Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 05-30-2011, 09:04 PM

Canucks ready for Bruins in Stanley Cup

May 28, 2011

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - The Canucks finally have an opponent for next week's Stanley Cup final, though the Boston Bruins are hardly a familiar foe.

When the teams drop the puck for Game 1 on Wednesday, it will be just the sixth meeting between the teams in six seasons. That includes a game in Vancouver just over three months ago, even though few of the Canucks recalled much from that 3-1 loss.

What all of them remembered after the Bruins beat Tampa Bay 1-0 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final on Friday night were goalie Tim Thomas and defenseman Zdeno Chara.

Several singled out Chara, Boston's 6-foot-9 Norris Trophy nominee as the best defenseman, and Thomas, their acrobatic Vezina Trophy finalist as the league's best goaltender, as keys to beating one of the league's stingiest teams.

``Solid D led by the big guy and one of the best goalies in the league,'' said Vancouver's top-line forward Alex Burrows. ``They play a great defensive system.''

Boston surrendered the second-fewest goals in the regular season, behind only Vancouver.

The Canucks found out how stingy they can be Feb. 26, when Thomas made 27 saves for his third win in as many meetings with the Canucks, including two shutouts. Thomas also posted his second shutout of the playoffs Friday, but has also had his share of hiccups, with questionable goals early in the first round and Eastern Conference final - both after long layoffs.

``He makes saves you don't think he's going to make and lets in goals sometimes that maybe he should have,'' said captain Henrik Sedin, who leads the playoffs with 21 points.

``If we do our job and get traffic and move the puck, he likes to challenge the shooter,'' Sedin said, ``so if you can maybe sometimes make the extra pass or make him move side to side that's going to help us.''

The admittedly aggressive Thomas certainly has the respect of Canucks' counterpart Roberto Luongo, a fellow finalist for the Vezina Trophy, even if they play very different styles.

``Similar styles, textbook butterfly goalies,'' Luongo quipped of the unorthodox Thomas, who once proudly said his style is like a ``street hockey'' goalie.

``Obviously he's had an unbelievable year and I'm happy we're gong to have a chance to go head to head,'' Luongo said. ``He just battles. Anytime we have a chance to get him in a vulnerable position, it is going to be important to bear down. We can't take it for granted that just because he's not in position we're going to score. We've got to make sure we bear down.''

Getting those chances won't be easy against a tight defensive structure led by the shutdown pairing of Chara and Dennis Seidenberg, who are third and fourth in the NHL playoffs in ice time, and figure to spend a lot of their 28-plus minutes against Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

Not that it's new to the Sedin twins after facing Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook in the first round against Chicago, and Nashville's Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, perhaps the league's top shutdown defensive duo, in the conference semifinals.

The Sedins were limited to seven points and a minus-10 rating against Nashville before 18 points - 12 by Henrik to tie a franchise record - while eliminating San Jose in just five games of the Western Conference final.

``We see those kind of D's every night,'' Daniel Sedin said. ``Obviously Chara is a big man and a physical guy, so it's going to be tough, but all you can do is go out and play your game.''

Not much happened for the Sedins against Chara in the late February loss. But while few players put much stock in that game, all expected a big emotional boost from the potential return of the only Canuck to beat Thomas that night, Manny Malhotra.

Knocked out by a career- and vision-threatening left eye injury from a deflected puck a couple weeks later, Malhotra was cleared to play Saturday and, in his first public statements, said he might be ready for Game 1.

Considering Malhotra, an immensely popular locker room leader and one of the league's best face-off centers and penalty killers, announced his season was over just five days after the March 16 injury, it should provide a big lift for the team.

``Where I was two months ago and making the statement the season was over, to potentially having a possibility to play the Stanley Cup final is obviously incredibly exciting,'' Malhotra said. ``The high point of this ride.''

It's a ride that starts for real on Wednesday. And between two teams with little history, it shouldn't take long for the animosity to build.

``Not in the Stanley Cup finals,'' said Maxim Lapierre, who once battled the Bruins as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. ``Probably only a period.''

**StarDust Bum** · 05-30-2011, 09:05 PM

Bruins owner basks in glow of crown

May 29, 2011

BOSTON (AP) - Clearly, there have been some long, dreary Memorial Day Weekends for Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs.

This is not one of them.

After the past four seasons ended with two losses in the second round, one in the first and another in which the postseason was missed altogether, Jacobs' crew, for a change, is in the midst of a rewarding run to the Stanley Cup final. On Wednesday, the Bruins will meet the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 after impressive victories over Montreal, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.

``I think that (GM) Peter (Chiarelli) has put together a dream team, his dream, and as he saw it within the parameters that they have to work,'' Jacobs said on Sunday. ``I think (president) Cam (Neely) has shown great understanding of hockey. And this is a great city to play hockey in.''

This will be the Bruins' first Stanley Cup final appearance since 1990. Vancouver hasn't made it this far since 1994.

``I think I'm very lucky to have the leadership, both on the ice and in the back of the house, so to speak,'' Jacobs said. ``I can't speak enough for the total organization and how it's moved forward. I'm just so proud of what they've achieved.''

It wasn't easy. Even though goaltender Tim Thomas has two shutouts and an impressive 2.29 goals-against average, and David Krejci and Nathan Horton each have 17 points through three rounds, the Bruins still had to play 18 games to get here. Wrapped around a surprisingly thorough four-game sweep of the Flyers in Round 2, were two emotionally draining seven-game series vs. the Canadiens and Lightning.

Round 3 ended with a classic 1-0 victory over Tampa Bay on Friday night, in front of a charged home crowd.

``I think it was disciplined hockey at its best. You had to dig deep,'' Jacobs said. ``And I thought it was great hockey. This city thought it was great hockey. That's more important than anything - that the fans came out the way they did, and that they responded the way they did. I couldn't have been more pleased with it.''

And keep in mind, the Bruins - in a sports town that is quick to push the panic button - opened the playoffs by dropping the first two games at home to Montreal.

Boston is 12-4 since.

``I was disappointed we were down 2-0. I had a lot of confidence in our team, but I have to tell you - when you're down 2-0 - you've got to be concerned about whether or not you can pull that off,'' Jacobs said. ``And to go into Montreal, and win the next two, well, that was very refreshing.''

The Bruins will journey back into Canada on Monday after a practice in Boston. The Canucks, who defeated Chicago, Nashville and San Jose to win the West, haven't played since last Tuesday, when they defeated the Sharks 3-2 in Game 5 of the conference finals.

Vancouver led the NHL with 117 points this season, 10 more than any other team. After a tougher-than-expected first round, in which they needed overtime of Game 7 to dispose of the Blackhawks, the Canucks have found their groove, dispatching the Predators and Sharks in six and five games, respectively.

In the regular season, the Bruins defeated the Canucks in Vancouver 3-1 on Feb. 26. Vancouver native Milan Lucic scored the go-ahead goal on a rebound with 4:38 left, and Thomas made 26 saves.

``Our ambition is to go and win the Stanley Cup,'' Jacobs said. ``There is a common bond now that exists between everybody. You've really built an organization, and I say a hockey organization, a player organization. The athletes are all committed to a central point, and that is a wonderful thing to see and a wonderful place to be.''

And it's now up to coach Claude Julien to temper the enthusiasm, and keep the team's eyes on the prize.

``I think they're obviously handling it very well. We're obviously excited to be here,'' Julien said. ``This is a position that we've wanted to be in since the beginning of the year. Having said that, I think we're also aware of what has to be done for us to make it even better. And we're really doing a good job of staying focused, and doing the things that we have to do here to prepare.''

Julien spoke to the media after Jacobs addressed his team on Sunday.

``I think it meant a lot. I was happy that he did take the time to speak to our team. We don't see him much during the regular season,'' Julien said. ``He comes and watches games, but he certainly is not one of those owners that will interfere and then come down much. So, that's his personality and it's his style, and we respect that. But when he does come in, like he did today and address the team, everybody was happy to hear from him.''

**StarDust Bum** · 05-30-2011, 09:08 PM

Playoff Results - Stanley Cup

May 30, 2011

Visitor Home Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Wednesday June 1, 2011
Bruins Canucks

Saturday June 4, 2011
Bruins Canucks

Monday June 6, 2011
Canucks Bruins

Wednesday June 8, 2011
Canucks Bruins

Friday June 10, 2011
Bruins Canucks

Monday June 13, 2011
Canucks Bruins

Wednesday June 15, 2011
Bruins Canucks

**StarDust Bum** · 05-30-2011, 09:22 PM

Stanley Cup Final series preview and pick

No. 1 (West) Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 3 (East) Boston Bruins

SERIES PRICE: Vancouver -225, Boston +201

SEASON SERIES: Boston won the only meeting with Vancouver, 3-1, as a +134 road underdog on February 26.

OFFENSE

Now that the Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel, are awake and fully engaged in the playoffs, there is little doubt that the Canucks have an edge in firepower with one big caveat. Make that one giant caveat in the form of hulking Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara, who plays havoc with skill players, especially Europeans.

Remember when the Sedins struggled mightily against Nashville’s Shea Weber and Ryan Suter in the second round? That’s old news for Canucks supporters. However, as the pair combined for 18 points against the Sharks in the Western final and the Canucks will need more of that against the Bruins. Center Ryan Kesler has been a stud throughout and leads the team with 18 points (fourth overall in the playoffs), including 14 points in his previous 11 games.

The Canucks have been getting contributions from all four lines and may have the added benefit of Manny Malhotra’s return later in the series.

The Bruins had a couple of breakout games offensively in the Eastern Conference final, most notably with big efforts from Nathan Horton, David Krejci and the one-game breakthrough by rookie Tyler Seguin. The problem with the Bruins is that their scoring has been mainly limited to that one line.

EDGE: Canucks

DEFENSE

The Bruins pride themselves on their defense - a point of emphasis in head coach Claude Julien’s philosophy. With Chara as the anchor, the B’s have the potential to be a shutdown unit but have lacked the consistency during the playoffs. While there have been some good efforts, like the 1-0 series clincher against Tampa Bay, on too many nights goaltender Tim Thomas has had to make up for some of the sloppiness in front of him.

While Chara is a legitimate Norris Trophy finalist, he could use some help beyond his partner, Dennis Seidenberg. That pairing did an excellent job in quieting Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis in the previous series but will face an even stouter test this time from the varied Canucks attack.

The Vancouver defense is known for two things: Its ability to help out the offence and its depth. That depth will get a nice boost with the return of Christain Ehrhoff, who was injured early in the Western final.

EDGE: Bruins

SPECIAL TEAMS

This is perhaps the greatest mismatch NHL bettors have seen in these playoffs. You can argue quite forcefully that the Canucks’ power play was the key to their win over San Jose in the Western Conference final. With Kessler and the twins, and a back end not afraid to jump into the play, they are a threat

The Bruins, meanwhile, have been horrid with the extra man.

The acquisition of defenseman Tomas Kaberle at the trade deadline to help boost the power play has been a disaster. The Bruins connected on just 5 of 61 attempts in the postseason for a shameful 8.2 success rate - more than 20 points lower than the Canucks, who were 17 for 60 (28.3 percent).

On the kill, the teams are virtually equal: 80.6 for the Canucks, 79.4 for the Bruins.

EDGE: Canucks

GOALTENDING

What more can you ask for than a matchup of Vezina Trophy finalists?

For Boston, Tim Thomas has been spectacular at times, erratic at others but has established himself as a truly elite netminder. Thomas had a league-best 2.00 goals against average in the regular season and a monster .938 save percentage. Luongo, on the other hand, had more wins than any other netminder with 38 and put up a 2.11 GAA - the best in his career.

In the playoffs, there hasn’t been much to choose between either as both advance to the final with a 2.29 GAA and both have a pair of shutouts. While Thomas has been spectacular at times, Luongo seems to have settled into a consistent playoff performer, which was the biggest knock on him in the past. He outplayed the Sharks Antti Niemi dramatically in the last round, which will help his confidence.

EDGE: Even

It’s a Stanley Cup Final that has a little bit of everything. In the Bruins, we have an Original Six franchise that hasn’t won the Cup since 1972.

The Canucks, who have never won since joining the league in 1970, are attempting to become the first Canadian-based team to hoist the Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.

Each team struggled early in the postseason: Vancouver against the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks and Boston against the Canadiens. But, they are both deserving conference champions.

As the best team in the regular season and with a deeper, more consistent roster, the Canucks are favorites and will provide the toughest test yet for the Bruins.

PICK: Canucks in seven If you have any feedback or suggestions for our Editorial Team, please contact us at Editorial

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2011, 06:45 PM

Bruins-Canucks begin Stanley Cup Finals Wednesday

BOSTON BRUINS

at VANCOUVER CANUCKS

NHL Playoffs – Stanley Cup Finals
Game 1
Puck drops: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Vancouver -205, Boston +175, Total: 5.5

After outlasting the other teams in their conferences, the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks will meet in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The Canucks are making just their third visit to the Finals in team history, while the Bruins are making their first visit since 1990.

The Bruins relied on a balanced attack of scoring and goaltending to earn 103 points during the regular season, and have showcased both in winning the Eastern Conference. Tim Thomas has been at the top of his game for the majority of the postseason, and when he has faltered (three times allowing five goals against the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals), he has made up for it with outstanding performances. Thomas allowed just one goal in the Bruins final three wins against the Lightning, posting a save percentage of .989 over those games, and will need to be just as sharp against the offensive-minded Canucks. Thomas has dominated Vancouver in his career, winning all three of his starts and stopping 97 of the 98 shots they have fired at him. That’s a GAA of 0.33 and a save percentage of .990.

Offensively the Bruins have looked to David Krejci and Nathan Horton for goals (18 combined) and to Patrice Bergeron for outstanding overall play (4 G, 11 A). Horton and Krejci have combined for seven of Boston’s 12 GW goals so far this postseason. On the downside for the Bruins, they have lost their last five Stanley Cup Finals appearances. Only Philadelphia (six straight) has lost more consecutive (current). Boston has also lost its past eight Stanley Cup Finals appearances against teams from Canada, and is 1-10 all-time against teams from Canada in the Stanley Cup Finals.

After struggling to find their offensive groove for the first two rounds of the postseason, the Canucks finally broke out against the Sharks in the Conference Finals. Vancouver averaged 4.0 goals per game last round, compared to just 2.3 in the first two series. The Brothers’ Sedin enjoyed an excellent Conference Finals, combining for three goals and 15 assists. Henrik leads all players this postseason with 21 points (2 G, 19 A) and tied a Vancouver record for most points in a series when he registered 12 against the Sharks. After not scoring a goal in his first nine games this postseason, Ryan Kesler has scored seven goals in his past nine games, and is one behind Daniel Sedin for the team lead. In goal, Roberto Luongo has finally quieted his skeptics, with a Conn Smythe performance so far. Luongo has posted a 2.29 GAA, while stopping 92.2 percent of shots fired at him, and has been in goal for all 12 of the Canucks wins.

Both teams are arguably the best in each conference and this should be an excellent Stanley Cup Finals. Both teams have superb goaltending and both teams can light the lamp very well. The Canucks have won their past seven playoff series openers, which is not only a franchise record, but also the longest current streak of its kind for any NHL team. Since 1995, the only other NHL team to win seven or more consecutive Game 1s was the Red Wings with a streak of nine in a row from 2007 to 2009. Luongo has an 8-1 career record in Game 1 of a playoff series. That's the highest such winning percentage for any goaltender in NHL history with at least five decisions, surpassing Ryan Miller and Johnny Mowers, each 7-1. With those numbers, it’s hard to pick against Vancouver. I’m taking the Canucks.

The FoxSheets provide a number of trends backing Vancouver, including these two:

VANCOUVER is 26-8 ATS (76.5%, +13.4 Units) after having won 3 of their last 4 games this season. The average score was VANCOUVER 3.7, OPPONENT 2.4 - (Rating = 2*).

VANCOUVER is 38-16 ATS (70.4%, +13.9 Units) when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%) this season. The average score was VANCOUVER 3.0, OPPONENT 2.2 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2011, 07:26 PM

Wednesday, June 1

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Boston - 8:00 PM ET Boston +172 500

Vancouver - Under 5.5 500

**StarDust Bum** · 06-03-2011, 07:01 PM

NHL Betting: Boston Bruins at Vancouver Canucks

The goaltending battle certainly lived up to its billing in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. Now bettors and fans alike will wait and see if the rest of the best-of-seven championship series between the NHL’s last two teams standing can match the defensive intensity and intrigue that resulted in Vancouver taking a 1-0 lead.

The Canucks grabbed the series opener with a 1-0 score as a heavy -190 favorite and the total going way ‘under’ 5½ goals.

Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday at 5:00 p.m. (PT) with television coverage provided by NBC. The Canucks opened at -200 to go up 2-0 on the Bruins according to the Don Best odds screen with the total set a bit lower at five goals.

Roberto Luongo has been waiting for this moment with Vancouver since he led Canada to a gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics on his home ice at Rogers Arena. Luongo was nothing short of spectacular in Game 1, recording his third shutout of the playoffs by making 36 saves.

Boston’s Tim Thomas was almost as good, allowing the game-winning goal by Raffi Torres with only 18.5 seconds remaining in regulation after stopping the first 33 shots he faced.

The Bruins went 0-for-6 on the power play in Game 1, something that will need to change if they are going to head home for Monday’s Game 3 with the series tied. They scored just five goals on 61 power-play opportunities in the postseason heading into Game 1 and must find a way to get on track in Game 2.

Vancouver's Game 1 shutout was the first time Boston had been blanked since its playoff opener against Montreal on April 14,

The Canucks also were 0-for-6 on their power-play chances and were guilty of one of the strangest penalties in Game 1 when left winger Alex Burrows bit Boston center Patrice Bergeron at the end of the first period. Burrows has been a key player for Vancouver and is lucky to avoid a suspension for Game 2 for taking a taste of Bergeron.

Overall, the penalties were fairly even (Bruins held a 7-6 edge) in what couldn't have been a more evenly-played game. Boston played exactly according to plan defensively and could have easily stolen Game 1. But the Canucks were even better and can only play better at home.

Vancouver has been shut out just once in the playoffs while being limited to one goal on three other occasions, including Wednesday's Game 1. The Canucks remain the highest-scoring team in the NHL and also allowed the fewest goals during the regular season.

The Bruins ranked second in least goals allowed behind Thomas, who led the league with a 2.00 goals-against average and is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy awarded to the top goaltender.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-03-2011, 07:07 PM

Game 2 - Bruins at Canucks

June 2, 2011

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final had a little bit of everything to offer. Did you want a glorious goaltending battle? You got it. Did you want fisticuffs? You got it. Did you want someone to bite another player’s finger? You got it, and you probably have a strange fetish that needs to be dealt with posthaste.

Vancouver tasted victory first in this series with a 1-0 win as a $2.00 home “chalk” on the strength of Raffi Torres’ goal with 19 seconds left in regulation. But even though the Canucks drew first blood, there is a lot for Boston to be optimistic about for Game 2 at 8:00 p.m. EDT on NBC this Saturday.

The Bruins have depended on Tim Thomas to keep them in the playoffs all year long with his goaltending. And they nearly stole a win on Wednesday night thanks to him stuffing 33 of the 34 shots he saw fired his way. There were about five shots that I believe Thomas was flat out lucky they didn’t go in, but shouldn’t be reason to be down on the effort. It’s just too bad for him that Roberto Luongo had a fantastic performance in stopping all 36 shots on goal that he saw for his third shutout of the playoffs.

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Boston also moved the puck around a lot better on the five power plays in Game 1 than they really have done all during the postseason. Sure, they went 0-for-5 on special teams(including a one-minute, 32-second 5-on-3 advantage), but placing Zdeno Chara in front of Luongo gave them some good shots.

The Canucks didn’t do themselves a lot of favors by not winning face-offs. Boston actually held a 56%-46% advantage on the dot for the game, including an incredible 63%-37% mark when facing off at even strength. That’s an eye opening stat when you consider that Vancouver was the best face-off team in the league during the regular season (54.9%). But it also shows why the B’s were able to keep close after showing some serious struggles with Vancouver’s speed. Henrik Sedin will need to step up his effort in winning possession, going 8-of-25 in face-offs in Game 1. He was winning 52% of his chances on the dot during the regular season. Henrik was at least able to feed the puck to his brother, Daniel, for eight good shots at goal in Wednesday’s contest.

The aforementioned speed of Vancouver did wear down the Bruins in the third period, which is something to keep an eye out for on Saturday night. The Canucks outshot them 14-10 in the final act, which was the only time they held that distinction. There is plenty reason for that in the fact that defensemen Andrew Ference, Dennis Seidenberg and Chara spent at least 21 minutes on the ice – Seidenberg and Chara at just over 27 minutes a piece. If this sounds familiar to bettors, it should; San Jose was rocked in the third period on a regular basis by the Canucks during the Western Conference Finals.

You would have thought that the oddsmakers would have knocked the line down a bit from what Game 1 closed out on. That didn’t happen as the Canucks opening up as $2.00 home favorites (risk $200 to win $100) for Saturday evening. It has been bet down by the public going for the visitors, making Vancouver a $1.85 home fave as of Thursday afternoon. They did adjust the total though right out of the gate, going from 5 ½ in Game 1 to a flat five for the second contest of the series.

Boston getting a little love in this game is understandable after its play on Wednesday night. The Bruins have also gone 4-2 straight up and 3-3 on the puck line after two days off as a road team. Yet over the last five years as road pups after being shut out, the B’s have gone 5-11 SU and 7-9 PL. The ‘under’ continues to look like a smart play in that role as it is 13-3 in those games.

As good as those numbers are the Canucks are trending into a fade in this spot. Vancouver is 2-4 SU and 0-6 PL when they’re a home favorite after shutting out the opposition in the previous game.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-03-2011, 07:09 PM

Playoff Results - Stanley Cup

June 3, 2011

Stanley Cup Final Results

Favorites are 1-0

Favorites that won are 0-1 on the puck line

Home teams are 1-0

The 'under' is 1-0

Visitor Home Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Wednesday June 1, 2011
Bruins Canucks (-200) 1-0 FAVORITE UNDER 5.5

Saturday June 4, 2011
Bruins Canucks

Monday June 6, 2011
Canucks Bruins

Wednesday June 8, 2011
Canucks Bruins

Friday June 10, 2011
Bruins Canucks

Monday June 13, 2011
Canucks Bruins

Wednesday June 15, 2011
Bruins Canucks

Winners in BOLD

**StarDust Bum** · 06-04-2011, 02:34 PM

Saturday, June 4

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Boston - 8:00 PM ET Boston +174 500

Vancouver - Under 5 500

**StarDust Bum** · 06-04-2011, 02:35 PM

NHL
Dunkel

Boston at Vancouver

The Bruins look to bounce back from their Game 1 loss and build on their 5-1 record in their last 6 games when playing with 2 days rest. Boston is the pick (+170) according to Dunkel, which has the Bruins favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Boston (+170). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4

Game 3-4: Boston at Vancouver (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 13.822; Vancouver 12.655
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-200); 5
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+170); Over

NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, June 4

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BOSTON (58-32-0-11, 127 pts.) at VANCOUVER (67-23-0-11, 145 pts.) - 6/4/2011, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-2 (+0.8 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 2-2-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.0 Units)

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NHL
Write-Up

Saturday, June 4

Vancouver is 8-3 at home in playoffs after winning Game 1 with 0:18 to play on game's only goal. Bruins are 5-4 on road in playoffs; they didn't score in opener even though they had 12 shots in 8:07 they were a man up- they had 1:32 with a 5x3 advantage. Vancouver was 0-6 in 9:31 with power play, getting only seven shots. Canucks are 17-66 on power play in playoffs; Bruins are a pathetic 5-67. Keep in mind that in first round of playoffs this spring, Boston lost first two games of series at home vs Montreal and still won series. Canucks outshot Boston 27-22 in 42:22 where teams were at even strength.

NHL

Saturday, June 4

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. VANCOUVER
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Boston is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Vancouver's last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Vancouver is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston

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NHL

Saturday, June 4

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Bruins at Canucks Game 2: What bettors need to know
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Boston Bruins at Vancouver Canucks (-188, 5)

Vancouver leads series 1-0

THE STORY: The Vancouver Canucks took a bite out of the Boston Bruins in more ways than one in the opener of the Stanley Cup final. The Canucks seized the upper hand Wednesday, earning a thrilling 1-0 win in what looks like it might be a defensive-minded series. Vancouver looks to go up 2-0 in the best-of-seven when it hosts Game 2 Saturday night at Rogers Arena.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS

ABOUT THE CANUCKS: With much of the attention from Game 1 drawn to Vancouver forward Alex Burrows' chomp on the gloved finger of Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, it was Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo who deserved the most publicity. The much-maligned goalie stopped all 36 shots he faced to win Round 1 of his duel with fellow Vezina Trophy nominee Tim Thomas. Since being benched for the start of Game 6 in the Canucks' first-round tilt with Chicago, Luongo has gone 10-4 with a 1.75 goals-against average, a .942 save percentage and two shutouts. If he continues performing this well, the Bruins will be hard-pressed to keep pace.

ABOUT THE BRUINS: Boston managed to reach its first Stanley Cup final since 1990 despite a playoff-long struggle with the man advantage. The troublesome power play was a factor in Game 1, as the Bruins failed to convert on both a two-man advantage and a four-minute 5-on-4 and finished 0-for-5 in the game. When asked about improving the power play, Bergeron said: "We have to. We have to find a way to score more goals. On the power play, it’s one key area that we need to fix and be better, especially having a five-on-three and a four-minute five-on-four, you’ve got to find a way." The Bruins' power play is at just seven per cent for the playoffs.

WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Luongo and Thomas are the hottest players going for their respective teams. Luongo has turned aside 90 of 92 shots over the past two games while Thomas has allowed just one goal on his last 58 shots faced.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Vancouver also went 0-for-5 on the power play in Game 1 to dip to 25.8 percent for the postseason. Boston has converted just one of its last 20 man-advantage opportunities.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-0-1 in the last five meetings.
* Bruins are 0-4 in their last four after allowing two goals or less in their previous game.
* Canucks are 5-0 in their last five playoff games as favorites.
* Over is 6-1 in Bruins' last seven after allowing two goals or less in their previous game.
* Under is 13-3-2 in Canucks' last 18 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.

LAST WORD: Vancouver defenseman Dan Hamhuis is questionable for Game 2 after suffering a lower-body injury in Wednesday's opener. He was injured shortly after sending Milan Lucic head-over-heels with a hip check near the team benches.

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NHL

Saturday, June 4

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Ice picks: Saturday's best NHL bet
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Boston Bruins at Vancouver Canucks (-188, 5)

The Boston Police Department is putting out an all-points bulletin for the Bruins’ power play.

The unit was non-existent in Game 1, failing to convert on six chances, including a lengthy 5-on-3 opportunity. This normally would be negated by the Canucks also going 0-for-6, but when you lose 1-0 on a goal with under a minute remaining, every missed chance becomes that much bigger.

And Boston had plenty.

The man-up group was where the team had its biggest power outage. And this is nothing new for the B’s. Boston is just 1-for-17 in its past four losses on the power play and is just 1-for-20 in its past six overall. A big reason for the team struggling so much is its insistence on constant passing to find the best open look.

Patience can be a big boost, but it also can lead to passing up quality chances instead of pulling the trigger on very good ones. Each Boston power play goal this postseason also has two assists on it, meaning the team isn’t getting solid chances off draws or creating havoc in the neutral zone to lead to an odd man rush. The team also is insisting on putting massive defenseman Zdeno Chara in front of the net, instead of letting him rip his all-world shot from the point.

“Maybe at times, we were looking for something better than we had,” Chara said of missed opportunities on the power play this postseason. “Sometimes it’s simple things that make a big difference. But also you need a little bit of luck, too. It’s one of those things where you can create a lot of chances and put a lot of pucks on net, but if you don’t have a little bit of luck, then the rebounds go right where [opposing] players are or the pucks don’t get through, then you will not score. So it’s a little bit of that.”

Boston will need more than a little to come back to the United States with a win.

Pick: Vancouver

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2011, 06:45 PM

NHL Odds: Boston Bruins in 2-0 hole to Canucks

The Boston Bruins suffered through their worst nightmare in losing Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 in overtime. They will now try to pick up the pieces upon their return home for Game 3.

The Canucks closed as 185 favorites on Saturday, scoring the game-winning goal just 11 seconds into OT to take a 2-0 series lead.

Boston is a 120 favorite for Game 3 which is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Monday and will be televised by Versus. The total 'pushed' in Game 2 and is set at five goals for the second straight game after the series opener went ‘under’ 5½ in a 1-0 Vancouver victory.

Who scored the goal for the Canucks was the painful part for Bruins fans and bettors who thought Vancouver winger Alex Burrows should have been suspended for biting the finger of Boston center Patrice Bergeron at the end of the first period in Game 1. Burrows scored the first goal in Game 2 on the power play as well and assisted on the second, clearly making a bigger impact than any other player on the ice.

How Boston recovers from such a debacle remains to be seen, especially since Thomas was otherwise brilliant in goal through the first two games. The Vezina Trophy favorite seemingly outplayed Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo for most of Game 2 before getting caught out of position on the game-winning goal.

Thomas made 30 saves compared to 28 for Luongo, but it is the one he did not make on the game winner that figures to stick in his mind for the rest of the series.

The Bruins have dropped four of six games overall now but have won seven of eight at TD Garden. The loss during that stretch came against Tampa Bay in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, 5-2. Thomas has allowed just one goal combined in his last two home games.

Vancouver is 28-10 in its past 38 road games and has the benefit of knowing that only four teams have ever rallied back from a 2-0 deficit to win the Stanley Cup. The Canucks are still seeking their first NHL championship, and Boston has failed in its last five attempts to win the Stanley Cup Final since last hoisting the Cup in 1972.

Adjusted series prices now find the Canucks heavy chalk at -725 to win the Stanley Cup. Boston is +545.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2011, 06:47 PM

Game 3 - Canucks at Bruins

June 5, 2011

There aren’t a lot of secrets left when it comes to sports. We watch them when we’re growing up because we enjoy them. That keeps with us to the point that we bet on them to make a profit. And the controversies that arise give us something to talk about and curse loudly.

Alex Burrows has given us that controversy angle in the Stanley Cup Final. During Game 1 of the series, he bit Patrice Bergeron’s gloved finger after the first period. The popular thinking of most sane fans was that the Canucks’ winger would get at least a one-game ban for the incident. Turns out the NHL didn’t see it the same way, allowing him to take the ice on Saturday night against the Bruins.

That decision by the league was magnified 10 times over as Burrows scored the opener and overtime closer for Vancouver in a 3-2 as a $1.85 home favorite in Game 2 of the series. While seeing Burrows perform well had to upset the opposition, Boston was outplayed in this contest for the better part of 40 minutes.

The Bruins took control of the dot for the second straight game, holding a 53%-47% advantage in face-offs. Boston even got a power play goal by the ancient Mark Recchi in the second period. Although, I’ll say that was due to moving defenseman Zdeno Chara back to the blue line on special teams. That score was almost in spite of the B’s inability to win face-offs on special teams, going 2-for-7 in that spot. Despite that disparity on special teams, the Bruins still managed to take a 2-1 lead into the final period of regulation.

Boston is going to need to get a better effort out of Nathan Horton from here on out. The former Panther launched five shots on goal in Game 1 on Wednesday night; he had just one SOG to his credit in Game 2, with another two attempts easily blocked.

Vancouver was able to weather the storm that the B’s put on in the second period with a truly consistent effort. The Canucks posted 32 shots on goal during regulation, spreading the wealth evenly through each 20-minute frame. Daniel Sedin finally got a goal with a wide-open shot midway through the third. The Canucks even showed more toughness on Saturday evening by 40-31 advantage in hits, and holding their own against Boston for blocked shots as a team (18-16).

The Canucks needed that type of aggressiveness to get past Tim Thomas, who was spot on for much of the game. Thomas stopped 30 of the 33 shots he saw. Yet we can blame his trademark attacking style for the reason Boston goes home down two-games-to-none.

Roberto Luongo matched up well with his counterpart once again, snuffing out 28-of-30 shots. But this was the first time that the Bruins were able to get to him in the series. That could give them something to work on as we shift the focus to TD Garden in Boston.

The Bruins are currently listed as $1.20 home favorites (risk $120 to win $100) with a total of five. The total is in line with where it should be for the matchup, but that line is a far cry from the heavy money being laid upon Vancouver at Rogers Arena in the first two tilts of the championship round.

Home cooking could be just what the doctor ordered for Boston after losing two road tests they could have easily won. The B’s are currently on a 7-1 straight up run on home ice. Their puck line backers have gone just 3-5 during those tests. The ‘over’ is 5-3 in these games as well.

As good as things do seem for the Bruins, it is important to remember that they’ve lost two of their last three games as home faves on a two-game slide. It also doesn’t help that the Canucks are 2-1 SU and 3-0 PL this season as road pups after a victory as home favorites. If you’re looking at Vancouver as a road pup when they’re on a three-game winning streak, and bettors will be keen to note that they’ve gone 4-1 SU and 5-0 PL this season.

The puck drops on this contest at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Versus.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-06-2011, 06:49 PM

Bruins facing big deficit as finals go east

June 5, 2011

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - The Boston Bruins couldn't have enjoyed the scenery late Saturday night while their team bus crawled through the raucous street party that consumed downtown Vancouver after the Canucks moved halfway to their first NHL title.

Maybe the Stanley Cup finals' move to the East Coast will finally give the Bruins something to celebrate.

With Game 3 looming Monday night at TD Garden after a quick cross-continent trip Sunday, the Bruins realize the jam they brought back from Canada isn't sweet.

Only four teams have rallied from an 0-2 finals deficit in 46 tries. Boston must win four of the next five games to beat the Canucks, the NHL's best regular-season team and the winner of seven of their past eight playoff games.

``We'll be disappointed, and we're allowed to be,'' said 43-year-old Mark Recchi, who ended an 11-game goal drought with a power-play score in Game 2. ``But we'll take a lot of positives out of these games. When we get off that plane, we'll forget all about it. We'll worry about Monday, and doing our job at home.''

Recchi is right: The Bruins probably shouldn't spend any time contemplating the historic depth of their plight.

Boston has rallied from an 0-2 deficit to win a series just once in 27 tries - although it happened in the first round of this postseason against Montreal.

``Now is not the time to squeeze your stick and to panic,'' Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron said after the team arrived in Boston on Sunday afternoon. ``It's time to go back to what's been giving us success. ... Squeezing our sticks is not going to help us at all. We've got to go out there, play our game, make sure we play loose, and at the same time play hard and desperate.''

The Bruins are still smarting from their late struggles in Game 2, in which they lost for just the third time in 41 games this season when they had a lead after two periods. Vancouver dominated the third period for the second straight finals game, with Daniel Sedin tying it midway through before Alex Burrows won it with his thrilling wraparound goal 11 seconds into overtime.

``We have four lines that go out there and play the same way,'' said Sedin, the NHL scoring champion. ``We get pucks deep. We forecheck really hard. It wears teams down. It's been like this the whole season. It's nothing new for us. I think when we're at our best, we usually have a lot of success in the third period.''

Coach Claude Julien will remind his Bruins that they largely played well in two one-goal losses. Their defense held the Canucks' top line scoreless for the first five periods of the series, bullying Daniel and Henrik Sedin into ineffectiveness.

What's more, Boston still hasn't lost a Game 3 in the postseason, even winning a pressure-packed game at Montreal in the first round after losing the first two games at home.

``The positive is we basically lost both games by one goal,'' Boston forward David Krejci said. ``That hurts, but we know we're in the game and we know we can do it.''

Yet cracks already have appeared on Boston's surface in the finals.

The Sedin twins' line broke through for the tying goal in the third period of Game 2 with a beautiful passing display after forcing a turnover by workhorse Bruins captain Zdeno Chara.

The same line was on the ice to start overtime - thanks to a nifty bit of gamesmanship by Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault, who ordered his top line onto the ice moments before the puck dropped - when Burrows scooted past Chara, around goalie Tim Thomas and behind the net for the electrifying winner.

``I thought we took over (with) five minutes left in the second period,'' captain Henrik Sedin said. ``You could see they were maybe a little bit tired, and that's when we came hard at them.''

Chara and partner Dennis Seidenberg have played superbly throughout the postseason, and Chara was on the ice for more than 28 minutes against Vancouver in Game 2. But the Sedins weren't alone in thinking Chara appeared to tire as the game went on.

Vancouver is trying to wear out the 6-foot-9 star by sticking to a strategy of constant physical collisions, even if the Canucks take the worst of those crashes. By finishing their checks on the hulking defenseman, the Canucks believe they can wear him - and it showed in Chara's numerous misplays and turnovers.

``I guess all of a sudden you lose a game, and now we're going to start wondering about certain players,'' Julien said in Chara's defense. ``I think it's really about our whole team. It's not about Zdeno.''

Yet Julien already made a move to rest Chara, taking him out of the slot and putting him back on the point, where he'll take less punishment.

``I don't think we played very well, to what our standards are all about,'' Julien added. ``I think the decision-making, the puck management, it's what's costing us games. When you turn pucks over in the neutral zone, this is a team that thrives on it. We know that they thrive on it, yet we kept turning pucks over in the neutral zone.''

If they hope to get back in the finals, the Bruins will need goals from players who didn't grow up in the Vancouver area. British Columbia natives Milan Lucic and Recchi scored in Game 3, but Boston has just three goals in its last three games going back to the conference finals.

That's not enough help for goalie Tim Thomas, who has his own problems: He was caught too far away from his net on both of the Canucks' late goals in Game 2. The Vezina Trophy finalist isn't about to change his aggressive style, but the Canucks might have figured out how to manipulate it to their advantage.

What's more, Roberto Luongo has been solid for the Canucks, stopping 64 of the 66 shots he faced. The Olympic gold medal-winning goalie is two games from his first Stanley Cup title, but the Canucks' former captain is determined to keep Vancouver focused on the work ahead in Boston.

``That's what playoffs are all about,'' Luongo said. ``You don't want to get too high after a win and too low after a loss.

``(Game 2) is a big win for us, but you've almost immediately got to put it behind you and start focusing on the next one. We know going into Boston, it's not going to be easy. We want to make sure we're focusing on the next one, not on what we just accomplished.''

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