Bruins back Thomas after Luongo's verbal swipe

Updated: June 12, 2011, 1:22 AM ETvar ESPN_GLOBALS = {"videoPlayers":{"story09":{"src":"http://assets.espn.go.com/espnvideo/mpf32/prod/r_3_2_0_15/ESPN_Player.swf","height":324,"width":576,"adminOver":"3805638","localSite":"boston","autostart":"false","playerType":"story09"}}}espn.video.embeded.play();

BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins tried to push the mute button on the controversy over Roberto Luongo's verbal swipe at Tim Thomas.

So what if Vancouver's goalie claimed he would have stopped the shot that beat Boston's most important player and gave the Canucks a 1-0 win Friday night and a 3-2 lead in the Stanley Cup finals? That game's over. The focus, the Bruins said Saturday, is on keeping their season alive in Game 6 on Monday night.

And they almost succeeded in lowering the volume.

But on the next to last question of his news conference on Saturday, a poker-faced coach Claude Julien couldn't resist.

"Let's put it this way," he said, fresh off his cross-continent flight. "I don't think Timmy is going to make much of that comment (by Luongo). I think you guys (reporters) are making more out of it than Timmy will. Either way, his stats, you know, are proof itself. He's given up six goals in five games.

"The guy that made the comment, I'm not quite sure how many he let in. I think you guys have a good idea, so I don't think he (Thomas) is going to lose sleep over that."

That would be 14 goals, coach.

That also matters much less than another number, 1, as in the one game by which the Canucks lead the series and the one win they need to claim their first NHL title.

"It's all about wins and losses this time of year," Boston forward Shawn Thornton said. "Some people like to chirp. Some people don't. I think, as a group, we're trying to take the high road. It's not really our M.O."

Vancouver won Game 5 after Thomas skated out of the crease toward Kevin Bieksa as the Canucks defenseman shot from the right point. The puck went wide but ricocheted off the backboards to Maxim Lapierre to the left of the crease. Thomas got back in time to block the shot, but the puck rebounded into the net with 15:25 to go.

Luongo watched it all from the other end of the ice.

"It's not hard (to stop) if you're playing in the paint," he said. "It's an easy save for me, but if you're wandering out, that's going to happen."

On Saturday, before boarding the plane for Boston, Luongo backed off a bit.

"I said also that he might make some saves that I don't, so I was just saying on that particular play I would have played it different and that's the difference between me and him," Luongo said.

But then he tossed out a parting shot.

"I've been pumping his tires ever since the series started," he said, "and I haven't heard one nice thing he had to say about me, so that's the way it is."

Actually, after the Bruins won 8-1 and 4-0 to tie the series at 2, Thomas said he felt sorry for Luongo, who was pulled from Game 4.

"I've been there and I probably will be there again," he said. "So I have some sympathy when that happens, but, at the same time, I just have to focus on what I'm doing."

During the regular season, Thomas was first in the NHL in goals against average and Luongo was second. In save percentage, Thomas was first and Luongo was third. In the postseason, Luongo is first with four shutouts and Thomas is second with three.

And they're finalists, along with Pekka Rinne of Nashville, for the Vezina Trophy awarded to the league's best goalie.

"Timmy's unbelievable for us," Bruins forward Chris Kelly said. "We wouldn't be where we are if it wasn't for him."

The Canucks have picked on Thomas before.

Earlier in the series, coach Alain Vigneault complained about the goalie's tendency to leave his crease and then expect to get right back in it without an opponent getting in his way.

So why do they keep taking jabs and risk angering the feisty netminder who slashed Alex Burrows in the leg in Game 4 after the Vancouver forward hit his stick?

"I just think he's playing so well right now and that's just how they decided to go about things," Bruins forward Brad Marchand said.

Luongo's jibe could give the Bruins more incentive to win Game 6.

"It's amazing how they need all this external motivation and they are looking for stuff," Bieksa said. "For us, we have it all in (the locker) room, we have it all in the Stanley Cup and that's all we need."

But Julien feels the Bruins don't need that to motivate them, not with their season on the line.

"We're down to the wire here and have to focus on our game and what it means, a lot more than (on) what is being said," he said. "Anybody can say what they want. Right now my focus is on getting this team back in this series."

Luongo isn't wasting much time either thinking about the fallout from his comment. But, for him, all the noise surrounding his brief poke at Thomas is hardly surprising.

"We're in the Stanley Cup finals, so every little thing is blown out of proportion," Luongo said. "He has his style and I have mine, so that's how it goes."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

View the original article here

Bruins chase Luongo in romp, tie Cup finals at 2

 var ESPN_GLOBALS = {"videoPlayers":{"recap09":{"src":"http://assets.espn.go.com/espnvideo/mpf32/prod/r_3_2_0_15/ESPN_Player.swf","height":209,"width":372,"adminOver":"3805638","autostart":"true","playerType":"recap09"}}}espn.video.embeded.play();

BOSTON -- The tattered, kitschy Bruins jacket has been moving around the Boston locker room for the past few months, going to the most valuable player in every victory.

It belonged to Nathan Horton when he went down with a serious concussion two days earlier in the Stanley Cup finals. He showed up in the Bruins' locker room Wednesday night, delighting his teammates by putting the jacket on Rich Peverley.

That strange, old jacket bought on eBay has become the Bruins' most valuable trophy.

After two dominant games in Boston, the Bruins are halfway to winning a bigger, shinier prize.

Tim Thomas made 38 saves in his third shutout of the playoffs, Peverley scored two goals after replacing Horton on Boston's top line, and the Bruins emphatically evened the finals at two games apiece with a 4-0 victory over the floundering Vancouver Canucks in Game 4.

The Bruins rolled through Game 4 on an emotional high that began with a stirring pregame tribute to Horton, who will miss the rest of the series after a late hit in Game 3 from Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome, who was suspended for four games.

"When I personally got to see him in the locker room, I was incredibly happy," Thomas said. "It gave me a big boost. He was there to pass the jacket on. The team would have been happy leaving it with Horty for the rest of the series, but he wanted to give it away and keep the tradition going. ... Watching him going down, we want to finish what we started for him."

Michael Ryder and Brad Marchand also scored and the Bruins chased Roberto Luongo early in the third period after Vancouver's star goalie allowed his 12th goal in less than two brutal games in Boston.

"It's always easier to be at home," Marchand said. "We feed off the energy, off our fans. They just bring out the best in us. ... Just seems everyone is so focused right now."

The finals are now a best-of-three, with Game 5 in Vancouver on Friday night.

David Krejci became the sixth player in Bruins history to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single postseason.

— from Elias Sports Bureau

Game 6 is Monday night back in Boston. After outscoring Vancouver 12-1 in the last two games, the Bruins are halfway to their first NHL title since 1972 -- but they'll have to win at least once on the West Coast.

Boston opened its first finals trip in 21 years with two deflating one-goal losses last week in Vancouver, but the Bruins have wrested all momentum from the suddenly shaky Canucks with two thoroughly dominant wins.

Luongo gave up four goals on 20 shots before Cory Schneider replaced him, ending yet another shaky defensive performance for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks, who were inexplicably passionless in Boston.

"We have two out of three with home-ice advantage, and that's what we've worked for all season," Luongo said. "We need to get playing the way we did in the first two games."

Vancouver needed just one win in Boston to earn the chance to win the franchise's first championship on home ice. Instead, the Canucks headed home with huge questions about their mental toughness, defense and goaltending.

"It's not for lack of effort, not for lack of trying to win," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. "Give the other team credit. They're playing a smart game, and right now they've been able to shut us down offensively the last two games."

Thomas was flawless yet again in a playoff run that's turning into the defining achievement of his winding career. He has allowed just five goals in four games in his first Stanley Cup finals, with Vancouver's vaunted Sedin twins -- the NHL's last two scoring champions -- failing to beat him.

Despite the NHL's warning to these teams about keeping their competition between the whistles, the third period featured another handful of skirmishes. Thomas delighted Boston's fans when he slashed Vancouver agitator Alex Burrows with 1:51 to play, precipitating another brawl.

"I thought I'd give him a little love tap," Thomas said. "Let them know that I know what you're doing, but I'm not going to let you do it forever. That's all that was. A typical battle."

The Bruins are winning most of them, partially on motivation from Horton's injury.

Before the game, Bobby Orr -- the Hall of Fame defenseman and Boston icon -- wore his own No. 4 jersey as he waved a flag bearing Horton's No. 18, drawing thunderous cheers while standing in the lower bowl under a spotlight. Hundreds of Canucks fans in blue jerseys joined in the cheers for Horton, who scored the winning goals in both of Boston's Game 7 victories during these playoffs.

With the victory secure in the final minutes, the entire building loudly chanted Horton's name.

Brad Marchand tied the Bruins rookie record for goals in a postseason with his eighth tally of the playoffs on Wednesday night.

powered by

Peverley, a Bruins newcomer after a late-season trade from Atlanta, lined up with David Krejci and Milan Lucic. The hardworking forward isn't known for his scoring touch, but came through twice in the new role.

Boston went ahead midway through the first period after Krejci alertly tapped a loose puck in the neutral zone ahead to Peverley, who blew past Raffi Torres and scored just his second goal in 19 games.

The Canucks are a mess on defense after losing top blueliner Dan Hamhuis to an injury in Game 1 before Rome's suspension. Keith Ballard struggled as Rome's replacement, making a brutal turnover on Boston's third goal, but Vancouver played generally shoddy team defense in front of Luongo, who hasn't shaken his reputation for struggling in big games -- even with an Olympic gold medal around his neck.

Vancouver's power play, the NHL's best in the regular season, also has lost its mojo, going 0 for 6 in Game 4 to drop to 1 for 22 in the series. The Sedin twins are the NHL's past two scoring champions, but they've barely made an impact on this series under Boston's steady defensive pressure.

Perhaps the top-seeded Canucks' only good news out of Boston is that the home team is dominating this series -- and they've got two more potential home games.

The Canucks have been routed before in this postseason, losing consecutive games to Chicago by a combined 12-2 after taking a 3-0 lead in that first-round series.

Vancouver narrowly won the first two games last week, moving halfway to the franchise's first championship and Canada's first Cup since 1993. Boston halted Vancouver's roll with an 8-1 victory Monday marred by Horton's injury and numerous scuffles in the third period.

Vancouver soundly outshot Boston over the first 30 minutes of Game 4, yet the Canucks had few solid scoring chances. Most of the shots went straight at Thomas, whose much-evaluated positional game was close to perfect, particularly on an early point-blank chance for Maxim Lapierre.

After Peverley's early goal, Ryder scored midway through the second period on an innocuous shot that somehow fluttered past Luongo. The puck might have deflected off the stick of defenseman Sami Salo, who played Ryder much too softly.

Boston took control 1:18 later during 4-on-4 play when Patrice Bergeron forced Ballard's turnover behind the Canucks' net and chipped it in front to Marchand, who easily scored over Luongo's left shoulder. The Boston crowd serenaded Vancouver with chants of "Luonnnngo! Luonnnngo!"

Luongo finally left after Peverley scored again early in the third period, with the Boston fans roaring as Cory Schneider replaced him.

The Bruins have never played this deep into June in franchise history, and summer temperatures in the 80s made the Canucks worry about the quality of the Boston ice. Vancouver has much bigger worries heading home.

Game notes
Bruins rookie Tyler Seguin was back in the lineup in Horton's absence, earning an assist on Ryder's goal. ... Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin took his first shot of the series in the opening seconds of Game 4. The pass-first playmaker, last season's MVP, didn't have a shot in the first three games. ... Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper attended the game, socializing with Orr beforehand. Canadian actress Rachel McAdams and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash also were in the crowd. Nash, an avid Canucks fan, cheered on his brother-in-law, Vancouver C Manny Malhotra. ... The Bruins improved to 10-1 when scoring first in the postseason.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

View the original article here

Bruins chase Luongo in romp, tie Cup finals at 2

 var ESPN_GLOBALS = {"videoPlayers":{"recap09":{"src":"http://assets.espn.go.com/espnvideo/mpf32/prod/r_3_2_0_15/ESPN_Player.swf","height":209,"width":372,"adminOver":"3805638","autostart":"true","playerType":"recap09"}}}espn.video.embeded.play();

BOSTON -- The tattered, kitschy Bruins jacket has been moving around the Boston locker room for the past few months, going to the most valuable player in every victory.

It belonged to Nathan Horton when he went down with a serious concussion two days earlier in the Stanley Cup finals. He showed up in the Bruins' locker room Wednesday night, delighting his teammates by putting the jacket on Rich Peverley.

That strange, old jacket bought on eBay has become the Bruins' most valuable trophy.

After two dominant games in Boston, the Bruins are halfway to winning a bigger, shinier prize.

Tim Thomas made 38 saves in his third shutout of the playoffs, Peverley scored two goals after replacing Horton on Boston's top line, and the Bruins emphatically evened the finals at two games apiece with a 4-0 victory over the floundering Vancouver Canucks in Game 4.

The Bruins rolled through Game 4 on an emotional high that began with a stirring pregame tribute to Horton, who will miss the rest of the series after a late hit in Game 3 from Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome, who was suspended for four games.

"When I personally got to see him in the locker room, I was incredibly happy," Thomas said. "It gave me a big boost. He was there to pass the jacket on. The team would have been happy leaving it with Horty for the rest of the series, but he wanted to give it away and keep the tradition going. ... Watching him going down, we want to finish what we started for him."

Michael Ryder and Brad Marchand also scored and the Bruins chased Roberto Luongo early in the third period after Vancouver's star goalie allowed his 12th goal in less than two brutal games in Boston.

"It's always easier to be at home," Marchand said. "We feed off the energy, off our fans. They just bring out the best in us. ... Just seems everyone is so focused right now."

The finals are now a best-of-three, with Game 5 in Vancouver on Friday night.

David Krejci became the sixth player in Bruins history to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single postseason.

— from Elias Sports Bureau

Game 6 is Monday night back in Boston. After outscoring Vancouver 12-1 in the last two games, the Bruins are halfway to their first NHL title since 1972 -- but they'll have to win at least once on the West Coast.

Boston opened its first finals trip in 21 years with two deflating one-goal losses last week in Vancouver, but the Bruins have wrested all momentum from the suddenly shaky Canucks with two thoroughly dominant wins.

Luongo gave up four goals on 20 shots before Cory Schneider replaced him, ending yet another shaky defensive performance for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks, who were inexplicably passionless in Boston.

"We have two out of three with home-ice advantage, and that's what we've worked for all season," Luongo said. "We need to get playing the way we did in the first two games."

Vancouver needed just one win in Boston to earn the chance to win the franchise's first championship on home ice. Instead, the Canucks headed home with huge questions about their mental toughness, defense and goaltending.

"It's not for lack of effort, not for lack of trying to win," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. "Give the other team credit. They're playing a smart game, and right now they've been able to shut us down offensively the last two games."

Thomas was flawless yet again in a playoff run that's turning into the defining achievement of his winding career. He has allowed just five goals in four games in his first Stanley Cup finals, with Vancouver's vaunted Sedin twins -- the NHL's last two scoring champions -- failing to beat him.

Despite the NHL's warning to these teams about keeping their competition between the whistles, the third period featured another handful of skirmishes. Thomas delighted Boston's fans when he slashed Vancouver agitator Alex Burrows with 1:51 to play, precipitating another brawl.

"I thought I'd give him a little love tap," Thomas said. "Let them know that I know what you're doing, but I'm not going to let you do it forever. That's all that was. A typical battle."

The Bruins are winning most of them, partially on motivation from Horton's injury.

Before the game, Bobby Orr -- the Hall of Fame defenseman and Boston icon -- wore his own No. 4 jersey as he waved a flag bearing Horton's No. 18, drawing thunderous cheers while standing in the lower bowl under a spotlight. Hundreds of Canucks fans in blue jerseys joined in the cheers for Horton, who scored the winning goals in both of Boston's Game 7 victories during these playoffs.

With the victory secure in the final minutes, the entire building loudly chanted Horton's name.

Brad Marchand tied the Bruins rookie record for goals in a postseason with his eighth tally of the playoffs on Wednesday night.

powered by

Peverley, a Bruins newcomer after a late-season trade from Atlanta, lined up with David Krejci and Milan Lucic. The hardworking forward isn't known for his scoring touch, but came through twice in the new role.

Boston went ahead midway through the first period after Krejci alertly tapped a loose puck in the neutral zone ahead to Peverley, who blew past Raffi Torres and scored just his second goal in 19 games.

The Canucks are a mess on defense after losing top blueliner Dan Hamhuis to an injury in Game 1 before Rome's suspension. Keith Ballard struggled as Rome's replacement, making a brutal turnover on Boston's third goal, but Vancouver played generally shoddy team defense in front of Luongo, who hasn't shaken his reputation for struggling in big games -- even with an Olympic gold medal around his neck.

Vancouver's power play, the NHL's best in the regular season, also has lost its mojo, going 0 for 6 in Game 4 to drop to 1 for 22 in the series. The Sedin twins are the NHL's past two scoring champions, but they've barely made an impact on this series under Boston's steady defensive pressure.

Perhaps the top-seeded Canucks' only good news out of Boston is that the home team is dominating this series -- and they've got two more potential home games.

The Canucks have been routed before in this postseason, losing consecutive games to Chicago by a combined 12-2 after taking a 3-0 lead in that first-round series.

Vancouver narrowly won the first two games last week, moving halfway to the franchise's first championship and Canada's first Cup since 1993. Boston halted Vancouver's roll with an 8-1 victory Monday marred by Horton's injury and numerous scuffles in the third period.

Vancouver soundly outshot Boston over the first 30 minutes of Game 4, yet the Canucks had few solid scoring chances. Most of the shots went straight at Thomas, whose much-evaluated positional game was close to perfect, particularly on an early point-blank chance for Maxim Lapierre.

After Peverley's early goal, Ryder scored midway through the second period on an innocuous shot that somehow fluttered past Luongo. The puck might have deflected off the stick of defenseman Sami Salo, who played Ryder much too softly.

Boston took control 1:18 later during 4-on-4 play when Patrice Bergeron forced Ballard's turnover behind the Canucks' net and chipped it in front to Marchand, who easily scored over Luongo's left shoulder. The Boston crowd serenaded Vancouver with chants of "Luonnnngo! Luonnnngo!"

Luongo finally left after Peverley scored again early in the third period, with the Boston fans roaring as Cory Schneider replaced him.

The Bruins have never played this deep into June in franchise history, and summer temperatures in the 80s made the Canucks worry about the quality of the Boston ice. Vancouver has much bigger worries heading home.

Game notes
Bruins rookie Tyler Seguin was back in the lineup in Horton's absence, earning an assist on Ryder's goal. ... Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin took his first shot of the series in the opening seconds of Game 4. The pass-first playmaker, last season's MVP, didn't have a shot in the first three games. ... Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper attended the game, socializing with Orr beforehand. Canadian actress Rachel McAdams and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash also were in the crowd. Nash, an avid Canucks fan, cheered on his brother-in-law, Vancouver C Manny Malhotra. ... The Bruins improved to 10-1 when scoring first in the postseason.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

View the original article here

Bruins chase Luongo in romp, tie Cup finals at 2

 var ESPN_GLOBALS = {"videoPlayers":{"recap09":{"src":"http://assets.espn.go.com/espnvideo/mpf32/prod/r_3_2_0_15/ESPN_Player.swf","height":209,"width":372,"adminOver":"3805638","autostart":"true","playerType":"recap09"}}}espn.video.embeded.play();

BOSTON -- The tattered, kitschy Bruins jacket has been moving around the Boston locker room for the past few months, going to the most valuable player in every victory.

It belonged to Nathan Horton when he went down with a serious concussion two days earlier in the Stanley Cup finals. He showed up in the Bruins' locker room Wednesday night, delighting his teammates by putting the jacket on Rich Peverley.

That strange, old jacket bought on eBay has become the Bruins' most valuable trophy.

After two dominant games in Boston, the Bruins are halfway to winning a bigger, shinier prize.

Tim Thomas made 38 saves in his third shutout of the playoffs, Peverley scored two goals after replacing Horton on Boston's top line, and the Bruins emphatically evened the finals at two games apiece with a 4-0 victory over the floundering Vancouver Canucks in Game 4.

The Bruins rolled through Game 4 on an emotional high that began with a stirring pregame tribute to Horton, who will miss the rest of the series after a late hit in Game 3 from Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome, who was suspended for four games.

"When I personally got to see him in the locker room, I was incredibly happy," Thomas said. "It gave me a big boost. He was there to pass the jacket on. The team would have been happy leaving it with Horty for the rest of the series, but he wanted to give it away and keep the tradition going. ... Watching him going down, we want to finish what we started for him."

Michael Ryder and Brad Marchand also scored and the Bruins chased Roberto Luongo early in the third period after Vancouver's star goalie allowed his 12th goal in less than two brutal games in Boston.

"It's always easier to be at home," Marchand said. "We feed off the energy, off our fans. They just bring out the best in us. ... Just seems everyone is so focused right now."

The finals are now a best-of-three, with Game 5 in Vancouver on Friday night.

David Krejci became the sixth player in Bruins history to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single postseason.

— from Elias Sports Bureau

Game 6 is Monday night back in Boston. After outscoring Vancouver 12-1 in the last two games, the Bruins are halfway to their first NHL title since 1972 -- but they'll have to win at least once on the West Coast.

Boston opened its first finals trip in 21 years with two deflating one-goal losses last week in Vancouver, but the Bruins have wrested all momentum from the suddenly shaky Canucks with two thoroughly dominant wins.

Luongo gave up four goals on 20 shots before Cory Schneider replaced him, ending yet another shaky defensive performance for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks, who were inexplicably passionless in Boston.

"We have two out of three with home-ice advantage, and that's what we've worked for all season," Luongo said. "We need to get playing the way we did in the first two games."

Vancouver needed just one win in Boston to earn the chance to win the franchise's first championship on home ice. Instead, the Canucks headed home with huge questions about their mental toughness, defense and goaltending.

"It's not for lack of effort, not for lack of trying to win," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. "Give the other team credit. They're playing a smart game, and right now they've been able to shut us down offensively the last two games."

Thomas was flawless yet again in a playoff run that's turning into the defining achievement of his winding career. He has allowed just five goals in four games in his first Stanley Cup finals, with Vancouver's vaunted Sedin twins -- the NHL's last two scoring champions -- failing to beat him.

Despite the NHL's warning to these teams about keeping their competition between the whistles, the third period featured another handful of skirmishes. Thomas delighted Boston's fans when he slashed Vancouver agitator Alex Burrows with 1:51 to play, precipitating another brawl.

"I thought I'd give him a little love tap," Thomas said. "Let them know that I know what you're doing, but I'm not going to let you do it forever. That's all that was. A typical battle."

The Bruins are winning most of them, partially on motivation from Horton's injury.

Before the game, Bobby Orr -- the Hall of Fame defenseman and Boston icon -- wore his own No. 4 jersey as he waved a flag bearing Horton's No. 18, drawing thunderous cheers while standing in the lower bowl under a spotlight. Hundreds of Canucks fans in blue jerseys joined in the cheers for Horton, who scored the winning goals in both of Boston's Game 7 victories during these playoffs.

With the victory secure in the final minutes, the entire building loudly chanted Horton's name.

Brad Marchand tied the Bruins rookie record for goals in a postseason with his eighth tally of the playoffs on Wednesday night.

powered by

Peverley, a Bruins newcomer after a late-season trade from Atlanta, lined up with David Krejci and Milan Lucic. The hardworking forward isn't known for his scoring touch, but came through twice in the new role.

Boston went ahead midway through the first period after Krejci alertly tapped a loose puck in the neutral zone ahead to Peverley, who blew past Raffi Torres and scored just his second goal in 19 games.

The Canucks are a mess on defense after losing top blueliner Dan Hamhuis to an injury in Game 1 before Rome's suspension. Keith Ballard struggled as Rome's replacement, making a brutal turnover on Boston's third goal, but Vancouver played generally shoddy team defense in front of Luongo, who hasn't shaken his reputation for struggling in big games -- even with an Olympic gold medal around his neck.

Vancouver's power play, the NHL's best in the regular season, also has lost its mojo, going 0 for 6 in Game 4 to drop to 1 for 22 in the series. The Sedin twins are the NHL's past two scoring champions, but they've barely made an impact on this series under Boston's steady defensive pressure.

Perhaps the top-seeded Canucks' only good news out of Boston is that the home team is dominating this series -- and they've got two more potential home games.

The Canucks have been routed before in this postseason, losing consecutive games to Chicago by a combined 12-2 after taking a 3-0 lead in that first-round series.

Vancouver narrowly won the first two games last week, moving halfway to the franchise's first championship and Canada's first Cup since 1993. Boston halted Vancouver's roll with an 8-1 victory Monday marred by Horton's injury and numerous scuffles in the third period.

Vancouver soundly outshot Boston over the first 30 minutes of Game 4, yet the Canucks had few solid scoring chances. Most of the shots went straight at Thomas, whose much-evaluated positional game was close to perfect, particularly on an early point-blank chance for Maxim Lapierre.

After Peverley's early goal, Ryder scored midway through the second period on an innocuous shot that somehow fluttered past Luongo. The puck might have deflected off the stick of defenseman Sami Salo, who played Ryder much too softly.

Boston took control 1:18 later during 4-on-4 play when Patrice Bergeron forced Ballard's turnover behind the Canucks' net and chipped it in front to Marchand, who easily scored over Luongo's left shoulder. The Boston crowd serenaded Vancouver with chants of "Luonnnngo! Luonnnngo!"

Luongo finally left after Peverley scored again early in the third period, with the Boston fans roaring as Cory Schneider replaced him.

The Bruins have never played this deep into June in franchise history, and summer temperatures in the 80s made the Canucks worry about the quality of the Boston ice. Vancouver has much bigger worries heading home.

Game notes
Bruins rookie Tyler Seguin was back in the lineup in Horton's absence, earning an assist on Ryder's goal. ... Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin took his first shot of the series in the opening seconds of Game 4. The pass-first playmaker, last season's MVP, didn't have a shot in the first three games. ... Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper attended the game, socializing with Orr beforehand. Canadian actress Rachel McAdams and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash also were in the crowd. Nash, an avid Canucks fan, cheered on his brother-in-law, Vancouver C Manny Malhotra. ... The Bruins improved to 10-1 when scoring first in the postseason.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

View the original article here

Horton surprises Bruins with visit after Game 4

Updated: June 9, 2011, 2:19 AM ETBy Chris Forsberg
ESPNBoston.com
Archive var ESPN_GLOBALS = {"videoPlayers":{"story09":{"src":"http://assets.espn.go.com/espnvideo/mpf32/prod/r_3_2_0_15/ESPN_Player.swf","height":324,"width":576,"adminOver":"3805638","localSite":"boston","autostart":"false","playerType":"story09"}}}espn.video.embeded.play();

BOSTON -- Injured Boston Bruins forward Nathan Horton made a surprise appearance in the locker room after the team's 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals Wednesday night at TD Garden.

Horton, who suffered a severe concussion after a late hit from Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome in the first period of Boston's Game 3 triumph on Monday, is sidelined for the remainder of the season, but unbeknownst to his teammates, trekked to the Garden in order to hand off the MVP jacket the team had hung in his locker in his honor after Monday's win.

Clearly, an injured Nathan Horton is the Boston Bruins driving force as they battle for the Stanley Cup, Chris Forsberg writes. Story

• Bruins blog | ESPN Boston

Horton entered as coach Claude Julien was addressing his players. He spoke briefly before handing off the old vinyl jacket to Rich Peverley, who scored two of Boston's four goals Wednesday while skating in place of Horton on the Bruins' top line.

"It was very emotional," said Peverley, wearing the jacket as he addressed reporters. "He came in, spoke a little bit. To be able to fill in for him, like I said, we did the job tonight, but I thought it was a whole team effort."

Players said Horton was in good spirits and just seeing him moving around was an encouraging sign for a team that wasn't sure when it would see their fallen teammate again. The Bruins are headed back to Vancouver with the series tied 2-2 for Game 5 on Friday.

"I was very, very happy to see Nathan up and around in the locker room," goalie Tim Thomas said. "I wasn't exactly sure of his status. I'd heard that he was OK, but ... when I personally got to see him in the locker room, I was incredibly happy and it gave me a big boost.

"He was there to pass the jacket on. We didn't pass the jacket on the last game with him gone. I think the team would have been happy leaving it with Horty for the rest of this series, but he wanted to give it away and keep the tradition going that we'd started."

"I didn't know he was here, I don't think a lot of guys did," Shawn Thornton said. "He's such a good guy, such a positive influence in this room and the team. He makes everyone in here feel better about themselves, he really does. He's been such a good teammate all year, so to see him come in the room, I'm pretty sure everyone got a pretty good kick out of that. We're very happy to see him, see him walking around and doing OK."

Thornton said Horton didn't say much other than telling the team, "Great job," before handing off the jacket.

Brad Marchand admitted it was a "sigh of relief" to see Horton around the team again.

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said before Wednesday's game that he had not spoken with forward Horton, but had exchanged text messages with Horton's wife.

"There's no update," Chiarelli said. "Everything remains the same today. His wife texted me back, saying that he's sleeping, feeling better and he'll get back to me, but I haven't heard from him yet today. But he was resting peacefully and the headaches were getting better."

Horton's agent, Paul Krepelka, said Horton had been resting at home during Game 4 with "typical" concussion symptoms, saying Horton has headaches and is fatigued. But he evidently improved enough to make the surprise appearance.

Krepelka said Horton has heard about all the well wishes from Bruins fans and wanted to express his gratitude.

Bruins legend Bobby Orr was Wednesday night's honorary pregame captain and waved a No. 18 Horton flag.

Vancouver GM Mike Gillis talked with Chiarelli on Wednesday afternoon and expressed the organization's well wishes for Horton.

"Mike Gillis pulled me aside at the GM meeting today and said, 'Aaron wants you to know that he's going to reach out to Nathan and he's very sorry for what he did.' It was a nice gesture," Chiarelli said.

Chiarelli also said he believes Rome, who was suspended for four games by the league, has reached out to Horton via a third party.

"I suspect that he maybe has tried. I know he knows Shawn Thornton. Maybe he did through Shawn," Chiarelli said. "I know when (Zdeno Chara) got into the stuff with (Max) Pacioretty, he tried to reach out through another player. That's generally what happens."

Rome participated in the pregame skate at TD Garden with his teammates Wednesday. He wasn't in the Canucks' locker room after the workout, however. Rome still hasn't publicly commented on his devastating hit.

General managers from around the NHL met Wednesday to discuss a variety of topics, including changes to Rule 48, which addesses head shots and blindside contact.

Chiarelli would not get into specifics because the amendment still has to go before the competition committee and the Board of Governors, but said there would be an expansion on the restrictions of head shots.

"I think it was a huge step from 48 in its initial form, which I thought was a huge step," Chiarelli said.

Chris Forsberg covers the Bruins for ESPNBoston.com. Information from ESPNBoston.com's Joe McDonald and James Murphy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Chris Forsberg on Twitter: @ESPNForsberg

jQuery.getScriptCache("http://platform.twitter.com/anywhere.js?id=HqH9j16pPQUPNsz4pvudWg&v=1.1", function() { twttr.anywhere.config({'callbackURL': 'http://'+location.host+'/nhl/twitter/anywhere'}); twttr.anywhere(function (T) { T('a.twitter-anywhere').hovercards({infer: true}); }); });

View the original article here

Bruins chase Luongo in romp, tie Cup finals at 2

 var ESPN_GLOBALS = {"videoPlayers":{"recap09":{"src":"http://assets.espn.go.com/espnvideo/mpf32/prod/r_3_2_0_15/ESPN_Player.swf","height":209,"width":372,"adminOver":"3805638","autostart":"true","playerType":"recap09"}}}espn.video.embeded.play();

BOSTON -- The tattered, kitschy Bruins jacket has been moving around the Boston locker room for the past few months, going to the most valuable player in every victory.

It belonged to Nathan Horton when he went down with a serious concussion two days earlier in the Stanley Cup finals. He showed up in the Bruins' locker room Wednesday night, delighting his teammates by putting the jacket on Rich Peverley.

That strange, old jacket bought on eBay has become the Bruins' most valuable trophy.

After two dominant games in Boston, the Bruins are halfway to winning a bigger, shinier prize.

Tim Thomas made 38 saves in his third shutout of the playoffs, Peverley scored two goals after replacing Horton on Boston's top line, and the Bruins emphatically evened the finals at two games apiece with a 4-0 victory over the floundering Vancouver Canucks in Game 4.

The Bruins rolled through Game 4 on an emotional high that began with a stirring pregame tribute to Horton, who will miss the rest of the series after a late hit in Game 3 from Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome, who was suspended for four games.

"When I personally got to see him in the locker room, I was incredibly happy," Thomas said. "It gave me a big boost. He was there to pass the jacket on. The team would have been happy leaving it with Horty for the rest of the series, but he wanted to give it away and keep the tradition going. ... Watching him going down, we want to finish what we started for him."

Michael Ryder and Brad Marchand also scored and the Bruins chased Roberto Luongo early in the third period after Vancouver's star goalie allowed his 12th goal in less than two brutal games in Boston.

"It's always easier to be at home," Marchand said. "We feed off the energy, off our fans. They just bring out the best in us. ... Just seems everyone is so focused right now."

The finals are now a best-of-three, with Game 5 in Vancouver on Friday night.

David Krejci became the sixth player in Bruins history to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single postseason.

— from Elias Sports Bureau

Game 6 is Monday night back in Boston. After outscoring Vancouver 12-1 in the last two games, the Bruins are halfway to their first NHL title since 1972 -- but they'll have to win at least once on the West Coast.

Boston opened its first finals trip in 21 years with two deflating one-goal losses last week in Vancouver, but the Bruins have wrested all momentum from the suddenly shaky Canucks with two thoroughly dominant wins.

Luongo gave up four goals on 20 shots before Cory Schneider replaced him, ending yet another shaky defensive performance for the Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks, who were inexplicably passionless in Boston.

"We have two out of three with home-ice advantage, and that's what we've worked for all season," Luongo said. "We need to get playing the way we did in the first two games."

Vancouver needed just one win in Boston to earn the chance to win the franchise's first championship on home ice. Instead, the Canucks headed home with huge questions about their mental toughness, defense and goaltending.

"It's not for lack of effort, not for lack of trying to win," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. "Give the other team credit. They're playing a smart game, and right now they've been able to shut us down offensively the last two games."

Thomas was flawless yet again in a playoff run that's turning into the defining achievement of his winding career. He has allowed just five goals in four games in his first Stanley Cup finals, with Vancouver's vaunted Sedin twins -- the NHL's last two scoring champions -- failing to beat him.

Despite the NHL's warning to these teams about keeping their competition between the whistles, the third period featured another handful of skirmishes. Thomas delighted Boston's fans when he slashed Vancouver agitator Alex Burrows with 1:51 to play, precipitating another brawl.

"I thought I'd give him a little love tap," Thomas said. "Let them know that I know what you're doing, but I'm not going to let you do it forever. That's all that was. A typical battle."

The Bruins are winning most of them, partially on motivation from Horton's injury.

Before the game, Bobby Orr -- the Hall of Fame defenseman and Boston icon -- wore his own No. 4 jersey as he waved a flag bearing Horton's No. 18, drawing thunderous cheers while standing in the lower bowl under a spotlight. Hundreds of Canucks fans in blue jerseys joined in the cheers for Horton, who scored the winning goals in both of Boston's Game 7 victories during these playoffs.

With the victory secure in the final minutes, the entire building loudly chanted Horton's name.

Brad Marchand tied the Bruins rookie record for goals in a postseason with his eighth tally of the playoffs on Wednesday night.

powered by

Peverley, a Bruins newcomer after a late-season trade from Atlanta, lined up with David Krejci and Milan Lucic. The hardworking forward isn't known for his scoring touch, but came through twice in the new role.

Boston went ahead midway through the first period after Krejci alertly tapped a loose puck in the neutral zone ahead to Peverley, who blew past Raffi Torres and scored just his second goal in 19 games.

The Canucks are a mess on defense after losing top blueliner Dan Hamhuis to an injury in Game 1 before Rome's suspension. Keith Ballard struggled as Rome's replacement, making a brutal turnover on Boston's third goal, but Vancouver played generally shoddy team defense in front of Luongo, who hasn't shaken his reputation for struggling in big games -- even with an Olympic gold medal around his neck.

Vancouver's power play, the NHL's best in the regular season, also has lost its mojo, going 0 for 6 in Game 4 to drop to 1 for 22 in the series. The Sedin twins are the NHL's past two scoring champions, but they've barely made an impact on this series under Boston's steady defensive pressure.

Perhaps the top-seeded Canucks' only good news out of Boston is that the home team is dominating this series -- and they've got two more potential home games.

The Canucks have been routed before in this postseason, losing consecutive games to Chicago by a combined 12-2 after taking a 3-0 lead in that first-round series.

Vancouver narrowly won the first two games last week, moving halfway to the franchise's first championship and Canada's first Cup since 1993. Boston halted Vancouver's roll with an 8-1 victory Monday marred by Horton's injury and numerous scuffles in the third period.

Vancouver soundly outshot Boston over the first 30 minutes of Game 4, yet the Canucks had few solid scoring chances. Most of the shots went straight at Thomas, whose much-evaluated positional game was close to perfect, particularly on an early point-blank chance for Maxim Lapierre.

After Peverley's early goal, Ryder scored midway through the second period on an innocuous shot that somehow fluttered past Luongo. The puck might have deflected off the stick of defenseman Sami Salo, who played Ryder much too softly.

Boston took control 1:18 later during 4-on-4 play when Patrice Bergeron forced Ballard's turnover behind the Canucks' net and chipped it in front to Marchand, who easily scored over Luongo's left shoulder. The Boston crowd serenaded Vancouver with chants of "Luonnnngo! Luonnnngo!"

Luongo finally left after Peverley scored again early in the third period, with the Boston fans roaring as Cory Schneider replaced him.

The Bruins have never played this deep into June in franchise history, and summer temperatures in the 80s made the Canucks worry about the quality of the Boston ice. Vancouver has much bigger worries heading home.

Game notes
Bruins rookie Tyler Seguin was back in the lineup in Horton's absence, earning an assist on Ryder's goal. ... Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin took his first shot of the series in the opening seconds of Game 4. The pass-first playmaker, last season's MVP, didn't have a shot in the first three games. ... Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper attended the game, socializing with Orr beforehand. Canadian actress Rachel McAdams and two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash also were in the crowd. Nash, an avid Canucks fan, cheered on his brother-in-law, Vancouver C Manny Malhotra. ... The Bruins improved to 10-1 when scoring first in the postseason.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

View the original article here