2011 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Series Preview: Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins
Vancouver Canucks has secured its spot in the 2011 National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1994 when they lost in game seven against New York Rangers. There is still one game remaining in the Eastern Conference Finals to
determine the winner and Vancouver’s opponent in the last round of this year’s playoffs.
Winning a Stanley Cup would be monumental for both teams as they have worked extremely hard to reach this stage and going down without a fight would be a shame for both.
Boston has not seen the Stanley Cup Finals for over 20 years but they certainly are capable of taking a commanding lead over the Presidents’ Trophy winners during the series.
It is extremely difficult to accurately predict how the series will turn out in the end but there is always room to make guesses and see how they turn out in the end.
Each of the two teams has its own way of playing and handling the puck which will make this year’s Stanley Cup Finals between Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins even more exciting than it already is.
Offensive Advantage: Vancouver
Obviously and without any doubt, Vancouver is the better team offensively.
Their defensemen cannot be considered only defenders but are also high scorers who can turn the tables of any game at any moment without prior warning.
Creating a loop hole in Canucks’ offense is near to impossible and has not been done so far in the past three series when they went against Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks.
Moreover, power-plays are something Canucks love and devour with pleasure. Canucks are currently the highest ranking team in terms of killing and taking advantage of the added man which could be harmful for Boston Bruins who are prone to giving penalties
due to their physical style of playing.
Defensive Advantage: Boston
Boston Bruins is famous worldwide for its defensive tactics and brutal manhandling of its opposing teams. During the regular season their captain, Zdeno Chara, hit Montreal’s Max Pacioretty which sent him flying into the boards and out with a severe concussion
and other injuries.
Vancouver has always been considered weak for their lack of physicality and thus is seriously handicapped when it comes to tackling the opponent, especially if it is Boston Bruins.
Special Teams Advantage: Vancouver
Boston might be a very good team overall, but there are not a specific group of players that always have worked well with each.
Bruins consist of self-performing players who play good in their own respective positions and can spark at anytime. Their rookie, Tyler Seguin, thrashed Tampa Bay in his first two playoff games, however, that cannot be the case all the time.
Vancouver, on the other hand, has a handful of players that always perform well together, namely, Ryan Kesler and the Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel.
These three combine to form an unstoppable trio and batter the other team senseless like they did with San Jose Sharks in a shocking 4-1 win in the last series.
Nobody could have imagined Sharks going down so easily which just goes to show how capable Vancouver really is against some of the biggest teams.
Final Verdict and Prediction: Vancouver wins the Stanley Cup in a Six-Game Series against Boston Bruins
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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