When the Vancouver Canucks waited to see whom they would face in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, many were already counting the opponent out. The Bruins and Lightening are a nice story, but come on. After all, Vancouver finished 1st in the West and 1st overall in the NHL this season with a 54, 19 and 9 record, with 117 points. They scored 262 goals, while giving up 185 and had a +77 rating. They boast three scorers finishing in the top 30. Daniel Sedin finished 1st overall with 41 and 63 for 104pts, a +30 in 82 games. Henrik Sedin finished 4th in scoring with 19 and 75 for 94pts and a +26 in 82 games. Rounding out the elite 3 is the underrated, 15th ranked scorer Ryan Kesler, totaling 41 and 32 with 73pts and a +24 in 82 games. The #1NHL ranked goaltender, Roberto Luongo turned a lot of heads with 38 wins and only 15 losses, 7 in ot or shootout in 60 games with 126 goals given up on 1,753 shots. He finished with a strong 2.11GAA and a.928 save percentage.
The Boston Bruins also had an impressive season. They were good enough for a 7th place finish in the league, and for 3rd in the competitive NHL east. Although they showcase several very good players, they finished with no players ranked in the top 30 scorers. The Bruins compiled 103 pts, going with a record of 46, 25 and 11. They outscored their opponents 246 to 195 and a +51 rating. #9 ranked goaltender Tim Thomas’ aggressive play netted him some impressive stats this season. In 57 games played, he finished the regular season with 35 wins, 11 losses and 9 overtime/shoot out losses. He had an unreal 2.00 GAA and .938 save percentage on 112 goals allowed on 1,811 shots. So how did you think the match up would play out after 4 games?
The home team has gone 2-0 in the first four games. Why? Perhaps matching lines and fanatical fans do come into play here. Boston has some passionate fans, trust me, I know. The Vancouver faithful have always proven to be fiercely loyal as well. The intimidation factor of home ice can’t be ignored and has proven viable thus far. The difference may be in the ability to score, so Vancouver has the clear edge, right?
Well Vancouver won game 1 by a score of 1-0 in the final seconds of the third period and hung on in Game 2, winning 3-2 in ot. Hardly the offensive dominance you would expect. In games 2 and 3, Boston won in 8-1, and 4-0 blowouts in which the fragile Canucks shattered after being scored on in bunches. Their solid defense and superstar forwards looked mortal, almost less than ordinary. This was all accomplished with a struggling Boston power play as well. So why is this happening? We went through the home ice factor, but I don’t think it would be like throwing a switch on and off for each team. It must be a few different variables.
First, I think that Boston is out coaching Vancouver. I am in no way saying Alain Vigneault is a poor coach. I am just saying he was reported on saying his goaltender was stable and the team was focused coming into Boston. What I am saying is that clearly, Claude Julien’s team made some adjustments in tactics, play and attitude in response to dropping the first two games in Vancouver. A plight many teams have never been able to recover from. I am in no way saying that Vancouver won’t come back, I just find it interesting that of the four games, each set of home games played out like a different series all together.
Roberto Luongo is now at a 2.54 GAA and a .916 save percentage. This is a noticeable, but not disastrous fall from his prior series and regular season numbers. He has always been questioned on if he could bring a team all the way and he needs to answer right now if it’s going to happen. The offense must rally behind a solid defensive game by Vancouver in the remaining 2 to 3 games or they will fail in their quest. Playing as they had done in the past and making adjustments on the fly is a part of every championship team’s resume, and Vancouver should be no different.
If Boston is to finish their resurgence, Tim Thomas must continue his recent dominance and their defense must continue to limit the changes that Vancouver is given. Thomas’ 2.11 GAA and .936% save percentage against an offensive juggernaught like the Canucks cannot be ignored. He is a major reason for the B’s success thus far, and he must continue this play if they are to be called champions. Boston has also excelled in playing the ultimate team game with several different players sharing consistent efforts each of night.
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