NHL: Winners and Losers of the Stanley Cup Finals

Oh man. The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup last night. Rather than write about last night's game and try to flush out the theme that “Luongo choked” in a full article, I figured I would break down the winners and losers of the Stanley Cup finals. Canucks fans beware: I am a Bruins fan and a bit of a homer. You have been warned.

Winner: Tim Thomas

What can be said about Tim Thomas that hasn’t already been said? It’s like he threw on the Superman cape before every game. He single-handedly kept the Bruins in each game with inhuman saves. He had the Conn Smythe sown up by the end of Game 5, whether the Bruins won the cup or not. Remember, Thomas was questioned about his style of play after Game 2 as well as by one ignorant goalie after Game 5. This is a big middle finger to all who questioned him.

Loser: Roberto Luongo

You know you're in a bad position when your fans are still afraid that you'll fold like a lawn chair even after winning a gold medal. Oh, and did he fold. Did you see the look in Luongo's eyes after the goals that were scored on him (and there were a lot of opportunities)? He looked lost. Plus, he questioned Thomas’ style after Game 5. Seriously? You allow 14 goals in 5 games and have the stones to question a guy who has given up 6 goals in the same period?

Winner: Nathan Horton (the symbol)

Nathan Horton will forever be associated symbolically with this Stanley Cup. He is the Dave Roberts of the Boston Bruins. He shows up in the locker room after Game 4, travels to Vancouver for Game 7, and even dressed and skated with the team after they won the cup. He was a rallying point, not only for the team but for the fans. What happened to him made it very easy to root against Vancouver.

Loser: Nathan Horton (the player)

Now, you have to feel for Horton as a player. He was the lynch pin of the team throughout the playoffs. He scored the game winners in the Game 7’s against both Montreal and Tampa Bay. When the Bruins needed a goal, you had a feeling Horton would come through. Due to his injury, he won’t be remembered for that.

Winner: Mark Recchi

At 43, Recchi gets to go out on top. He was questioned about his ability to get it done throughout the playoffs, but seemed to intensify during the first two games of the Finals. However, his 3 goals and 4 assists during the Finals—including an assist in Game 7—were key. He was a leader in the clubhouse and was definitely what they needed in these playoffs.

Losers: the Sedin twins

Has a set of Swedish twins ever disappointed more than the Sedin twins? All Bruins fans heard about prior to the series was how great the Sedin twins were. Where the hell were they? Chara and Seidenberg made them non-factors. And it wasn’t just that. They had no heart. They took punches, didn’t fight back, and didn’t get backed up by any of their teammates. It was just plain sad.

Winners: Kevin Bieksa and Raffi Torres

They were the only Canucks who seemed to be trying out there as well as the only Canucks I actually feared once it was a foregone conclusion that the Sedin twins and Kesler had decided to turn invisible. Bieksa was always scrapping and looked like he would wreck anyone who tried anything stupid. Torres seemed to want to jump start the offense every time he was on the ice. They both get thumbs up from me.

Losers: Alex Burrows, Maxim Lapierre, and Aaron Rome

Here are three guys who can never, EVER, walk the streets of Boston without armed guards. Absolute punks of the highest order. Burrows is an idiot for biting Bergeron. Lapierre is a tool for taunting about the bite. And Rome! Don’t even get me started on Rome. It’s bad enough he severely injured someone on a blatantly illegal hit, but then he opens his pie hole and says that he didn’t deserve his suspension and that the hit was only borderline illegal. Ugh, I’m fighting the urge to lay down expletives right now.

Winners: Duck Boat operators in Boston

A Championship in Boston means one thing! A rolling rally! Put the whole team on duck boats, roll them through the city with the Cup, and bask in the glory. Basically it’s an excuse for people to start drinking before noon. As if you need a reason!

Loser: Boston Mayor Tom Menino

The doughy, semi-literate mayor of the city of Boston put the kybosh on a Bruins viewing party at the Garden last night. I guess he thought we were all from Vancouver or something (more on that later). He also asked bars in the area to stop serving alcohol by the second quarter and to black out the windows so people couldn’t see inside. What is this, communist Russia? It will be funny to hear him struggle with players names. Every time he speaks, he battles with the English language…and loses.

Losers: The City of Vancouver

So, I was watching the post-game show last night when they showed a shot of Vancouver. A car was flipped over and on fire. I thought all Canadians were laid back and chill with funny accents and good beer. Little did I know of the sleeping beast that lies below. I’m kind of scared to go there in August now. I’m not letting anyone know I’m from Boston, I’ll tell you that much. Stay classy Vancouver, stay classy.