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For close to six months, the Vancouver Canucks have had this date circled on their calendar. That’s six months of questioning yourself. Six months of saying “what if” to yourself. Six months of wondering why it happened. Today, January 7th, 2012, the Canucks will find out if they have the answers.
The questions are endless. Can they win in Boston? Are they tough enough to beat Boston? Can they score on Tim Thomas? Will someone step up to Marchand, or will he just do whatever he wants to do? Can the power-play score? And so on, and so on, and so on…
The only answer we have right now is that we’ll find out today.
Canucks 25-13-3 53pts
Bruins 26-10-1 53pts
Leaders
Canucks
Goals Sedin 18
Assists Sedin 38
+/- Burrows +20
Hits Lapierre 119
Bruins
Goals Seguin 16
Assists Bergeron 22
+/- Seguin +31
Hits Lucic 84
This game might be the game of the year for the Canucks and their fans, but for Boston and their fans, not so much. I think this game means a lot more to us then it does to them. They know they can beat us in Boston we still have to prove we can win there. For that reason, I think we’ll see a very motivated Vancouver team today.
I expect this one starts out chippy with the Bruins and Canucks wanting to settle some of the scores they didn’t get to settle last June. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least bit if there were a few fights in the first period just to get that out of the way before settling into a very good hockey game. I only wish CBC had decided to cover this game, because this game will be good, and it’s a game the nation wants to see. The ratings would have been through the roof.
After a first period of “boys being boys” I think the teams will settle in and play great hockey. Vancouver can’t afford to have this game being dragged into the gutter, they have to play strictly hockey if they want to win today. The moment this game starts resembling rugby more than hockey, is the moment Vancouver loses this game. They can’t get involved in scrums. They have to focus on playing whistle-to-whistle in order to stay in the game.
In the second and third, I think we’ll see some of the best hockey of the season out of both clubs. Both teams have a tremendous amount of skill and are fairly healthy. I see both periods being back and forth, and the game being a close one.
The game plan for both teams is simple; play your game and you will win. For Vancouver that means winning face-offs, getting the puck and keeping the puck. They have to use their skill, play with speed, and stay disciplined. Punch the Bruins in the face once to show you’re not afraid of them and then settle in and play your game. For Boston, they need to get pucks deep and work their cycle game in the corners. They need to be physical and rugged at both ends of the ice in order to wear Vancouver down.
The Bruins are on a pretty good roll right now, after score 15 goals in two games and winning nine of their last ten. They have every reason to be cocky, and every reason to think they will win this game as well. However, Vancouver isn’t the same team that they were in June. They’re healthy now, with Kesler having two good legs, Edler being able to hold his stick and Dan Hamhuis playing. Last June the Canucks were a wounded animal and rather than fighting back, they rolled over and played dead. Today, that animal is back, it’s no longer wounded, and it’s got a whole lot more fight in it.
Prediction- 4-3 Vancouver (Kesler with a pair)
Possible Fight Card
Lets face it, there are scores to settle on both sides, so lets breakdown the possible dance partners for todays game.
Johnny Boychuk VS Dale Weise
Someone needs to step up to Boychuck and make him answer for Breaking Raymond’s back and to show that Vancouver is not afraid. Weise is the tough guy on this team and should be the guy to attempt to do that. I think someone going after Boychuk on the first shift is exactly how this team needs to start.
Brad Marchand VS Maxim Lapierre or Kevin Bieksa
Last June, Marchand ran around taking cheap shot, after cheap shot on Daniel Sedin and now someone needs to do something about that. I’d like that someone to be Lappy, but I doubt Marchand would drop them with him. Marchand may be a rat, but he’s a smart rat and fighting a fourth line player makes no sense for him. If he won’t fight Lappy then hopefully he’ll fight Juice. On the very slightest of chances, maybe Daniel goes Semin on his ass.
Nathan Horton VS Aaron Rome
Horton likely wants to settle the score with Rome for ending his playoffs, but it looks like Rome will not suit up due to a hand injury. I really can’t see why Horton would fight anyone else unless something happens during the game.
Schneider Starting
I like the decision and Schneider would be whom I would start for a few reasons.
One, does Boston have a scouting report on Schneider? I’m sure they have some kind of one, but it can’t be nearly as long as the one they have on Lu.
Two, starting Schneider makes this game about the Canucks and against the Bruins now and not Luongo against the Bruins/Bruins fans. Vancouver wins games when they play as a team, by taking Lu out of the equation, the game becomes about Vancouver VS Boston and nothing else.
Three, Schneider is a far better puck handler. The Bruins love to dump the puck in and go pound the D to get the puck. Corey Schneider is and excellent puck handling goaltender and having him back there takes a lot of pressure off of the D to always race back. While the goalie can’t play the puck as much as they used to, having Schneider back will make the D’s night a lot easier and likely lead to a few less hits.
And four, I said I would start him in his hometown back in December if he was still playing well and I’d stick with my word on it. Schneider is still playing well and has been the ultimate teammate all year. He deserves this start as much as Lu always deserves the start in Montreal.
Respect Your Rival- Boston Bruins
Tim Thomas
As much as I try and hate Tim Thomas for being a Bruin and always beating Vancouver, I just can’t. The guy is the ultimate battler and maybe the guy I would most like to go for beers with after the game (Ovechkin, Bieksa, and Bryzgalov would be the other 3). While he looks like he should be driving a truck or pumping gas somewhere, he has been the most dominant goalie the NHL has seen since Hasek. The guy has played everywhere from Vermont to Helsinki and has finally found NHL stardom. Not bad for a 9th round pick that Quebec gave up on.
The Bruins
The Bruins take a lot of heat from people for being bully’s and playing a goonish style of hockey, but aside from that they are a very skilled team as well. They play their system with the up most discipline and that is why they are so dominant. Off the ice the Bruins are a fixture in the Boston community and do several hours of community work such as toy drives for Christmas and visiting kids in the hospital. Hate the Bruins on the ice as much as you want, but the Bruins are the epitome of what an NHL franchise should be off the ice.
Zdeno Chara
Big Z, the guy is one of the leagues top blueliners on the ice, and maybe the most generous play off the ice. His play speaks for it self. He is once again playing like a Norris caliber D and is still the most intimidating player in the league. Off the ice, he is the NHL leader in charity work. If there’s a charity out there, chances are Chara has helped it, or will in the future. Another fun fact about Chara is he speaks 7 languages too (Slovak, Czech, Polish, Swedish, Russian, German, and English).
Are the Bruins a Dynasty?
I’ll say no. It’s not because I don’t think this Bruins team is as good as the dynasties of the past (this team would give any NHL dynasty a run for their money). But more because when I think of dynasty’s I have no doubts. When the Oilers, Canadiens, and Islanders were dynasty’s you knew they were going to win, the only question was by how much. Right now I see 6-8 teams that I feel can beat this team. Whether they will, that is something only time will tell.
Question of the Day
Will Vancouver win today?
While Rocky Balboa isn’t the best of the Rocky series it does have one of the best speech’s and a couple of scenes that I’d like to end todays blog with.
Thanks for reading.
Enjoy your day.
Ian
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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