The Vancouver Canucks will try to bring the Stanley Cup home to a Canadian team for the first time since 1993 when they face Boston in the National Hockey League finals starting today.
Not since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens has a Canadian-based club captured the trophy, with four different clubs having reached the best-of-seven championship series since then only to fall at the finish to US rivals.
The Canucks missed out in 1994, losing the finals in seven games to the New York Rangers, who had not won the crown since 1940. Vancouver’s only other NHL final appearance was in 1982 when they were swept by the New York Islanders.
“To go to the Stanley Cup final is a dream come true,” Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa said. “Our core has been here for seven or eight years working toward something special and we have a huge opportunity.”
Calgary lost the 2004 finals to Tampa Bay in seven games and after the 2005 final was lost in a contract dispute between players and club owners, Edmonton lost the 2006 final to Carolina and Ottawa dropped the 2007 final to Anaheim.
As well as having a home-ice edge after leading the league in points this season, history is on the side of the Canucks claiming their first NHL title in their 40th season after Vancouver hosted last year’s Winter Olympics.
After Montreal hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics, Montreal won the 1977 Stanley Cup and after Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics, the Calgary Flames won the Cup the next year.
The Bruins have not claimed the Cup since 1972, having lost in the finals to Philadelphia in 1974, Montreal in 1977 and 1978, Edmonton in 1988 and to the Edmonton Oilers in 1990.
“We haven’t [been in the final] for a long time as an organization, but this year is all that matters,” Boston’s Nathan Horton said.
The Bruins defeated the Canucks 3-1 in February in Vancouver just after the Olympics in their only regular-season meeting, with Vancouver-native Milan Lucic scoring a goal and assisting on two others for the Bruins.
Boston’s line of Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton has scored 20 of Boston’s 57 goals in this year’s playoffs.
Manny Malhorta, a third-line center who could return from a March eye injury and provide an emotional boost for the Canucks, scored Vancouver’s only goal against the Bruins in that defeat.
Boston goaltender Tim Thomas, 12-6 in the playoffs, made 27 saves, while Vancouver netminder Roberto Luongo stopped 22 shots in that meeting.
Boston come off a seven-game escape against Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference final, while Vancouver needed only five games to oust San Jose in the Western Conference final.
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