Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 4: Tim Thomas Blanks Vancouver As Boston Evens Series

Mistakes, Bad Habits Getting In Vancouver Canucks Way Against Boston Bruins

The Vancouver Canucks haven't dominated any game of this tied Stanley Cup Finals series. Instead, the Boston Bruins continue to dictate play. What can the Canucks do to recover their swagger before it's too late?

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 4: Nathan Horton Presents 'Game Jacket'; How's Mark Recchi Feel About That?

Off the top, let's just say this: I personally have no issue with Nathan Horton presenting the Boston Bruins' Game Jacket to Rich Peverley in the locker room after their Game 4 Stanley Cup Finals win. It's great news that Horton was able to be inside TD Garden, and since being hospitalized by Aaron Rome, he's rightfully become a dangerous emotional catalyst for his teammates in their series against the Vancouver Canucks.

For those unaware of the details, after each win, the Game Jacket is presented to the Bruins' player of the game, as selected by the current holder of the jacket. After their Game 3 win, in which Horton was taken out, the team hung the jacket in Horton's locker. After Game 4, he was able to be in the locker room with his teammates to celebrate the win.

It's great news and while we know Horton won't be back this season, it's still good to see that he's able to walk around, deal with the noise and the lights in the locker room and the arena and all of that stuff. A sports arena in Boston during the Finals isn't the best place to treat what the doctors called a severe concussion, after all.

But as I was reading this story last night, the one thing that popped into my mind was: I wonder what Mark Recchi is thinking? If you'll recall back to the Zdeno Chara hit on Max Pacioretty of the Montreal Canadiens earlier this year, Recchi went on the radio in Boston and accused the Habs of embellishing Pacioretty's severe concussion.

His reasoning? Pacioretty was on Twitter a few days after the incident, and he even went to the movies. People don't go to the movies with bad concussions, so he must've been fine. It was all an act. That was Recchi's accusation, anyway. 

It's rare that I side with Canadiens fans, especially against one of my hockey idols in Mark Recchi (owned his Flyers jersey growing up, was one of my first favorite players, etc.), but if you're feeling like Recchi's a bit of a hypocrite here, you're not alone. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 4. 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: With Offense Rolling, Boston Bruins' Attention To Detail Helps Even Series

It's no secret: the Boston Bruins offense is on a hot streak in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Vancouver Canucks. But in Game 4, the little things also helped Boston even the series at two games a piece.

VIDEO: Bruins' Goalie Tim Thomas Goes After Alex Burrows

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 4 Recap: Boston Evens Series With 4-0 Victory

The Boston Bruins have evened the series in impressive fashion by outscoring the Vancouver Canucks 12-1 in their two home games, including a 4-0 Game 4 victory. Tim Thomas made 37 saves in the shutout and Rich Peverley scored twice in the win. 

The Bruins started the scoring at the 11:59 mark of the first period after Rich Peverley made a move around a Canucks defenseman and put the puck five hole on Roberto Luongo. Luongo was trying to challenge Peverley and didn't close the five hole in time to stop the puck. Assists on the goal came from David Krejci and Zdeno Chara. 

The second period has been the Canucks thorn in their side as they have allowed seven Bruins goals in the second heading into this game. The Bruins scored two more as Michael Ryder and Brad Marchand score 2:18 apart from each other. Ryder's goal came off a wrist shot that beat Luongo over the glove. Canucks defenseman Sami Salo may have caught a piece of the puck but Luongo still had a solid chance at it. Marchand's goal came from a backhand shot in front of the net that beat Luongo as he was going down. 

The Bruins finally chased Luongo in the third period on Rich Peverley's second goal of the game. Peverley deflected the puck into the net off a Milan Lucic pass heading across the crease. The goal trickled in on the off-angle shot and that was the last straw for Luongo. He was replaced by Cory Schneider who finished the rest of the game. Luongo finished with four goals against on twenty shots. 

Both teams started getting chippy as Brad Marchand took out Henrik Sedin within the final few minutes of the third period and then Alex Burrows went after Tim Thomas after the two traded stick slashes. It could be interesting to see how this spills into Game 5 which will head be in Vancouver on Friday night at 8:00 pm Eastern. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 4. 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 4 Score: Rich Peverley Scores His Second Goal Of Game; Boston Leads 4-0

The Bruins have been playing very well in front of the home crowd and Milan Lucic has scored the Bruins fourth goal of the night on a very, very soft goal by Roberto Luongo. Lucic tried passing the puck across the crease and the puck deflected off Rich Peverley for his second goal of the night. 

That goal was the curtain call for Roberto Luongo as he was pulled in favor of backup goaltender Cory Schneider. Luongo finished the game with four goals against on 20 total shots for a save percentage of .750. The Canucks have had a dismal game in Game 4 and have been dismal in both games in Boston, being outscored 12-1 at the TD Garden. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 4. 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 Update, Game 4: Boston Leads, 3-0, After 2nd Period

The Boston Bruins took a 3-0 lead over the Vancouver Canucks in the second period of Game 4 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. In a span of of two-and-one-half minutes, the Bruins extended their lead with two goals.

On the first goal of the period (11:11), Michael Ryder zipped one past Roberto Luongo's glove and shoulder, though it also hit Sami Salo's stick on the way to the net. Brad Marchand put the second one in the net on a backhander.

After putting only six shots on net in the first period, the Bruins had 12 alone in the second period. But the Canucks didn't slow down, putting 13 more shots on Tim Thomas' net. But Thomas is still guarding a shutout, making all 25 saves.

Neither team has taken advantage of the power play, the Canucks missing on all three of their chance, the Bruins on their one.

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 4. 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 4 Score: Brad Marchand Scores To Give Boston 3-0 Lead

The Boston Bruins are pouring it on here in the second period as Brad Marchand scores 2:18 after Michael Ryder scored to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead in the second period. Marchand grabbed the puck on his backhand and was able to flip the goal past Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo. The lone assist on the goal came from Patrice Bergeron. 

This goal was the ninth goal the Bruins have scored in the second period on the Canucks in this series. As a comparison, the Canucks only have five total goals scored thus far in the series. This was Marchand's eighth goal of the playoffs and the second straight game that he has recorded a goal in. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 4. 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 4 Update: Michael Ryder Gives Bruins 2-0 Lead In Second

Michael Ryder snaps a really nice shot over the glove of Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Ryder grabbed a pass from Tyler Seguin and took the puck into the offensive zone. From there, he just ripped a shot past Luongo in the top corner. Canucks defenseman Sami Salo appeared to possibly have tipped the puck, but was still a puck that Luongo would probably like to have back. 

Ryder missed on a similar opportunity in the first period as he shot from roughly the same spot on the ice and hit the crossbar instead of getting the goal. Ryder has seven goals in the playoffs and this would be his second goal of the series. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 4. 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 4: Vancouver Outshooting Boston In Second But Still Scoreless

The Boston Bruins have started the second period with the same formula that they finished the first period with. Allow the Canucks to take a bunch of low risk shots that Tim Thomas can save and try and get a handful of quality shots on net. 

The Canucks have managed seven shots on goal while the Bruins only have one shot on goal through the first ten minutes of the second period. The Bruins defense are swarming the Canucks well through this game and for someone watching this game, it wouldn't appear that the Canucks are grossly outshooting the Bruins but that is the case thus far in the game. 

The Bruins did get their first power play of the game after Vancouver's Mason Raymond high sticked Boston's Andrew Ference in the defensive zone at the 7:41 mark of the period. The Bruins managed one shot on goal on the power play but much like they have been doing in this series, they can't seem to score with the man advantage. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 4. 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.

Rich Peverley Goal Gives Boston 1-0 In Game 4 Of 2011 Stanley Cup Finals

The Boston Bruins take a 1-0 lead into the locker room after the first period of the game on the strength of a Rich Peverley goal at the 12-minute mark. His third goal of the playoffs went through Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo's five-hole.

But that was one of the few shots Boston was able to get on net. Michael Ryder had a nice shot get past Luongo with 52 second left in the period, but the puck banked off the goalpost and back into play. The Bruins have six shots after one period.

The Canucks, meanwhile, had several furious attempts on net to reach 12 shots on Tim Thomas, but Thomas didn't let any get past him. He's been able to find the right place at the right time to come up with the save, redirect the puck. The Bruins will need Thomas to keep up this level of play if they can't put more pucks on net.

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 4. 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 4 Score: Rich Peverley Gives Boston 1-0 Lead In First

The Boston Bruins have dound a way to score first again as Rich Peverley beat Roberto Luongo through the five hole at the  mark of the first period. The goal started at center ice with a nice pass by David Krejci. From there, Peverley did all the work from there as he moved the puck around a Canucks defenseman and beat Luongo who was well out of the crease and went down very early. 

The team scoring first has won each of the three games in this series and the Bruins are 9-1 in these playoffs after they have scored first. The Bruins haven't had many shots on goal as they have directed four shots toward Luongo while the Canucks have been able to get five shots on Thomas. 

That goal was Peverley's third goal of the playoffs and the first since May 23rd which was Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Bruins Vs. Canucks Update, Game 4: Boston And Vancouver Scoreless Through First Ten Minutes

Game 4 in Boston is something that is going to pump with the home crowd naturally but the Boston Bruins got the crowd even more into the game with the honorary captain being none other than Bobby Orr. The Bruins honorary captain starts the flag that gets passed around the lower bowl of the TD Garden and he started the flag by waiving a Nathan Horton banner above his head in the process. Needless to say, the Bruins crowd is into the game before it even started. 

Henrik Sedin registered his first shot of the series 1:01 into the first period of Game 4. Sedin had a fantastic series against the San Jose Sharks, but has been non-existent against the Boston Bruins. Sedin has two goals and 19 assists in the playoffs and leads all players in playoff points, but just hasn't really found a scoring touch in many of the series. 

The Canucks got the first real couple of good scoring chances at the five minute mark of the period, with the first coming from Daniel Sedin and the other coming from Alex Burrows. Tim Thomas was able to swallow up both shots and not allow any other quality chances. The Canucks are getting traffic and bodies in front of Thomas early in the game, much like the Bruins did with Luongo in Game 3. 

Micheal Ryder took the first penalty of the game at the 6:58 mark after tripping Ryan Kesler. The Canucks were 1 for 16 on the powerplay in the series heading into this game even though they have a playoff powerplay of 23.5%. The Canucks could not get much going with the man advantage and have not converted on a powerplay chance since Game 2.  

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 4 Time, TV Schedule And More

The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals remain in Boston for Game 4, and the Bruins will look to even the series at two after their 8-1 shellacking of the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night.

Still looking for where and when this game will be played, as well as other bits of information? We have you covered.

Vancouver Canucks at Boston Bruins -- Game 4, Stanley Cup Final

Canucks lead series, 2-1

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)

If you are in Vancouver and want to watch the game in a bigger venue, Nucks Misconduct writes that Totem Audio will have a big screen TV outside its store for anyone who wants to watch the game out in the open air.

Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 4. For more coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub. And visit our event page for Game 4 to see how fans react during the game.

For local coverage, visit our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct.

Check out our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder and SB Nation Boston's coverage as well.

Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 4: Boston Has Momentum; Can They Use It To Even Series?

The Boston Bruins sent a strong message to the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. They are back in the series, here to stay and ready to challenge for the Cup. After two games, we weren't quite sure if that was the case. Now, we know.

So as we enter Game 4 on Wednesday night, it's likely the most important game of the series for both teams (until, of course, the next game). For the Bruins, it's a chance to push the series to an even playing field yet again, while for the Canucks, it's an opportunity to erase everything that happened in Game 3's devastating loss.

It's an opportunity to win the Stanley Cup at home in Game 5.

Of course, Vancouver will be without defenseman Aaron Rome, who serves the first game of his four-game suspension for a hit on Bruins forward Nathan Horton. Horton, of course, will also be out of the lineup for Boston, adn that's where the Bruins concerns should start.

Horton is one of their most important offensive players, and without him on the top line with David Krejci and Milan Lucic, it won't be surprising if the offensive attack suffers a bit. Claude Julien smiled and said he wouldn't share how he's going to fill Horton's spot in the lineup, but it does look as though Tyler Seguin will be back in the lineup.

As for the Canucks, Dan Hamhuis didn't skate again on Wednesday morning, so it looks as though Keith Ballard will find his way from the press box to the ice for Game 4 to fill in for the suspended Rome. 

The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for full coverage of Game 4. 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.