After almost 60 minutes of scoreless hockey, Raffi Torres found the back of the net with 18.5 second left in the game to give the Vancouver Canucks a 1-0 win over the Bruins in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals in Vancouver.
Neither team was able to develop much of a flow in this game as some chippy play led to 28 penalty minutes (all minor penalties) in the first two periods. The Bruins failed to convert on 6 power plays and 8:07 of power play time including 1:32 of 5 on 3 time. The Canucks also went 0 for 6 on the power play
Vancouver controlled play in the third period and threw 14 shots at Tim Thomas. Thomas (33 saves) made some big stops to keep the Bruins in the game in the third, but the Canucks were able to take advantage of a mistake by Johnny Boychuk to crack the 0-0 tie with 18.5 seconds left. Ryan Kesler was able to outrace Boychuk to a puck at the Canucks' offensive blue line. Kesler gained possession of the puck and was able to just barely enter the zone without going offsides. Kesler took the puck to the left wing boards and fed a centering pass to Jannik Hansen. Hansen skated to the right inside hash mark and alertly saw Raffi Torres driving to the net. Tim Thomas committed to Hansen taking a shot, but Hansen threaded a perfect pass to Torres in front, who tipped the puck past a diving Tim Thomas for the game-winner.
Notes:
- Hockey fans will use words like "devastating" to describe tonight's loss, but real devastation is losing a family member or your home. My thoughts are with everyone that was affected by the powerful storms that moved through Western and Central Massachusetts today.
- Alex Burrows appeared to bite Patrice Bergeron during a lengthy scrum at the end of the first period. According to John Bishop of BostonBruins.com, Patrice Bergeron said "He bit me. That's not okay."
- When asks about the incident after the game, Bergeron acknowledged that Burrows bit him but said, "I don't want to start a war of words."
- Canucks defenseman Dan Hamhuis left the game after hitting Milan Lucic with a hip check. Following what looked like a clean hit, David Krejci retaliated with a half-hearted cross-check on Hamhuis. It is unclear if Hamhuis was injured on his hit or cross-check by Krejci. On this same play, it appears that an unidentified Bruin on the bench squirted Hamhuis with a water bottle.
- Roberto Luongo made 36 saves to record his third shutout of the postseason.
- The Bruins used Zdeno Chara down low on the power play again tonight and even had him take a face-off (which he won). The Bruins are getting a lot more opportunities with this look, but still can not find a way to finish.
- Tim Thomas' flop to draw a penalty was one of the worst acting jobs by a goaltender since Keenu Reeves in Youngblood.
- Speaking of flops, Daniel Sedin went down faster than an 18 year old girl with daddy issues after Andrew Ference gave him a shove after the whistle.
- Daniel Sedin had a game-high 8 shots on goal.
- Johnny Boychuk recorded a game-high 8 hits.
- Daniel Paille saw just 2:09 of even strength time and 5:15 TOI.
_ Green Men? I don't see color. All I see is two unoriginal hacky trust fund babies in their daddies' seats wearing figure skating outfits.
- The Bruins and Canucks will meet again in Game 2 on Saturday night in Vancouver.
- For more on Game 1, check out Nucks Misconduct