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| Game 3: Biting commentary |
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| Headlines |
| Written by Denis Gorman |
| Monday, June 06, 2011 20:20 |
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Ladies. Gentlemen. Children. Hockey fans of all ages. Welcome to HockeyPrimeTime.com’s running diary of Game 3 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. We’re coming to you from our apartment in New York City. Vancouver leads the series 2-0. Simply, this game will determine the winner. The series will be rejoined if Boston wins. If the Canucks win, they’ll have an opportunity to win the franchise’s first Cup in 40 years of existence Wednesday night. Some pregame notes: • Bruins President Cam Neely was part of a “Pep Conference” at Boston’s City Hall this afternoon. Neely was joined by Boston mayor Thomas Menino, police commissioner Ed Davis and MBTA General Manager Richard Davey. While not done to change the Bruins’ fortunes in the Stanley Cup Final, it’s fact that the Original Six franchise has lost 22 of its last 27 Stanley Cup Final games dating back to spring 1974. • Zdeno Chara was named a finalist today for the Mark Messier Leadership Award. The Bruins captain was joined by fellow Norris finalist Nick Lidstrom and Phoenix captain Shane Doan. Messier, you may have heard, was credited for the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final against the Canucks. Vancouver is 5-8 in three Stanley Cup Final appearances. • Leigh Montville examined what it life is like in Boston if you’re a Bruin and you’re successful in last week’s Sports Illustrated. Take a look as it is worth the read. That is, of course, after you’re done digesting HPT.com’s content. • Super fans Sully and Force, collectively known as The Green Men, were interviewed by a Boston sports-talk radio station today. For the first time in recent recorded history, Bostonians will have more hate for a person or entity than they do for the Yankees. That person is Vancouver left wing Alex Burrows, who bit Boston center Patrice Bergeron in Game 1. 
"I call the big one Bitey." – Homer Simpson
Following the early skate Monday, Claude Julien and Alain Vigneault discussed Maxim Lapierre’s finger-to-the face taunt of Patrice Bergeron during a third period scrum in Game 2. “I can't really talk about their team," Julien said. "I'm going to talk about mine because I don't handle those players. I don't deal with those players on a one-on-one basis. It really isn't up to me to I guess comment on it. If it's acceptable for them, then so be it. Certainly wouldn't be acceptable on our end of it. I think you know me enough to know that. Not much I can say on that. The NHL rules on something. They decide to make a mockery of it, that's totally up to them. If that's their way of handling things, so be it. “Again, we can't waste our time on that kind of stuff. We really have to focus on what we have to do. The last time I looked, we're down two games to none, and all our energy has to go towards that.” It should be noted that Boston defenseman Andrew Ference was fined $2,500 for an obscene gesture in the first-round series against the Canadiens, but was not suspended for elbowing Montreal’s Jeff Halpern in Game 7. Nathan Horton was fined for squirting a Tampa Bay Lightning fan and throwing a water bottle into the St. Pete Times Forum stands following the 5-4 loss in Game 6. “If that happened in between whistles, I didn't see it. I focus on the play that's going on between whistles, so I can't really comment on that,” Vigneault said. Translation: I’m not going to give the Bruins any bulletin board material. Too bad because a war of words might attract casual viewers. Sportsnewser reported Monday that 3.37 million people watched Game 2. That is a 1.19 million drop from Game 1. We’re a few minutes away from Rene Rancourt’s rendition of the National Anthem and O Canada. We’ll return with first period analysis and some humor during the intermission. FIRST PERIOD• The referees are Stephen Walkom and Dan O’Rourke, while Pierre Racicot and Steve Miller are the linesmen.• Here are the starters for both teams: Boston: Tim Thomas (G) Johnny Boychuk and Andrew Ference (D) Mark Recchi, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand (F) Vancouver: Roberto Luongo (G) Sami Salo and Alex Edler (D) Chris Higgins, Ryan Kesler and Manny Malhotra (F) • The personnel move that has drawn the most attention was Claude Julien dressing Shawn Thornton and scratching Tyler Seguin. You can check out the rosters here. • The game grinds to a halt at 5:03 after Nathan Horton was laid out at the blue line with a dirty – let’s call it what it i – hit by Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome. The hit and the look on Horton’s face was frightfully reminiscent of Matt Cooke’s cheap shot that ruined Boston center Marc Savard’s career last season. Rome was assessed a five minute major for interference and a game misconduct. Both teams lost a player – Horton to injury; Rome is ejected – and Boston was awarded a five minute power play. • Boston’s power play is ranked 14th of the 16 NHL playoff teams. • If you ever wanted to know why the Bruins’ PP has been impotent this spring, all you had to do was watch the 5-on-4 for five minutes. Yes, the Canucks were credited with five blocked shots. But the Bruins were far too fancy and far too unselfish. If there is an open lane, take the shot. • Vancouver gets a PP as Adam McQuaid feels shame for two minutes after being charged with a delay of game. The Canucks only had one shot on goal during the man advantage and were stymied by the Bruins’ neutral-zone trap. • Burrows carries the puck and boos rained down. Well, that’s expected. Versus showed a replay of Lapierre’s Game 2 taunt, then a live shot of Mark Recchi attempting to jam his fingers into the Vancouver winger’s face. Versus’ crew speculates that Shawn Thornton will challenge Lapierre to a fight if they’re on the ice at the same time. • Fantastic hit by Smithtown, NY’s favorite son, Vancouver left wing Chris Higgins, behind Tim Thomas’s net. • Mason Raymond put on a display of stick handling as he went through and around Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg. Thomas stoned both shots and the game is still scoreless. • Pierre McGuire reported that Horton was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital before the end of the period. • 0-0 after one. Vancouver outshot Boston 12-7. The Bruins out hit the Canucks, 15-14, and blocked more shots, 7-6. FIRST INTERMISSION• Versus’ crew notes that Horton was moving his extremities before being taken to the hospital, then dovetails into a discussion of whether Rome’s hit was a violation of rule 48.1. The rule states “A lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principle point of contact is not permitted.” Mike Milbury takes the opportunity to criticize the Bruins PP. Well, he’s not wrong (this time, anyway).SECOND PERIOD• Boston breaks through for the game’s first goal as Andrew Ference throws a shot from the point that appears to redirect off sticks and past Luongo. Rich Peverley and David Krejci are given assists. Krejci and Ryan Kesler were tossed out of the faceoff circle before the puck was dropped to start the second.• Tim Thomas comes out of his crease to freeze the puck. Thomas’ wanderlust cost the Bruins in Game 2 as he roughly came out to Lake Vancouver while Burrows had the puck in the offensive zone 11 seconds into overtime. Thomas fell and Burrows went around the net and put in the net as Chara defended. • Kesler scores … for the Bruins, who go up 2-0. The Bruins moved the puck smartly in the offensive zone, ending with Recchi throwing what was supposed to be a cross-crease pass to Peverley but Kesler, trying to get back, tips the puck under Roberto Luongo’s pads. 2-0 Boston as 17,565 Ric Flair fans woo. • Ference was given two for tripping Burrows. Looked more like interference as it appeared Ference hip-checked the puck free from Burrows. Bruins kill the 5-on-4 but go short-handed as Milan Lucic was directed to the box for slashing 4:08 later. • Doesn’t matter. Brad Marchand just entered his name in Boston hockey lore with an end-to-end rush that was finished with a beautiful goal over a diving Luongo. Boston’s up 3-0 and, incidentally, killed yet another Vancouver power play. • It’s officially a rout. Milan Lucic ran over a Canuck in the defensive zone to start a play that ended with Krejci lifting a Michael Ryder rebound over Luongo for Boston’s fourth goal of the period. The Bruins have scored six goals in the series and all six occurred in the second periods of Game 2 and 3. • Johnny Boychuk inadvertently inserted his stickblade into Victor Oreskovich’s mouth and drew blood. Vancouver, which had the league’s best power play in the regular season and third-best in the playoffs will have four minutes to try to get back in the game. • The period ends with Boston up 4-0 and both teams ostensibly debating the merits of raising the debt ceiling. SECOND INTERMISSION• While there are at least 80 minutes remaining in the series, we’ll point out that your friendly blogger predicted here and elsewhere that Vancouver and Boston would play for the Stanley Cup before the season.• Seven Bruins finished the second period with at least a point. Eleven Canucks are on the minus side of the ledger, including Kesler who is minus-three. • Milbury railing about the Canucks’ ego, calling them “smug.” Shocking to no one but the ex-Islanders GM that the league’s best team might be a bit confident, especially after leading the series 2-0. • Commercial for Subway and the soon-to-be released Green Lantern movie. We’re not certain but we believe the premise of the summer movies is that Green Lantern, Captain America and the Transformers will team up with the kids of Super 8 and the X-Men to battle a Caribbean Pirates’ second Hangover … while Thor distracts their Bridesmaids. It’s a buddies comedy. THIRD PERIOD• Michael Ryder commits the first penalty of the third period 2:50 in for high sticking ex-teammate Andrew Alberts. Ryder finished a check but had his stick around Alberts’ neck.• Milbury and Keith Jones were adamant before the game that Chara had to play a mean game. Mission accomplished. Chara shoved his hand in Higgins’ face after a Thomas save. Chara has been noticeable throughout the game. Perhaps he read Justin Bourne’s column for The Hockey News. • More meanness from Chara, who exchanged slashes with Burrows before a defensive-zone faceoff. The two were sent to the box before the puck was dropped. Versus’ crew speculates that Chara has put the incident in his mental rolodex. • Boston kills Vancouver’s sixth power play of the game. That is significant. • McGuire reports that the Bruins are yapping at the Canucks. Easy lads, you’re seven minutes and change from winning a game, not the series. • Tim Thomas shoves Henrik Sedin before the Canuck could take a shot. Versus crew says the Vezina candidate plays like a linebacker. Tim Thomas is Teddy Bruschi on skates? Yeah, we’re reaching. • Ference shoulders Daniel Sedin to the ice on an icing. Sedin holds his face for a moment then headlocks the defenseman before the two debate whether Paul Revere was warning the Colonists or the British. Ference and Sedin are given 10-minute misconducts. • By the way, the Sedins have been invisible tonight. As has, well, pretty much anyone wearing a white sweater. • Thomas robs Higgins, who took the puck away from McQuaid. After the whistle was blown, Shawn Thornton had Kesler in a rear-naked choke. Walkom tossed Thornton, who probably offered a less-than-flattering opinion of Kesler. Canucks get another power play. • Speaking of rear-naked chokes, earlier in the game, Versus aired a commercial for the UFC. UFC 131 is this Saturday at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, home of the Canucks. Game 5 will be contested Friday night because of MMA event. • Kesler took a stupid boarding penalty with 10:49 left. He left his feet and planted Daniel Paille into the third row. • Bobby Orr’s in the house. The greatest player of all time was the subject of a fascinating biography, Searching for Bobby Orr, written by Stephen Brunt. The book can be bought at Barnes and Noble, Borders and Amazon. • Well now. After a whistle, Vancouverite Milan Lucic slashed Burrows, then attempted to jam his fingers into the Canuck’s mouth after a scrum. After a commercial break, Versus showed footage of a bout involving Kesler and Seidenberg. After all is said and done, Vancouver gets a power play due to the Lucic rough. • For the seventh time Monday night, the Bruins scoff at the potency of the Canucks' man advantage. Oh, and Paille slipped the puck under Luongo before running over the Vancouver goaltender. 5-0. • There won’t be a second shutout in the series, as Jannik Hansen lifts a one-timer past Thomas. Hansen slashed Krejci behind the knee before scoring the goal. McGuire reported that Krejci challenged Hansen to a fight. A quick sojourn to Hockeyfights.com and it’s learned that Krejci has had two NHL fights, both this season and both against the Montreal Canadiens. The first was against Michael Cammalleri while Benoit Pouliot was the other combatant. • The Bruins are pouring it on as Mark Recchi (his second goal) and Chris Kelly (first) hit the back of the Vancouver net. Bruins up 7-1 with 1:53 remaining. TD Boston Garden was nervous Monday night. It’ll be loud when the teams take the ice Wednesday. • Raffi Torres attempted a flying shoulder block into McQuaid with 1:07 left and spent the rest of the game in the box for charging. Ryder increased the lead to 8-1 with a snapshot goal at 19:29. • And that’s the game. Boston wins 8-1. POSTGAME• One of the suggested themes will be that the Bruins rallied around their fallen teammate. That may be too simplistic. Boston is in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1990 and has an opportunity to win its first Cup since 1972.• The Bruins were clearly irritated about Burrows’ bite and Lapierre’s taunt, to say nothing about being down 2-0 after yielding just four goals in the first two games. They were able to get back in the series and exact some revenge Monday night. • The NHL failed by not suspending Burrows for Game 2. There is no way that Rome escapes a suspension for his hit on Horton. • Boston killed all eight of Vancouver’s man-opportunity chances while scoring four goals on special teams: two on the power play, two short-handed. The teams combined for 125 penalty minutes. On Twitter: @denisgorman and @hockeyprimetime
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, June 07, 2011 19:58 |
