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Boston Bruins win their first Stanley Cup since 1972 with 4-0 Game 7 win over Vancouver

Boston Bruins v Vancouver Canucks - Game Seven

VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 15: Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins celebrates with his teammates Tim Thomas #30 and Zdeno Chara #33 after defeating the Vancouver Canucks in Game Seven of the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Arena on June 15, 2011 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4 to 0. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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All series long the team that scored first went on to win the game. All series long the home team came out on top. When Patrice Bergeron scored in the first period to give Boston a 1-0 lead, something had to give and Tim Thomas would make sure that the team that scored first would go on to win the game and their first Stanley Cup in 39 years pitching a 37-save shutout in a 4-0 Bruins win in Game 7.

Thomas’ incredible game would seal the deal as he was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable player in the playoffs ending what may turn out to be one of the most incredible seasons by a goaltender in recent history. With Thomas as a finalist, and likely winner, of the Vezina Trophy he’s likely going for the hat trick in hardware now that the season is over.

What helped seal the deal for Thomas and for Boston was the play of Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Both players scored two goals a piece and Marchand finished the night with three points. Marchand’s ability to irritate the Canucks with his chirping and Sedin-face-punching antics and ability to score game-crippiling goals on Roberto Luongo all series long proved to be a killer all wrapped up into one game tonight. Marchand finishes the playoffs with 11 goals, the most by a rookie since Jeremy Roenick scored 11 in 1990. It would be Marchand’s empty net goal with just under three minutes that would definitively seal the deal.

The Bruins were able to pick up where they left off in Game 6 in Boston by scoring first on Roberto Luongo (17 saves) and continuing to keep the pressure on Vancouver all game long, settling in and playing “Bruins hockey” the rest of the way. Getting the big goals from Bergeron and Marchand, Bergeron’s second marker coming late in the second period shorthanded, all but closed the game out. The Canucks were stifled throughout the game and ultimately closed things out in frustrated fashion. They may have outshot the Bruins in the game, but Thomas was only truly tested sparsely throughout the game.

Ultimately, the Canucks went out the same way the did in their three games on the road in Boston. They were outplayed, outhit, outhustled, and ultimately outscored in Game 7. The dominating physical and defensive team that played in Games 1,2, and 5 at home wasn’t out there tonight and the Bruins played the perfect road game to make it work.

The Roberto Luongo who played so cool and so dominating at home throughout this series wasn’t there tonight on a night where he had to perfect to inspire the team. The Canucks scoring just eight goals through seven games doesn’t speak well of the team in general and Luongo’s shortcomings only magnified that.

Of course, there’s a lot to be said how the Bruins played in this series. They were always tough, they were unwavering, and they never relented. The fact that Boston was the only team to win a road game in this series is a good enough reason for them to be Stanley Cup champions for the first time since 1972.

Dan Patrick, Keith Jones, and Mike Milbury wrap things up after Game 7, one that Dan Patrick says the Bruins were a team of destiny.