Chase for the Cup: 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs Roundup

Following word on Aaron Rome’s suspension and Nathan Horton’s injury, along with the taunting and bad blood that was spilled during Game Three, Game Four is set up perfectly.

The Night that Was:

The Boston Bruins got back into the Stanley Cup Final in a big way against the Vancouver Canucks last night. Coming in to Game Three down 2-0 and in danger of handing the Canucks a strangle hold, the Bruins came out with the goal of capitalizing on a weary Canucks team dealing with injuries and a tiring cross-continent flight. Things didn’t start off the way Boston, or anyone else for that matter, would have liked. After gliding through the neutral zone and passing the puck off, Nathan Horton continued to glide across the blueline. After he had gotten rid of the puck, Aaron Rome stepped up on Horton and delivered a blindside, late hit that sent Horton crashing to the ice where he struck his head. Horton lay motionless for minutes, and was eventually carted off on a stretcher, while Rome earned himself a five-minute major, and left the Canucks with five defensemen for the rest of the night.
While the Bruins bite-less power play trend continued when they failed to score a power play goal on their five-minute man advantage, Tim Thomas stood on his head and made sure things got to the second period scoreless. There, a broken stick for Vancouver just seconds into the period allowed Boston to establish the zone and Andrew Ference’s point shot wove it’s way through the defense. From there on out it was all Boston: Mark Recchi scored a power play goal four minutes later, and a beautiful short-handed solo effort by Brad Marchand made it 3-0. As it went to the third at 4-0, Boston never turned back. They punished Vancouver, proved they could skate with them, and erased their hopes of a sweep with a huge 8-1 victory, scoring a goal on each of their last three shots of the game. Michael Ryder had three points (1g/2a), Mark Recchi had two goals, five other Bruins had multiple points, and twelve B’s in total recorded at least a point while Tim Thomas made 40 saves, facing at least 12 each period. And as an amusing side note: Misconducts included (both 5’s and 10’s) there were 118 penalty minutes handed out in the third period for a total of 145 during the game. The most in a Stanley Cup Finals game in two decades.

The Injury Bug:

-The update on Nathan Horton today is that a serious concussion has sidelined him for the Stanley Cup Finals, and possibly longer. The injury is an unfortunate occurrence for a player that had rebounded so nicely this season after a tumultuous few seasons.

-Dan Hamhuis remains doubtful for Game Four for the Canucks with his lower-body injury.

What’s on Tonight?

Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals goes Wednesday in Boston at 8:00pm.

News and Rumours Around the League:

-Aaron Rome’s season is over. The NHL handed him a four-game suspension for his hit on Nathan Horton, and if the finals go fewer than four games, the remaining contests carry over into next season. Rome had one goal in 14 playoff games and was averaging 13 minutes a game for the Canucks.

-Rod Brind’Amour will be heading behind the Carolina Hurricanes bench next season after it was announced earlier today. Former NHL Head Coach Dave Lewis has also been added to the staff.

-Daniel Alfredsson has resorted to surgery on his injured back after rehab didn’t solve the problems he was facing. The recovery time from surgery is pegged at 4-6 weeks, and the injury is being pegged as a nerve problem in his lower back.

Your Top Playoff Performer of the Night:

Tim Thomas. While Michael Ryder’s three-point night was what buried Vancouver, you can score as many goals as you want, but if you don’t stop any, you’ll still lose. Despite the lopsided score, Thomas’ night wasn’t easy, as not only was there bulk (40 saves) but he ended up on the highlight reels a couple of times as well.

You can follow Bryan on Twitter at BryanThiel_88.