48 Hours ago, if you asked me for a list of NHL teams that I absolutely, unequivocally loathed, the list would look like this:
1. Montreal Canadiens.
No team can ever match the Habs in my eyes, but after Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, I am prepared to say that I hate the Vancouver Canucks.
Granted, its not the Canucks's fault that the NHL didn't suspend Alex Burrows for biting Bergeron, but after last night's game, the NHL has to be ashamed at the way Vancouver handled it.
First, it was a commercial featuring Burrows and the Sedin twins, where they joked that Burrows was a "vegetarian", obviously alluding to the bite on Bergeron.
Then it was former Canadien Max Lapierre taunting Patrice Bergeron, putting his gloved fingers near the Bruins' center's mouth. Smiling brightly, Lapierre's dispicable taunting of Bergeron underscored just how absurd it was that Burrows was not disciplined. In a playoff where we have seen Andrew Ference fined for his use of the finger, it was irresponsible for the NHL to not only not discipline Burrows, but allow the Canucks to poke fun at the situation.
Fnally it was Burrows himself, who scored the first goal of the game, as well as the overtime heartbreaker. I'm convinced that this type of shit only happens to the Bruins. Of course the guy that should've been watching the game with the rest of us was a major factor in the Bruins heartbreak. If you're wondering why this sounds familiar, you're probably thinking of Scott Walker (former Hurricanes forward). And if you don't remember him, congratulations, I just ordered you a pink hat.
Burrows put Vancouver on the board at 12:12 of the first, taking advantage of a Zdeno Chara penalty and squeezing the puck through the inside of Tim Thomas' right arm and his torso, giving the Canucks a 1-0 lead.
The Bruins responded nicely in the second, as Milan Lucic scored on the Canuck doorstep to knot the game at 1. Shortly thereafter, Mark Recchi tipped in a Zdeno Chara dribbler to give the B's a 2-1 lead. The power-play goal momentarily silenced Recchi's critics, who called for reduced time on the power play.
Because they are the Boston Bruins, they allowed a game tying goal by Daniel Sedin midway through the third. Naturally, it was Burrows, whose nasty assist set up Sedin to tie the game. This goal woke up the crowd and deflated the Bruins.
After the teams traded scoring chances near the end of the third, it became clear that Game Two was headed to overtime.
Overtime didn't last long though, as Tim Thomas came waaaaay out of his crease to try to cut down an angle on Burrows. The hungry winger skated around Zdeno Chara behind the net and then stuffed the puck in a wide open goal just 10 seconds into overtime. The puck was barely in the net and the entire Bruins team sprinted down the tunnel.
If Game 1 was encouraging, Game 2 was depressing. The Bruins have serious adjustments to make in tonight's Game 3 at home in Boston.
*Game Notes*
*The rest of this series could of one of two ways. The Bruins have either given their all and it hasn't been enough, or they have fallen short due to a few miscues and errors. I think that it is the latter. Boston is here for a reason, and unlike many critics and writers, I don't feel as if they have played their best hockey. Defensively, they have been solid except for a handful of defensive mistakes. They are however, capable of scoring more even with Luongo in net. The Bruins will have to raise their level of play at home in Game 3 to claw back into this series.
*Mark Recchi has been a hot topic in the last few games, mostly because of his lack of production on the power play, and he is not happy. After the game on Saturday night in which the veteran winger scored on the man advantage, he told critics to "kiss his ass". While it may have been a good sign to see Rex score, i'm curious about his choice of words. Here is a man who has been in the league long enough to know that fans and the media will criticize a player if they are not playing up to expectations. Still, it was encouraging to see Rex get on the scoresheet, especially on the power play.
*I love Mike Milbury, but he came across like a homer during NBC's broadcast of the game, saying that Boston fans should be mad that Burrows was not suspended. While I agree that there should have been disciplined, Millbury's allegiance to the Bruins came across on the screen.
*On Burrows, I think that regardless of the NHL's decision, the responsibility lies with the Bruins inability to stop him all night. He scored twice, assisted once more, and was the best player on the ice. He should have been watching, but he wasn't, and the Bruins failed to contain him, or even make life difficult for him for that matter.
*Due to the fact that the Canucks are winning on the scoreboard and also winning the psychological battle, the Bruins might have to bring in Shawn Thornton to even the score. The next question of course is who to sit. Seguin has came back to earth after his amazing Eastern Conference finals Game 2, but is still relied on to produce offense. Daniel Paille doesn't get a ton of ice time, but he has been a big part of the Bruins PK. I'd like to see Thornton out there, but I don't think that Julien is going to mix up his lines with the season on the line tonight. Look for the lineup to stay the same.
*Did anyone see the commercial for ADT Security? Wow. Creepiest shit ever. It starts with a mobile app that let's you set your alarm system from a smart phone (and probably disarm your system if your phone is stolen), and then shows a hidden camera in a daughter's bedroom that alerts a parent when their child comes home. If you need this, you lost at parenting.
*Eddie Olczyk is pretty brutal at color commentary, and had this to say about the NCAA rugby tournament. Oh yeah, this was during game action. "You know the guys on the outside of the rugby field are called "hookers". Followed by Doc talking forever. Stick to the game and stop trying to be funny. Same goes for the younger guy during intermission who used the word "bite" a million times.
*Not sure what more to say about tonight other than that this game is essentially the season. The Bruins have dealt with adversity and obstacles all playoffs long and tonight is a perfect opportunity for the Bruins to make it a series at the very least. If we lose in six or seven that's one thing, but the B's and their head coach cannot afford to let this opportunity get away.
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