Canucks sink Bruins 1-0 in a duel of the goalies

Raffi Torres scores late in the third to secure a Canucks win. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)

With the Stanley Cup returning to the NHL’s & Lord Stanley’s homeland, Game 1 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver was sure to be epic.

It started with as good as atmosphere I’ve seen at Rogers Arena. The crowd belted out the best and loudest rendition of Canada’s National Anthem, O Canada.

CBC’s coverage began with another of their famous game lead in videos:

Watch below the player introductions. What an atmosphere! Who is the guy in the loud suit I hear my fellow Aussies ask? That’s Don Cherry, the Gus Gould of the NHL, but with better entertainment dress sense.

The Game was tough, with a massive hip check by Dan Hamhuis that made Vancouver fans explode.

neither team could score until with 19 seconds left in the third and final period, Raffi Torres finally got one by Boston’s Tim Thomas.

Fantastic work by both Boston’s Tim Thomas and Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo, with Luongo getting his third shutout of the playoffs with 36 saves.

Highlights:

It will be interesting to see how Boston responds in Game 2.

For those in Melbourne, Hockey Night in Melbourne will be replaying Game 1 on Saturday and the Imperial Hotel, Bourke St and showing Game 2 live on Sunday.

This is what we live for – Vancouver Canucks vs Boston Bruins – Stanley Cup Final

GO CANUCKS GO! credit: masey.com.au

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Those of you who follow me on Twitter will get the idea that I love the Vancouver Canucks. When I made the first trip to Canada to meet my gorgeous girl, I noticed the Vancouver Canucks were everywhere. Posters, merchandise etc. It was clear there was a whole city passionately behind this team.

I was fortunate to go to a Canucks game and was in awe. The atmosphere, the player introduction show, the crowd, the goal horn, the stadium going ballistic. Since then I have been a passionate Vancouver Canucks fan, to the extent that I do not follow an Australian sporting team or league anymore.

The 2010/2011 playoffs series is one I will never forget. It has been full of moments.

I was at my desk listening to Team1040 when we exorcised our playoff demons, The Chicago Blackhawks in OT in Game 7. I stood up and yelped, tear in my eye. It was a big game, it was a wonderful day for an exorcism.

It was a tough journey. Nashville was a puzzle, we never had it when we though we did. It was a tough slow grinding series. Pekke Rinne, Nashville’s goalie increased his by another zero with some of the most spectacular saves I’ve seen. Vancouver goalie, Roberto Luongo found more of himself and had come up a level by the end. Both sides lived in the moment and as such, learnt a lot about themselves.

After a series that didn’t look like it was going to end, we met the San Jose Sharks. They’d just come off an epic series against the Detroit Pistons and were a bit battered and bruised.

We would have lost to San Jose any other year. But the Vancouver Canucks had found another gear. Against a dangerous and injured San Jose, we did well. It was always going to be close and it was. Ryan Kesler scored via tip in with 13.2 seconds left to send us into OT, eventually going into double OT.

The Vancouver Canucks won with a nightmare knuckle puck game winner from Canuck Kevin Bieska, that sends us to our first Stanley Cup since 1994. That goal will haunt a team and more so its goalie for a while.

A few days later the Boston Bruins decided they were to meet us in the Stanley Cup Final. They went to a game 7 against a dangerous Tampa Bay Lightning, who had a habit of coming back with freaky goals from seemingly unwinnable deficits. Boston Bruins won, in a tough 1-0 game.

So here we are, Game 1. I feel this will be a series the Canucks take in 6 with a lot of focus on Luongo and Thomas in the goals.

I am nervous, I am excited and desperately want to be there.

This is what we play for. This is what we live for. Believe.

We are all Canucks.

P.S. An interesting stat for you all

1976 Montreal Olympics …. 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup.

1988 Calgary Olympics …. 1988-89 Calgary Flames win the Stanley Cup.

2010 Vancouver Olympics … 2010-11 _________________ win the Stanley Cup?