Boston Bruins vs. Vancouver Canucks

Bo-Van Musings and In-Game Scribbles Le Coupe Stanley

My English is as good as yours, I just write these in a stream-of-consciousness mode that I insist excuses me from small things like rules of grammar or general etiquette. Let’s call it conversational English, hopped up on beans. You know what kind of beans (no, Carl Mellesmoen, not the magic ones).

Boston Bruins (46-25-11)
host
Vancouver Canucks (54-19-9)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Stanley Cup Finals
Game Four (score posted following scribbles)
Vancouver leads best of seven 2-1

Missed it? Musings capture the game in writing. A written transcript typed during the game, posted and edited about thirty minutes afterward. (Usually) based on the RDS French telecast of the Montreal Canadiens game, Musings take about 20 minutes to read. More detailed than an article, fresher than a looping highlight and good with morning coffee. Or late-night chocolate. A unique way to re-experience the game.

click here to expand post (it looks prettier)

 

Reseau play-by-play man of integrity Pierre Houde interviewed Doctor Mark Recchi prior to the game.  It’s all very annoying.  Looking svelte and somewhat rumpled in an opulent suit from another time, Recchi feels the four-game suspension handed to Vancouver Canuck Aaron Rome was valid.

The irony is a gong.

There are those who will believe til the day they die that Zdeno Chara “didn’t do it on purpose”.  But I suppose flat-earthers got quite loud to the end, too.  (Even if they live to be a thousand years old.)

People believe what they want to believe.  Evidence-based humans may occur less frequently than we had hoped.

Roberto Luongo gave up eight goals in his last outing, an 8-1 devolving against the Bruins.  Luongo refused the offer to return to the bench in favour of backup goalie Cory Schneider.

I can’t recall a great goaltender requiring so many apologists for so many melt-down performances.  Not Tretiak, not Dryden, not Brimsek.  Luongo is edging towards one meltdown per series as his playoff career careens onward (I can’t decide if I prefer the hyphen or not.  Rules?  There are rules?).

The Canucks may still win the Stanley Cup but it will be despite and not because of your buddy Roberto.

Horton is done.  Concussed or worse.  No, I don’t care for his antics but nobody deserves that kind of injury.  Well, nobody is a bit generous but Horton doesn’t deserve it, shall we say.

The game three hit on Horton by Aaron Rome was on the border-line but the intent to injure was likely.    More important, the NHL should be focused on the outcomes of such plays.  An optimist might say that this might signal a change in direction for the better.  A realist might suggest that this is a case of a third-liner (Rome) being punished for taking out a “star”.

What’s appalling for a Montreal observer is that Chara (on his March hit on Canadiens’ Max Pacioretty) showed vicious intent and a much worse outcome (broken vertebrae, millimeters from paralysis) yet was not suspended a single day.

Worse, the spin-doctors and apologists had an online riot, burning rational thinking, looting logic and smashing the windshields of sane and sober second thought.

This was supposed to be fun.

Where’s Ovie.

Today, it seems like there is such a thing as knowing too much.

Boston’s whaler horn blasts twice, the black flag is out and rippling and the golden pirates of hockey take to the New Garden ice.  Your Bruins are hated.  So are your Canucks.  It’s all rather unfair.  I can’t think of a more political final in seasons.  Some of that feeling is a function of my own lenses.  Some is real, a reflection of the growing public presence through greater interaction online.

The Green Men have paid for their seats and are standing (brave) in the middle of the Boston crowd.

One member of the Canucks is very into the Canadian anthem.

Luongo is looking unapologetic and nearly arrogant.  It strikes me as a front.  What a character to observe, night in and night out for Vancouver fans.

Of course, we, uh, have our own young men of interest.

My recommendation to players?  Don’t read a word.  No papers, no Twitter, no casual familial conversations, no well-intentioned reports via email.  I’m sure they get this advice all the time.  And I am aware that many actually adhere to such principles.

The second anthem, sung by Rene Rancourt, a relic from bygone days, ends.  Rancourt pumps his fist and his open maw is a good imitation of itself.  Tuxedoed man embarrassing his children.

Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo are the goalies.  Dan O’Halloran and Kelly Sutherland get the plum reffing assignment.  No Francophone dare complain.  Ever.  About anything.

First Period
No score, see?

First faceoff is a redo.  Bergeron wins the second.

Into Boston ice.  Bruins are doomed.

Canucks are in like insects.  Man on man, quicker to the puck than I’ve seen them these playoffs.

They retrieve on the swift Boston entry and as the puck enters the neutral zone, the whistle goes.

Quick shot of Alain Vigneault.  There are men of integrity here tonight, too.

Deep Boston ice.  Sedins on the side boards.  Puck is sought but missed.  Bruins exit but last less than two seconds under the Vancouver end line.

Deep right.  Faceoff won by the visitors.  Vancouver, eh.  Boston entry is offside.

I wish I could realign the teams; move the knuckleheads to one team and the likeables to the other.  That would include the fans and media members that fit the description.  So.  Luongo would be in net behind Ference, Horton, Boychuk, Dr. Recchi, Burrows and the rest.

Pace is quick and crisp.  The passes are mostly accurate.  Finally a long Boston puck is intercepted and a whistle goes moments later.

Tyler Seguin is in Nathan Horton’s place in the lineup.  Seguin is an up-and-comer with light-bright skills but still needs development.  Boston coach Claude Julien has been criticized by some outside the organization for his sparing use of the young forward but Julien, a long-range thinker and a coach of great integrity knows what he’s doing.  Temperament is as important for a blade as it is for a Bruin.

Canucks are as quick as I’ve seen them in years.  Boston is game and they respond with vigour.  But they lack the quickness and perhaps the desire of the Vancouver squad.  There is so much pressure on this Vancouver team.

Yes, Boston feels their own pressure but their fans are more grateful than parched while Vancouver’s own strains of desperation are magnified by the Canada’s Team (No, They’re Not!) moniker and the team’s 41-year championship drought.  They’ve never won the Stanley since their inception.

Faceoff to Thomas’ left.  Vancouver’s doughty Ryan Kesler is asked to leave for Daniel Paille.  Paille loses the draw.

Recchi emerges on the right.  Backhand pass, drives to the net.  Return pass doesn’t come.

Luongo is behind his net and firing along the glass.

Puck rounds the Canuck boards.  Good move to get it out by Bieksa.

Kesler is in and falls over Ryder’s stick.  It’s called.

Vancouver power.

Canucks lose the faceoff.  Keep it in briefly.  Lose it on the blue.  Stick falls to the ice.  Canucks are back in.  And the puck goes over the glass.

Game five is Friday night, by the way.

Daniel Sedin, Henrik and Kesler.  Ehrhoff and Bieksa on the blue.

They retrieve.  Here’s a blue line blast from Edler.  Thomas sees and stops it.  Kesler to the boards.  Bumped by Chara.

It stays under the end line.  Ehrhoff is up to the hash.  Floats back.   Sedins close to the net.  They circle out.

Edler is advanced to the net.  Daniel backs away from that slot position.  A shot long.  Out of play.

Thomas sweeps his stick to and fro.  Leans forward.  Faceoff is outside the blue.

Higgins is on for the last ten seconds of this power-play.  What for.

Bruins kill the remainder by pressuring the visitors.

One man across.  Luongo is present.  Now a slot shot by Ryder is smothered by the 32 year-old goaltender.

Stoppage.

Ten minutes.

Boston controls briefly.

Glass is down the left.  McQuaid bumps him off easily.  Boston is out.

Boston’s Chris Kelly dumps it down.  Ehrhoff retrieves.  Pauses for a line change.  Long puck.  Bruin Johnny Boychuk has it.  Bumped.  Both fall.  Around the boards.  Marchand emerges.

Tries some stick and sickle.  Again, he doesn’t have that kind of silver in his stick and the puck is lost.

Now the Canucks’ Ehrhoff takes it from a falling Recchi.

Whistle.

Boston’s Rich Peverley is in alone.  Right side.  Waits.  Shoots.  Scores.  There’s always a good side to it.

Through the five.  Peverley scores his first finals goal.  He would have been a Jet, eh.

Boston 1, Vancouver 0

Under eight.

Vancouver doesn’t panic but they hustle, boy.

Torres’ line.

Canucks retrieve.  Alexander Ehrhoff’s pass is a bit off the mark and results in a Boston possession.  Action gets a bit ragged.  Sedins shrug off the bumpy stuff.  I express a “let’s go, good job boys” kind of exhortation.  Good for them.  They can’t be intimidated but I’m new to Vancouver hockey and expect the worst.

For the ones I like, I mean.

Whistle.

Kesler.  Wins the draw.  Puck is lost.  Cleared but the Canucks are back in.  The Canucks … are they accustomed to this pace?  They are the ones setting it.

Burrows with a long shot.  Thomas the save.  He stays up.

The teams exchange rushes.  The crowd boos a perceived missed call.  Action gets even more ragged.  Bruins are more and more out of position.  Delayed call was what was booed.  Luongo has left the net.

Finally the puck is touched by Boston.  Whistle.  Crosscheck.

Brad Marchand.  His mom is allowed to the games again.  She was banned because she was bad luck.  She was cool with it.  She has since become a source of good luck for her son’s team.

Replay shows Julien yelling about a missed interference.  With an expletive deleted.  Hockey Digest used to use that all the time [expletive deleted].

Maybe I should adopt it.

Chara wasn’t suspended [expletive deleted].

Some Canuck fans wrote mean things about Theoren Fleury [expletive deleted].

Finger Ference is rude [expletive deleted].

Where’s Francois?  [expletive deleted]

Where’s my team.  [expletive magnified]

More action.  Canucks are playing like champions.  Dignity.  Resilience.  Calm and composed.

But this powerplay drifts away with no quality chances.

Marchand is out.  Up for Lucic.  Left side.  Shot.  Luongo extends the big mitten.  Slowly folds to the ice with the puck in his glove.

One writer said that Luongo makes it look easy.  Makes what look easy?  Being big.

Lapierre.  Offwing.  What speed.  Where was that speed in the last two seasons with Montreal.  Rebound.  Jamming.  Thomas low.  Malhotra was in there.  I’m allowed to watch the back of the net if Montreal’s not playing.

No goal.

One minute.

Ryder.  Around.  God that defender must be slow.  Post.  Covered.  Not as close as it sounds.

Canucks prong it out.

Sure.  Could be worse.  Could be Filly and San Bay.  Or whatever they’re called.  Dead hockey meets funky feathers.

Gurk.

Period ends.

Vancouver led on shots 12-6.

First Intermission
Boston 1, Vancouver 0

Maybe they could just not give it out this year.  No?

Denis Gauthier says this suspension (Rome, four games) doesn’t convince him there’s been a culture change (at the NHL offices).  He says we’ll know if a star, he mentions Ovechkin, does it and also gets a suspension.  More balanced journalistic commentary from Alain and the rest follow.  Mario is there.  And that other young dude that I don’t know by name yet.  He’s a current player I think.

The NHL penalizes according to a star system.  It’s one of the more laughable aspects of the league and one of the factors in its failing to gain credibility in the US.

The message (yet again) from RDS is that the league needs to become consistent.  This has been a problem for the NHL for decades.  Can it change?  Because of one man?  Brendan Shananhan is that man.  He replaced Colin Campbell as the chief justice, the man of discipline.  I’m not sure if he was involved in this decision.  Is he even on the job yet?

Pat Hickey of the Gazette has his take on the “plumbers” of the league.

Reseau now turns to the Thomas hit on Sedin.  Thomas advanced out of the crease and smashed Sedin to the ice.  Mario cites a defence of the non-call on former NHL ref Kerry Fraser’s site.  He calls it ridiculous and says “come on”.  It’s a penalty.  The rules are the rules.

The NHL is such an easy target.  I don’t know how these guys keep their senses of humour about it all.  I guess that’s why … there’s more than one of them.  They have support in their views.

This couch can be a bit quiet.

We’re shown the Peverley goal.  Krejci fell forward to propel the puck to the very quick number 49.  That puck should have stayed out.

Second Period
Boston 1, Vancouver 0

Sedins are on the bench.  Henrik is nodding his head to the music.  Daniel is leaning forward, intent on the ice surface.

Boston ice.

Thomas points at Kesler.  New line.  Higgins is with him.  Mason Raymond, too.

Bieksa takes the pass from Higgins across the Vancouver crease.  Long pass right side.  Sharp angle shot from the end line.  Thomas paralyses the disc at the post.

Thomas montage is shown.

Faceoff to Thomas’ left.

Here come the black and gold.

Lucic.  Peverley on the right.  Krejci to the net.  Chara on the blue.  He keeps a possession alive.  Shot back in.  Out and then in again.

Both teams continue the pace.

Under the Vancouver end line.  Luongo leans low.  His legs disappear, he’s all in white.  His pads, his mask, his biscuit.  At times he disappears.  Aesthetically, he’s a very cool goalie to observe.  Great mask, too.

Seventeen left.

Do grandchildren warrant all the attention they get?  Hmm.  I’m just sayin.

Bruins force the game into a rhythm for themselves.  It lasts about half a shift.  Vancouver can’t be outmaneuvered, can’t be outsmarted.  Perhaps they can only be lulled.

Subdivisions is played over the organ.  I’m very impressed.  I’m also shocked I recognized it in organ format.

Organists.  I guess, like Rancourt, they’re important to the image of hockey as something of a down-home sport.  The NHL culture is certainly more polite than those of the other major leagues.  Reporters will tell you this.  So will agents and airline personnel, of all people.

Some of it is because of the high Canadian content in the game’s culture.  Some of it is attributed to the socio-economic class of the players (as a group).  A more privileged group.

With great power comes great responsibility.  There is nothing to fear in acknowledging one’s privilege.

Puck goes out of play on a Torres shot.

Former Edmonton Oiler (now Canuck) Raffi Torres has annoyed several in these playoffs with his roughneck play but has been quiet in this series, for the most part.  He was impressive in Edmonton’s run to the final in 2006 (when they lost to Carolina in the final).  Some will recall certain yahoos hanging from light fixtures on Whyte Ave.  Every city has its own special group.  Of knuckleheads.

Stephen Harper, a Canadian politician, is shown in the crowd.  Pierre tells us that Harper will be visiting with RDS at the next intermission.  Harper’s French is even stronger than in 08 and his love of the game will be interesting to hear expressed in “the other official language”.

Ference takes a stick to the face.  It goes unseen.  No.  Wrong.  Seen.  And called.  High stick.  Mason Raymond.

What do macho-sounding names do to folks that can’t live up to them?  There must be a study somewhere.

Boston power.  They’ve struggled this post-season.  But even Vancouver has dipped.  They are one of 13 against Boston.

No quality shots result.

Canucks are a good part of this.  To the boards they go, disregarding the man disadvantage and showing no fear for Boston’s passing, shooting or positioning.  And Boston proves them right again.

Penalty ends.

Offside entry by Vancouver.  Close.

Luongo makes a low save.  And Henrik falls like a tree to the ice.  Nobody comes over to send a message.  Maybe they want to avoid penalties.  Or maybe they just don’t like their captain.  Or what.

You can thank the Don for that.  Schisms on teams that don’t have to exist do.  Thanks to the Don’s divisive language of xenophobia and decades-old fear.  What a disservice he’s done for the country.

Look up “team player” sometime, Don.

Higgins is using his swerve method to simulate forechecking this time.  The former Hab continues to annoy.  From coast to coast.

Board gathering.

Ryder comes up with it.  And I can finally enjoy a Michael Ryder goal for the first time in years.  Over the blue.  Pause.  Wrister.  Over Luongo’s glove.  Screen?

It’s Ryder’s seventh of the playoffs.

The sweet-shooting Ryder is a former Hab.  He played under Julien when both were Montreal property.  Property.  That’s fair.  No?  Ownership of sports humanoids.

Abolish the Draft!

Boston 2, Vancouver 0

Eight minutes.

Luongo should have had it.  Replay shows there was no deflection.  Just under the glove.  No screen.

Here’s a penalty.  One from each team.  Alberts from Vancouver.  Peverley from Boston.  Some bumping after the faceoff.

Seven and a half.

A Vancouver entry is a direct turnover.  Unusual.

The Canucks are nervous.

Another entry results in a lost puck.

And again, fans feel fear.  Three games.  Two games.  Whatever it may be.  It isn’t enough.

And now Marchand is left alone.  He backhands it.  And I smile.  And then guffaw.  The familiar Northeast noise, the whale blast of the arena and its similarly subdued fans is mellow justice, fraternal fun.

Yes, I’m part Bruin.  I can’t help it.  Our opponents honour us.  And so we should them.

Backhander was over Thomas’ glove.

Boston 3, Vancouver 0

Hm.  Nine, nothing?

Under five.

Crowd is a bit more awake.  Two chants going.  Now it settles into one; “Let’s Go Bruins”.

Vigneault chews his game a bit faster.  The Koivu song comes on (Sandstorm by Darude).

Vancouver needs Richard Zednik.  (I’m remembering 2002, minus the horrible hit by McLaren)

I really have plenty of reasons to despise Boston.  But I know them too well.  They aren’t one-dimensional to me.

Boston ice.  Round the boards.  Canucks are a bit off.  Hansen.  Carries.  Left side.  Puck is lost on an errant pass.

The disease is spreading.  Sedin line jumps on.  They control.  One pass.  Birds of prey.  To the net.  Angles and lean.  One pass.  A second.  No.  Puck wide.  Hard to tell if it was a purposeful end-board bounce attempt.   Or just a bad shot.

Into the corner.

Stays in.  Edler.  Thomas is paddle down, looking through legs.

Bruins push it out after a shot.

Long Canuck puck.  Icing.

Faceoff.  Won by Boston.  Long point shot.  Luongo gets low and gathers it in.

Faceoff.

Under two.

Canucks are out.  But it’s snarled at centre ice.  Tanner Glass has to reset the visitors.  Your Canadians.  (And I need that Macho Man Name Study)

Such a mix of emotions.  It’s harder to watch a game where one’s team isn’t involved.  Much more of a grown-up experience.  Shall we say.  Yes, I’m smiling.

Well.  You know.  I mean.  For example.  Ok.  What I’m trying to say is.

I find it easier to feel for Vancouver the more they lose.  Is that so bad?

Look, people love the loveable Riders because they can’t win.  Or so rarely do.

As opposed to the unloveable Riders.  Russ Jackson’s Riders.  The loveable Riders are actually the Roughies.  Sorry for the confusion.

Ottawa is Riders.  Saskatchewan is Roughies.

Vancouver led on shots 13-12.

Second Intermission
Boston 3, Vancouver 0

Bobby Orr is shown in the stands.  Waving a flag.  Looking years younger.  Great to see the usually reserved former Bruin great in a joyous moment.  Festive.  He’s theirs.  And that’s as it should be.

Edmonton should reclaim that Brantford kid.

Why is Joel not around?  Is he on vacation?

Harper is on.  With Houde.  Pierre mentions Harper’s daughter who is here with him.  Pierre is at his best as he finds a way to be genuinely pleasant with the PM.   Harper is trying to be jovial and he must be pleased not to have to defend his policies in an interview.

Pierre mentions that the Canadian dollar is stronger now and that this has been instrumental for the return of the Jets.  It’s an uncomfortable interview for both but is also warm and genuine.  Harper closes with a “Go Canucks Go”.  And an awkward smile.

What mileage he might have gotten if Montreal were the team in the final.  Imagine Harper saying “Go Habs Go”.

The PM.  That stands for Premier Ministre.  Prime Minister.

Get used to it.  We have.

What.

Brad Marchand is interviewed.  In English.  He can’t speak French.

Third Period
Boston 3, Vancouver 0

Is this Boston’s last stand?  The Nets tied it up with San Antonio in 2003 before succumbing.  Remember?

Silver and black.  Sure.  More Tim Duncan than anything.  Ginobli.  Parker.  Bowen.  Steven Jackson.  Kerr.  What a spring from the old man.

Here in 2011, the Canucks are wasting the remainder of the penalty.

And then Henrik is called for slashing.  On a Boston entry.

Oy.

Mason Raymond creates the best first chance.  Michael Ryder interrupts the water-buffalo struggle-bot attempt.  Penalty ends with little of note for Boston.  No possession.

So.  They’re just going to sit back?

A three-goal lead is not secure in today’s NHL.  What a mistake by Boston.

Shawn Thornton.  Finds it low.  Sends it across the Vancouver crease.

Thomas traps a puck.  Looks up.  Burrows considers an interlocutionary gesture.  Officials separate him from a would-be target.

Faceoff deep right.

Boston exits.

Luongo sweeps a puck away and somehow, it rolls into the net behind him.  Off Kesler.  Bizarre play.

Schneider is called into the game.  Cory Schneider.  Not the Edmonton Rink Mason guy.  Cory Schneider is their backup.

Boston 4, Vancouver 0

Luongo’s mouth-open expression as he looks up at the screen is unflattering.  His mask is tilted up.  And he has accepted the invitation this time.

He’ll be exonerated in the Canadian press for the most part.  He was once touted as the “best goalie in the world”.  He never has been.  He’s average at best.  Occasionally he seems above average but I’m being generous.  Because I was born in Canada and I know what it’s like to challenge sacred Canadian cows.  And Luongo is a cow, to be sure.

Schneider is in and the athletic difference is immediately apparent.  How some fans can’t see it is none of my business.

Vancouver players said they would “forget” about game three.  I guess they’ll be doing the same for this one?

Under fifteen.

So forget about this one.  Forget about the last one.  Forget about the last forty-one years.  Hey.  History will teach us nothing.

“I’d like to put this morning’s incident behind me”

What a wonderfully modern technique.

Pat Quinn said that the afternoon after strangling Stan Behal.  The photographer.  Neck squeeze, whatever.  The distinction isn’t crucial, is it?  What would Behal’s grandmother think?

Last game, Boston was up 5-0 before Vancouver scored in the third.  Late, I believe.  I missed that game because of a medical emergency.  Not mine.  My living room affiliate is ok and doing well.

Boston then scored three more.

Boston has played much less quality hockey than Vancouver.  Yet the series will say 2-2 after tonight.  This is the kind of hockey injustice I’m talking about all the time.

Thomas, as contrast for your buddy Bobby Loo, does not, has not had any meltdowns in these playoffs.  He’s had a softie here, a softie there but he can’t be counted on to give up seven or eight on a fairly predictable basis.  It’s all very unfortunate.  And honest Canuck fans must be mortified with Luongo’s continued mega-minutes.  I’d start Schneider.

Thomas traps another.

Vigneault shifts his weight.

A comeback is still possible, of course.  Kesler takes the draw deep right.  Boston comes up with it.

Just under twelve.

Lucic.  Across the blue.  Covered.  Shot.  Schneider has the angle and the save.

Schneider is so much better than Luongo.  IS anyone allowed to admit it?

What about a goalie controversy.  This one reminds me of Ferragamo-Dattilio.

Doctor Recchi is called.  High stick.  Julien is shaking his head.  Arms folded he goes a bit red.  He can’t believe it.

Was it a legit call?  Replay loses sight of the former Hab and his stick.  The Doctor takes his seat.  And we’re left to wonder.

Boston exit on a deflected puck.  Coverage.  Angle.  Shot.  Schneider.

Kesler is called.

The Green Men are here.  Can they head down?  To torment Kesler.  Why not.  A little change-up.

The Green Men are hilarious.

Higgins is in.  Thomas gets the pad across.  But the shot was going wide, it seems.

Now a Lapierre shot is stopped in close.

Very few teams have come back to win a Stanley Cup final after falling behind 2-0.  Four teams in forty-six series, to be precise.

But here come your Bruins.

It doesn’t seem likely but Vancouver’s play has declined as the series has neared equality.  That nervousness may blossom on home ice.  And the toxic fragrance may quickly poison this gala coast garden.  The Cup ain’t comin’ home.

Or so the fear-filled may have us believe.

Seven and a half.  Penalties end.

Kesler is out of the box and across the blue.  Covered.

Sedin.  To Ballard.  Shot high.  Thomas drops to his knees, gets his glove high.  Traps the disc.  Holds it for the faceoff.

We are told that Winnipeg is in town on Thursday, June 16th to face the Alouettes.  Preseason.  In Montreal, I mean.  The Blue Bombers.

Two on one.  Boston.  Pause.  Shot.  Schneider.  Can’t be beaten.  Won’t be beaten.

They should just start him.  They won’t, of course.  Bad for Luongo’s fragile confidence.  Schneider is from Marblehead, Massachusetts.  He’s 25 and he could start for another team.  Expect to hear from this goalie again.

Boston power-play.  One chance, a crosser.

Now the drop pass for Ryder as the Bruins regroup.  But the entry is annulled and the home team regroups with the crowd in some sort of observation mode.

Boston’s passing is too errant and receivers either aren’t’ working or aren’t being smart.  What’s the deal with this foozled power-play.

Schneider is quite intense.  There’s something about this guy.

Oh great.

Two fights.

Ehrhoff won’t go with McQuaid.   The, uh, dicks are out.

Marchand got it started. Drove in.  Missed and raised a shoulder.  And the rest is an excuse to fight.  It all gets sorted out with no (or a very few) punches thrown.

Two and a half.

Vancouver comes out with a four minute power-play.

Still possible.  Yes, very unlikely.

Fight in the crease.  Burrows.  Thomas.  Mask is off.  Whistling.  A Bruin steps in.  Thomas is seeing a response to his from the crease hit on Sedin in game three.

Burrows turned and cross-checked Thomas after Thomas whacked Burrows one-handed.  Brunet says that, for him, this is a one-game suspension.

Brunet adds that Burrows is no angel and that he adores Tim Thomas but that this is unacceptable.  Star player or not.

Of course, Brunet is right.  This time.  I’m glad to hear him say it clearly and not make excuses.

I also like Thomas but the gesture is suspendable.  It won’t happen.  And again, a chance to appear professional is lost.

Crowd cheers as Burrows leaves the ice escorted by the officials.

One forty seven.

Penalties negate one another.  But the net result is still a Vancouver power-play.  Crowd cheers Thomas for his penalty as it’s announced.  Bell Centre is a different type of place, shall we say.

I’d guess about a third of the bowl were appreciative of the Thomas gesture.  Hey, it’s an audio guess.

Some happy Bruin people in the stands.

Twenty seconds.

Long pass.  Canucks are in deep.  Crime pays.  Bruins have their stupid heads on.

Game ends.

Final Score
Boston 4
Vancouver 0

Series is tied 2-2.  Game 5 is on Friday, June 10th.

HDS Stars: Pierre Houde, Mario Tremblay, Denis Gauthier
RDS Stars: Tim Thomas, Brad Marchand, Rich Peverley

Nobody stood out.  Bruin goals were ugly.  Thomas wasn’t forced to make any tough stops.  And so on.  Very different game from games one and two.

I suppose your buddy Harper could get honourable for his French and his friendliness with Pierre.  But he neutralized it with his performance earlier in the House today.  Oh, Canada.

Boston Bruins vs. Vancouver Canucks, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

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