The waiting is over and it’s the day of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. Tonight in Vancouver, heroes will be made and hearts will be broken. Champagne will be poured and tears of joy and sadness will both be shed. Tonight’s Game 7 obviously comes with tons of possibilities for how things will shake out, but there’s one match-up in particular that we’ll be drawn to watching tonight because it’s very likely that how both sides handle things will decide who gets to skate around with the Stanley Cup.
With Vancouver being at home and getting last change, the chances that we’ll see the Bruins be able to get their top defensive pairing of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg out against the line of Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, and Alex Burrows are minimal. While those two will still get their time against them when coach Claude Julien can work things with a quick line change, we’re more than likely going to see the pairing of Andrew Ference and Johnny Boychuk get the opportunity to be stoppers against the Sedin line.
While the Sedins haven’t had tremendous good fortune in getting points during the finals (Daniel has a goal and three assists while Henrik has just one goal) the bulk of their great scoring chances have come at home as coach Alain Vigneault has been able to get them out on the ice away from the top pair of Chara and Seidenberg. Daniel played huge in Game 2 along with Alex Burrows as those two conspired together to virtually beat the Bruins on their own as Burrows scored two goals and assisted on Daniel’s goal.
The kinds of play we’ve seen from the Sedins at home is more what we’re accustomed to from them. They’ve been able to establish their cycle, create chances offensively, and sustain pressure in Boston’s end. That kind of play will be needed tonight and while Tim Thomas has been brilliant all series and more than likely headed towards a Conn Smythe Trophy award win or lose tonight, that sort of pressure can break any goalie. So far in the finals we’ve yet to see Thomas have a bad game at all.
We’re not saying he’s due for one, mind you, but after his shaky play against Tampa Bay that saw him twice give up five goals in Florida getting the right match-ups against the top offensive talent is a big deal and it’s one of the reasons why this series has played out the way it has. Tonight, those defensive pairings and how they’re utilized will make all the difference between who goes home smiling and who goes home crying.