Bruins take a lopsided Game 3

So close to drinking from the Stanley Cup the Vancouver Canucks could taste it, and then they went and just about gave up. The Boston Bruins were fighting for their lives and playing as if this were Game 7. It combined together to make for a lopsided game that left the Canucks in the dust.
The first period was a push for both teams to get that first goal. Unfortunately this period can only be known by seeing Bruins’ Nathan Horton being carried out on a stretcher to Massachusetts General Hospital. Horton is stated as having a severe concussion and will be out for the rest of the Finals. Canucks’ Aaron Rome, who delivered the hit, has been given a four game suspension that will carry over into next season if the Finals don’t go to 7 games.
This seemed to rally the Bruins, who put themselves ahead with a four goal lead in the second period.
It became an emotional game in the third period, as 20 penalties were racked up between the two teams, adding to a total of 145 penalty minutes for the whole game. The Canucks tried to fight back, with Jannik Hansen getting a goal. It wasn’t enough though as Boston went on to get an additional four.
The last time a team won with such a lopsided result was back in 1996, when Colorado beat Florida 8-1. The only other time a team has won by so much, was in 1991 when Pitsburgh beat Minnesota 8-0.
Game 4 happens Wednesday, June 8, at 5pm PDT in Boston. Tickets are available for Game 4 itself or our VIP Stanley Cup Road Trip. You can also special order tickets for the Stanley Cup Viewing Party at Rogers Arena with 50% of proceeds going to charity!

The Green Men are heading to Games 3 and 4

They stand out in the crowd like beacons in the darkness. It’s Green Men, and they’ve become an institution at Vancouver Canucks home games.
Their first appearance was December 2009, meant to be a one time thing. Canucks fans went nuts for the Green Men, and since then they have made regular appearances at the game. Typically spotted next to the opponents penalty box, the Force and Sully taunt the opposition’s players and get in their heads. The duo have gained international notoriety for their antics.
They even travelled to Nashville for the Western Conference Semifinal.
For the Stanley Cup Final Games 3 and 4, they’re heading to Boston. TravelZoo has sponsored the duo, getting them an all expenses paid to Beantown for the game. They’ll be behind the Boston net, ready to heckle Tim Thomas. Known for their props (inlcuding cardboard cutouts of Carrie Underwood and Ben Affleck wearing Canucks jerseys), they won’t say what tricks they have up their sleeves for being in Boston.
If you don’t feel like dressing up in green spandex to get to the games, there are still tickets available for tonight’s Game 2 in Vancouver! The puck drops at 5pm PDT at Rogers Arena.

Stanley Cup Final Game 1 Recap

59 minutes and 41 seconds were what it took to decide the outcome of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins at Rogers Arena.
The first two periods saw a total of 12 power plays. Both Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas were human shields, stopping a combined total of 46 shots through the first forty minutes.
It took an empty net for someone to score, and that’s exactly what Ryan Kesler, Jannik Hansen, and Raffi Torres did with 20 seconds left in the game. Just as fans were thinking the game was going to go into overtime, Kesler managed to grab a pass from Kevin Bieksa. Getting the puck in the zone he passed to Hansen. Torres had just come on in a late line change, getting ahead of Boston’s Johnny Boychuk, accepting the pass from Hansen and sliding it in. Thomas didn’t even see Torres coming; he was on the other side of the net covering Hansen.
Next game happens Saturday, June 4th at Rogers Arena. Puck drops at 5pm PDT!

Tampa Bay-Boston Game 6 Recap

The Tampa Bay Lightning managed to keep hold of their shot for the Stanley Cup when they tied the Eastern Conference last night 3-3. They managed to defeat the Boston Bruins 5-4 at home in St Pete Times Forum in Tampa, sending the teams back to Boston for Game 7.
First period went off with a bang just 36 seconds in as Teddy Purcell knocked it in with an assist from Vincent Lecavalier. The Bruins bounced back to take the lead, with goals from Milan Lucic and David Krejci.
Tampa Bay fought back in the second period, tying it up then jumping ahead with two goals. The first was with a backhanded goal by Martin St Louis. The second was a nice slap shot by Teddy Purcell.
They managed to continue the goal roll, when Steven Stamkos scored 34 seconds into the third. Boston stepped up as Krejci tipped one in. Less than a minute later St Louis got one with a wrist shot while the goalie was on the other side of the net. Boston tried to stay in it with another goal by Krejci. It was a great hat trick by Krejci, but it wasn’t enough.
Tampa Bay took the game 5-4.
This is the first time a Conference Final has gone to Game 7 since 2007. The first game of the Stanley Cup Final will take place in Vancouver June 1st at 5 pm PDT. The last game for the Eastern Conference Final takes place tomorrow Friday, May 27th at 5 pm PDT in Boston.

Vancouver Canucks take Conference in Game 5 2OT Win

It seems appropriate that on the anniversary of the Vancouver Canucks winning the Western Conference Final that sent them to their last Stanley Cup Final they do a repeat performance. That’s right, after 17 years the Canucks will be in the Final. Not only that but like their 1994 Canucks counterparts, they also won the game in double overtime.
The fans seemed a little out of it last night, not cheering like they typically do. I figure everyone was just holding their collective breath to see if the Canucks would end it here or if the San JoseSharks would survive to go on to Game 6.
The game itself can be highlighted by numerous great saves by Roberto Luongo, who made 54 saves including 20 in overtime. There were far fewer penalties this game that we saw in Game 4.
First period saw Alex Burrows scoring the first goal of the game at 8:02, with a Sedin to Sedin assist. Vancouver took hooking and slashing penalties, putting Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler in the box for two minutes each.
The Sharks tied it up in the second period on a power play, with Dan Boyle getting it in on a wrist shot. Kevin Bieska was in the box at the time for high sticking. The Sharks’ Torrey Mitchell took a penalty for tripping, and three minutes later Raffi Torres got it for too many men on the ice.
Twenty-four seconds into the third period, Devin Setoguchi put the Sharks ahead against the Sedin line. Luongo foibled badly, coming too far out of the net to possibly stop the goal. It seemed like the end for the Canucks, until literally the last few seconds of the game Ryan Kesler managed to score. 13.2 seconds to be exact. Despite a lower body injury that made him leave the game for a while in the second period, the doctors patched him up and he came back.
This lead to two sudden death overtimes. The first was relatively quiet, with more great saves by Luongo. The second had a near miss for Chris Higgins, who had a beautiful breakaway but couldn’t quite get it past Antti Niemi. Then in a move that nobody else saw (literally, Canucks and Sharks alike had lost track of the puck), Bieksa landed a knuckle puck right in the net with 9:42 left in 2OT. “It was probably the ugliest goal of my career, but the biggest.”
Henrik Sedin accepted the Clarence S Campbell Bowl on behalf of the Vancouver Canucks, now the Western Conference Champions.
The Stanley Cup Final games won’t be scheduled until we know who takes the Eastern Conference Final (who will it be… Bruins or Lightning?). But check back here as I’ll keep you updated when tickets go on sale.