2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 5 – Bruins Vs Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks had to win Game 5 in order to stop the rot of the routing that they have took in Boston at the hands of the Bruins. They also had to sort out the form of their goaltender Roberto Luongo and both of these issues were answered on Friday night at the Rogers Centre in Vancouver.

At the Rogers centre the Canucks were welcomed home to a races crowd despite 2 very poor performances in Boston. A Capacity crowd of 18’860 fans in Vancouver witnessed the game 5 victory for the Canucks albeit it was a tightly contested affair. The game was a nail biter and featured 2 scoreless periods where the goal tenders were the top performer for either team with both goal tenders making vital saves for their teams.

The games only goal came in the 3rd period when Kevin Bieska deliberately shot wide of the goal with the puck hitting off the back board straight to Maxim Lapierre who slotted the puck past Tim Thomas for his second goal of the NHL Playoffs. The goal put an end to Tim Thomas 110 minute shut out streak in the Stanley Cup. The goal meant so much to the fans in Vancouver with the fans watching the big screens out side the arena going nuts and the scene was the same inside the arena.

The Bruins had over 15 minutes to find an equalising goal and despite their attacking onslaught the Bruins could not find a way past Luongo who they has scored 12 goals past in the previous two games in Boston. The game ended 1 nil and earned the Canucks goal keeper his 4th shutout of the 2011 NHL Playoffs.

The shutout for Roberto Luongo would have meant so much for the confidence of the goaltender who had some had taken a battering in the press and his status for game 5 was in doubt. His manager put faith in him and he rewarded that faith with a stellar and perhaps game winning performance.

No team so far in this stanley cup playoff series has won a road game and if the series runs true to form we will be heading back to Vancouver for Game 7. Game 6 takes place in Boston on Monday and Boston have a must win game otherwise the Canucks will be taking the cup north of the Border to Canada. Mondays game will be the first time that Lord Stanley’s cup will be present in the arena and with a win the Canucks will lift the trophy for the first time. It will be down to the fans and Bruins players to ensure that it doesn’t happen.

 

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