance he would not have won the Conn Smythe as the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP.
2. Motivation. Horton left the series early into Game 3. As their most clutch performer, the team clearly needed him as he scored the game winner in two Game 7 overtime wins. Although he would not return to the series, the team hoisted the motto of “Do it for Horton.” The first-year playoff performer served as a motivator, showing up for Game 6 and then pouring water from the TD Garden ice onto the ice in the Rogers Arena prior to Game 7. The hit served as the turning point of the series as Aaron Rome used too much force to injure a player while his team was up in the series 2-0, changing the momentum as a result.
3. Physical Play. Dan Hamhuis got knocked out of the series after playing only 8:09 in Game 1. Mason Raymond left in Game 6 and may never skate the same again. The walking wounded of Christian Ehrhoff, Ryan Kesler and Alexander Edler were all consistently pounded to the point where they were rendered ineffective. Rome tried to answer their physicality but wound out missing the rest of the playoffs.
4. Efficient defense. The top defensive pairing of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg not only shut down their opponent’s top line, they also improved their teammates’ games by doing so. Johnny Boychuk and Andrew Ference played excellent hockey on both end of the ice mainly due to their team-low quality of competition in 5×5 situations. Additionally, they also displayed much better zone rate finishes, making what should have been a weakness in a third pairing into a strength.
5. Primary Scoring. David Krejci finished the playoffs as the points leader with 23 during the 2011 NHL Playoffs. His chemistry with winger Milan Lucic allowed Michael Ryder and eventually Rich Peverley to continue to contribute in the offensive zone, quietly outplaying some of the best players in the League.
6. Secondary Scoring. Just like the Krejci line, the secondary scoring was just better. Most of the talk surrounded Kesler as the firepower on Vancouver but the second line with Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi stepped up in time of need. The troika combined for an even more impressive four goals and six points in Game 7, leading their team to the Cup.
7. Forechecking. When the team was able to establish their forecheck, they created all kinds of problems for The Sedin Twins, Alex Burrows and Kesler not to mention the defense. They forced turnovers, took advantage of bad line changes and put pucks behind Luongo before he ever saw them coming.  Combined with their physical play, the Bruins used their cumulative team speed to out-work and simply out-play their opponents.
8. Discipline. Unlike the Canucks, the Bruins never seemed flustered. They rarely took bad penalties and honestly head coach Claude Julien would not allow it. They maintained their focus throughout the series, allowing the Canucks to play themselves out of the series due to frustration and simply not being the better team.
9. Perseverence. Down 2-0 in the series, they won two straight. Down 3-2 in the series, they sweep a series of two. They came back from their initial series 2-0. These guys were the ultimate comeback kids, never down and out.
10. Leadership. Neither team held a great deal of experience but keeping both Recchi and enforcer Shawn Thornton in the lineup helped the younger group gain confidence. Since his return in Game 3, Thornton acted as a voal leader for the rest of the series, taking a good deal of interviews after the game and showing his love for the city of Boston. These two in addition to seasoned veterans like the captain Chara gave this team a winning direction and identity.

These grouling playoffs are over. Congratulations to the 2011 Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins. You guys earned it and should be ready to defend that title in a few months.

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Photo Credit: Cupcanal

There are many storylines tonight but the actual game is the story.  We can focus on every minuscule elementbut at this point the only thing both teams are focused on is winning. Winning Lord Stanley’s Cup, the greatest prize in the history of the sport, which will be given to the undisputed champion of the 2011 NHL Playoffs.

Amid the controversy, determination and scuttlebutt comes two seemingly confident teams — digging deep in order to get that last necessary W. The beneficiary of that win will finish the playoffs with 16, while the other 15 wins remain a rewarding yet useless statistic when the 35 lbs of silver and nickel alloy gets hoisted above the head of the enemy.

In the Vancouver Canucks camp, the team remains confident, or at least spoke to reporters this morning in a confident manner. Alternate captain Daniel Sedin likes the team’s odds although he must be somewhat discouraged by his team’s lack of a killer instinct.

“You know, that was probably me being excited and the words came wrong out of my mouth. What I said was if we put our best game on the ice, I like our chances. That’s the way it’s been all year. When we play our best, we’re a tough team to beat. We show that at home. We like our chances.”

The sniper Sedin assisted on both goals in his team’s 5-2 loss and has taken some of the pressure off the disappearances of brother Henrik Sedin and the slumping center Ryan Kesler. Sedin finished the season as the League leader in points so naturally being held off the scoresheet for three of the past six games have been a feat of its own. To take a page out of his book, we like his changes at finding the back of the net tonight.

Regardless, to do that he will need to find twine behind Conn Smythe shoe-in Tim Thomas. Through the first six games of the series, Thomas has posted an unbelievable 1.42 GAA, .962 SV% with a shutout. His success has been the complete opposite of Roberto Luongo, who continues to ward off his doubters while being pulled in two of his six starts and shutting out the Bruins in two of those six as well.

Simply put: the goalies control their team’s fate.

One thing we do know is the Canucks do not need motivation scoring on Thomas. After six marvelous performances, they seem confident in getting the puck past him, not relying on the Mason Raymond injury to motivate them — opposed to the #DoitforHorton campaign — as Kevin Bieksa pointed out this morning. “We obviously wish Mason was in the lineup right now, but I’ve said from the beginning, we don’t need extra motivation,” said Bieksa. “The Stanley Cup is enough motivation for us. So we’re not looking for any extras to help us get to that peak motivation.”

The Canucks do not lack motivation, much like the Bruins don’t feel added pressure on them. The latter were confident in their abilities during Game 6 and won by a healthy margin. They remain calm as this excellent mix of veteran leadership and young up-and-comers continue to blossom. ”Pressure’s five kids, no job,” Shawn Thornton said to Fluto Shinzawa of The Boston Globe. “This is Game 7. This is fun, right? We get to play a game for a living. Just enjoy it.” He puts the game into perspective but make no mistake he wants to hoist the Cup and watching a Sedin with it would not be ‘fun’.

To summarize, the Bruins are relaxed, the Canucks like their odds and the point is still winning the Stanley Cup. When all is said and done, no one playing in this contest will forget the action tonight as we prepare for the final tilt of the season and will finally have a resolution to another season. Puck drops at 8:00 PM EST; it could not come quicker at this point.

Expected Game 7 Boston Bruins Lineup:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Rich Peverley
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi*
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Thomas will make his 25th consecutive start in goal.

The Bruins are not expected to make any line changes tonight after using this winning formula since Horton left the ice on a stretcher. Expect more of the same.

*It has been speculated tonight will be Mark Recchi’s last NHL game. He hopes to hoist the Cup up for one last time tonight.

Expected Game 7 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Jeff Tambellini**
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Tanner Glass, Manny Malhotra, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler***, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts, Christian Ehrhoff
• Chris Tanev, Kevin Bieksa

Luongo will make his 18th consecutive start in goal tonight.

**Tambellini is the expected replacement for Raymond but it remains unknown where he will play tonight. He has enough speed to play on the second line and has even taken shifts with the Sedin Twins earlier in the season. AV will play his cards close to the vest.

***Edler did not skate this morning but is expected to stay in the lineup tonight.

Players to Watch:

Vancouver Canucks — Roberto Luongo

Out of the four players I could find transcripts for, nobody on the Canucks mentioned Luongo. There is absolutely no doubt that he will make or break this game. It all starts with the first 10 minutes. If he can make saves on the short side or up by his ears, he should be fine. If not, Cory Schneider might get called into the game even earlier.

Boston Bruins — Tim Thomas

Thomas knows what he needs to do and shows all the determination to win tonight’s game.

“Yep, the reality is, for me anyways, this may be the only Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals that I ever have in my career. If we happen to make it again, hopefully we can win before 7. But it’s a big game.”

If he can continue his storybook season, the Bruins will be the champs.

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

“When we’re in the garage or driveway playing as a kid and you’re fantasizing, well, I was Stevie Yzerman, which doesn’t make sense for a goalie, but you’re saying to yourself, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, you’re not saying Game 6, you know?” said goaltender Tim Thomas yesterday.  “So this is really, you know, what every kid dreams about.”

It’s what most players have dreamt about all their lives.  It all comes down to one game, for all the marbles.

After the first six games of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins are deadlocked at three games apiece.  The deciding Game 7 will be played tonight at Rogers Arena.

Even though neither team was able to gain the ultimate advantage and clinch the Cup just yet, there are definitely some trends that have become crystal clear.  This has been one of the most physical Finals in recent memory, and several of the hits – from both teams – have been of the questionable nature.

Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome drilled Nathan Horton with what was deemed to be a late, open ice hit on an unsuspecting player early in Game 3, leading to Rome’s suspension for the remainder of the series.  Horton suffered a major concussion and will be out until at least training camp.

One thing the Rome hit seemed to do was awaken the sleeping bear and give the Bruins a rallying point in the series.  Down 2-0 in games and in a scoreless contest on home ice, Boston proceeded to anihilate the Canucks that night, 8-1.  Notice was served by the Bruins that they were not going to go quietly.  “Win it for Nathan” has been a familiar slogan from head coach Claude Julien, the players, and fans alike.  The legendary number four himself, Bobby Orr, was even waving a #18 Horton flag in the crowd prior to the opening faceoff of Game 4.

Horton has made appearances in the Bruins’ locker room to help inspire his teammates.  “I was very happy to see him, and I’m very happy to have him around,” said Thomas.  ”I just spent some time talking to him in the locker room.  He’s a positive guy.  His joy for the game and life is kind of like a little kid, and that’s a great thing, and I personally feed off of that.”

The concussed winger made the trip to Vancouver with the team.  “He certainly wanted to be here,” said Julien yesterday.  “We wanted him on this trip.  As you know, when you get this far, you’re a pretty close-knit group.  Our guys wanted everybody here and they’ve got it.”

Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk took Canucks’ forward Mason Raymond awkwardly into the corner boards early on in Game 6.  Boychuk got his stick between Raymond’s legs and cork-screwed the forward around and Raymond ended up hunched over and directed into the boards tail bone-first.  Raymond was almost in a wrestling pile-driver position, with the top of his head around Boychuk’s midsection.  The impact on Raymond was devastating, as the compression to his spine broke a vertebrae.  As a result, TSN.com reported last night that Raymond will miss 3-4 months.  As some called for consistency from the league in disciplinary measures – like NHL Hot Stove’s Owner and President Alex Monaghan – there was no suspension forthcoming for Boychuk.

Canucks’ GM Mike Gillis was asked yesterday about the incident.  ”I think when you see the severity of that injury, the way our doctors described it to me, very, very dangerous, and, you know, I’m always disappointed when you see any player get injured,” Gillis said somberly.  “But it wasn’t a chipped vertebrae or cracked vertebrae.  It’s broken through the belly of his vertebrae, so it’s a very serious injury.  You never want to see any player on any team have an injury like that.”

There was even an alleged finger-biting incident in Game 1 – with Alex Burrows and Patrice Bergeron – which led to a high level of animosity right off the bat.  Maxim Lapierre, Milan Lucic, and Mark Recchi antagonized their foes to the best of their abilities with fingers-in-the-face of their opponents during scrums.

As a result of the raw nature of physicality – along with the fact that each team stands in the way of the other’s respective desire to be champions – these two teams do not like each other.  Not even a little bit.

And there is no questioning that all of these factors have led to one of the most exciting Cup Finals ever.

These are the top two areas that will most-likely be the determining factors in who is hoisting Lord Stanley when all is said and done tonight:

1. Goaltending – Canucks’ net minder Roberto Luongo has had pretty much of a Jekyll and Hyde persona during the Finals.  Luongo has been awful in the games in Boston, as he was chased in two of the three contests.  He was 0-3, gave up 15 goals, and registered an atrocious .773 save percentage.  But in games in Vancouver, Luongo has been almost-impenetrable.  He is 3-0, having yielded just two goals in posting two shutouts, with a ridiculous .979 save percentage.  Thomas, on the other hand, has been unwavering in his greatness throughout the entire postseason.  With a 15-9 record, with a 2.06 GAA and .937 save percentage, the 37-year-old goalie with the unorthodox style may have clinched the Conn Smythe Trophy – whether or not the Bruins win Game 7 or not.  His performance in the Finals has only solidified that thinking, as Thomas has a 1.21 GAA and .965 save percentage in the six contests against the Canucks.


Jim Rogash / Getty Images

 

2. Home Ice Advantage – This has really been two separate series, and the outcome has been dependent on where each game has been played.  But one thing has been perfectly consistent, and that is the home team has held their serve in their home rink.  The Canucks have to be elated that the games at TD Garden have been completed.  In the three contests in Boston, the Bruins blasted Vancouver by a combined amount of 17-3.  While in Vancouver, the three games have been low-scoring, tight-checking defensive battles.  By contrast, the Canucks have outscored the Bruins at Rogers Arena by a combined count of 5-2.  It is evident that head coaches Alain Vigneault and Julien have used the last change in their respective arenas to the fullest extent.  Vigneault will have that luxury in Game 7, retaining the ability to keep his line of Burrows-Henrik Sedin-Daniel Sedin away from Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg.  Julien has split his top pairing in order to be able to have one of the two on the ice against Vancouver’s top scorers, as the two have formed solid tandems with Andrew Ference and Boychuk.  Likewise, Vigneault will be able to match his top defenders against the Bruins’ top line of Lucic-David Krejci-Rich Peverley.  Vigneault has juggled his pairings around at times during the series, but Kevin Bieksa and Alexander Edler are set as his top duo for Game 7.

The Keys to Victory

• If Vancouver is going to win – The early stages of the game will be a huge determining factor in Luongo’s mental frame of mind.  If the Canucks’ defense can keep Boston’s attackers away from the front of the crease and get into the Bruins’ shooting lanes, the home team should be just fine.  But if Boston gets to Luongo early, Vigneault will have his hook – and Cory Schneider – at the ready.  But don’t count Luongo out.  He has proven time and time again after a rough game in the postseason that he has the make up to recover in the next contest.  Up front, the Sedins and Ryan Kesler are the major offensive catalysts for Vancouver.  Henrik Sedin’s third period power play tally in Game 6 was his first point of the series.  No doubt everyone was expecting more, and a big showing in Game 7 can be the crucial turn on the road to redemption.  Kesler was a leading Conn Smythe candidate when he carried the Canucks’ on his back when the Sedins disappeared earlier in the playoffs.  His production has tailed off greatly, and it is obvious that the regular season 40-goal scorer is battling an undisclosed injury that has tapered his effectiveness.  Any kind of contributions from the blue line would be a big lift, also.  In the previous rounds, Bieksa and Sami Salo scored some timely goals.  Having scored just 8 goals on Thomas in the 6 games, any offensive production would be welcomed in Game 7.  Supplemental scoring is crucial, and Raffi Torres, Lapierre, and Jannik Hansen are the type of players who could shine with a Game 7 spotlight shining brightly.
• If Boston is going to win – Boston would do itself a favor by getting pucks on Luongo early, and make him prove that he can once again rebound from a poor playoff outing.  Peverley has filled in nicely in Horton’s vacancy on the top line, and could be a difference-maker in the most important game in most of these player’s lives.  Recchi, who at age 43 leads all scorers in the Finals with three goals and six points, is looking for his third Stanley Cup ring.  He could be another player to watch when the Game 7 heroics come to fruition.  Chara, Ference, and Kaberle – who has recovered from a slow start – could also be threats to score from the Bruins’ blue line.  Boston must continue to clog up the neutral zone in order to keep the Vancouver transition game from gaining speed entering the Bruins’ zone.  Any time Thomas is in the crease, Boston has a good chance to win.  He’s a battler and has shown that he will fight until the bitter end.  And if he has anything to say about the final outcome, chances are that it won’t be a bitter one for the Bruins  Thomas believes past adversityand the way they pulled together will help his club tonight.  “Being down 2-0 against Montreal, going into Game 7 with Montreal, playing Tampa and being down 2-0, going into seven games,” said the Boston net minder. “ In this series, we found a way to come back (from three close losses in Vancouver).  I don’t know exactly why.  It’s a good thing and it shows the character of the team.”

Elise Amendola / Associated Press

While it will be up to Julien to prove that he is worth his salt in out-coaching Vigneault, Luongo and the Canucks are hoping that the home ice magic the teams have experienced thus far lasts for one more game.  In the Stanley Cup Finals preview posted on June 1st, I – as well as co-author Jeff Quirin – picked the Canucks to be the last team standing after a hard-fought, seven-game series.  I won’t go back on my pick, but there is no doubt that the goaltending is the true wild card for Wednesday nights epic finale.  If Thomas outplays Luongo by a wide margin once again, all bets are off.

History Will Be Made

Two records are in danger of falling in Wednesday night’s Game 7.

1. The one record that is sure to fall is most saves in one postseason by a goaltender.  Thomas tied the record of 761 (held by Vancouver’s Kirk McLean in 1994) in Game 6, and barring an illness or early game injury, Thomas is sure to set this one early in Game 7.  Incidentally, McLean’s ’94 Canucks lost in seven games in the Finals to the New York Rangers.
2. Having to go the distance with the Montreal Canadiens in the first round and with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bruins will attempt to become the first NHL team to win three Game 7′s in one playoff year.

Vancouver can’t beat the record of the 1939 Toronto Maple Leafs as the lowest-scoring club to win a championship, but they can tie it.  If Luongo can pitch a 1-0 shutout, the Canucks would tie the record of a Cup-winner scoring just nine times in a Finals series.

Who Will Win the Cup?  You Make the Call

When NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman calls out the name of the Stanley Cup-winning captain – “___________, come get the Cup!” – will it be Henrik Sedin or Zdeno Chara in the blank?

Make sure to let your feelings be known in the comments section.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By Alexander Monaghan
President

There was no suspension and no penalty called on the ice. Boston Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk finished the night with an assist, a plus-1 rating, three shots on goal and most importantly 19:31 of ice time. However, he most likely should have ended his night at the 20 second marker of the first period.

According to Gordon McIntyre of The Province, the referees explained to Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin that Mason Raymond lost an edge. After reviewing the play, you can clearly see Raymond lost an edge — at least four seconds before he got forcefully was pushed into the end-boards. The puck was nowhere near Raymond at the initial point of contact, feet off of the board —  in fact he no longer had possession of the puck prior to Boychuk actually lining him up.

Check out the video below, see if you see the same thing.

Early reports indicate Raymond will miss four to six months with a fractured vertebrae.

For those concerned with Nathan Horton and his severe concussion — not to discount that injury in any way — this injury is just as bad, if not worse. More players come back from concussions than spinal injuries, I don’t need to do the research to tell you that. Steve Moore can tell you that.

While referees, and perhaps the NHL, will tell you there was no malice on the hit you could argue the same thing about Aaron Rome‘s hit. Where as we applauded the NHL for standing up against this type of aggression with Rome, they should do the same thing with Boychuk.  Years ago, we would commend both hits as strong hockey plays, but the precedent has changed as has the speed of the game.

If players continue not thinking about their actions before contact, we may not have anyone left. The game has already lost Sidney Crosby during what could have been a momentous, record-breaking season.

This game is built on a couple of seconds, and in that time Boychuk should have realized the awkward way he was drilling Raymond into the boards was not a proper hockey play.

As usual, we leave you with a vote. Kindly vote in all fairness.

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

There was a chance for Lord Stanley to be presented to the Vancouver Canucks for the very first time in franchise history at TD Garden on Monday night.  But with their backs pressed firmly up against the wall, the Boston Bruins came up with another huge home ice effort.  Their 5-2 victory in Game 6 forces a Game 7 back in Vancouver on Wednesday night.

“We’ve been doing that all year long,” said forward Mark Recchi.  ”We’ve played our best when we’ve been backed into a corner.”

AP Photo / Elise Amendola

Goals by Brad Marchand, Milan Lucic, and Andrew Ference within a 3:04 stretch of the first period chased Vancouver starter Roberto Luongo.  After creating a media storm with comments about Boston goaltender Tim Thomas’ failure to stop Maxim Lapierre’s game-winning goal in Game 5, Luongo came up rather small.  He was only able to stop five of the eight shots he faced before being lifted in favor of Cory Schneider just 8:35 into the contest.

Schneider looked a bit rusty right away, as he mishandled a high shot and had to scramble to cover the puck on the rebound.  Shortly thereafter, Michael Ryder deflected a Tomas Kaberle point shot past Schneider and high into the net to make it a 4-0 Boston lead.

Boston set a Stanley Cup Finals record with four goals in a span of just 4:14 in the first period.

There was no scoring in the middle frame, and Henrik Sedin, David Krejci, and Lapierre scored goals in the third to set the 5-2 final.  The Henrik Sedin goal was the captain’s first point of the Finals.

Recchi, who is attempting to win the third Cup of his career, picked up three assists and now leads all scorers in the Finals with three goals and six points.

Meanwhile at the other end of the ice, Thomas was once again rock solid in the Bruins’ net.  The 37-year-old goaltender stopped 36 of 38 Canucks’ shots, and further entrenched himself as one of the couple possible choices for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the postseason.  Win or lose in Game 7 Thomas may just win the award either way, having given up just 8 goals in six Finals games as an encore after an incredible performance in the first three rounds.  He is now 15-9 in the playoffs, with a 2.05 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage.

It may not have been the smartest of strategies by Luongo to provoke Thomas and the rest of the Bruins with his comments after Game 5, and his supplemental remarks over the weekend.  After saying that he would have easily made the save on the goal that Thomas yielded on the GWG on Friday night, he followed that up over the weekend when asked about that comment.  ”I have been pumping his tires ever since the series started,” Luongo told the media.  ”I haven’t heard one nice thing he had to say about me.  That’s the way it is.”

It’s been one of the best examples of a Stanley Cup Finals where home ice advantage has meant everything to the respective teams.

In the three games in Vancouver, the Canucks have won tight, low-scoring affairs.  Vancouver has outscored the Bruins 5-2 in those three games played in British Columbia.  In the three games that have taken place in Boston, the Bruins blasted the visiting Canucks by a combined score of 17-3.

Heading back to TD Garden for Monday night’s Game 6, the Canucks were flirting with history.  Scoring just six goals in the first five games of the series, Vancouver had a real chance to break the record for least amount of goals scored by a Cup-winning team, which is nine and held by the 1939 Toronto Maple Leafs.

While he’s been incredible at home, yielding just two goals in three games (two shutouts), Luongo’s statistics in the Finals in games played in Boston are horrific – a balloon-like 8.09 GAA, and  .773 save percentage.

There is no doubt that Luongo will start Game 7.  He has been amazing on home ice in the playoffs, especially in the Finals.  He’s given up just two goals in the three games in Vancouver, recording two shutouts.  That being said, head coach Alain Vigneault will have a very short leash if Luongo gives up early goals in Game 7.

Vancouver fought hard all year long to secure home-ice throughout the playoffs, and they will need to hold serve one last time Wednesday night.

Raymond Injured

Canucks’ forward Mason Raymond was injured early in the game when he got tangled up with Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk and the two went into the boards.  Raymond was bent over and prone as his tail bone hit the dasher boards and head and neck appeared to take a compression-type hit by Boychuk’s body.

Raymond remained face-down on the ice for several minutes before skating off and into the locker room with the aid of teammates.

He was later taken out of the building on a stretcher to a local hospital.  Makes you wonder if it was a wise decision to have the winger skate off the ice.

The Cup Runneth Over:  Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa led all skaters with eight shots on goal…The Bruins had a good night on faceoffs, winning 46 of 74 (62%).  Chris Kelly went 14-19 in the faceoff circle (73.7%), Rich Peverley went 5-7 (71.4%), Patrice Bergeron 11-18 (61.1%), and Gregory Campbell 6-10 (60%)…Boston was 2-5 on the PP, the Canucks went 1-6…Schneider finished the night with 30 saves on 32 Bruins’ shots…Thomas was the Star of the Game, while Recchi was the #2 star and Ryder #3…Thomas tied Vancouver’s Kirk McLean for the record for most saves in a single postseason with 761.  Barring ilness or an off-day injury, Thomas should set the record early in Game 7…Alex Edler led all skaters with four blocked shots.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Photo Credit: kpwerker

Tonight, the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks face the most pivotal game in their series — the dreaded elimination game. While fans back in Vancouver decide whether they want more green or more navy in their parade, the Bruins plan on deflating their floats once again.

Whether their gameplan is executed correctly is one thing, but there seems to be no lack of love between these two teams.

Following the game winning goal, enigmatic superstar starting goalie Roberto Luongo made sure to put his foot in his mouth by critiquing his counterpart, Tim Thomas‘ positioning. ”It’s not hard if you’re playing in the paint,” explained Luongo.

Perhaps attempting to invoke more emotion out of the Bruins (or not), Luongo may have awakened an angry giant in his opposition, although one would imagine it very hard for the home team not to be invigorated in a game of such importance.

These past five games have been hard fought and momentum changing. Every home game has been won but not without excitement, controversy and a throwback rivalry of two very even teams. Nothing is expected to change tonight when the Bruins try to even the series with the Stanley Cup in the building.

When asked how his team would react, top-line left wing Milan Lucic explained he expected more of the same. “A lot of excitement,” said Lucic. “A lot of emotion and a lot of hate and that’s what has made it such a passionate series to be a part of. And I don’t expect anything less tonight.” As a childhood Canuck fan, playing his hometown team sounds incredibly difficult, especially with the rumors of his apparent undisclosed injury.

The Bruins enter tonight’s game somewhat dejected from what was a very tough loss. More importantly, they enter the game one loss away from losing a very good shot at Lord Stanley’s Cup. They are in a fight for their lives and a fight to win together as a team, as defenseman Andrew Ference pointed out. “The city’s excited,” said Ference. “It’s been a long run and lots of ups and downs and crazy stuff, but obviously everybody can smell a finish coming up soon and wants us obviously to continue the story for another game.”

Everyone can smell that finish, especially the Canucks, who expect to “bring their swagger” tonight.

Their captain, Henrik Sedin, came out as a vocal leader this morning, trying to avert the attention from his goalie and put his team on his shoulder for the first time this series.

“We have to put our best game on the ice and we’re not taking any chances to play a Game 7. We can have a good team for a long time, but it’s really difficult to get this far and if we can’t do it this year, we might not get another shot. And that’s the reality.”

Somehow, Sedin after leading the League in scoring last year with 114 points and finishing fourth this season with 93 points only registered four shots on goal and is still looking for his first point of the series.  A goal or two from Henrik or brother Daniel Sedin would probably go a long way, especially if the ‘savior‘ Luongo shows up –opposed to his evil nemesis Luon8o.

Clearly, the Bruins hope to see the latter option but they will need to play their best game of the year to extend their season.

Expected Game 6 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Tanner Glass, Manny Malhotra, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts, Christian Ehrhoff
• Chris Tanev, Kevin Bieksa

Luongo will make his 17th consecutive start in goal tonight.

Expected Game 6 Boston Bruins Lineup*:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Rich Peverley
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Thomas will make his 24th consecutive start in goal.

Players to Watch:

Vancouver Canucks — Ryan Kesler

Last tilt we assumed he was healthy and just shut down. Now, we honestly have no idea what he will do, but the leader has his teammates’ support.

“He has been through a lot and fought through a lot,” explained Mason Raymond to Ben Kuzma of The Province. “This time of year, you lay it on the line, no matter what you’re going through and he has continued to do that.”

Can he fight through one more game?

Boston Bruins — Milan Lucic

Lucic is essentially Kesler’s equivalent: the slumping and probably hurt power forward who remained quiet most of the series.

“You’ve just got to think about a shift at time. It’s always making sure I’m getting my feet moving and skating hard. Doing that, everything else seems to take care of itself,” said Lucic to Ben Kuzma of The Province.

If he can somehow keep things simple, his team has a good chance at pulling out ahead.

Photo Credit: blipsman / Flickr

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Throughout the playoffs, every team facing the Vancouver Canucks discussed ruining their parade. As the President’s Trophy winner and frontrunner for the Stanley Cup, these guys had targets stitched above their letters: right where the NHL is trying to stop shoulder checks.

Back on May 30th, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews admitted just that to Adam Jahns of The Chicago Sun-Times:

‘‘What we could have done to ruin the parade in that city — I don’t know. I guess I shouldn’t take so much satisfaction in that, but it would have been something special, especially coming back from a 3-0 deficit [with] the expectations Vancouver has in their city with the media and all that stuff.

In the first round, his Blackhawks had the ability to stop the Canucks from advancing, yet then they watched helplessly as their rivals continued to skate through their opponents en route to the greatest trophy North America has to offer. Nevertheless, they now get an opportunity to watch the Canucks sink or swim tonight as they, for the first time since Game 1, could be down a game by the end of the night.

Before Game 3, we took the time to preview the tilt, as we have since the beginning of the Finals. The old adage — you are not in trouble in the playoffs until you lose on home ice — applied then, and more than ever it applies now. After four home-wins this series, the Canucks can win and hope they can use a raucous crowd at Rogers Arena to their advantage.

The Canucks clearly know this and understand this as evidenced by their pregame chatter. “Obviously, we do have to treat it like Game 7,” said starting goalie Roberto Luongo to Jim Jamieson of The Province. “We’ve got to treat every game in the playoffs like at Game 7.” All of their pre-game fluff will not help them when it gets to crunch time, and so far in this series’ crunch time the major players have failed show up.

Starting with Luongo, who was doubtful to play in Game 5 following his second poor start, the team looks lost from the net on out. After a four-game winning streak in which he allowed two goals or fewer, the enigmatic yet elite starting goalie surrendered 12 goals over 103:17. He needs to be better, but so does every one else.

The Sedins have combined for two points, a goal and an assist, with both coming during Game 2 off the stick of Daniel. Henrik Sedin finally managed his first two shots on goal this series after getting held shotless in his first three games but the teams still managed to get shutout. The Sedins were quiet throughout the majority of the playoffs before breaking out against the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Finals.

However, in the past Ryan Kesler has been able to cut them some slack.  Entering this series, he looked like the shoe-in Conn Smythe winner. To get that award, you also need to show up in the Finals and over these past three games he has gotten very quiet.

These four men need to step up or their shot at the Cup will be lost in the fold. Can they do that? They will need to fight more adversity than a 117-point team usually faces all season so we are certainly entering uncharted territory.

Expected Game 5 Boston Bruins Lineup*:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Rich Peverley
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, Shawn Thornton
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Tim Thomas will make his 23rd consecutive start in goal.

*The Bruins did not take morning skate today, so any presumed changes in the lineup will happen during warmups.

Expected Game 5 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Tanner Glass, Manny Malhotra, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts, Christian Ehrhoff
• Chris Tanev, Kevin Bieksa

Luongo will make his 16th consecutive start in goal tonight.

Game 4 Stat Pack:

• Thomas brings in a shutout streak of 66:07, making 40 saves over that span.
• Seidenberg, Bieksa and Edler all topped 25 minutes. All three have played upwards of 22 minutes in every games of the series.
• In every game of the series, the losing team has led in shots through two periods.
• Despite an apparent injury, Ehrhoff led both teams in shots with five. The Bs countered with Lucic’s five.
• Kesler, McQuaid and Chara all topped 10 PIM. Both teams would probably prefer their leaders out of the box and back on the ice for this game.

Players to Watch:

Vancouver Canucks — Ryan Kesler

Kesler not only needs to step up his game offensively, but stay out of the penalty box.

“I think it happened in Game 3 and we talked about it and were much better in Game 4 at getting out of the scrums,” said Kesler’s teammate Andrew Alberts to Jim Jamieson of The Province. “It’s not our game. Boston might want to build on the scrums and get a boost out of that. We’re trying to stay out of that and play hard between the whistles.”

The gritty leader registered 31 PIM over the last two games/losses.

Boston Bruins — Zdeno Chara

As usual, Chara will be tasked with guarding the power forward. Not much has been said about the hulking d-man. In fact, we don’t even have a quote from him or on him but if his team wins tonight it will be due to his hard work.

Photo Credit: Mafue / Flickr

The title says it all.

The Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins need to settle down and once again play some hockey. The home team showed up on Monday night when they lambasted the Canucks 8-1 and so did distraction, frustration on the Vancouver side in addition to the budding of a beautiful rivalry.

Tonight, it will have to be all about playing the game and moving closer to fulfilling one’s NHL destiny.

“It’s certainly not about looking for revenge. Justice has been served,” head coach Claude Julien explained to Fluto Shinzawa of Boston.com. “No other reason to look for more. If we really want to make Nathan happy, we know what we have to do. That’s win a Stanley Cup.”

Could not have said it any better myself. With Monday night’s win, the Bruins can now taste the Cup and have every intention of making a series out of this. Falling behind in a series is no big deal for them as they did the same thing in the first round against the Montreal Canadiens and scraped through every game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This team has been left for dead before and seems completely comfortable battling back in time of need.

On that note, the Canucks need to battle back and #bringithome with a 3-1 series lead. All of this talk concerning suspensions, line changes, taunts, positioning, etc. needs to get benched with the team returning their focus to what got them where they are: winning.

Captain Henrik Sedin knows this, as he clearly explained to Ed Willes of The Province. “We have to realize our focus is to play hockey. That’s No.1. That’s something we’ve brought up already and we’re going to give that a lot of attention.” After the Bruins exploded for four second-period goals, the Canucks lost this focus and frustration set in.

Both Sedin, head coach Alain Vigneault and likely the rest of the team know this. “We’ve been a team that’s been very disciplined all year playing whistle to whistle,” said Vigneault. “I think we might have gotten away from that a little. We’re going to have to do a better job there.” One can only expect a better effort than allowing eight goals from the President’s Trophy winner.

The question now remains: can the Canucks win and send the series back home with a decisive lead or will the Bruins keep an emphasis on home-ice advantage?

Expected Game 4 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Tanner Glass, Manny Malhotra, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts, Christian Ehrhoff
• Keith Ballard / Chris Tanev, Kevin Bieksa

Roberto Luongo will make his 15th consecutive start in goal tonight.

Expected Game 4 Boston Bruins Lineup*:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Rich Peverley*
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell,  Shawn Thornton
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Tim Thomas will make his 22nd consecutive start in goal.

*Seguin, Peverley and Ryder are all expected to rotate into the first line right wing position.

Rookie Jordan Caron will take warmups tonight but is not expected to draw in. The youngster Caron took Recchi’s spot on the second line during practice as the veteran often opts to not skate on game day.

Game 3 Stat Pack:

• Four Bruins registered over 10 PIM — Ference, Thornton, Lucic and Seidenberg. The Canucks countered that with five of their own to top 10 PIM in Bieksa, Rome, D. Sedin, Kesler and Burrows. Somehow, Lapierre finished without even a roughing call.
• Edler led the Canucks with a team-high minus-4 rating. My namesake has never finished a game with a minus-4 rating in his entire NHL regular season and postseason career.
• Ehrhoff led the ‘Nucks in minutes played with 27:53. Seidenberg took the minutes-eater title for the Bs, playing in 24:34 — Bieksa and Edler also topped these minutes as the team was forced to play with five d-men.
• For the third time in as many games, the losing team led the game in shots through two periods.
• H. Sedin still has no shots on goal. He might have got one off but was leveled by Thomas, click here for video.

Players to Watch:

Vancouver Canucks — Roberto Luongo

David Strehle put all the focus on Luongo here. Literally, watch him, as he formerly held the title of unraveling.

“The score doesn’t really matter. We’re in the playoffs.  It’s all about winning a game, right?  As a team, we got to look at it we lost a game.  We just got to get back to doing the things we do.  No matter what the score of the game is, we have to keep playing our game, not deviate from our game plan.”

Winning is all Luongo needs to do. Just win tonight and again in Vancouver on Friday. The talent is clearly there but will he be able to accomplish hockey’s greatest task?

Boston Bruins — First line RW

As usual, Julien will play his cards close to his chest.

“You never know what can happen through the course of the day,” said Julien to The Boston Herald.

We like Ryder in this spot provided he can stay hot. If the game remains close, expect Peverley to get more minutes there. Seguin could start out the game on the top line and provide the team with some youthful pep. Honestly, who knows with Julien.

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If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at amonaghan at nhlhotstove  dot com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @NHLHotStove or like us on Facebook, here.

By Alexander Monaghan
President

Photo Credit: Dan4th / Flickr

An old hockey adage applies tonight: you are not in trouble until you lose on home ice. Tonight, the Boston Bruins hope to avoid that home loss and keep their hopes alive in capturing their first Stanley Cup since 1972.

Following Saturday’s controversial finish — Should Tim Thomas have stayed further back in his net? Should Alex Burrows been allowed to play? — the Boston Bruins managed to stay with their newly-found rival in the Vancouver Canucks, getting slightly edged 3-2 in Game 2. That loss followed Wednesday’s disappointing 1-0 finish from Game 1.

Tonight will be the biggest test for them since if they lose, they will face elimination on home ice against arguably the best regular season team and now the best postseason team.

After leading the majority of their playoff series’, the Canucks have had trouble showing their killer instinct. They almost allowed the Chicago Blackhawks to defeat them yet again following a 3-0 series lead. They allowed the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks to sway their series after taking bigger leads but generally have improved as the playoffs went further.

Tonight, they know they will need to show that killer instinct in true form.

“I think it’s pretty much normal human behaviour,” said second line winger Christopher Higgins to Tony Gallagher of The Province. “I think it’s natural when the other team has the crowd to get them going.”

Playing away from Vancouver should help the Bruins regain some confidence after coming home down two games. The Canucks and their staff clearly know that and are getting ready to do battle.

“The first 10 minutes will be crucial for us tonight,” said Canucks assistant coach Rick Bowness. “We have to be ready to match their intensity.”

Expect the Canucks to be ready tonight, when they drop the puck at TD Banknorth Garden at approximately 8PM, EST.

Expected Game 3 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Jeff Tambellini, Manny Malhotra, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts, Christian Ehrhoff
• Aaron Rome, Kevin Bieksa

Luongo will make his 14th consecutive start in goal tonight.

Expected Game 3 Boston Bruins Lineup*:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Nathan Horton
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, Tyler Seguin / Shawn Thornton
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Despite his overtime blunder, expect Thomas to make his 21st consecutive start in goal.

*According to John Bishop of Bruins.com, via Twitter, “Julien says any lineup decisions will be made after 23 B’s skate in warmup.” Keep that in mind when reading the lines above as they may change completely.

Game 2 Stat Pack:

• Chara led the Bruins in ice time, playing 28:12 while Edler led the Canucks with 24:53. The Canucks continue to alternate their top guys in the minute-eater role while the Bs heavily rely on their captain and his partner Seidenberg.
• In his 2011 Stanley Cup Finals debut, Alberts led all players with six hits.
• After his miraculous comeback, Malhotra helped his team by winning 85.7 percent of his draws edging out Peverley, who finished with 80 percent in the circles.
• Boston once again out-shot the Canucks through two periods but only managed five shots on goal after taking a 2-1 lead in the tilt.
• Luongo now finds himself on a four-game winning streak in which he has allowed only six goals and two goals or less over that span. He has also played over 60 minutes in five of his 20 playoff appearances.

Players to Watch:

Vancouver Canucks – Henrik Sedin

You probably expected the controversial Burrows here but Sedin will need to step up in the faceoff circle for his team to silence the home crowd. In his last game, Sedin managed to lose 10 of 19 draws, requiring Head Coach Alain Vigneault to single him out.

From The Province:

“The ony guy who has been having issues in the faceoff circle is Hank (Sedin). All the other guys have been fairly close to their normal percentage. Hank’s aware of that. So hopefully we’ll have Hank be a little better tonight. He takes a lot of draws in the other team’s end. Obviously we’d like to start with the puck, instead of chasing in that end.”

Expect Sedin to step up his game in the faceoff dots.

Boston Bruins – Patrice Bergeron

After getting taunted by former Montreal Canadiens agitator Maxim Lapierre, Bergeron must react to the Canucks getting under his skin. Head Coach Claude Julien had some choice words on how he viewed Lapierre’s actions:

“If it’s acceptable for them, then so be it,” Julien said to Fluto Shinzawa of Boston.com. “It certainly wouldn’t be acceptable on our end of it. The NHL rules on something. If they decide to make a mockery of it, that’s totally up to them. If that’s their way of handling things, so be it.”

Will Bergeron make a mockery of Lapierre tonight?

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Are you excited for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals? Express yourselves in the comments!

By Alexander Monaghan
President

News coming out of Vancouver today is all about injury updates.

Will Manny Malhotra play? Why did Dan Hamhuis not skate? What the media has neglected to focus on is the Vancouver Canucks testing their depth while the Boston Bruins have not even tapped into theirs yet. Shawn Thornton, Shane Hnidy and Steven Kampfer — all capable NHL players — should watch tonight’s game from the sidelines while their opposition finds themselves a few men short as Hamhuis is almost guaranteed to not play, Mikael Samuelsson likely misses the rest of the playoffs and Malhotra or Alex Bolduc will center the fourth line.

This lack of stability should be somewhat concerning considering after 19 games, Head Coach Alain Vigneault still cannot figure out what his winning lineup is. Wednesday night’s Game 1 was won by an unlikely hero in Raffi Torres, but had Ryan Kesler not stayed on-side, would the Canucks have been so fortunate. Would they even be up a game?

For three consecutive series it looked like the Bruins were down and out. They were forced into Game 7 by the Montreal Canadiens after falling behind 2-0 and then regaining the series lead 3-2. Even then they required a late goal from now playoff hero Nathan Horton. They were then thought of as an extreme underdog against the Philadelphia Flyers as they were defeated by them last year in the playoffs and were expected to quietly bow out to an Eastern Conference favorite. Again, they shocked their doubters by sweeping the apparent powerhouse. Even during the Eastern Conference Finals, the Tampa Bay Lightning seemed to be a step ahead but the Bruins still managed to pull out the W and defeat the unbeatable Dwayne Roloson in an elimination game.

Yet now, against the heavily favored Canucks, who are now tapping into their depth, the Bruins are asked if they can keep up. Keep up? They made it this far, didn’t they? They played 59:41 minutes tied, didn’t they?

These two teams will make a series out of it, and when one does win they will bring the Stanley Cup back to a city who craved victory for years.

Expected Game 2 Boston Bruins Lineup:

• Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Nathan Horton
• Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi
• Michael Ryder, Chris Kelly, Tyler Seguin
• Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, Rich Peverley
• Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg
• Tomas Kaberle, Adam McQuaid
• Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk

Tim Thomas will get the nod between the pipes. He allowed one goal on 34 shots in Game 1. In his career during the regular season against the Canucks, he boasts a 3-0-0 record with a .33 GAA and .990 SV% with two shutouts.

Expected Game 2 Vancouver Canucks Lineup:

• Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
• Christopher Higgins, Ryan Kesler, Mason Raymond
• Raffi Torres, Maxim Lapierre, Jannik Hansen
• Jeff Tambellini, Manny Malhotra / Alex Bolduc, Victor Oreskovich
• Alexander Edler, Sami Salo
• Andrew Alberts / Keith Ballard, Christian Ehrhoff
• Aaron Rome, Kevin Bieksa

Roberto Luongo went 11-10-3 with a 2.40 GAA and .929 SV% with four shutouts in 25 career games started against the Bruins.

Game 1 Stat Pack:

• The Bruins out-shot the Canucks in both the first and second period, entering the third with a 26-20 margin.
• Boychuk led all players with eight hits in the game. Torres led the Canucks in hits with five.
• The Bruins’ top line took 13 shots on net with Krejci and Horton each putting five on goal. By comparison, the Canucks’ top line finished with 10 but Daniel Sedin took eight of them with brother Henrik getting anything to Thomas.
• Despite missing the rest of the Western Conference Finals, Ehrhoff led all Canucks in ice time by registering 26:26. Chara and Seidenberg each played over 27 minutes during Game 1.

Players to Watch:

Boston Bruins — Tim Thomas

After such a tight game, many members of the Canucks organization complained about Thomas’ positioning.

“I mean, 90 percent of his saves are outside the blue paint,” Vigneault said. “A lot of times he does initiate contact. That’s the way he plays. We’re going to look to get a little bit of clarification.”

It will be interesting to see how he reacts and if their complaints change his “battlefly: style

Vancouver Canucks — Manny Malhotra

Who else could it possibly be? Malhotra claimed he does not want to be a sideshow but he has to be the feel good story of the year.

“I don’t want this to be a sideshow,” Malhotra said. “We always talk about this in our dressing room, that the whole is much stronger than the individuals. We have a very strong focus in the room. I don’t want anything to sidetrack that.

If and when Manny comes back, all eyes will be on him.

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Are you excited for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals? Express yourselves in the comments!