Stanley Cup is going to a Game Seven after Bruins blast Canucks
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By Bruce Fuhr
The Nelson Daily Sports
In a hockey game that’s 60 minutes long, it took the Boston Bruins 4:14 to send the Stanley Cup Final to a seventh game.
Goals by Brad Marchand, Milan Lucic, Andrew Ference and Michael Ryder early in the first period sparked the Bruins to a 5-2 victory Monday at the TD Garden in Boston.
Game seven to decide the 2011 Stanley Cup champion goes Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Vancouver at Rogers Arena.
“This is what we all dream of here, (playing in) game seven of the Stanley Cup Final,” Boston forward Mark Ricchi said following the game.
“Let’s go see what we can do.”
The irony in this contest is the Vancouver Canucks actually had a great start to the game as the President’s Trophy winners held the early edge.
But the goal from Marchand seemed to rattle the Canucks, and goalie Roberto Luongo. The pesky Bruin came in on his off wing and snapped a shot over the shoulder of Luongo.
Thirty-five seconds later, Lucic took a nice pass from Rich Peverley before sliding a shot through Luongo’s legs.
A goal by Ference from the blueline sent Luongo to the showers, replaced by Corey Schneider.
Michael Ryder tipped a point shot by Tomas Kaberle to give Boston all the goals it would need.
“I’m proud of the guys the way we played with our backs against the wall,” said Recchi. “We’ve been resilient all year.”
Taking questions from the media, Canuck coach Alain Vigneault focused on one thing and that was forgetting about game six.
“To tell you the truth (result) doesn’t really matter (because) at the end of the day they won and we’re back in front of our fans one game showdown and that’s it,” Vigneault said.
“It happened. There’s nothing we can do about it. We’ve already turned the page,” was Vigneault response to a similar question.
“We’re going to go back. We’ve got a great opportunity to play in front of our fans and we’re going to make the best of it.”
After a scoreless second period, Henrik Sedin scored 22 seconds into the third on a power play.
But that goal was answered by Bruin center David Krejci, also on the power play as Boston scored twice with the man advantage.
Maxim Lapierre, with his second goal in two games, completed the scoring for Vancouver.
Boston finished the game out shooting the Canucks 40-38 with Bruins netminder Tim Thomas registering his third home win.
CUP NOTES: Boston held a 17-3 goal advantage in the three games at the TD Garden and a 19-8 margin in the series. . . .The four goals by Boston is the fastest in Stanley Cup history. . . . Vancouver forward Mason Raymond left the game 20 seconds into the contest after being slammed into the boards awkwardly by Bruin defenceman Johnny Boychuk. Raymond was taken from TD Garden on a stretcher to hospital. . . . Prior to the start of the Stanley Cup Final, EA Sports’ NHL ’11 Simulation Engine predicted that the Vancouver Canucks would hoist Lord Stanley’s mug after a tough, seven-game series. That same engine picked the Chicago Blackhawks to win last season and has been correct in 13 of 14 series this season.
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