The Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in shutout fashion Wednesday, winning game seven on the road by a final score of 4-0 to win the 2011 Stanley Cup.

The Bruins fans finally could rejoice, ending their 39 year championship drought and stopping the Canucks once again from grabbing their first ever Stanley Cup victory in the process.

The home teams dominated the series, winning every game on their own ice until game seven. In one of the most physical finals series ever, and the most penalized series in 25 years, Boston’s bruising style proved to be too much for Vancouver to handle.

No team in NHL history had ever won three game sevens in one playoff run, but that’s exactly what Boston did with their victory behind the legendary goaltending of Tim Thomas.

Thomas, who was a shoe in to win the Conn Smythe trophy no matter what the outcome of game seven may have been, shattered the record for saves in one postseason en route to leading the Bruins to victory. He became only the second American-born player to win the trophy behind Brian Leetch, who ironically also beat the Canucks in 1994 as a member of the New York Rangers.

Tim Thomas was indeed fantastic, but the Bruins played an overall masterful team game in order to dismantle Vancouver.

The referees did an incredible job in game seven by not being overly strict. They let the players decide the outcome no matter how physical the game got. Their officiating allowed the game to be incredibly entertaining to watch. Not many stoppages, not many penalties, just pure hustle and pure hockey.

Just as the game was getting up to speed in the first period Patrice Bergeron slipped one over Roberto Luongo’s shoulder to put the Bruins on the board, quieting the Vancouver bench.

The Canucks were almost able to knot the game at one halfway through the second period, but Zdeno Chara stepped his 6-foot-9, 255 lb. body in front of an open net to block the shot. Giving up your body was a necessary action with the cup on the line. These guys were giving it everything they could to win.

The Bruins struck again soon after when sensational rookie Brad Marchand scored his 10^th goal of the playoffs on a wraparound shot after a flurry of rebounds kicked off of the pads of Luongo.

A penalty on Chara at the end of the second period gave Vancouver a power play and their best opportunity yet. Unfortunately they couldn’t catch a break once again. Patrice Bergeron caught a bouncing puck near the blue line and hustled to the net to net his second goal of the game, this time shorthanded.

The Canucks battled and showed heart right up until the final whistle, but the deficit was too large.  Tim Thomas proved to be impossible to score on. Just before the clock hit zeros Brad Marchand added an empty net goal, his second, and it was official, the Bruins had won it all.

This game defined what every child dreams of. The moments that every young hockey player fantasizes about in their driveway. Every player surely left everything they had on the ice in Vancouver, but only one could win. Only the Bruins could lift Lord Stanley’s Cup over their heads and celebrate the way they always imagined doing throughout their careers. A dream come true.

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And then it comes down to game 7, as sport predictors and many of us did not expect. Prior to the series, I read several blogs and columns on how the Canucks should win the series in 4-0, or at most, 4-1. Apparently, it did not go that way.

Currently tied at 3-3, where both teams only won games played at home, the last game should be exceptionally interested. Would home court advantage give the Canucks the edge? Or, will Boston play the way they did on game 3, 4, and 6? All I can say is they both have a shot on this.

The last time Canada won the Stanley Cup was back in 1993, when Montreal Canadians defeated Los Angeles Kings 4-1. It was Montreal, who has won the most titles in the league, 23 times, followed by Toronto Maple Leafs with 13 titles respectively. Hockey, as we all can see, is a very important sport in Canada and seeing people lining up the street in Vancouver during this year’s final signals that they want this bad. Vancouver Canucks has never won a championship, though has been to a couple finals; losing to New York Islander in 1982 and New York Rangers in 1994. Boston Bruins, therefore, did it five times before. Nevertheless, it has been close to 40 years since Boston last hold the Stanley Cup, and for this reason being, they want it as much.

For the last six games, these two teams have won differently. The Canucks won in close games, all by just one point (1-0, 3-2, and 1-0), whereas the Bruins won by larger margin (8-1, 4-0, and 5-2). Even though Vancouver is seeded number one, statistically, it’s Boston that comes up a little better. Other than scoring more during the final series, Boston has fewer goals against per game, averaging at 2.21. Thanks to the incredible performance by Tim Thomas, Boston’s goalie, who has saving percentage of 93.7 % and saved 51 goals throughout the playoff season. Both teams have played significantly well, defensively and offensively. The last game, which will be played today at Rogers Stadium in Vancouver at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, will also come down to the team’s ability to hold it together. It’s the ultimate test of mental toughness.

Game seven is special, in every circumstance. This is the game that will decide who will walk off the court winners, and who will walk off the court losers. It’s the game both parties have worked hard for throughout the entire season. Happiness for one, disappointment for other, as they may say.

So, will Vancouver finally win their first Stanley Cup tonight, or will Boston get out of their 39 years drought? The question will be answered tonight. Until then, sit back, relax, and make sure there’s enough beer for everyone because we are in it for a long, exciting night.

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This series has history written all over it. The Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins will square off and compete for Lord Stanley’s Cup starting Wednesday June 1^st, in what hockey fans are hoping will be a very entertaining series.

Hockey, a sport so rich in Canadian culture and history, has not seen any of its NHL representatives lift the cup in victory since the Montreal Canadians beat Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in 1993. 18 years is unacceptable for Canadian fans, and they’re hoping that the Canucks can bring the championship back to it’s home country.

Boston on the other hand is a team that has been a perennial contender as of late, but has always seemed to fall short of their goals come playoff time. They are challenging for their first title since 1972 when legend Bobby Orr led them to victory over the New York Rangers. As we all know, Boston fans want rings, not finals appearances, and won’t rest until they see their beloved Bruins skating around the ice with the iconic silver cup held high over their heads.

These two teams tirelessly battled past many good teams en route to where they are now. So what should we look for in this series?

First of all, if any team wants to make a run at a championship, they’re going to need big performances out of their star players. In hockey, especially come playoff time, we all know that a hot goalie can bring a team as far as they want to go. Both Boston’s Tim Thomas and Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo are some of the best in the business, and are going to have to show off their cat-like reflexes in this series should they want to lift the cup themselves.

That brings us to the rest of the big-time players on the ice. Let’s start with Vancouver. Everybody knows about Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The twins have had great careers for the Canucks and brought them to the playoffs countless times, but really have struggled at times this year, worrying fans they they might not be the leaders they thought they were. Boy were they wrong, against San Jose they scored points left and right, and began to show why both these first-round picks are the keys to the cup.

Another player Vancouver will need to step up is Ryan Kesler. In fact, if you ask me, he is centerpiece for this team. Much rumor has it that Kesler is in line to compete for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL Playoff’s Most Valuable Player. He will have to keep up his outstanding play if Vancouver wants to knock off the Bruins.

So what about Boston? Two words, one giant man: Zdeno Chara. He is a mammoth on the ice, and not only is he half-impossible for opposing scorers to get around on the defensive end, but possesses a deadly 100+ miles per hour slap-shot that will strike fear into any goalkeeper.

The Canadian fans, and players for that matter, will undoubtedly be ready for this task. They want nothing more than to bring the cup back to Canada where they believe it deserves to be. However, despite the Canucks being the best team in the NHL, the Bruins will not back down to anyone. They may have flaws, but they are scrappy, hard-nosed, and have a fan-base on their side that can match up with the best of them.

Look for an entertaining series with both teams laying everything on the line. My prediction? Vancouver in seven.

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