By: Jeff Playdon | Follow me on Twitter @PlaydonJeff
After a late goal from Raffi Torres in game one, the Canucks took a 1-0 series lead heading into game two. The Bruins would look to tie the series at one. The lineup would stay the same for Boston, whereas for Vancouver, Manny Malhotra would make his playoff debut, and former Bruin Andrew Alberts would be swapped in for Dan Hamhuis. Another Canuck player at the front of the headlines was Alex Burrows. After the first period in game one, Burrows bit Bergeron’s finger, and everyone expected a suspension to come out of it for Burrows. Well, Burrows didn’t receive a suspension, which set off many guys in the league. Thomas and Luongo would get the start in net, and game two was underway.
Vancouver Up after One
The puck was dropped, and right away, Vancouver almost gets the first goal of the night. Sami Salo sent a rocket from the right point. Thomas stops it, but it deflects over his shoulder and bounces in the crease. Fortunately for the Bruins, Dennis Seidenberg is on the scene and swats it away with Jannik Hansen closing in. Just like in game one, the physicality carried over to this game with both teams hitting hard. Approaching the period’s halfway mark, the Bruins had a great chance. Michael Ryder breaks in on a 2-on-1 with Tyler Seguin on the left wing after Alberts steps up to hit Chris Kelly. Ryder’s shot from inside the right faceoff circle hits Luongo in the mask, knocking it off. The mask-less Luongo covers the puck. Zdeno Chara was called for interference a minute later, and Vancouver was on the first powerplay of the night.
With 12 seconds left on the Vancouver powerplay, Alex Burrows (Ol’ Chompers himself) converted, and it was 1-0 Vancouver. Sami Salo kept the play alive, digging the puck out along the boards and preventing Andrew Ference from clearing it. More hits and shots would come with the rest of the period, and after 20 minutes of play, Vancouver had a 1-0 lead. Both teams have 11 shots, and the Vancouver defensemen have done an outstanding job of poking the puck away from the Bruins’ forwards when it looks like something might develop. The Bruins are still looking for their first goal in four periods in the series and have one in their last seven, including Game 7 against Tampa Bay.
Bruins Finally Get on the Board
Second-period action was underway, and a minute in, the Bruins were going on their first powerplay of the game. Kevin Bieksa cleared the puck over the glass and was heading to the box for delay of game. Boston only put two shots on the net, and Vancouver successfully killed off the penalty. Nine minutes into the period, the Bruins finally got on the board. After nearly 4 1/2 scoreless periods in this series, the Bruins finally break through against Luongo. Milan Lucic gets his fourth goal of the postseason, pouncing on a rebound off a Johnny Boychuk slapper and beating a sprawling Luongo at the left post. The play originated behind the net when David Krejci won the battle for the puck and fed Boychuk with a long backhanded pass.
1:26 later, the Bruins were going on their second powerplay of the night. Aaron Rome was going to the box for holding. A smidge over a minute into the Boston powerplay, the Bruins finally scored on the powerplay, and it was 2-1 Boston. Mark Recchi does the honors. The play began with a Bergeron right-to-left pass to Chara, who fired it on net. The puck eluded Tyler Seguin en route, but Recchi was situated perfectly to deflect it past Luongo.
Tim Thomas continues to make spectacular saves throughout the second period to keep Boston ahead. One of the chances, Maxim Lapierre, had a loose puck waiting for him on the edge of the crease but couldn’t get his stick on it in time before Chara swept it away, Thomas may have given up a soft goal early, but he’s been sensational this period. Approaching the last 60 seconds of the period, Aaron Rome was heading to the box for his second penalty of the night, and the Bruins looked to make it 3-1.
Boston couldn’t score in the last minute of the period, and after 40 minutes, the Bruins led 2-1. A fantastic period all around for the Bruins. They score one on the power play. Tim Thomas stops 10 shots, several of them on golden opportunities for the Canucks, and suddenly, Roberto Luongo is reminded that he’s mortal. The Canucks are relentless, but the Bruins have a minute left on the power play entering the third and a great chance to build momentum.
Game 2 Going to Overtime
Third-period action was underway, and Boston had 59 seconds left on their powerplay. With eight seconds left on Boston’s powerplay, Seidenberg was called for tripping, and a Vancouver powerplay would follow with 1:52 on it. Boston killed off the penalty, and they held onto a 2-1 lead. During one of the breaks in the game, Mike Milbury was asked about Burrows bite on Bergeron in game one, “If I had known in the late ‘70s that it was okay to pig out on human flesh, I would have eaten Guy Lafleur…this is a disgraceful call by the league…this guy should have been suspended. They’re impacting this series by a non-call. It was not very courageous.”
Resuming to the action, seconds before the halfway mark in the third, Daniel Sedin tied the game at two. The Canucks have been relentless, and they finally got their reward. Daniel Sedin ties it on a beautiful feed from the slot by Burrows, who is en route to becoming public enemy No. 1 in Boston. The goal is Sedin’s ninth of the playoffs, and it starts when his brother Henrik wins a battle with Chara for the puck behind the net, then passed out to the blue line to Alexander Edler, who put the puck on net, rebound bouncing to Burrows.
With 5:53 left in the third, Adam McQuaid makes a fantastic defensive play to keep the game tied at two apiece. He broke up a 2-on-1 breakaway for the Sedin brothers smothering the puck when Daniel tried to stickhandle around him. The final five minutes of regulation ticked off, and game two was going to sudden death. The Canucks had more energy in the third period, outshooting the Bruins 11-5 in the frame (and 16-5 since the Bruins took the lead).
Canucks Win in Overtime
Overtime was underway, and 11 seconds later, it was quickly over. Alexandre Burrows makes a sensational individual play after a Bruins turnover following the faceoff. Skating down the left side, he fakes a shot that sends Tim Thomas sprawling, slips around the back of the net, and tucks it around the post on the far side with Zdeno Chara on his back. After taking a 2-1 lead halfway through the second period, the Bruins allowed a goal in the third and an overtime game-winner 11 seconds into overtime. With the Bruins now trailing in the series 2-0, the series would shift to Boston for game three on June 6th.
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