2011 Stanley Cup Finals Game 1: Canucks Take Series Lead on Late Goal

The Boston Bruins have not won Lord Stanley's Mug in 39 years.  The Vancouver Canucks have not won the cup in its 40-year history.

Boston wants the drought to end.  Vancouver want to get their first Cup.

The Game

First Period

In the opening seconds, Bruins netminder, Tim Thomas had to make a great save with a shot on net that he sent to the corner.

Vancouver's Roberto Luongo had to battle the puck as well.

The Bruins had three power-play attempts including an opening four-minute major on a high-stick from Daniel Sedin on Bruins captain Zdeno Chara.  The Bruins' power play is still not producing as much as it should, but the Canucks' potent power play had three of their own, but couldn't convert themselves.

After one period of play, it was goose eggs on the scoreboard.

At the buzzer the play was at the Bruins net and there were some scrums occurring.

The most noticeable were Bruin Patrice Bergeron and Canuck Alex Burrows getting into it and it appeared that Burrows bit Bergeron on the finger.  The scrum went on too long and it ended up with Burrows taking two minors to put the Bruins on the power play at the end of the opening frame.  At first I was wondering what Bergeron was so adamant about going after Burrows as he is not generally known for going after a player so vigorously.  The replay surprised me to say the least. 

Second Period

Early in the Bruin power play, Chara got a stick high again and it resulted in an abbreviated 1:38 five-on-three.  The B's could not convert.

Dan Hamhuis went down after sending Milan Lucic end over end and it seemed to hurt him as he visibly went down and in pain.  David Krejci followed up with a cross check and the Bruins killed it off.

Hamhuis went straight to the dressing room.

Canucks was going on the five-on-three for mere seconds, but Burrows went off for tripping Thomas (he was outside the paint, but was clearly tripped unlike what CBC commentator Glen Healy thinks that the play was fair game seeing that Thomas was out of the paint).

First, Dennis Seidenberg was called for kneeing.  Then 26 seconds later, Rich Peverley looked like he was on a breakaway, but he hooked a Canuck in order to make it and it was a five-on-three.  Just six seconds later, Burrows was called for the trip.  Nothing materialized in terms of goals.

Plenty of end-to-end hockey and the Canucks seemed to turn it on for about a couple of minutes late in the period as the Bruins were late on the change.  Nothing doing on getting one past Thomas.

Going into the second frame, it was still goose eggs and this game is already promising to be a crazy series.

Third Period

Thomas had to make two good saves early in the final frame including one that Burrows tipped, but it hit Thomas in the chest/shoulder.

Loungo made a great save on a rebound as he snapped a shot out of mid air that could have otherwise dropped to his right and an open attempt to Michael Ryder.

Jannik Hansen had a great opportunity to get the Canucks on the board first as he had a breakaway, but Thomas trapped it between his pads.

Luongo matched Thomas by stopping a low tip in attempt by David Krejci.

Thomas had to make some spectacular saves as the Canucks open up the play and try to blitz the Bruins with some hard playing as they are using their speed.

Alexandar Edler nearly made one count as the puck beat Thomas, but it hit the cross bar.

With just 19 seconds left of the game, Raffe Torres got the game-winner.  After Ryan Kesler kept his toe onside to keep the play going in the offensive zone, he passed the puck to Jannick Hansen who passed it back to Torres and the Canucks finally solved Thomas at the worst possible time for the Bruins.

The Good

Tim Thomas.  He kept this team in the game.  Thomas deserved a better fate, but it wasn't meant to be.

The PK on both teams.  Not one goal scored by either team.

Canucks Pressure.  To the most part, the Bruins were able to take away some time and space from the Canucks, but it was still a handful for the Bruins.

The Bad

The turnovers and the chances that both teams had.  The Canucks were playing hard and the Bruins also had their chances.  Both teams could not cash in on their chances.

Dan Hamhuis leaving the game.  Head coach Alain Vigneault stated he is day-to-day.  If he is out, this will leave a big hole in the Canucks' D.  

The Ugly

Alex Burrows seeming to resort to biting Patrice Bergeron's finger.

My Take

This was not the best game that I have seen, but a good game nonetheless given the fact that both teams were not at their best.

Tim Thomas was stellar.  The player of the game despite the game's only goal scored on him in my opinion.

This is one of those games where each team are feeling each other and if the series continues to have these type of scores, this series is still too close to call.

Game 2 on Saturday.  Time to turn up the heat.  Enjoy the final series of the year.

This is Cory Ducey saying "Hit Hard, But Keep It Clean."