Stanley Cup Finals 2011: Resilient Boston Bruins Face Another Game 7

The 2011 Boston Bruins have been one of the most resilient sports teams the city of Boston has seen in quite some time.

After a historic collapse in the conference semifinals wrecked a magical run toward a Cup title last season, the Bruins have climbed the hockey mountain again and are one step away from reaching the summit.

After losing the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals on the road to the Vancouver Canucks by one goal in each contest, the Bruins battled back to tie the series at 2-2 with a pair of convincing home wins.

They followed a disappointing Game 5 road effort with another stellar home ice performance in Game 6 to force a deciding seventh game.

Now the Bruins must bring the same effort and intensity that they've shown at home on the road with them to Vancouver, something they have been unable to do this series.

The Bruins aren't worried about past history, and are excited to have a chance to bring the city a long awaited hockey championship.

“Obviously it's tremendous for the city and the organization and not too many people counted on us being at this point right now. It's a great feeling,” said Bruins forward Mark Recchi in his postgame press conference after Game 6.

“We battled hard tonight. We came to play and it's coming down to one game. This is what we dream of, when you're little kids playing street hockey, you know, you're in Game 7. We're going to go up there and we're going to go lay it on the line like they are, and I think it's going to be an exciting game.”

Wednesday night’s climax in Vancouver will be the first Game 7 of a Cup Final in the eight-decade history of the Boston Bruins, a franchise that has won five Cup titles but none since 1972.

During Game 6, former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling was shown on the JumboTron, and it reminded many fans of his part in the 2004 World Series title, a moment that Red Sox fans had waited 86 years to see.

If the Bruins win on Wednesday, the city of Boston will finally get to see a Stanley Cup parade, the only championship celebration the city hasn’t experienced since 2002.

“We know the significance, '72 the last time this town got to see a Stanley Cup, great sports town, great hockey town and it would be remarkable,” said Recchi.

“There has been a lot of success with the other sports teams and the Bruins included, but it's been a long time.”

For Bruins fans, and Boston sports fans in general, this Bruins playoff run has been very enjoyable for the fact it’s such a new experience for many in the city.

There are many Bruins fans that have never seen or just faintly remember the last time the Bruins won the Stanley Cup.

The Bruins haven’t had a lot of success recently, while the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics have all won titles in the last decade.  

Now that the Bruins are once again an elite hockey team, there are many people who are finally beginning to realize the excitement of the Stanley Cup Finals. 

The Bruins have to battle some unfavorable history heading into Wednesday night’s showdown.

Only two teams in NHL history have won Game 7 on the road in the Cup Final after the previous six games were all won by the home team.

The 1971 Montreal Canadiens and the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins are the only teams to break the home ice spell and win the Cup on the road in a Game 7 when the first six games went to the home team.

But this Bruins team does not worry about past history and the trends it displays. They have been very resilient all season with the expectations very high for everyone at every level of the organization.

These Bruins have done their best to bring a long-awaited Stanley Cup championship to Boston, and their devoted fans who have stuck with them through decades of playoff failures are dying to see it happen.

Mark Recchi is one of the few Bruins to have won a Stanley Cup or have played in a Game 7 of a Cup Final. He won Stanley Cups in 1991 with the Pittsburgh Penguins and in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes.

“There is no pressure, go play, go out and have fun with this. It's what you play for and what we've worked hard for all year. We're going to have a blast doing it. That will be the message,” said Recchi on what he will tell his teammates from his past experiences.

The Bruins have the best goaltender in the league and all the momentum in the series. Vancouver’s big players are playing poorly, and its star goalie Roberto Luongo is going through a crisis after being pulled twice in this series.

All the pressure is on the Canucks to finally seal the deal and bring the franchise its first Stanley Cup title.

With all of this pressure riding on the shoulders of the Canucks, all the Bruins have to do is remain focused and play their game.

If they do that, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara will lift the Cup higher than it’s ever been before, more than seven feet into the air.

Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand. Follow him on Twitter for Bruins playoff news and analysis.