BOSTON, MA – The morning of Game Four started with a ride in the elevator up to the media room with Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault. His face, clearly strained with the stress of an impending match just eleven hours away and his team still reeling from an 8-1 loss to the Bruins Monday night. He fired a nod my way, but clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk. He had a few things on his mind.
A few minutes later, I walked into the media room and there was very little smiling from anyone. Conversations among reporters continued on the hit Aaron Rome put on Nathan Horton who has been diagnosed with a severe concussion.
It’s difficult to tell how the events of Game Three will carry over to tonight’s game for both teams, but you can bet there will be some impact.
The tone at the TD Garden today is tense. Today’s game is much different than an early-season game. There is much more at stake. It is what makes this a special time of year. Only two teams are on the schedule the rest of the season and although each is so close to reaching the prize they covet, much work remains.
For the Bruins, there is momentum which is exactly what they needed. They scored more goals on the Canucks in Game Three than any other team did during the regular season or playoffs. Their power play is now on track, their defense was stingy and goaltender Tim Thomas was stellar all night.
The Bruins task today is to transition that energy into the same result as Monday’s game.
Boston’s practice this morning was intense, but you could see some lighter moments between drills. Being too tight never helps any team, but this game means everything to the Bruins tonight. A victory knots up the series as it heads back to the Pacific Northwest. A loss requires the Bruins to claim three consecutive wins, two of which would need to come on Canadian ice to win the series.
For the Canucks, after a relatively loose practice Monday, the tone was far more intense this morning. Not a grin could be seen from anyone on the ice during the skate and there were no light moments among the players. The practice lasted longer than anticipated with a half-dozen players engaged in an additional twenty minutes of in-close scoring drills. In front of Vancouver tonight is the challenge of returning to the style of play that has afforded them so much success this season.
There is no greater incentive for the Canucks tonight and maybe Monday’s loss was a wake-up call. They will have to turn the page on Game Three and come out with renewed vigor. A win tonight gives them the opportunity to clinch the Cup in front of their fans on Friday night, a city hungry for a long-sought Championship. A loss turns this series into a best-of-three affair, but with continued momentum for the Bruins with Vancouver likely to continue struggling for answers on how to turn things around.
After the excessive, post-whistle scuffles in Game Three, officiating is expected to be much tighter tonight. Both teams received some stern details on how infractions will be called. This should favor the Canucks whose team speed can be stifling for defenses. The task for Boston will be to minimize those chances by steering Vancouver’s attack toward the boards.
Speculation surrounding who tonight’s Honorary Captain might be is leading some to believe that Bobby Orr will be in the building. At a time when the Bruins and their fans need to be fully charged for this pivotal game, there is no better person to take that role than number four appearing at Game Four.
Contact Dennis.Morrell@prohockeynews.com
