Big Bad Bruins back in Stanley Cup Final, slow Canucks drive with 8-1 shellacking in Beantown
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Somewhere in the Heritage City the two Joe’s, Mario and, of course, David from The Grand Merchants Beer and Wine store, are smiling from ear to ear.
The Boston Bruins took advantage of some opportunistic breaks in the second period to climb back into the Stanley Cup Final with a resounding 8-1 shellacking of the Vancouver Canucks Monday at the T.D. Garden in Beantown.
Vancouver still leads the best-of-seven series 2-1 with game four Wednesday back in Boston. Game time Wednesday is 5 p.m. PDT on CBC-TV.
But the way the Bruins beat up the Canucks on this night there may be a few seats opening up on the Vancouver bandwagon.
“We really limited the time and space for them and limited our turnovers,” Bruin sniper Brad Marchand told CBC-TV when ask about the difference in results from games one and two to Monday in Beantown.
“We try to put a lot of pucks at the net and try to work down low in their end.”
“But we got a lot of lucky breaks that we weren’t getting the last couple of games,” add Marchand. “Maybe that’s the biggest thing is there was a lot of luck.”
Despite wasting a five-minute power play in the first period after Aaron Rome’s late-hit on Nathan Horton, the game turned 11 seconds into the middle frame when a shot by Andrew Ference shot some how found the net past a screened Roberto Luongo.
The goal came seconds after the stick of Vancouver defenceman Alex Edler shattered right off the opening face off.
A power play goal by Mark Recchi, a goalmouth pass deflecting in off the stick of Ryan Kesler, a spectacular shorthanded marker by Marchand and David Krejci drilling a rebound past Luongo, and the rout was on.
After the teams exchanged goals in the third — another shorthanded tally by Boston’s Daniel Paille and Jannik Hansen snapping the shutout bid by Tim Thomas — the Bruins scored three times in a span of just under two minutes to complete the rout.
“I really liked our first period. . . .. Obviously we had to kill of a five-minute penalty,” Canuck coach Alain Vigneault told the NHL media press conference.
“We did a pretty good job and a couple of great scoring chances I thought their goaltender made some real good saves on.
“And then the game shifted in the second on the first play of the period. Alex (Edler) breaks his stick and the pucks seems to have eyes and finds the back of the net.”
The game degenerated into a hack fest in the third with no less than 128 minutes in penalties, including two fighting majors and nine misconducts.
However, the game hit a new low when Vancouver native Milan Lucic taunted Canuck forward Alex Burrows with his finger during a third-period scrum.
“That’s unaccepted on our team and it happened a couple of times tonight and (our players) have been told that I don’t want any of that stuff,” said Bruin coach Claude Julien, who called out the Vancouver organization for the antics of Canuck center Maxim Lapierre during game two.
“Like I said, you’ve got to live by your words and it was disappointing for me to see than happen after what I said this morning.”
“It’s my fault for not bringing that up to the guys, they did it . . . emotions got the better of them and I’m going to stand here and say that I’m not accepting it.”
Vancouver completed the game out shooting Boston 41-38 including a 12-7 advantage in the first period.
CUP NOTES: Tim Thomas made 37 saves and registered one hit, a knockdown body blow to Henrik Sedin in the third period. . . .The team losing the first two games of the Stanley Cup final has lost 42 times in the past 46 years. However, in 2009 the Pittsburgh Penguins lost the first two games against Detroit before winning the next four of five games en route to the Cup victory. . . . Update on Nathan Horton, taken from the ice in the first period by stretcher, had the Bruin forward moving his arms and legs.
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