Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 5: Vancouver Battles Back, Pulls Within One Win Of Stanley Cup

One Win From Stanley Cup, We've Yet To See Best Of Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are one win away from hoisting the Stanley Cup, but the irony is that we've yet to see their best in the Finals against the Boston Bruins. For them, it doesn't matter how they got here. It just matters that they're here.

Boston Bruins Uphill Battle For Stanley Cup Now Includes Fight Against History

It's been an uphill battle all Stanley Cup Finals long for the Boston Bruins, and after their Game 5 loss against the Vancouver Canucks, they don't even have history to rely on.

Reporter Totally Schools Maxim Lapierre With Diving Question

Hey, Tim Thomas: Roberto Luongo Totally Would've Made That Save

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 5 Final Score: Maxim Lapierre's Goal Holds Up As Vancouver Grabs Series Edge

In the immediate aftermath of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Friday night between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins, there are a whole lot of jokes about how we're guaranteed a Game 7 now that the Canucks have a 3-2 series lead. The punchline, of course, is that Vancouver can't possibly win a Game 6 in Boston with the charged TD Garden crowd pushing their opponents.

But if they somehow can put Games 3 and 4 behind them and if they can somehow play like they did in Game 5 on home ice, they can most definitely win the Cup on the road on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET.

It was another game dominated by the goaltending, and Roberto Luongo was just an inch better than Tim Thomas. He bounced back from a pitiful couple of games in Boston, and more importantly, the shaken-up defense in front of him was just as good. Even on the lone goal of the game by Maxim Lapierre in the third period, a heads-up play to catch Thomas out of his net by defenseman Kevin Bieksa turned out to be the difference.

It might be hometown bias, but the Canucks out-hit the Big Bad Bruins 47-27 in the game, and that kind of disparity is just ridiculous for a team that's not supposed to play physical. Even if it's slightly exaggerated, there's no doubt that the Canucks had the extra jump and the extra energy in front of the home crowd.

Will the possibility of hoisting the Stanley Cup on Monday night be enough to fend off Boston's crowd, or will the jokes about a guaranteed Game 7 hold true? It's been a hell of a series, and that's sure to continue on Monday night.

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 5. For coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub, our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct, and our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 5 Score: Max Lapierre Barely Beats Tim Thomas, Gives Vancouver 1-0 Lead

Maxim Lapierre has frustrated and irritated the Boston Bruins and their fans all Stanley Cup Finals long. His goal in the third period of Game 5 won't help things. Lapierre picked the puck up off on the goal line near the Boston net and stuck it right into the crease, where it bounced off of a flopping, not-yet-recovered Tim Thomas to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

And the City of Vancouver, with an estimated 70,000 people crowding the streets and another 20,000 inside Rogers Arena, completely exploded. It's the first meaningful goal for the Canucks since last Saturday, when Alex Burrows scored in overtime to give his team an overtime win in Game 2. 

It's become a trend: the antagonists of the Canucks have been the ones putting the pucks past Thomas. The Hockey Gods can have quite the sense of humor sometimes. 

The play was really pretty smart by Vancouver. After a few nice chances that were turned aside by Thomas, Kevin Bieksa picked the puck up along the boards near the top of the circle. He quickly whipped it behind the net to Lapierre, who stepped up and beat Thomas before he could recover his position. For the record, Thomas still almost stopped it. He's still superhuman, regardless.

Can Vancouver hold the lead? They'll certainly have to keep up the intensity. Plenty of time left. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 5. For coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub, our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct, and our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

Tanner Glass Swings, Misses In Second Period Of Canucks-Bruins Game 5

The Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins may only need one goal to decide Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, with both goalies standing on their heads through 40 minutes of play. It's at the point now where it's been just under six days since the Canucks last scored a goal that's meant anything, when Alex Burrows won Game 2 in overtime last Saturday. 

If the Bruins win this thing by one goal, or if they grab the first goal early in the third period or something, you know Tanner Glass is going to have nightmares tonight. On a beautiful chance in the second period, Glass had a perfect opportunity on a cross-ice look from Chris Tanev. He swung at the puck before it got to him.

The animated GIF, via Bubbaprog. Click to animate.

Ouch. Hopefully that doesn't come back to bite 'em (unless you're a Bruins fan).

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 5. For coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub, our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct, and our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 5 Score: Tim Thomas, Roberto Luongo Back To Domination Status

Tim Thomas has been absolutely mindbogglingly incredible in the Stanley Cup Finals this year, and really, since October. But he's allowed three goals in four and two-thirds games so far, and really, that's just... words are tough to come by. When the defense in front of him makes a mistake, he's almost always there to bail them out.

He, very simply, could steal a Stanley Cup this year. 

In Games 1 and 2, Roberto Luongo was right there with him, arguably a bit better even. In Games 3 and 4, Luongo was terrible to the point where Canucks fans questioned his ability -- for the umpteenth time this season, mind you. But now in Game 5, the game that could very well be the turning point of the series, Luongo is certainly just as up to the task as his counterpart.

We're through two periods at Rogers Arena, and it's looking a whole lot like Game 1 of this series. Lots of power plays, no goals. Lots of chances, no goals. Lots of big saves and missed opportunities all over the place. 0-0 score. One goal could easily win things -- again. Not sure which team that benefits more at this point. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 5. For coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub, our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct, and our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

PHOTO: Vancouver Canucks Fans Pack Streets To Watch Game 5 Of Stanley Cup Finals

VIDEO: Maxim Lapierre Dives After Zdeno Chara Tap In Canucks-Bruins Game 5; Alex Burrows, Milan Lucic Too

Maxim Lapierre isn't liked by very many people. If you did like him for whatever reason prior to Game 5 of these Stanley Cup Finals, you probably don't like him anymore.

After a whistle late in the first period between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins, Lapierre was skating in the offensive end near Bruins giant Zdeno Chara. They exchanged words a little bit and Chara gave him a rather typical love tap in the side with his stick. It wasn't hard nor brutal nor any other necessarily negative adjective you can think of.

It was, in a word, harmless. Don't tell Lapierre that. The video, via Fel0096:

And again, like I said, you wonder why most people can't stand Lapierre. Of course, he has a history of this. He was given embellishment penalties twice in one game in the 2010 playoffs, and this past season, he had more diving penalties than anybody in the NHL, according to SB Nation's On the Forecheck.

Also late in the first period, Alex Burrows and Milan Lucic got entangled a bit. They're both at fault for it, and I'll gladly argue with anybody that thinks either player deserves the moral high ground on this one. Judge for yourself, again via Fel0096:

We swear, that "play like men" comment wasn't planned by CBC.

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 5. For coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub, our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct, and our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 5 Score: Vancouver Fights Back, Kills Penalties In Scoreless First Period

The first period of Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins was expected to give us a hefty glimpse into what to expect over the rest of the game and, potentially, the rest of the series. Would the Canucks be able to fight back after getting pushed around for two games in Boston, or would the Bruins keep the pedal to the metal?

Through 20 minutes, it's not as clear as we'd like it, but we do know a few things. For starters, the Bruins still can't score on the power play. That's never going to change. In three attempts during the first period, they were simply horrible yet again. They had maybe one or two solid chances, but for the most part -- nada.

At even strength, it's tough to argue that the Canucks aren't back. Believe it or not, Vancouver outhit the Bruins in the first period. Not only did they outhit them, though, they did it by a margin of 23 to 13. Home scoring bias, perhaps, but there's no doubt that the Canucks have some extra jump in their step in Game 5 so far.

Boston out-shot Vancouver, but that's thanks to the power play. Outside of the hitting department, the Canucks also controlled the faceoff dot in the first period, something they've yet to do all series, by a margin of 68 percent. Even Patrice Bergeron lost five of eight faceoffs, and he's a tank at those things.

Vancouver had the edge, Boston did not. Really that simple. We'll see if it continues through the second period. 

Oh, and guys: the diving BS. Knock that off. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 5. For coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub, our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct, and our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

Vancouver Canucks Anthem Singer Rushes Through Star-Spangled Banner In 68 Seconds

Downtown Vancouver Ready For Canucks-Bruins Game 5

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 5: Game Time, TV Schedule, And More

Though their series is tied at 2-2, Game 5 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks is a virtual must-win for Vancouver, who have now lost two straight games in relatively embarrassing fashion. We'll have thorough coverage right here in this StoryStream throughout the game, but here's when and where you can catch the game on television, whether you live in Canada or the United States.

Boston Bruins vs. Vancouver Canucks

Venue: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Puck drop: 8:00 pm ET, 5:00 pm local time (Pacific)

Television information

United States: NBC

Canada: CBC

If you live in the United States, you'll hear Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk on the call with Pierre McGuire reporting from ice level. In Canada, Jim Hughston and Craig Simpson are on the call. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 5. For coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub, our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct, and our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 5: Vancouver Needs To Get Away From Playing Boston's Style

Let's be frank about it: the Boston Bruins have outplayed the Vancouver Canucks in all four games in these Stanley Cup Finals. Not that the Bruins were the better team in Games 1 and 2, but they certainly dictated the pace for long stretches in those games and were, truthfully, unfortunate leave Vancouver after Game 2 with a series deficit. 

When they got home to Boston for Games 3 and 4, they grabbed the extra emotion and energy from the home crowd and clearly added to their already solid formula. It translated into two wins and an even series heading back to Rogers Arena for Friday night's Game 5. But now that we're back in Vancouver, what makes us believe Boston will be able to do the same thing? Why won't we just see similar results to that of Games 1 and 2?

Simply put, the Bruins have gotten meaner. Maybe it's the result of the finger-biting BS after the first two games. Maybe it's the result of the Aaron Rome hit on Nathan Horton. Maybe it's the result of desperation in the face of a two-game deficit in the series. 

No matter how it's happened, the Bruins are downright nasty right now, and that plays right into their hands. Boston plays a mean game. They hit you in the mouth and don't apologize for it. The Canucks can't win that way. They haven't done it all year and there's no reason to expect it to start now.

And because the Bruins smash-mouth version of hockey doesn't for the Canucks, Vancouver needs not try to engage them in their own game. The Bruins thrived by picking fights and hitting the Canucks in the mouth in Games 3 and 4, and it showed on the scoreboard. A 12-1 point differential was accompanied by multiple fights, skirmishes and big hits, playing right into Boston's hands.

For the Canucks to get to back to their winning ways, they have to get back to playing their kind of hockey, which relies more on finesse than raw power. By continuing to engage Boston on its own turf, the Canucks have put themselves at a disadvantage, and need to get back to playing their own brand of hockey in Game 5 and beyond. If they don't, the Bruins could be hoisting the Stanley Cup sooner rather than later.

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 5. For coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub, our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct, and our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 5: Roberto Luongo Starting, Keith Ballard Out For Vancouver

Roberto Luongo will be starting Game 5 for the Vancouver Canucks, despite being yanked in Game 4 against the Boston Bruins, a 4-0 loss. In one sense, there's stability in the Canucks crease thanks to Luongo keeping his starting job, despite the amount of criticism that's been thrown his way.

Really, a lot of the blame for two tough losses in a row can be blamed on the guys in front of the goal, not the goaltender. And a lot of it falls squarely on a defensive unit that's been anything but good. Not that it's easy: Dan Hamhuis is out with an injury and is doubtful to return in the series, and of course Aaron Rome is out for the series after his suspension for the Nathan Horton hit.

In Rome's place in Game 4 was Keith Ballard, the $4 million man who was a healthy scratch in the first three games of the series. We learned exactly why in Game 4. Ballard was brutal, and if the morning skate this Friday is any indication, he'll be out again for Game 5.s

In his place will be Chris Tanev, and you can expect that most of the workload will be kept away from Tanev and released upon Kevin Bieksa, Sami Salo, Alex Edler and Christian Ehrhoff. Now that the Canucks are back at home, they'll have to hope that they can use the home ice to their advantage when it comes to favorable matchups for their defense.

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 5. For coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub, our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct, and our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 5: Boston Has Momentum, But Vancouver Returns Home

It's game day in Vancouver, as the Canucks return home not with a chance to win the Stanley Cup against the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, but instead a desire to simply stop the bleeding after two painful, humiliating losses.

After Game 3's 8-1 loss, the idea was simple for the Canucks. Put it in the rear-view mirror, forget about it, make sure it doesn't happen again. And then, well, it happened again. Not to the same extent, but 4-0 is equally as embarrassing in the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Now, it's clear that it wasn't just a one-game anomaly. Really, the Bruins have controlled the entire series despite losing close ones in Games 1 and 2, and once they returned home to TD Garden for Games 3 and 4, they used the extra energy and completely took over.

So in Game 5, it's another chance to stop the bleeding for Vancouver, something they haven't proven they've been able to do. After just the quickest sense of a Boston takeover in the last few games, the Canucks have folded like a house of cards, and there have been no signs to suggest otherwise recently. Home ice can be a powerful motivator, and we'll see just what the Canucks have in store on Friday night.

Because really, if this thing goes back to Boston and the Bruins have a chance to win the Stanley Cup in Game 6, does anybody think it's going to a Game 7? Yeah, didn't think so. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 5. For coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub, our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct, and our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.