My Thoughts: Vancouver at Boston, January 7/2012

 

So, I think it's safe to assume that this game was pretty boring huh? I see I've already got a few eyes rolling. See, by boring, I mean absolutely awesome and spectacular. Yeah, makes more sense huh? This definitely wasn't a boring game. Wait, yes it was. Screw my attempt at being funny, it was a kick ass game okay?

This was "just another game" according to the Canucks, but they definitely didn't play it like one. They played their asses off, just like it were Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Come to think of it, why didn't they play like this in Game 7? Oh well, back to the game at hand. The Canucks had jump, right out of the gate. Their PK was tested early (Ryan Kesler took a penalty :17 in), but they killed it off and stuck it to Boston; in fact, it took Boston nearly 10 minutes to get their first shot. About 5 minutes into the game though, it stopped becoming a normal hockey game, and the rough stuff came in. There was a huge brawl started that involved a whole bunch of punching, fights (well just one), and dirty headlocks (yes Milan, I'm talking to you). There was a huge scrum in front of the Vancouver bench, and Milan Lucic left the bench to join in, and was given a game misconduct for it (though the NHL later repealed this). The coward chose to jump Canucks who were already in altercations with other Bruins, and put Kevin Bieksa in a headlock for no reason other than it looked fun. While all this was going on, Dale Weise scrapped with Nathan Horton, and actually held his own for once. Then again, throughout the entire fight, the only thing Horton could think about was how thankful he was that he wasn't fighting Aaron Rome. Anyway, this scrum lasted for quite a while, and Vancouver ended up with a 2:00 5-on-3 out of it. Yes, I did just say that. Vancouver ended up with the powerplay! Shocker right? From this powerplay, Ryan Kesler potted home a fortunate rebound to put the Canucks up 1-0. However, Boston found their game shortly thereafter as Brad Marchand (aka Super Douche) scored on Cory Schneider (no there's no goaltending controversy, give it up!) on a partial break. 1-1 tie, which is how the first ended.

Vancouver fell apart at its seams for a lot of the second period. Alex Edler made a few terrible passes, once which resulted in a Henrik Sedin hook which led to a Boston penalty shot. *gulp*. Cory Schneider stood tall and robbed the Bruin with the glove though. Sadly though, if the Canucks were a restaurant in the second period, the only items on the menu were Sloppy Joes and a whole metric crap-ton of Apple Turnovers. The Canucks were playing pretty bad for most of the second, and the Bruins capitalized by icing the puck (though somehow it wasn't icing, despite the lack of tipping-in by a Bruin player) and taking advantage of the Canucks lax state (as they thought it was icing). 2-1 Boston. The Bruins continued to lay it on, but the Schneid turned them all away. The Canucks countered on a powerplay by scoring on a Cody Hodgson shot tipped home by Alex Burrows; 2-2. It wasn't until near the end of the period that the tides began to turn on one of the dirtiest hits I have ever seen, thrown by, you guessed it, Brad "Super Douche" Marchand. There's no use explaining the hit, because it will just lead to me cursing and making an ass out of myself on the internet, so I'll just show you the video.

Marchand got 5 and a game for that hit, and so he should have. How dirty are the Bruins? This hit was absolute garbage, and Salo now has a concussion from it. That's the type of hit that can end a career. Absolutely disgusting. The Canucks went on to score on that PP off a tip-in by Henrik Sedin to put them up 3-2 going into the third.

With the burden of Marchand's penalty still on the shoulders of the Bruins, the Canucks quickly got to work in the third. Cody Hodgson scored an absolute beauty on Tim Thomas with a rocket of a shot to put the Canucks up 4-2. The Bruins would end up scoring one more, but would come no closer as the Canucks won the game 4-3. Here's the Hodgson goal. If you don't love it, you're either a Bruins fan, you don't like hockey, or you're Tim Thomas.

What a goal. It was Cody Hodgson's first career GWG. I wish I had a bullet like that.

Anyway, there's the recap. Now, for more of my thoughts.
- Hopefully Brad Marchand gets suspended for his hit on Salo. He got down way too low, and the game misconduct was not enough. He needs to be punished for his actions; he knew full well what he was doing.
- Where was this reffing in last year's SCF? The Bruins finally got penalties for stuff they deserved. I can't count how many times during the SCF that there should've been a penalty called and there wasn't. I'm glad the refs pulled their heads out of their asses and officiated the game right. (Side Note: I'm not making excuses, Vancouver was murdered by the injury bug, they may have still lost, especially with their abysmal PP, but the wound would be much less score-wise)
- The Canucks special teams won this game. There is absolutely no doubt about that. Vancouver went 4 for 11 on the PP, and killed off all 7 of Boston's PP opportunities. Wow.
- While on the topic of the Canucks PP, they scored twice as many power play goals in this one game than they did in the entire SCF last year.
- Cody Hodgson had one heck of a game. He played great, and hopefully this is only a sign of things to come from the rookie. Hodgson for Calder? I hope so, he's been awesome all season.
- How dirty is Boston? Lucic headlocks Bieksa from behind, Marchand kills Salo on an unnecessary hit, and Tim Thomas slashed Malhotra in a sensitive area for us guys. And the Canucks are the most hated team in the NHL? Okay there.
- The Canucks proved a point with this win. They proved that they could beat Boston in Boston (an arena which they're historically bad in; especially last year's SCF), and they did it through their outstanding special teams, which were supposed to be the difference maker for Vancouver last June.
- Schneider played great. While I'm kind of upset that Luongo didn't get a chance to exorcise any demons he may have had in Boston, the fact that Schneider got the start in his home state was the right move. Props to AV, he made the right decision.
- Do Boston's fans know how to read? They continuously chanted "Luongo" throughout the entire game, despite Schneider's presence in the net. They eventually changed their chant to "We Want Luongo", but the damage has been done; us Canucks fans now have ammunition to use against the Bruins fans :)
- I seriously hope Vancouver meets Boston in this year's Cup Final again. This game was easily the best of the season so far, and it would be great if the Canucks got a chance to avenge their loss against the team that robbed them of Lord Stanley's mug.
- Seriously, Cody Hodgson played great. I think I'm going to get a Hodgson jersey now (no joke).
- Ugh Florida next? Really? Really? I'll be sleeping.