After a pair of very narrow defeats, the Boston Bruins have trounced the Vancouver Canucks in two consecutive games, scoring 12 goals to their opponent’s one.
After Monday night’s 8–1 blowout, the questions were, could the Bruins maintain that level of intensity after having had a day to absorb the injury to Nathan Horton, and could the Canucks regroup and put Monday’s drubbing in the past.
Yes, and mostly yes, were the answers. The Canucks, with one exception started fresh Wednesday night. But the one exception—Roberto Luongo—was so key to the Canucks’ success, his shaky confidence sank the team.
So far in this series, the goaltenders have saved their teams. Whenever the tremendous defense broke down, the netminders came though. Tim Thomas played that way Wednesday night. Roberto Luongo didn’t.
It is impossible to know how the “might-have-beens” would have worked out. But if Luongo had been as brilliant Wednesday night as he had been in the first three games …
In the first period, Rich Peverley got a breakaway and beat Luongo heads-up. Halfway through the second , Michael Ryder beat him in the same place—glove-side, shoulder high—another shot that Luongo would have stopped in any other playoff game.
After Monday night’s 8–1 blowout, the questions were, could the Bruins maintain that level of intensity after having had a day to absorb the injury to Nathan Horton, and could the Canucks regroup and put Monday’s drubbing in the past.
Yes, and mostly yes, were the answers. The Canucks, with one exception started fresh Wednesday night. But the one exception—Roberto Luongo—was so key to the Canucks’ success, his shaky confidence sank the team.
So far in this series, the goaltenders have saved their teams. Whenever the tremendous defense broke down, the netminders came though. Tim Thomas played that way Wednesday night. Roberto Luongo didn’t.
It is impossible to know how the “might-have-beens” would have worked out. But if Luongo had been as brilliant Wednesday night as he had been in the first three games …
In the first period, Rich Peverley got a breakaway and beat Luongo heads-up. Halfway through the second , Michael Ryder beat him in the same place—glove-side, shoulder high—another shot that Luongo would have stopped in any other playoff game.
Two minutes later Luongo let in a 15-foot backhand by Brad Marchand, and the momentum was so securely in the Bruins’ favor, the fans weren’t even slightly worried about a Vancouver comeback, chanting “We want the cup.”
After Peverly got a second goal off an very unlucky bounce—Milan Lucic laid a pass across the crease which Luongo batted out of the air with his stick, only to have it hit Peverly’s leg and bounce in—Canucks coach Alain Vigneault decide to replace Luongo with Cory Schneider. Too late for the Canucks, but the switch possibly prevented Luongo’s ego from taking further bruising.
The game ended with a couple mass melees, as frustration boiled over; even Tim Thomas got into a scuffle with Alex Burrows. It didn’t matter; the game had actually been decided halfway through the second period.
The Bruins played mean and angry and with absolute determination to destroy the Canucks, and the Canucks couldn’t match that intensity.
After Peverly got a second goal off an very unlucky bounce—Milan Lucic laid a pass across the crease which Luongo batted out of the air with his stick, only to have it hit Peverly’s leg and bounce in—Canucks coach Alain Vigneault decide to replace Luongo with Cory Schneider. Too late for the Canucks, but the switch possibly prevented Luongo’s ego from taking further bruising.
The game ended with a couple mass melees, as frustration boiled over; even Tim Thomas got into a scuffle with Alex Burrows. It didn’t matter; the game had actually been decided halfway through the second period.
The Bruins played mean and angry and with absolute determination to destroy the Canucks, and the Canucks couldn’t match that intensity.
Everything resets when the series returns to Vancouver Friday night. The crowd will be just as loud, but it won’t be behind the Bruins. Can Boston carry its wild intensity on the road? Can the Canucks regroup and retake the lead?
Vancouver and Boston are tied, but the feeling is unmistakably that the Canucks are in a deep hole. There Bruins played 120 minutes of shutout hockey in two games in Vancouver, and completely devastated the Canucks in Boston.
If Vancouver can’t get it right, right away, in the first period of Friday’s game, the Canucks might have to wait one more year for their first Stanley Cup.
Vancouver and Boston are tied, but the feeling is unmistakably that the Canucks are in a deep hole. There Bruins played 120 minutes of shutout hockey in two games in Vancouver, and completely devastated the Canucks in Boston.
If Vancouver can’t get it right, right away, in the first period of Friday’s game, the Canucks might have to wait one more year for their first Stanley Cup.
