I don't know if it's home-ice advantage or not, but Vancouver has won three games at the Rogers Center, including Friday night's 1-0 triumph over Boston in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals.
The Canucks hold a 3-2 series lead, and can win their first Cup in franchise history with a victory in Boston Monday night.
Both Roberto Luongo and Tim Thomas played great in goal, although Vancouver scored its first goal since Game 3, and snapped Thomas' streak of 106 minutes and 7 seconds without allowing a goal, when Maxim Lapierre beat Thomas with a wrist shot at 4:35 of the third period.
Kevin Bieska took advantage of Thomas' aggresive style by directing a shot-pass from the right point that bounced off the boards and onto Lapierre's stick.
Thomas came out of his crease to challenge Bieska, and before he knew it, the puck was past him.
Raffi Torres picked up the other assist.
Luongo got his second shutout of these finals in stopping 31 shots, and said that Lapierre's shot would have been an easy save for him. Way to stoke the fire, Bobby Lu. Maybe he will get in a scrap with Thomas before this is all over.
Thomas stopped 24 of 25 shots, but his team will have to win another one at home to force Game 7. Thomas has been the MVP of these finals, in my opinion.
Yes, Luongo has two shutouts, the Bruins are down, but the Boston goalie has only allowed five goals. That's pretty impressive.
There were a great deal of hits in the game, and the Bruins had four power-play opportunities in the first and couldn't score. If Boston loses this series, it will look right to that stat.
Although the Canucks haven't been that strong on the PP, either. They were 0-for-4 with the man advantage. Also, were are the Sedin twins? I picked Ryan Kesler to be the MVP, but he hasn't done too much. Lapierre was defenitely the best skater on the ice last night.
Somtimes in the playoffs, it isn't the superstar that nets the big goal.
The Bruins will be ready to go at the TD Garden, but Vancouver wins another tight one, 2-1, to take home the Stanley Cup and end Canada's drought.
Thank God.
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