The top-seeded Vancouver Canucks finally got the monkey off their back and have made it to the finals for the first time since 1994.
The Boston Bruins had playoff demons of their own. After going up 3-0 in the series against the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010, the Bruins lost the next four games and were ousted from the playoffs. They haven’t made it to the finals since 1990.
This will be a battle between two great goaltenders in Roberto Luongo for Vancouver and Tim Thomas for Boston.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks made relatively short work of the San Jose Sharks, defeating them in five games. Luongo helped his team win the series, especially in Game 5 when he made 54 saves and defeated the Sharks in double overtime.
Luongo has been promising this postseason with a 2.29 goals-against average and .922 save percentage. His confidence is at an all-time high and he will make life difficult for the Bruins.
Henrik Sedin has been a dish master for the Canucks. He registered 11 assists in the Western Conference finals against the Sharks and has 19 in the playoffs. He only has two goals this entire postseason, but it appears he is much more content to let his teammates do the scoring.
One of those teammates picking up the scoring is Kevin Bieksa. He had four goals in the conference finals, including the game winner that put the Canucks into the Stanley Cup Finals. He only registered six goals all season long, but he already has five this postseason.
Vancouver has done a great job of distributing the goal-scoring. Not a single player on the team has registered double-digit goals this postseason. Whoever steps on the ice has the ability to score, and this will certainly help them against the Bruins.
Manny Malhotra has been cleared to play for the finals. He won’t be a big offensive boost, but getting a regular back will be an emotional boost for the Canucks.
Boston Bruins
Boston went the full seven games with the Tampa Bay Lightning when they couldn’t close out the series in Game 6. Tim Thomas shut the door on the Lighting in the final game with a 1-0 win.
Thomas’ GAA matches Luongo’s at 2.29, but he has a slight edge in save percentage at .929. Thomas will have a lot of firepower coming at him with the likes of Ryan Kesler, Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin.
Thomas was very inconsistent in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Lighting, giving up as many as five goals in Games 1, 2 and 4. However, he also had shutouts in Games 3 and 7. Inconsistency ultimately dooms a goalie, and this will certainly be the case in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Nathan Horton was the hero for the Bruins in the conference finals. He scored the lone goal in Game 7 to get his team to the Stanley Cup Finals. He has 17 points in 18 games.
David Krejci has 10 goals and 17 points this postseason after having only scored 13 goals the entire season. He is their go-to guy right now, but he doesn’t even begin to compare to the likes of the Sedins or Kesler.
The Bruins have relied on solid defense and great goaltending to win in this postseason. Unfortunately, the offensive firepower of the Canucks will be too much for Thomas and the Bruins to handle. The Vancouver Canucks will be your 2011 Stanley Cup champions.
Prediction: Vancouver wins series 4-2.
Tom Mitsos - Tom Mitsos currently works at The Grand Rapids Press as a copy editor for the sports department. Contact Tom at tommitsos@gmail.com.
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