How did the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals not end with a Bruins 4-0 sweep?

[LeafsNation75]

I guess you can say this is easy to say now with the benefit of hindsight, however I was thinking back to the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals and wondering how did the Bruins not sweep the Canucks 4-0? In Game 1 the Canucks scored the only goal at the 19:41 mark of the 3rd period. In Game 2 they might have won 3-2 in overtime, however they were losing 2-1 after the 2nd period, still they tied the game in the 3rd and got lucky scoring 11 seconds into overtime. I ask how come the Bruins didn't sweep them when you look at the results of Games 3, 4 & 6 in Boston which the Bruins won 8-1, 4-0 and 5-2.

 

[McGarnagle]

Vancouver and Luongo in particular played a lot better at home. They won game 2 on a flukish OT goal that was a bit of a blunder from Thomas (forgotten because he destroyed Vancouver the rest of the series and had an amazing playoff run).

Also, I hate when Nucks fans use the injury excuse to discredit the Bruins' victory, since Boston was injured as well, but they lost a lot of players, especially on defense,z as the series went on. Their lineups in games 1 & 2, when they shut down the Bruins' offense, was a lot different from 6 and 7 when they got blown out. Plus the whole Horton/Rome factor woke up a sleeping giant in Boston.

 

[sr edler]

Because Vancouver had a good team that cruised to the Presidents’ Trophy that year?

Because Boston had a team that had big problems beating both Montreal and Tampa in earlier rounds?

Boston also benefitted greatly from injuries to Hamhuis, Ehrhoff, Malhotra, Samuelsson, and a suspension to Rome. And that the refs allowed stuff that they shouldn’t have.

 

[sr edler]

and got lucky scoring 11 seconds into overtime.

How does the number of seconds have anything to do with ”luck”? Watch the goal again. It’s not a lucky fluke goal. It’s a legitimate goal. If Boston scored that exact same goal, would you have called it luck?

 

[Sticks and Pucks]

Luongo was hot and cold in that series. He was hot in games 1, 2, and 5. He was terrible in the other four games. In the games that the Canucks lost, their skaters were fine until the team started to fall behind by a couple goals and that didn't happen in the games that they won.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

luongo was great in games 1, 2, and 5.

 

[ESH]

Vancouver was actually favoured by many going into the finals

 

[MXD]

No one right in their mind expected such an outcome, and the actual outcome was nowhere close to this either.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

It should have been a backdoor sweep with Boston winning 4-2. Luongo saved them in game 5. Vancouver was unlikely to be 4-0 swept after being THE team all season though.

 

[Michael Farkas]

When you dive out of the net randomly in a playoff overtime, you tend to immediately lose games...

 

[IslesFan2017]

I think that Luongo played really well in the home games that the Canucks won in the series. He wasn't much better than Thomas was in those games, however he was still better. Unfortunately for the Canucks, whether it was being uncomfortable in Boston or the hostile crowd, he was shaky and played poorly in Boston, leading to the Canucks losing all three games played in Boston in the series.

 

[McGarnagle]

I think that Luongo played really well in the home games that the Canucks won in the series. He wasn't much better than Thomas was in those games, however he was still better. Unfortunately for the Canucks, whether it was being uncomfortable in Boston or the hostile crowd, he was shaky and played poorly in Boston, leading to the Canucks losing all three games played in Boston in the series.

In context, Luongo was probably under the most pressure and scrutiny of any hockey player that I can remember in my life that spring.


Everyone tagged him a playoff choker after the previous couple years where Chicago destroyed him and he got the "7uongo" sobriquet. Having a young goalie with potential like Schneider coming up behind him didn't help. In the first round he was starting to look shaky after they went up 3-0 on the Hawks, to the point where Schneider started game 6 - and the only reason Luongo got back in it was because of an injury. The Nucks had little trouble in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, but Boston was obviously a bad matchup for them. They lost some defensive help along the way, the TD Garden crowd was rough on him and the Canucks in general, particularly after Burrows bit Bergeron and Rome's cheapshot on Horton. That was a really heated series, to say the least. The pressure was on so much that I remember there was some article during the series about how he liked to go for runs by the seawall on game days, so Canucks fans actually held vigil there to keep people from harrassing him. They were that concerned about his mental state. It was pretty hilarious.

He did himself no favors with the "it's an easy save for me" comment directed at Tim Thomas after one of those games, that came to bite him.

But yeah, Luongo was under more pressure than anyone I can remember, and he did not rise above it. That said, reducing the series to "Luongo choked," "the Canucks were injured," or "the refs let everything go" is kind of cheap. The Bruins were good that year and outplayed them all things considered.

 

[sr edler]

Canucks threw two unnecessery hits in the playoffs that woke both Chicago and Boston. First Torres on Seabrook and then Rome on Horton.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

I think that Luongo played really well in the home games that the Canucks won in the series. He wasn't much better than Thomas was in those games, however he was still better. Unfortunately for the Canucks, whether it was being uncomfortable in Boston or the hostile crowd, he was shaky and played poorly in Boston, leading to the Canucks losing all three games played in Boston in the series.

unfortunately for the canucks, luongo didn't have one more godmode performance in him for the last home game.

 

[Big Phil]

I know people will think I am making this up but I have said this before on here, after Game 2 and the overtime goal where Thomas really looked bad I still thought the Bruins were going to win. First off, Thomas overplayed that wraparound, we know this. But Chara really should have plastered Burrows into the boards behind the net when he had a chance. But anyway, the reaction of Thomas when he allowed the goal struck me right away, even while I watched it live. He didn't lie there, he didn't sulk, he just got up skated off the ice as if you say "That was on me boys, but we'll get him next game." I don't know why I felt that in such a short clip of seeing him skate off the ice but it was almost just his demeanor. It didn't look like he lost.



Then the Bruins took over in 3 of the next 4 games and after Game 6 with that punch up with Marchand and Sedin I knew the Bruins would take Game 7 because that was simply just a disgrace not just on Sedin but mostly the Canucks teammates. Can anyone imagine the Oilers letting Gretzky be pushed around like that? Neither can I. So even though the newspapers were calling for a Canuck win in Game 7, I wasn't. I thought it was going to be all Bruins.

 

[Michael Farkas]

I like the narrative, BP, I do...but Thomas always did that when he gave up crappy overtime or shootout goals...he sprints off the ice, normally, he steps up on a puck or just stumbles because he's a horrible skater, so it's funny...but that's what he always does...he's just so used to giving up that goal...

(re: plastering Burrows) Chara can't play inside technique on Burrows and get proper positioning, even on not-that-strong-of-a-skater Burrows because Thomas dove into his path...so he lost all leverage...if Thomas was remotely good at goaltending, he's not and never was, but if he was, he just plays that cool and stays within his posts and, hell, maybe that game is still going on today...but because he's brutal, he dove out of the net, into his HOF defenseman's legs and proceeds to give up the fadeaway jumper to lose a Stanley Cup Final game...

It's super low-hanging fruit because it's such a weak goal to give up and obviously the timing is poor in a sudden death situation...but people get all tied up in a knot when people like me or C1958 or killion talk about the timing and quality of goals and how they affect games and series and while averaging stats are fine for their own purposes, they don't do the job of evaluating for you...

People talk up the save pct. and all that...I mean, if anything, that detracts from the stat itself...homeboy posts a .940 and went just 16-9 despite his team scoring 62 (!) even strength goals in the playoffs (second-best had 38)...how are they losing all those games with that save pct. and that goal count? Timing and quality, timing and quality...it took a heroic effort from Chara and Seidenberg defensively and then this salt of the earth offense on top of it to overcome Thomas and you did a great job highlighting a prime example in that video...

 

[quoipourquoi]

but people get all tied up in a knot when people like me or C1958 or killion talk about the timing and quality of goals and how they affect games and series and while averaging stats are fine for their own purposes, they don't do the job of evaluating for you...

Probably because this is a terrible example of a bad goal negatively affecting a series. Down 0-2 after a supposedly demoralizing goal, and they go on to score 21 goals while Thomas stops 175/179 over the next five games?

If you want to establish a cause-and-effect relationship to relitigate the result of the 2011 Finals, it would be helpful if you could provide the effect aspect.

A goaltender making a mistake and responding to it with the performance that Thomas provided is leadership. Tim Thomas didn't cower after making a mistake; Tim Thomas didn't have time to bleed. The red light turns on for everybody, but the trick is to take it like a champ.

 

[LightningStorm]

I remember not knowing to think going into Game 7. Boston had won all it's games in blowouts, as oppose to Vancouver winning their 3 each by a single goal. But it was in Vancouver, and the home team had won the first 6. Wasn't shocked when the Bruins won in a blowout though.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Probably because this is a terrible example of a bad goal negatively affecting a series. Down 0-2 after a supposedly demoralizing goal, and they go on to score 21 goals while Thomas stops 175/179 over the next five games?

If you want to establish a cause-and-effect relationship to relitigate the result of the 2011 Finals, it would be helpful if you could provide the effect aspect.

A goaltender making a mistake and responding to it with the performance that Thomas provided is leadership. Tim Thomas didn't cower after making a mistake; Tim Thomas didn't have time to bleed. The red light turns on for everybody, but the trick is to take it like a champ.

Two poorly coached teams outdoing each other in their efforts to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Alain Vigneault multi-shifting Aaron Rome in the first five minutes of game three gave away any advantage the Canucks had.

Compare to Scotty Bowman and two gift goals - 1996 vs Chicago, game one in OT and 2002 vs Vancouver 19:35 2nd period, both long shots, easily stoppable scored by Niklas Lidstrom.

Yet Bowman never opened the door to a comeback.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Probably because this is a terrible example of a bad goal negatively affecting a series. Down 0-2 after a supposedly demoralizing goal, and they go on to score 21 goals while Thomas stops 175/179 over the next five games?

If you want to establish a cause-and-effect relationship to relitigate the result of the 2011 Finals, it would be helpful if you could provide the effect aspect.

A goaltender making a mistake and responding to it with the performance that Thomas provided is leadership. Tim Thomas didn't cower after making a mistake; Tim Thomas didn't have time to bleed. The red light turns on for everybody, but the trick is to take it like a champ.

The goal lost them the game. Bad goal, gives game away. The Bruins ought to be - and you're right - lauded for their resiliency...this isn't like the Flyers with Michael Leighton the year before...Boston was dealing with this roller coaster goaltending throughout...after he tried to lose the Montreal series (right down to AK46's long shot that hit iron with almost no time left in regulation), Boston skaters knew what they were dealing with...so when he gave up 400 goals in the Tampa series, the team was prepared...

Look at the close games in that playoffs...shot blocking to saves ratio...Bruins had to really dial-in...in the tight games, they were getting in upwards of 35-40% shots blocked:saves. Full marks to Chara's leadership and defensive ability to overcome some very wonky and unpredictable goaltending...

Just looking at SCF games...(blocks:saves)
19:34
18:33
19:25

Could only relax when they earned it with copious goal scoring feats...
12:41
15:38
17:38
15:37

Thomas probably wasn't effected as he was used to giving up **** goals his whole life...but NHL players aren't used to playing in front of that quality of play, that's why he didn't make it in the league for so long and couldn't hang when he did...except nestled snug in the woolly grains of Julien/Chara...

 

[bobholly39]

after Game 2 and the overtime goal where Thomas really looked bad I still thought the Bruins were going to win.

I don't believe you I think you're making this up.

 

[wintersej]

At 100% health, I think the Canucks win a 7 game series in 2011 more often than not. Unless Boston magically gets a healthy PPG+ Marc Savard as part of getting 100% health. Where is the magic line?

I also think the 2013 Bruins beat the Hawks more often than not if Chara and Bergeron were healthy. Injuries part of the game. Don't cry over spilled milk.

 

[quoipourquoi]

The goal lost them the game. Bad goal, gives game away.

Other fun headlines from the 21st Century:

Roy Leaves His Net and Lets Devils Back Into the Series

Brodeur Puts Game 3 Miscue in Past

Bruins Goalie Tuukka Rask Moves on After Miscue in Game 4

That's three more of the best goaltending runs in the last 17 years that have featured individual games getting thrown away thanks to embarrassing goals. Tim Thomas isn't the first and won't be the last, but he may very well have had the best response.

1 goal on 41 shots
0 goals on 38 shots
1 goal on 25 shots
2 goals on 38 shots
0 goals on 37 shots

Or is there another shaky goal in there that completely changed the outlook of the series and necessitated hiding Thomas behind a brick wall like Fortunato?

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

That's three more of the best goaltending runs in the last 17 years that have featured individual games getting thrown away thanks to embarrassing goals. Tim Thomas isn't the first and won't be the last, but he may very well have had the best response.

1 goal on 41 shots
0 goals on 38 shots
1 goal on 25 shots
2 goals on 38 shots
0 goals on 37 shots

Or is there another shaky goal in there that completely changed the outlook of the series and necessitated hiding Thomas behind a brick wall like Fortunato?

another headline for you "Giguere allows 6 goals in crucial game 5 of Cup Finals"

 

[Gurglesons]

I often wonder what would’ve happened with that Vancouver squad if they win the cup.

Such a good damn good and ultimately annoyingly frustrating team in terms of their antics.

Gillis truly made a beauty of a roster and then ownership tore it apart for “toughness”.

Ice Storm is an amazing book about this team.