I would say tonight is a huge game for both Boston and Vancouver, but that's the most obvious statement in the NHL right now. The series has been hotly contested (with the exception of the last two periods of game 3) and it's still anyone's series. I'd say Boston has a bit of an advantage simply because of the play of their goaltender, Tim Thomas.
Thomas has been clearly the best goalie in these playoffs, and he should win the Vezina Trophy this year as well. His history is a truly amazing sports success story. Declining backup positions in the NHL to start for teams in Europe in order to play and gain experience...well, not many goalies would turn down the NHL.
I love the grit and fire that Thomas has shown, especially in this series. His team clearly feeds off of that, and I think that his crosscheck of Burrows at the end of Game 4 was a clear sign that Boston isn't gonna simply sit back and let Vancouver dictate the series. Games 1 and 2 were fairly close, with Boston unable to find the net despite many good chances. After Nathan Horton was brutally taken out of the series early in Game 3, the Bruins finally seemed to wake up. Playing the best hockey they have all year, they've outscored Vancouver 12-1 the past two games. They've scored in every possible way: power plays, short-handed, breakaways, etc. If the Bruins can maintain that fire while in Vancouver, this series will be over in 6.
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