Burrows leads Canucks to 3-2 OT win over Bruins in Game 2

There is one middle name that is reserved for the most hated sports figures in Boston sports history. It is pretty safe to say that Alexandre Ménard-Burrows was renamed tonight by Bruins fans in barrooms and living rooms throughout New England. After escaping an suspension for biting the finger of Patrice Bergeron in Game 1, Alex Burrows was the hero in Game 2 for the Vancouver Canucks. Burrows (3 points) factored into all three goals and netted two goals including the game-winner in overtime in the Canucks' 3-2 win for the Bruins in Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals.

Burrows' first goal came 12:12 into the game on the power play after Andrew Ference's clearing attempt failed clear the zone.Zdeno Chara went to the box for intereference to set up the Vancouver power play. On the penalty kill, Ference tried to play the puck off the glass, but Sami Salo pinched in along the left wing boards to keep the puck in Vancouver's attacking zone. Salo moved the puck down to Chris Higgins at the left circle. Higgins kicked the puck to Burrows, who beat Tim Thomas on the nearside to give the Canucks a 1-0 first period lead.

Vancouver native Milan Lucic pulled the Bruins even at 1-1 9 minutes into the second period. Lucic won a puck battle below the goal line with Christian Erhoff before directing the puck toward the net from a tough angle on the left wing. David Krejci picked up the puck off of Lucic's shot attempt before lugging the puck to the right wing corner. Krejci sent a backhand pass off the boards to Johnny Boychuk at the right point. Boychuk fired a one-time slapper and Lucic banged home the rebound from the doorstep to reset the game for the B's.

Mark Recchi's power play tally just over 2 and half minutes after Lucic's goal gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead. Aaron Rome went off for holding at 10:26 of the second period and the Bruins capitalized on the ensuing power play. Zdeno Chara's point drive appeared to deflect off the skate of Mark Recchi and over the shoulder of Roberto Luongo to make it 2-1 at 11:35 of the middle period.

The Canucks tied the game up with 10:23 left to play in the third period on a goal from Daniel Sedin. Alexander Edler point shot found its way to Alex Burrows in the slot. Burrows made an alert pass to Daniel Sedin, who was skating on to the puck at the left circle. Sedin's shot found the back of the net over the pad of a diving Tim Thomas.

It took just 11 seconds of overtime play for the Bruins to give the game away to the Vancouver Canucks. Andrew Ference turned the puck over in the neutral zone to Alex Burrows. Burrows gained the zone, faked a slap shot, and beat Zdeno Chara down the left wing. Tim Thomas dove out at Burrows anticipating a shot that never came. Thomas made contact with Burrows and went down to the ice before Burrow skated around the net and jammed a wrap-around bid into the unguarded cage to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead in the series.

Notes:

- Why was Dennis Seidenberg not on the ice with Chara to start overtime? That D-Pair has been rock solid for the Bruins. Why split them up when the game is on the line?

- Manny Malhotra returned to the lineup for the Canucks after missing all of the playoffs with an eye injury. Malhotra only saw 7:26 of ice time in his return, but was 6 of 7 at the dot.

- Former Bruins defenseman Andrew Alberts replaced the inured Dan Hamhuis in the Vancouver lineup. Alberts had not played since the second round series against Nashville and he looked like a guy that was tired of pressbox popcorn. The big blueliner was physical throughout the game, unloading a game-high 6 hits against his former team.

- During a goalmouth scrum, Maxim Lapierre taunted Patrice Bergeron by sticking a finger in his face in reference to the Burrow biting incident in Game 1.

- It felt like we hopped into a time machine and went back three years. Those were vintage performances from Tim Thomas and Andrew Ference...and that's not a good thing.

- Burrows' game-winner was the second fastest overtime goal in Stanley Cup Finals history.

- Mark Recchi scored his 59th career postseason goal. With the goal, he moved past Mike Modano, Luc Robitaille, Boom Boom Geoffrion, and Guy LaFleur on the all-time list. He is now tied for 30th all-time with Stan Mikita and Paul Coffey.

- Claude Julien has shortened his bench considerably. Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille logged 4:18 and 4:19, respectively.

"If we start using that as an excuse, we are a lame team"

Claude Julien when asked about the league not suspending Alex Burrows

- Game 3 is Monday night in Boston. The flight will be the longest distance ever traveled to play a Stanley Cup Final game.

- For more on Game 2, check out Nucks Misconduct