Canucks 1 – 0 Bruins
Last year’s Stanley Cup Final opener was a 6-5 game, a classic barn-burner between two freewheeling offensive clubs, with nets minded by Antti “Just wins” Niemi and Michael “Just waived” Leighton, but anyone hoping for another barn-burner was kidding themselves. The Canucks and the Bruins don’t play that way. Instead, both are built around those two things hockey fans loathe: defensive systems and Vezina-nominated goalies. (Blech. Nothing ruins offense like a commitment to preventing it.) Unsurprisingly, then, the Canucks and Bruins gave us the first 1-0 Game 1 since 1984, with the goal coming after fifty-nine minutes of scoreless hockey. That said, that doesn’t mean this game was unentertaining. Anyone who says that clearly didn’t watch this game. Shun them and listen to me. Unlike them, I watched this game.
- It was beginning to look as though we were in for overtimes aplenty until Raffi Torres’s goal with 18 seconds remaining in the game. The scoring chance is the result of a great play by Ryan Kesler, who tips a puck past a wandering Johnny Boychuk, draws three Bruins to him, then finds Jannik Hansen streaking into the zone. Meanwhile, compounding Johnny Boychuk’s problems, Raffi Torres walks right around him and turns the play into a two-on-one. This is unfortunate. If Hansen had Tomas Kaberle one-on-one, there might be cause for concern, because Hansen’s won that battle before, but Zdeno Chara is the Bruins’ defender in front. One-on-one, he would have done just fine. Unfortunately, with a passing option now in tow, Hansen has the upper hand, and he draws both Chara and Tim Thomas to him. Chara tries to lay down to take away the pass, but when you’re that tall, dropping to one’s belly takes so long there’s elevator music. Hansen gets the puck across to Raffi Torres, who directs it past a sprawling Thomas.
- Clearly the Bruins and the Canucks don’t see each other too often — Patrice Bergeron doesn’t know much about Alex Burrows. 14 Western Conference teams and the entire NHL officiating staff would have warned him not to put his finger in the mouth of Alex Burrows, the Charlie of the NHL. Next thing you know, Bergeron’s going to put his hair in Burrows’s hands or gently place Burrows’s stick between his thighs. Anyway, I wouldn’t be surprised if Burrows was suspended a game for his zombie bite on Bergeron. Provoked or not, it was a silly thing to do, especially considering the Canucks’ mandate to avoid the between-whistle stuff. Biting is not very zen. Burrows should stick to archery, which is more zen.
- Almost as exciting as Raffi’s game-winning goal? The inevitable, hilarious photo if him celebrating afterwards. Here it is. Early reactions say Torres looks like alien Mr. Burns doing jazz hands. Also: while you’re looking at that photo, find the guy in the lime green polo. Pretty easy, huh? Yeah, it’s too easy. Someone should tell him.
- On the faceoff immediately following the goal, Kesler goes straight ahead, missing a net Tim Thomas is no longer minding by only a few feet. He had scored, the goals would have been four seconds apart, making them the fastest two goals in postseason history, one second faster than Norm Ullman’s two goals in five seconds in 1965. It also would have been a nice capper to a fine faceoff performance. Kesler went 13-for-22 on the night, including 5-for-5 in the offensive zone.
- A lot of people are arguing about whether the goal was offside. It wasn’t, and here’s the proof. As you can see, not only does Kesler smartly pick Boychuk’s pocket, but he drags a leg to ensure he stays onside. It’s an impressive play. I haven’t seen Kesler drag a leg like that since… well, when he did it for two whole periods versus San Jose. So, not that long ago.
- Glenn Healy tends to vacillate between incoherence and blind rage, but sometimes, he’s like a brook that babbles pure gold. Here he is, mixing idioms with aplomb: “You wanna venture outside the house, then you’re playing with someone else’s cards.” Well, that just doesn’t make any sense. He sounds like Zap Brannigan detailing an attack plan.
- I know he scored the game winner, but you’ve gotta feel for Raffi Torres. Not only does he appear to be getting oranger by the day — lately he looks like the lovechild of Velma Dinkley and Fozzie Bear — but scoring the game-winning goal meant every major media publication would be doing a story on him for tomorrow’s paper. That meant all the postgame questions directed at him were about how nobody wanted him this summer. “Thanks for the reminder,” he laughed, the first time he was asked at the presser. I have to imagine, the last time he’s asked, there will be less chuckling and more collapsing a man’s eyes with his thumbs.
- Alex Edler had a strong game with a team-high 29 shifts for 24:27, two hits, two takeaways, and a game-high five blocked shots, one less than half his team’s total blocks on the night. He almost opened the series scoring, too, when he stepped over the blue line and wristed a laser past Tim Thomas. Unfortunately, it caught more iron than a wrinkled shirt.
- Jannik Hansen was stellar tonight, but he won’t get the credit he deserves. When a game ends 1-0, it’s almost automatic that the three stars will be the two goalies and the guy that scored, and that’s what happened tonight. But one could argue that Hansen was the best Canucks’ forward. He was impactful in his fifteen minutes of icetime, generating Boston turnovers, creating scoring chances, and laying big hits, including two lovelies in one shift on Andrew Ference and Rich Peverley. He also had a breakaway and the primary assist on the game-winner. Not too shabby. Also not too shabby? Harrison Ford being a quarter Jewish.
- Torres and Hansen have already received praise, but this was a great game by every member of the third line, individually and as a unit. Along with the game-winner, the line had a combined 10 hits and 10 shots. Six of those shots were Lapierre’s, and at least three were quality scoring chances. If Vancouver’s third line can continue to play at this level, Boston will be in tough.
- A lot of people complain that the media in the East don’t see enough of the Sedins to fully respect their unique game. It’s true. But Tim Thomas’s unique goaltending is similarly underappreciated out West. He’s crazy good. He made two saves in the opening minute of tonight’s game that few goalies could have made. He kept his team in it in the third, too, when the Canucks really began to turn up the pressure. He deserved better tonight.
- Speaking of great goaltending, did you know Roberto Luongo didn’t get scored on tonight? It’s true. Luongo is the only goalie I’ve ever seen who can make a 36-save shutout and get shrugs. Luongo made three saves more than Tim Thomas and let in one goal less. Some will argue that Thomas had to make more difficult stops, but it’s not easy to make 36 saves look easy. Luongo is just a remarkably controlled goalie. He’s also remarkably clutch. Luongo has never been scored on in the Stanley Cup Final.
- Boston’s poor powerplay continued to be poor, but it would appear that their problems are communicable. Both teams went 0-for-6 tonight with the man advantage, a development that made the penalty-heavy first half of the game feel pretty slow. On the flipside, if you were an optimist, you could also say that both teams went 6-for-6 on the penalty kill. It’s not entirely untrue. Both powerplays looked dangerous at times, but the penalty killers did a good job of closing up shooting lanes and letting their goaltenders see shots. Back on the negative side, however, Boston’s powerplay has some serious issues, such as Zdeno Chara as the net presence. His long reach is somewhat mitigated in crease traffic, and also, he has the hardest shot in the league. Don’t you think you should put him in a place where he can use it? Tomas Kaberle’s not cutting it at the point. Vancouver was so unthreatened by Kaberle’s shot, the moment he wound up, all six Canucks started skating up ice. That’s right, all six.
- Dan Hamhuis’s hipcheck on Milan Lucic was wonderful, although the subsequent “middle body” injury (as Alain Vigneault coyly called it) was much less so. As he sent Lucic ass over teakettle, the Community Man appeared to strain something while ensuring Lucic landed safely (no joke, watch it again). Anyway, it would appear that flipping Milan Lucic is risky business. Also risky business? The film Risky Business.
- Because the “no crosschecking” rule doesn’t apply when defending against a Sedin, Boston’s gameplan for stopping the twins became simple: crosscheck them straight to Hell. Andrew Ference and Dennis Seidenberg were particularly committed. On one shift, Seidenberg cross-checked Daniel Sedin in the spine a record 9 times in a row. Daniel, doing his best impression of the referees, didn’t react at all. People often rip the Sedins for not being tough enough. No one ever gives them credit for having backs like stegosauruses.
- And finally, though the shots on goal in the third period were only 14-10 in favour of the Canucks, it was clear to most, Claude Julien included, that Vancouver took over the game in the final frame. This isn’t the first time a game has tilted drastically in the Canucks’ favor in the third. You’ll recall the openers against San Jose and Chicago unfolded similarly. Each time, the opposing coach blames his players, but it’s happened enough times now that it might have more to do with the Canucks. Is this a conditioning thing?
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Steve
June 2, 2011Great breakdown. Broken link to the Raffi Torres pic for me though.
erik
June 2, 2011The link to the photo of Torres celebrating is working less than I did this morning watching the game from Shanghai.
Harrison Mooney
June 2, 2011All links have been investigated and, if necessary, amended. Thanks.
JS Topher
June 2, 2011So glad I waited up for this. Beautiful references today… a couple of the links weren’t working though…
sad panda
beninvictoria
June 2, 2011Dan Hamhuis Hipcheck’s? HIpcheck’s?Seriously?
Harrison Mooney
June 2, 2011That’s a pretty incredible misplaced apostrophe. Somehow it moved an entire word over… weird. Oh well. Fixed.
beninvictoria
June 3, 2011i did love his hipcheck though, even if it destroyed his leg. that’s what happens when you hit a heffalump.
Chris Ward
June 2, 2011I now have a wonderful mental image of the Sedins with giant diamond shaped bone plates sticking out of their spines. That would be amazing. Time to break out Photoshop!
peanutflower
June 2, 2011Dang, what am I going to report now? I’ll just repeat. Several links no worky and “hipcheck’s”? Other than that, great! A for effort.
Chinstrap Joe
June 2, 2011With all those Franco’s, there musta been a “we won da turd” quote in the post game somewhere…
Nigel
June 2, 2011Great writeup. “Antti “Just wins” Niemi and Michael “Just waived” Leighton” – pure gold
Links to Raffi goal celebration and proof that Kesler didn’t go offside are not working.
J21
June 2, 2011“Is this a conditioning thing?”
I think it’s a Sedin thing specifically — because their game is relatively low-tempo, they’re able to keep it up for longer than most players. And since the Canucks tend to do well when the Sedins are doing well, it helps them WinDaTurd with regularity (speaking of which, where’s the keyword?)
Why, in hockey’s obnoxious “code”, is punching a guy in the face alright, but biting down when he sticks his finger in your mouth — a pretty instrinctive reaction — the WORST THING EVER?
And since we know from the NHL’s track record that “conclusive evidence” consists of a confession delivered under oath and signed by five witnesses in blood, the NHL should say there is “no proof” here anyway, since we “just don’t know” what went on in Alex Burrows’ mouth.
olde coot
June 2, 2011I2WTG
It really is a bloody shame
That referees can ruin a game.
Though there are things they have to call,
They do not have to call them all.
The rare minutes of five on five
Suddenly made the game alive.
I wish they’d put their whistles away,
And let us watch the players play.
Recall the Bruins from days of yore,
Esposito and Bobby Orr.
They weren’t there on Wednesday night,
And Boston lost to my delight.
Goalies Thomas and Bobby Lou
Were Gump and Plante to name just two.
jenny wren
June 2, 2011I thought the refs were very good
They stopped things early when they should
And while their calls the game did slow
They also let the players know
Then in the third they let them play
And it was clean most all the way
We then saw hockey that was great
With just one goal that coming late
When Ryan Kessler stayed onside
I felt we would not be denied
When Jannik Hansen took the pass
Deked Zdeno Chara to his ass
I too saw Torres breaking in
And saw him scoring for the win
Dave
June 2, 2011The Torres picture works fine for me, but the Kesler-onside one goes to a broken link.
This was a great game to be at. Somebody at “the other paper” said that it was horribly boring game. I don’t know what game he was watching. As you said, it was a lot more exciting than a 1-0 game deserves to be.
Harrison Mooney
June 2, 2011Yeah, that link’s been fixed too.
canuckinshanghia
June 2, 2011Does anyone not think Torres looks like Elmo? Even his arm movements after his ‘post-goal’ celebrations… Red hair doesn’t hurt
Rituro
June 2, 2011Tim Thomas was fantastic; eerily, that goaltending duel reminded me of Luongo (circa his early Vancouver days) vs. Marty Turco. It wasn’t hard to replace a flailing, highlight-reel Thomas with a flailing, highlight-reel Luongo in my mind, although it was much tougher to replace a solid, do-your-job Luongo with, um, any Turco. Ever.
peanutflower
June 2, 2011Okay, I just watched the replay of Raffi’s goal again. What’s with this Chara being the NHL’s best defenceman? Is he? I didn’t know that. He didn’t look like the NHL’s best defenceman in game 1. I guess I haven’t seen him play very often. Like maybe only once. He looks like an NBA player who got put in a hockey game. He is slow, he is really awkward in front of the net (where hopefully he will get put for the rest of the playoffs as it’s clearly the best place for him to be from the Canucks’ perspective) and he just looks like a big galumph out there. Bieksa was able to put him on his butt more than once, and what would the size difference there be? 8 inches? hah. Anyway, I thought this was a pretty exciting game, and I hope someone gives Jannik a prize or something for being the hardest working Canuck. His speed down the line will be a sure difference maker in this playoffs as I don’t think Boston has an answer for that. Chara certainly doesn’t. Go Canucks!
B.O'B.
June 2, 2011Great post! Easily your best work since you turned pro! Laughed out loud when I saw the Raffin – Burn – alien – jazz hands.
Kezzi
June 2, 2011I love your blog! I laughed throughout this and I nodded in agreement also. I like the description of the Sedins’ backs. Those guys take so much abuse there, partly because, as they admit, they turn their back to players to protect the puck. Perhaps these Swedish ‘sisters’ are so manly a flurry of crosschecks on the back feels like a good Swedish massage. That’s the real reason they turn their backs to opposing players. “Ah, a little lower down, kind of tight there, ahhhh, that’s it, oh yeah, you got the spot! Thanks! I gotta be taking this puck to the net now. Buh bye!”
DanD
June 2, 2011That biting situation was ridiculous. Bergeron was showing anyone who would look, and (as far as I could tell) there was nothing wrong with his finger. He got bitten through a glove! He was like a younger brother trying to get his older brother in trouble.
In fact, if Burrows and Bergeron were anything like me and my younger brother, Burrows probably sternly warned him several times. “I’m going to bite your finger if you put it in my mouth Patrice. Don’t put your finger in my mouth. I’ll bite it and you’ll cry.” Then it happened, and then Bergeron cried.
Typical.
Julia
June 2, 2011Great post! Totally agree with your assessment of Luongo, what else can he do to show that he’s actually an alright goaltender?? Last night, Justin Bourne tweeted “Life of the Luongo: played great, shutout win, “second best goalie in the game.” I’d stab someone.”
Seems like even if they win the Cup people will still attribute it to good defence, keeping the play in the offensive zone, etc rather than admit that he might be kinda good at his job…
jer
June 2, 2011great quote from Down Goes Brown in their post about why Canadian fans should be cheering for Vancouver:
“Admit it, it would be fun to watch Roberto Luongo win a Stanley Cup and still be roundly criticized for not doing it “clutchily” enough.”
(http://www.downgoesbrown.com/2011/05/should-canadian-hockey-fans-be-cheering.html)
jer
June 2, 2011neglected storyline: the Bruins’ supposed 5 on 5 dominance. everyone was going on and on about “special teams: advantage vancouver. 5 on 5: advantage boston.” nobody seems to be touching how the special teams battle in periods 1 & 2 came out even, while the 5 on 5 battle (period 3) came out advantage vancouver – and not a slight advantage, either.
peanutflower
June 2, 2011Okay, I know that Youtube comments are really the poorest indicator of human intelligence — they’re fun only because they are unedited — but I’m going to paste one underneath and maybe you all can help with some educated and intelligent perspective. I know that every non-Canucks fan will say this and maybe some Canucks fans will too, but as this is a consistent “comment” (for lack of a better word in this particular case) on the Canucks, are they really a diving team? I watch every game through coke-bottle-bottom rose-coloured glasses so I’m hardly objective. Any comments? This maybe should be posted on the Henrik article, but it applies generally, so here it is:
“Take off the Canucks footy pajamas…. and join the rest of us in real world. That d-bad Burrows knew exactly what he was doing when he swept Thomas’ leg. The announcers even said it right on the telecast, that’s how obvious it was!
You do realize that almost all the NHL players are pulling for the Bruins, right? Now i can see why. The way they play, the Canucks should wear skirts. It didn’t me take long to figure out why the rest of the NHL hates the Canucks. “
Harrison Mooney
June 2, 2011A couple people have e-mailed us with this.
It’s two things: 1) jealousy, pure and simple, and 2) the weird, ethnocentric fear of teams built around Europeans.
The Canucks dive at about the same clip as the other 29 teams, but when you have a built-in prejudice against Euros as divers, confirmation bias kicks in every time you see a Canuck do down. The networks too. Now that it’s a narrative, they’re looking for it during broadcasts.
peanutflower
June 2, 2011Well, it sucks. It demeans the team effort. Who should I write to at CBC?
DanD
June 3, 2011I recommend writing to Glen Healy. You’ll be sure to get a fair, measured, well-written response.