By: Evan Michael | Follow me on Twitter @00EvanMichael
On this day in Bruins history, June 15th, 2011, the Stanley Cup was raised high above the head of Brad Marchand while Patrice Bergeron’s bubbly shook all over the victor’s locker room (and mine over the Lou Ha’s Bar).
Boston, for the first time since 1972, won the greatest trophy in all of sports by playing a near-perfect clinching game in Vancouver.
“Marchy” & “Bergy” each scored twice, Tim Thomas made 37 saves and the B’s became the third team in NHL history to win Game 7 on the road, defeating the Canucks 4-0 at Rogers Arena.
Bergeron scored the Cup-winning goal at 14:37 of the first period, Marchand and Bergeron each added tallies in the second and No. 63 notched an empty-netter late in the third to become the first rookie with two goals in Game 7 of the Final. With five goals, Marchand matched Roy Conacher of the 1939 Bruins for the most by a rookie in the Final.
The Bruins overcame 2-0 and 3-2 series deficits to win Lord Stanley’s coveted silver chalice — their sixth in franchise history.
“We never, never quit, and that’s what I’m proud of,” coach Claude Julien said post-game. “They’re so deserving of what has happened here.”
Thomas took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after limiting the Canucks to eight goals, a record for the fewest allowed by a goalie in a Final series that went the distance. He also nearly took the head off of Henrik Sedin (one of my favorite in-the-crease moments of the SCF):
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