04/23/24
June 02, 2011
Last-Second Goal Wins Game 1 for Canucks: Raffi Torres scored on an exceptional pass from Jannik Hansen with 18.5 seconds to play, putting the Vancouver Canucks over the Boston Bruins 1-0 in game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals Wednesday night. A third-line wing, Torres is the only Vancouver player with previous Finals experience.
Scratch that, the Canucks get one by and take the game. Awesome.
posted by insomnyuk at 11:11 PM on June 01, 2011
These goalies are amazinbg. Series should be awesome.
posted by Debo270 at 09:22 AM on June 02, 2011
Tough ending, but Bruins fans can at least take heart in the fact the Bruins were able to play and stay with the Canucks. Though they may not get so much help from the refs on the road next time.
The Bruins should rename their power play "Bathroom Break".
posted by yerfatma at 09:37 AM on June 02, 2011
It kills me that Recchi is still on the PP and Seguin isn't being used as much. Swap them and I bet you start seeing goals.
Still, if you told me the B's would hold Vancouver 0-6 on their PP, I'd've questioned your sanity.
EDIT: Also, Chara in front of the net is not the way to fix the PP. You need a big nimble guy like Lucic to work deflections and rebounds. And you lose Chara's rocket from the point and ability to keep the puck in the zone.
posted by kokaku at 10:12 AM on June 02, 2011
That frozen frame shown above is an instant classic. It would be even better if Torres were holding his stick up in the air.
If Pfizer doesn't use that visual in some way, they're...well, they're nuts.
posted by beaverboard at 10:35 AM on June 02, 2011
If the Canucks were to win the Cup, they can't do it at home. Aren't all the boat horns in the harbor still being overhauled after the Olympic moment?
posted by beaverboard at 10:38 AM on June 02, 2011
Why Tomas Kaberle Doesn't Suck As Much As You Think
posted by kokaku at 12:21 PM on June 02, 2011
Yeah, really surprised they don't put Lucic in front of the net on the PP. It's like he was manufactured in an East Vancouver dungeon out of leftover tugboat parts for that exact purpose. That said, the Bruins did get a lot of shots in the PP and looked fairly dangerous.
I just can't believe Julien is not playing Seguin more. It's as if he were the stubbornest most old-school coach in the league. Oh ... wait ... . But really, Seguin could really bother the Canucks with passing and with man on man slipperiness (huh) and I just can't believe the Bruins think they will win with the lumbering north-south game they seem committed to, especially in the third when the Canucks, having worn them out with skating, basically took over the game.
Thomas has now allowed two goals in four career games against the Canucks. He seems to take the "just stop the puck" mantra to heart, like a pudgy Dominik Hasak.
posted by rumple at 01:43 PM on June 02, 2011
I agree that Chara in front of the net on the PP is not the answer. While he does indeed provide a screen, it leaves only a small opening for the puck to find the net. True, there are rebounds, but Chara does not have the goal-scorer hands that are necessary to put the rebounds away. Horton might be the best man for the job, but he is not quite strong enough to take the pounding and remain in place. Motion, not a goal mouth presence is the key to any power play, and the Bruins have not seemed to have a lot of it. While Seguin is a good skater and clever passer, he has not had a lot of PP experience this year. To work him onto the #1 unit now would be a step back. Recchi has had a lot of success at being the guy in front for the tips and rebounds, but his legs have too many miles on them to do it now.
posted by Howard_T at 02:12 PM on June 02, 2011
That's a good point Howard. When they were on the PP and Chara was in front of the net, there was one particular play where Luongo was down and the puck rebounded right onto Chara's stick. He didn't have the hands to put it away.
posted by insomnyuk at 02:28 PM on June 02, 2011
Good points Howard - agreement on Lucic/Horton, not so much on Recchi/Seguin.
There was one play last night that pretty much summed up Recchi for me. Pass came to him to the left of Luongo and Recchi was just too damned slow to pull the trigger. Had a wide open 5-hole and the puck settled on his stick and couldn't put it away. Yeah, it's one play and everyone has their off moments, but this was typical. I'm all for experience, but it's pretty clear that another year has taken a lot more edge off the guy.
To borrow from another Boston team - I've always respected that Belichik is ruthless when it comes to cutting/trading a player whose moment is gone. Julien is being way to sentimental here.
posted by kokaku at 02:50 PM on June 02, 2011
PP is half coaching and half raw skill, quick hands, vision, accurate passing, anticipation. I really don't think the Bruins PP would be hurt by putting Seguin onto it. Anyway, what's the worst that can happen? They drop from 6% PP to 5% PP?
Seguin has shown he can play - what more is he meant to have done in his 5 minutes a game with plugger linemates? Guys like Couture got a lot of time in the playoffs this year and I don't see how Seguin, despite having less regular season experience, shouldn't at least be playing when skill on the ice is demanded - down a goal or two in third, when that happens, or on the PP, or the second PP at least.
Maybe for Julien, skill on the ice is never demanded?
Anyway, I don't think it was a disaster that Chara was the guy in front of the net, agree that the guy there needs quick hands and eyes in his ass to see where the goalie is at all times, and Chara might be better on the point. Canucks PP really clicked this year because they put Kesler in front of the net on the first PP. Losing Samuelsson has actually been addition by substraction since he isn't taking stupid shots from everywhere and they are plaiying two D on the points.
Canucks have their own version of Seguin with Hodgson. Coho has shown he can play, has a lot of skill, but keeps getting scratched in favour of Bolduc or the like. Give the kids a chance!
Coach V and Julien are actually pretty similar old-school coaches in a lot of ways, its just that V has more toys to play with.
posted by rumple at 03:02 PM on June 02, 2011
No suspension for Alex "Zombie" Burrows on the biting incident.
posted by rumple at 03:20 PM on June 02, 2011
No suspension for Alex "Zombie" Burrows
Good, I'd hate to miss out on any cheap shots (both given and received) before the summer break.
Wholeheartedly agree that Chara's place on the power play is not camped out in front of the net. First and foremost, while he's incredibly tall and heavy, he isn't significantly wider than anyone else. Luongo is 6'3", in a crouch take a few inches off of that. The player in front of the net only needs to be 6' tall to screen him, forcing him to look around him to see the puck. That player might as well have the touch of a scorer, which big Z most definitely lacks.
posted by tahoemoj at 04:26 PM on June 02, 2011
That's a good point. Byfuglien must have the widest ass in the history of the NHL, part of why he was so effective against Luongo.
posted by rumple at 05:03 PM on June 02, 2011
Byfuglien must have the widest ass in the history of the NHL
You mean the defenseman for the Winnipeg team? Yeah, he's a couple of axhandles wide.
posted by tahoemoj at 06:57 PM on June 02, 2011
One more thought on the Boston power play, this from an interview by Dan Shaughnessy with Harry Sinden published today in The Boston Globe (see the bottom of the second page of the link). Sinden says the Bruins shots too often come from shallow angles, that is, from directly in front of the net rather from the sides. He might have a good point, considering that with a man in front and at least one defender there to contain him, there's a decent chance of a deflection off of the defender or down low attacker going in.
Snarky aside: Perhaps Bruins fans could show up for game 3 equipped with false "Dracula" teeth or toddler's teething rings in honor of Burrows. Just don't throw them on the ice, boys and girls.
posted by Howard_T at 02:33 PM on June 03, 2011
Recipie to beat Luongo on the power play:
1. Pound the puck from the blue line and position the forwards for the big rebounds he yields.
2. Pass to a forward with enough time to get the puck high as Luongo is dropping to his knees - his game is angles and odds and not reaction, a complete contrast to Thomas.
posted by cixelsyd at 03:06 PM on June 03, 2011
I'm watching the Vancouver Boston game and Tim Thomas is stopping everything the Canucks throw at him. Unbelievable.