Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 3: Boston Sends Huge Message, Crushes Vancouver, 8-1

Stanley Cup Finals 2011: Will Blowout Loss Shake Vancouver Canucks' Confidence?

No one could have predicted the Boston Bruins' 8-1 blowout over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3. Will Vancouver shake it off as just a bump in the road or has Boston finally gotten under their skin?

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 3: Claude Julien Didn't Like Milan Lucic's Finger Joke

Before Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien called out Max Lapierre of the Vancouver Canucks for making a "mockery" of the NHL's decision not to suspend Alex Burrows for biting the finger of Patrice Bergeron. Lapierre, as you already well know, stuck his finger in Bergeron's face during Game 2 on Saturday.

Julien talked about how he doesn't control what the Canucks do, and how if they want to make a joke out of the NHL's ruling, that's their prerogative. He also said it "wouldn't be acceptable on our end" if one of his players did the same thing.

So what about how Milan Lucic did the same thing in Game 3 to Burrows? Here's what Julien, to his credit, said after the his team's big 8-1 victory on Monday night in that Game 3.

"Well, I'll tell you what," Julien said. "I said this morning that I wouldn't accept it on our team. It happened a couple of times tonight. They've been told that I don't want any of that stuff. You know, like I said, you got to live by your words. It was disappointing for me to see that happen after what I said this morning. But part of it is my fault for not bringing it up to the guys."

"They did it. Emotions got the better of them. I'm going to stand here and say I'm not accepting it. The guys have been told. I don't want that stuff in our game. I think we have to be better than that. Emotions are running high. It was a very physical game. There was a lot of stuff going on. You can live with that kind of stuff. But the other stuff, as you mentioned, I don't want to see."

Good for Julien, good for the Bruins. 

Nathan Horton Injury: Boston Bruins Forward Won't Return In Stanley Cup Finals, Report Says

Nathan Horton will not return to the Boston Bruins lineup in the Stanley Cup Finals, says a report from 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston on Tuesday morning. According to Joe Haggerty of CSN New England, it's a "well-placed source" at Massachusetts General Hospital saying that Horton has a severe concussion and that he won't be back in the series.

The Bruins have confirmed the news. Horton is officially out. 

Horton was crushed by a late hit from Vancouver Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome in the first period of Game 3 on Monday night. He had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher, and from the look on his face immediately after the play, you could tell he wasn't right. It was quite scary.

Watch video of the hit here. 

Rome was given a five minute major for interference and a game misconduct, and it's quite possible he'll see supplementary discipline on Tuesday when he meets with the NHL brass. There's just no room for that kind of hit in the game. Some say it wasn't a blindside hit since Horton had his head turned voluntarily and should've been aware of Rome, but there's not a doubt in the world that it was a late hit. Against the rules, no matter how it's sliced.

The kicker is that, even if the NHL suspends Rome for the remainder of the series (it's doubtful they do, unless the series only goes five games and they suspend him for two), the loss is still much more painful to the Bruins. They may have rallied around Horton's injury in Game 3 as they went on to a huge 8-1 win, but the facts are clear: without Horton, the Bruins are not as good a hockey team.

He's one of their most pivotal scorers, playing on the top line with Milan Lucic and David Krejci. Without him there, the overall effectiveness of the Bruins attack becomes weaker. For the Canucks, you always want a full complement of defensemen, and with Dan Hamhuis already out, Rome's potential absence could hurt as well. 

But simply put, you can replace Rome. You can't replace Horton. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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.

CSN New England Creates New Stat For Alex Burrows: '0 Bites' In Game 3

Boston Bruins Find Attitude, Return To Roots In Game 3 Stomping Of Vancouver Canucks

The Boston Bruins relived the old era of the Big Bad Bruins on Monday night, putting the Vancouver Canucks on notice with a huge 8-1 win in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

VIDEO: Brad Marchand Scores Ridiculous Goal In Canucks-Bruins Game 3

You don't think of Brad Marchand as the kind of guy that's going to embarrass the opposing team with an unreal individual effort to score a dazzling goal, but that's exactly what happened on Monday night's Stanley Cup Finals Game 3 between his Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks. 

Marchand, plain and simple, made the entire Canucks defense look silly. And then he made arguably the best goaltender in the world look even sillier. The video:

Just... unreal. The chip to himself off the boards. The cut to the middle, avoiding a defenseman in the process. And then the coup de grace, the slight dangle that fooled Roberto Luongo and the final shot over the prone goaltender.

It's a thing of beauty. Watch it again. You have nothing to do today anyway. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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.

Boston Bruins Give 'Game Jacket' To Hospitalized Nathan Horton

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 3 Final Score: Boston Sends Message, Crushes Vancouver With Eight Goals

You didn't think the Boston Bruins were going to go down easily, but holy hell, you didn't think that was going to happen either. The Vancouver Canucks were run out of TD Garden in the latter two periods of Game 3 in this Stanley Cup Final, as the Bruins dropped eight goals behind Roberto Luongo in 40 minutes of play to win 8-1. 

I mean, talk about sending a message. From the start of the second period on, the Bruins just walked all over the Canucks. There was no breathing room for them at all, and whether they were tired or worn down or hurt by the absence of one of their defenseman, there's really no two ways about it: the Bruins made sure they made their own presence known in the series. 

It all probably started when that defenseman was lost for the Canucks. Aaron Rome delivered a nasty late hit on Nathan Horton and was thrown out of the game (and potentially more) in the first period, and while the Bruins didn't score on the ensuing five minute power play, they did seem to gain some jump and they seemed to use the injury to Horton as a rallying point. 

Horton never returned after being stretchered off the ice and will spend the evening at Massachusetts General Hospital for observation. We'll hopefully learn some good news about his condition on Tuesday. 

The physical play really stepped up, and the Bruins completely embarrassed the Canucks in that regard as well. They toyed around with Vancouver players, laying big hits at seemingly every turn, and they got more confidence with each and every one of them. Even Tim Thomas got involved in the hitting, showing he can do more than just stop everything that comes at him. He was brilliant yet again in Game 3. 

It was a horrible night for the Vancouver Canucks, but the solace is that they're still up 2-1 in the series, and they can have the opportunity to win things back at home in Game 5 if they pull off a win in Game 4 on Wednesday night. One thing we learned tonight, though, is that the Bruins are going to have something to say about that. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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.

Watch Tim Thomas Crush Henrik Sedin, Football Style

PHOTO: Milan Lucic Sticks Finger In Alex Burrows' Face; It's Officially Jumped The Shark

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 3 Score: Boston Runs Riot In Second Period

After Nathan Horton was taken out of the game by Aaron Rome in the first period of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the Boston Bruins looked deflated. They only put together a couple of chances during their five minute power play, then proceeded to get outplayed by the Vancouver Canucks as Tim Thomas kept the score tied. It appeared as though the Canucks had the momentum heading into the locker room. If they did, it disappeared quickly.

The Bruins were downright dominant in the second period, making Roberto Luongo and the Canucks defense look pedestrian. As a result, they now lead by a score of 4-0 after four periods.

Boston scored their first goal just eleven seconds into the period, the same period of time it took Vancouver to score in overtime in Game 2. Alexander Edler broke his stick trying to clear the puck, gifting Boston an easy opportunity, and Andrew Ference capitalized.

Mark Recchi scored the second goal, unintentionally assisted by Ryan Kesler on the power play, while Brad Marchand scored the third on a stunning shorthanded goal that made Luongo look like he was a boy playing against men. David Krejci added a fourth for good measure, and Boston are absolutely cruising to a Game 3 victory.

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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 3 Score: David Krejci, Brad Marchand Add To Boston Lead

In the blink of an eye, the Boston Bruins have completely taken over Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. And for the first time all series, it looks as though the Vancouver Canucks have no answer for the onslaught.

After goals from Andrew Ference and Mark Recchi early in the period, Brad Marchand scored one of the most insane goals we've seen all playoffs long -- shorthanded, nonetheless -- midway through the second period. He chipped the puck off the boards, made the entire Vancouver defense look silly on his way to the net, and then performed a sick toe drag in front of Roberto Luongo before lifting it into the top corner.

Shortly after, David Krejci poured it on some more. That's four goals in one period, if you're keeping track at home. The Bruins are doing it with all the momentum in the world. They're one team that can take over when they get confident, and they can do it against any team. They'll get physical with you and make you think twice about every little thing you do.

And when you hesitate with the puck for a half of a second because they're in your head, they'll blast you into next week and steal the puck. Quite simply, the Bruins are on their game, and beating Tim Thomas four times is not easy to do. 

Still a lot of hockey left, but, well.... we'll just leave it at that. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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 3: Mark Recchi Scores, Gives Boston 2-0 Lead In Second Period

They've initially given the goal to Rich Peverley, but it looked on video that it was Mark Recchi who should receive credit, for putting the Boston Bruins up 2-0 over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Down low on a power play, thanks to a hooking penalty against Jeff Tambellini, Recchi threw the puck across the crease in an attempt to pass to Peverley. A backchecking Ryan Kesler came across the crease and got a piece of the puck, knocking it through the pads of Roberto Luongo.

Wait, Boston scores power play goals? Get the hell outta here. They did, we swear.

Tough break for Vancouver, deserved goal for the Bruins. It's 2-0 in the second period and it finally seems like Boston is getting some of the breaks they weren't getting when the series was at Rogers Arena for Games 1 and 2. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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 3 Score: Andrew Ference Beats Roberto Luongo With Soft Knuckle Shot; 1-0 Boston

In overtime of Game 2 in these Stanley Cup Finals, Alex Burrows scored a goal 11 seconds into the extra frame to give the Vancouver Canucks a victory over the Boston Bruins. Perhaps we could call this a small dose of payback.

Exactly 11 seconds into the second period of Game 3, Andrew Ference threw a knuckler on goal that found the back of Roberto Luongo's net. The entire chance was the result of a shattered stick by Alex Edler. Off the opening faceoff, the puck was won back to Edler. When he went to throw it up the ice, his stick broke into pieces and the puck didn't go anywhere.

Boston gained posession and ultimately scored the goal. Funny how this game works sometimes. 1-0 Bruins early in the second period.

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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 3 Score: First Period Scoreless, Aaron Rome Hit On Nathan Horton The Story

The first 20 minutes of Game 3 between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks has had some entertainment value, but for reasons other than quality hockey. It hasn't been the best game so far, but it's been watchable anyway, thanks to some nasty hits, some trolling, and some screaming by Mike Emrick.

The 'highlight' of the game, or at least the biggest storyline so far, occurred when Aaron Rome made a nasty hit to the head of Nathan Horton at his offensive blue line. Rome received a five minute interference penalty and a ten minute game misconduct penalty, which were certainly the correct calls. Boston looked average at best during their five minute spell on the power play, failing to score. 

Vancouver had a power play of their own and they failed to capitalize. Tim Thomas made a couple of great saves on Mason Raymond late in the period, eliciting a pretty awesome scream by Mike Emerick, but that was the only real highlight of an otherwise average period. The action will almost certainly pick up in the second period, and hopefully both teams will get a lot better on the power play.

Oh, and trolling! There's still a ton of taunting that has to do with finger biting. I know everyone is shocked.

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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.

VIDEO: Aaron Rome Hits Nathan Horton Really Hard, Illegally In Canucks-Bruins Game 3

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 3: Aaron Rome Hits Nathan Horton, Gets Ejected

Nathan Horton of the Boston Bruins has been taken off the ice on a stretcher about five minutes into the first period of Stanley Cup Finals Game 3 after a vicious, illegal hit from Aaron Rome of the Vancouver Canucks.

Horton was carrying the puck through the middle of the ice in the neutral zone, dishing the puck off about two seconds before arriving at the blueline. When he got there, Rome met him with a cruel shoulder to the head. There's debate on whether or not it's considered a blindside hit, since Horton was skating in Rome's direction but had his head turned to the left side. 

Watch the incident here.

Either way, it was a dirty, late hit. Rome was given a game misconduct and a five minute major for interference. It's expected that he'll see a whole lot more than that, too.

As for Horton, he was restrained in every possible way while being carted off the ice. He didn't move, and the look on his face immediately after the hit, as he stayed down on the ice looking up at the rafters, was one of pure horror. Just a blank, terrifying stare. He was moving his eyes and his arms a little bit, so that's of course a good sign.

Beyond that, we have no idea how serious his condition is. We'll keep you posted. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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 3: Shawn Thornton In, Tyler Seguin Out For Boston

It's completely contrary to what we saw in warmups prior to Stanley Cup Finals Game 3 between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks, but it looks as though Shawn Thornton will be in the lineup for the home team at TD Garden tonight. That means rookie Tyler Seguin comes out of the lineup. 

A lot of Bruins fans had been clamoring for Thornton's insertion into the lineup following Game 2, when the Canucks showed up Boston in the physical aspect of the game. Adding some more jam in the form of Thornton should, in theory, counteract that a little bit. We'll see if it makes a difference.

Of course, Seguin missed most of the first two rounds of the playoffs as a healthy scratch. He returned in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals when Patrice Bergeron went down to injury and immediately made an impact, causing fans to praise Claude Julien for putting him in. Now, he's back out and Thornton is in. 

Should be fun.

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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: So, It Appears That Vancouver Canucks Fans Can Travel

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 1: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals shift East for Game 3 on Monday night, when the Boston Bruins play host to the Vancouver Canucks. Will the Bruins be able to get back into the series now that they're operating from their home base?

You need information about where to watch this game, when to watch this game, where it's being played and where you can find more coverage of that game. We have that information. Here it is. 

Vancouver Canucks at Boston Bruins -- Game 3, Stanley Cup Final

Canucks lead series, 2-0

Location: TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
Time: 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.
Television: Versus in the United States, CBC in Canada, RDS in Canada (French language). 

Officials: The referees are Dan O'Rourke (No. 9), Stephen Walkom (No. 24). The linesmen are Pierre Racicot (No. 65) and Steve Miller (No. 89). 

Starting Goaltenders: Tim Thomas goes for the Bruins, Roberto Luongo for the Canucks.

SB Nation has you covered from just about every angle on Monday's Game 3 and the entire Stanley Cup Final. You can keep up with this StoryStream throughout the night for every angle on Game 3, and our Stanley Cup Final hub for coverage throughout the series. 

For local coverage from the Boston Bruins perspective, you can get full coverage from our blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder, and our regional hub at SB Nation Boston. 

For local coverage from the Vancouver Canucks perspective, you can get full coverage from our blog, Nucks Misconduct. 

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 3: Claude Julien Didn't Find Max Lapierre's Finger Joke Funny

Remember back to Saturday night's Game 2 between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks. In a bit of an in-game joke (that I thought was pretty hilarious), Max Lapierre of the Canucks stuck his finger out at Patrice Bergeron, urging him to bite it. 

Obviously, it was in reference to Game 1, when Alex Burrows of the Canucks bit Bergeron's finger during a first period scrum. Lapierre is definitely the type of player that you can see doing something like that, and really, it was harmless. It was funny.

Boston head coach Claude Julien doesn't think so, though. Asked today what he thought of Lapierre's joke, Julien called it unacceptable. 

"I can't really talk about their team," Julien said. "I'm going to talk about mine because I don't handle those players. I don't deal with those players on a one-on-one basis. It really isn't up to me to I guess comment on it. If it's acceptable for them, then so be it. Certainly wouldn't be acceptable on our end of it. I think you know me enough to know that. Not much I can say on that."

"The NHL rules on something. They decide to make a mockery of it, that's totally up to them. If that's their way of handling things, so be it. Again, we can't waste our time on that kind of stuff. We really have to focus on what we have to do. The last time I looked, we're down two games to none, and all our energy has to go towards that."

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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 3: Boston Returns Home, Hopes To Get Back In Series

Through two games in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, the Boston Bruins find themselves down on the ground, flailing beneath the Vancouver Canucks, who have somehow come out on top in two games despite all of Boston's best efforts. It seems, if you're a Bruins fan, that your team just can't stack up with the apparently powerful Canucks.

But that's the one thing about home ice: it can change those fortunes in an instant. All it'll take the Bruins against the seemingly overpowering Canucks is back-to-back wins on home ice, and that starts on Monday night in Game 3 (8 p.m., Versus, CBC). 

Of course, Boston has been in this situation before in these playoffs. In the first round against the Montreal Canadiens, they fell behind 0-2 in the series before winning two games, tying the series and ultimately winning in seven. And those two back-to-back wins came on the road in Montreal, too.

And Vancouver's obviously been here before too, rolling to three straight wins over Chicago in Round 1 before losing three straight and squeaking out a Game 7 win in overtime. And based off of the first two games of this Stanley Cup Final, there's definitely the potential for the Bruins to quickly win two games over the Canucks and even this series. 

It'll take a continuation of a lot of the same things. Tim Thomas has to stay brilliant (and not getting owned by Alex Burrows will help, too) and the Bruins defense has to keep the pressure up on the Canucks forwards. They've done that well in Games 1 and 2 to unfortunate, heartbreaking results. You have to think that if it continues, Vancouver can't possibly win another one. ... Right? 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 3. 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.

Stanley Cup Finals 2011: Are Boston Bruins Overmatched By Vancouver Canucks?

After two games in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, is it time to admit that the Boston Bruins are just overmatched by the Vancouver Canucks?