[GDT] Vancouver Canucks @ Boston Bruins, Feb 8 7PM EST (4PM PST) TD Garden, the Play 'em like it was Game 8 January 7, 2012 ... oh ya, Smash the Rat Too! Game

[Rocket-68]

 Overview

BOSTON! You what that means! Canucks will be up for this game - I can tell you that for free. This is the first of two meetings between the hated Bruins and our beloved Canucks.

 

You just know every Canucks fan and 25% of the rest of hockey fans had this game circled on their calendar ..  I know I did.

 

Vancouver is coming off of a blockbuster trade with the Flames that paid immediate dividends with Elias "soon-to- be-resigned" Lindholm scoring two power play goals. Lindholm was a force, leading all forwards in the TOI stat, was in the right places and showcased some of why PA / JR reached into their bag of tricks early to scoop him up. Meshing so quickly within Tocchet's staples bodes well for the the future of this team over the back half of the season.

 

“It starts ramping up. I feel like we’re kind of past like the ‘dog days’ of the season. Now it’s kind of a full push,” Trent Frederic said Tuesday. Boston then promptly laid an egg. 

 

The Flames – who are five points out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference – not only beat the Bruins, but wholly outplayed them. Calgary was faster, smarter and more desperate for the two points on the line. This bodes well for the Canucks as well who certainly are in a different tier than the Flames. However, the Bruins lackadaisical performance against the Flames isn't indicative of their overall capabilities and the Canucks will need to bring their A+ game to beat the Bruins. Odds are low that Boston lays another steaming pile back to back.

 

While Boston sits comfortably at the top of the Atlantic Division with 71 points and will be in the “contender” category come spring, each matchup down the stretch will be a challenge – no matter the ranking of its competition. 

 

The Canucks sit 2 points clear of Boston atop the entire league and hold every tie breaker.

 

Prediction: Close, physical game but the Canucks win 4-2 with an empty netter scored by JT Miller

 

Quote of the day:

“When you go through the tape, you’ll see hockey IQ plays,” Tocchet said speaking about Lindholm's game.

 

 

A Random Hockey Story

Spoiler

Canucks “Game 8” Remains Special 10 Years Later

January 20, 2023 by Adam Kierszenblat

 

Jan. 7, 2022, marked the 10th anniversary of what Vancouver Canucks fans refer to as Game 8, the first meeting between the Boston Bruins and Canucks since their 2011 Stanley Cup battle. It was one for the ages. Under the bright lights of TD Garden in Boston, the rivals put on a show with fights, a dirty hit that led to a suspension, and a bar-down goal that echoed through the building. The Canucks walked away with a 4-3 victory, something they were unable to do in Game 7. Here is a look back at that memorable game.

Game 8 Early Fisticuffs

The Canucks and Bruins got into a line brawl just under four minutes into the game. Alexandre Burrows, Maxim Lapierre, Shawn Thoroton, and Milan Lucic were involved as the lingering resentment from the 2011 playoffs was evident. During the commotion, Dale Weise and Nathan Horton separated from the group and dropped the gloves in a tussle that set the mood for the rest of the game.

 

The tough stuff did not stop; scrums developed after the whistle throughout the night, and Lapierre and Gregory Campbell dropped the gloves in a second bout late in the first. By the end of the game, the teams had combined for 107 penalty minutes, 72 of them in the first period. However, the Canucks showed they could stand their ground and take on the Bruins physically, which had been a concern in the Final.

Vigneault’s Unusual Goaltending Decision

During the 2011-12 season, the Canucks had one of the strongest goaltending tandems in the league. Roberto Luongo was the starter, but backup Cory Schneider was on the rise, looking to take over the crease. In Game 8, head coach Alain Vigneault decided to go with the young netminder instead of his number one in a surprising move that paid off. 

 

 

Even from the bench, Luongo heard it from the fans who chanted from the stands. As for Schneider, he stopped 36 of 39 shots, including a penalty shot for the 4-3 win. In hindsight, the decision made sense as Luongo had a rough ride playing in Boston during the Stanley Cup Final. He eventually got his win in Boston, but he had to wait until March 23, 2016, when he was a member of the Florida Panthers. 

Canucks Power Play Finally Strikes

During the Stanley Cup Final, the Canucks scored only one power-play goal in Boston. It was a big reason why they lost the Cup and a disappointment since they had the best power play in the league throughout the season, and it was strong throughout the playoffs. But in Game 8, they rediscovered their scoring touch, potting four power-play goals in the game.

 

All four of Vancouver’s goals were scored with the man advantage, including the game-winner, which was a bar-down beauty by former first-rounder Cody Hodgson. The goal had the Canucks broadcast team in awe as the ping of the puck on the crossbar echoed throughout the building. Game 8 may have actually been his best game as a Canuck as he registered a goal and an assist with three shots on goal. Kesler, Burrows, and Henrik Sedin, who finally found a way to beat Tim Thomas at the Garden, were the other goalscorers.

 

A Low Blow From Marchand ... (my edit: why he is called the Rat)

Brad Marchand was at it again, clipping Sami Salo from behind, which caused the Finnish defenceman to fall awkwardly on his neck. He missed six games after the hit, while Marchand was suspended for five games.

 

 

Throughout the Final, Marchand was considered a dirty player. In the series, he upended Daniel Sedin after the whistle in Game 4. He wasn’t suspended on the play despite the national broadcasters repeatedly mentioning that the play was dangerous. Marchand’s suspension after the Salo hit was his third in the NHL. He now has seven, including a slew foot on Oliver Ekman-Larsson earlier this season, resulting in a three-game suspension. 

 

An Important Win for Canuck Fans

Although the game may seem meaningless to Bruins fans, it was important to the Canucks. The team finally beat the Bruins in Boston, which they couldn’t do in the playoffs. Yes, the game had little significance in the standings or playoff race, but it was a hard-fought win that Canuck fans will remember for years.

 

Media

You know the drill, GO BUY A TICKET AND throw random objects at the opposing team - just kidding, no violence please, unless the Rat is within reach and you have an excellent alibi or attorney. Otherwise go to your local watering hole and support your team and swill some beer.

 

TV: Sportsnet Pacific, SNO, SNE, TWA Sports

Radio: SportsNet 650

Streaming: lots on various Reddit threads 

 

By the Numbers

Spoiler

TOP PERFORMERS:
Elias Pettersson has 27 goals and 39 assists for the Canucks. Brock Boeser has five goals and five assists over the last 10 games.

Charlie Coyle has 18 goals and 24 assists for the Bruins. David Pastrnak has eight goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.

 

LAST 10 GAMES:

Canucks: 8-0-2, averaging 3.4 goals, six assists, 4.3 penalties and 10.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.

Bruins: 7-2-1, averaging 3.8 goals, 5.7 assists, four penalties and 9.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.

 

 

Source: https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/teams/vancouver-canucks-players-2023-24-nhl-stats.html

 

 

Source: https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/teams/boston-bruins-players-2023-24-nhl-stats.html

 

Canucks vs. Bruins Prediction: Who Will Win, Cover the Spread

We have used trusted machine learning and data analysis to simulate the result of Thursday's NHL matchup between the Canucks and Bruins 10,000 times, in line with our coverage of NHL picks.

 

Our popular predictive analytics model gives the Bruins a 57% chance of defeating the Canucks.

 

According to our model, the Canucks (+1.5) have a 63% chance of covering the puck line, while the Over/Under total of 6 goals has a 51% chance of going under.

 

Source: https://www.dimers.com/news/vancouver-canucks-vs-boston-bruins-prediction-odds-nhl-picks-282024

 

Matchup Info

Spoiler

 

 

 

Da Roster

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Da Zebras

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

Player Spotlight

 

 

Now for some fun stuff

 

Edited February 8 by Rocket-68

[Shift-4]

And I thought I was excited about the last game!

 

Will have to escape office early to watch live.

 

Go Canucks Go!!!

[PhillipBlunt]

This should be a great game.

 

Skill is pretty evenly matched, although Vancouver has an advantage especially after the Lindholm trade. 

Speed, same. 

Physicality is definitely in Vancouver's favor. Who would be the most imposing player on the Bruins right now? Carlo? Coyle? 

 

[Rip The Mesh]

 

[PistolPete13]

1 hour ago, Rocket-68 said:

 Overview

BOSTON! You what that means! Canucks will be up for this game - I can tell you that for free. This is the first of two meetings between the hated Bruins and our beloved Canucks.

 

Vancouver is coming off of a blockbuster trade with the Flames that paid immediate dividends with Elias "soon-to- be-resigned" Lindholm scoring two power play goals. Lindholm was a force, leading all forwards in the TOI stat, was in the right places and showcased some of why PA / JR reached into their bag of tricks early to scoop him up. Meshing so quickly within Tocchet's staples bodes well for the the future of this team over the back half of the season.

 

“It starts ramping up. I feel like we’re kind of past like the ‘dog days’ of the season. Now it’s kind of a full push,” Trent Frederic said Tuesday. Boston then promptly laid an egg. 

 

The Flames – who are five points out of a wild card spot in the Western Conference – not only beat the Bruins, but wholly outplayed them. Calgary was faster, smarter and more desperate for the two points on the line. This bodes well for the Canucks as well who certainly are in a different tier than the Flames. However, the Bruins lackadaisical performance against the Flames isn't indicative of their overall capabilities and the Canucks will need to bring their A+ game to beat the Bruins. 

 

While Boston sits comfortably at the top of the Atlantic Division with 71 points and will be in the “contender” category come spring, each matchup down the stretch will be a challenge – no matter the ranking of its competition. 

 

The Canucks site 2 points clear of Boston atop the entire league and hold every tie breaker.

 

Prediction: Close, physical game but the Canucks win 4-2 with an empty netter scored by JT Miller

 

Quote of the day:

“When you go through the tape, you’ll see hockey IQ plays,” Tocchet said speaking about Lindholm's game.

 

 

A Random Hockey Story

  Reveal hidden contents

Canucks “Game 8” Remains Special 10 Years Later

January 20, 2023 by Adam Kierszenblat

 

Jan. 7, 2022, marked the 10th anniversary of what Vancouver Canucks fans refer to as Game 8, the first meeting between the Boston Bruins and Canucks since their 2011 Stanley Cup battle. It was one for the ages. Under the bright lights of TD Garden in Boston, the rivals put on a show with fights, a dirty hit that led to a suspension, and a bar-down goal that echoed through the building. The Canucks walked away with a 4-3 victory, something they were unable to do in Game 7. Here is a look back at that memorable game.

Game 8 Early Fisticuffs

The Canucks and Bruins got into a line brawl just under four minutes into the game. Alexandre Burrows, Maxim Lapierre, Shawn Thoroton, and Milan Lucic were involved as the lingering resentment from the 2011 playoffs was evident. During the commotion, Dale Weise and Nathan Horton separated from the group and dropped the gloves in a tussle that set the mood for the rest of the game.

 

The tough stuff did not stop; scrums developed after the whistle throughout the night, and Lapierre and Gregory Campbell dropped the gloves in a second bout late in the first. By the end of the game, the teams had combined for 107 penalty minutes, 72 of them in the first period. However, the Canucks showed they could stand their ground and take on the Bruins physically, which had been a concern in the Final.

Vigneault’s Unusual Goaltending Decision

During the 2011-12 season, the Canucks had one of the strongest goaltending tandems in the league. Roberto Luongo was the starter, but backup Cory Schneider was on the rise, looking to take over the crease. In Game 8, head coach Alain Vigneault decided to go with the young netminder instead of his number one in a surprising move that paid off. 

 

 

Even from the bench, Luongo heard it from the fans who chanted from the stands. As for Schneider, he stopped 36 of 39 shots, including a penalty shot for the 4-3 win. In hindsight, the decision made sense as Luongo had a rough ride playing in Boston during the Stanley Cup Final. He eventually got his win in Boston, but he had to wait until March 23, 2016, when he was a member of the Florida Panthers. 

Canucks Power Play Finally Strikes

During the Stanley Cup Final, the Canucks scored only one power-play goal in Boston. It was a big reason why they lost the Cup and a disappointment since they had the best power play in the league throughout the season, and it was strong throughout the playoffs. But in Game 8, they rediscovered their scoring touch, potting four power-play goals in the game.

 

All four of Vancouver’s goals were scored with the man advantage, including the game-winner, which was a bar-down beauty by former first-rounder Cody Hodgson. The goal had the Canucks broadcast team in awe as the ping of the puck on the crossbar echoed throughout the building. Game 8 may have actually been his best game as a Canuck as he registered a goal and an assist with three shots on goal. Kesler, Burrows, and Henrik Sedin, who finally found a way to beat Tim Thomas at the Garden, were the other goalscorers.

 

A Low Blow From Marchand ... (my edit: why he is called the Rat)

Brad Marchand was at it again, clipping Sami Salo from behind, which caused the Finnish defenceman to fall awkwardly on his neck. He missed six games after the hit, while Marchand was suspended for five games.

 

 

Throughout the Final, Marchand was considered a dirty player. In the series, he upended Daniel Sedin after the whistle in Game 4. He wasn’t suspended on the play despite the national broadcasters repeatedly mentioning that the play was dangerous. Marchand’s suspension after the Salo hit was his third in the NHL. He now has seven, including a slew foot on Oliver Ekman-Larsson earlier this season, resulting in a three-game suspension. 

 

An Important Win for Canuck Fans

Although the game may seem meaningless to Bruins fans, it was important to the Canucks. The team finally beat the Bruins in Boston, which they couldn’t do in the playoffs. Yes, the game had little significance in the standings or playoff race, but it was a hard-fought win that Canuck fans will remember for years.

 

Media

You know the drill, GO BUY A TICKET AND throw random objects at the opposing team - just kidding, no violence please, unless the Rat is within reach and you have an excellent alibi or attorney. Otherwise go to your local watering hole and support your team and swill some beer.

 

TV: Sportsnet Pacific, SNO, SNE, TWA Sports

Radio: SportsNet 650

Streaming: lots on various Reddit threads 

 

By the Numbers

  Reveal hidden contents

TOP PERFORMERS:
Elias Pettersson has 27 goals and 39 assists for the Canucks. Brock Boeser has five goals and five assists over the last 10 games.

Charlie Coyle has 18 goals and 24 assists for the Bruins. David Pastrnak has eight goals and eight assists over the last 10 games.

 

LAST 10 GAMES:

Canucks: 8-0-2, averaging 3.4 goals, six assists, 4.3 penalties and 10.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.

Bruins: 7-2-1, averaging 3.8 goals, 5.7 assists, four penalties and 9.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game.

 

 

Source: https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/teams/vancouver-canucks-players-2023-24-nhl-stats.html

 

 

Source: https://www.quanthockey.com/nhl/teams/boston-bruins-players-2023-24-nhl-stats.html

 

Canucks vs. Bruins Prediction: Who Will Win, Cover the Spread

We have used trusted machine learning and data analysis to simulate the result of Thursday's NHL matchup between the Canucks and Bruins 10,000 times, in line with our coverage of NHL picks.

 

Our popular predictive analytics model gives the Bruins a 57% chance of defeating the Canucks.

 

According to our model, the Canucks (+1.5) have a 63% chance of covering the puck line, while the Over/Under total of 6 goals has a 51% chance of going under.

 

Source: https://www.dimers.com/news/vancouver-canucks-vs-boston-bruins-prediction-odds-nhl-picks-282024

 

Matchup Info

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

Da Roster

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Da Zebras

 

 

Player Spotlight

 

 

Now for some fun stuff

 

Beautiful win. The boys really stood up for each other in that game. Its not to late to extract revenge on the Rat for that dirty hit on Salo. 

[Strawbone]

Not going to lie, this game means more to me than most. 2011 still stings. A win would be amazing, a hard fought loss would be tolerable, and a bad loss would be a pretty big day-ruiner!

[Rip The Mesh]

Going back to the All Star festivities; I would have to say, it would appear, Thatcher Demko has been just waiting, yearning for this game..

 

 

[Captain Hughes]

4-2 canucks I score the winner 

[Rip The Mesh]

4-3 Canucks. one big fight. Miller scores the winner.

[snowman955]

Assuming this is going to be physical. As long as our team stands tall we can match them. 

 

As long as our Nucks stay strong on the blue line, heads up and cover the slot. This should be our time to shine.

 

EL has given an extra threat on 200 feet. He is a great addition.

[Dr. Crossbar]

Of all the games this season in which people said BIG GAME, HUGE GAME, BIG TEST, IMPORTANT GAME, PIVOTAL GAME, MUST WIN, HUGE TEST, blah, blah, blah ...

 

After 50 games, this is the real, legitimate big test, big game we've been waiting for and to get past with a win. 

[Strawbone]

11 minutes ago, Captain Hughes said:

4-2 canucks I score the winner 

 

Have you been right yet lol? Admire the persistence 

[Metal Face Doom]

This will be a great game to watch.

[Rip The Mesh]

 

[Ghostsof1915]

What's the deal with a 3:30pm start? US Holiday?

Ok, weird I swore I saw a 3:30pm start, maybe just someone did a typo on Sportsnet. It's showing 4pm. That makes more sense.

Edited February 7 by Ghostsof1915

[PhillipBlunt]

17 minutes ago, snowman955 said:

Assuming this is going to be physical. As long as our team stands tall we can match them. 

 

As long as our Nucks stay strong on the blue line, heads up and cover the slot. This should be our time to shine.

 

EL has given an extra threat on 200 feet. He is a great addition.

The Canucks can more than match the Bruins physicality. What player on Boston's roster will intimidate Zadorov, Cole, Juulsen or Myers? Or Miller or Joshua for that matter? None. Carlo and Forbort? Frederic? Coyle? 

 

Please. The Canucks will be the one bringing the pain tonight.

[footsteps]

Smash the Rat. Smash the Rat. Smash the Rat.

 

Oh, also score goals and win the game. Ya, that too.

 

[tas]

time to put some distance between the boys and the rest of the pack. 

 

everybody else should be playing for 2nd place this year. 

[Canadian_Kanga]

Screw you Boston!  (bruins)

 

Rat face is my most disliked player in the league - which is not bad considering there's Perry and wilson floating around amongst agitating divers and off ice nobgoblins.

 

goooo Canucks!

 

 

Someone has just moved in next door and calls himself T.J.  I have apologised in advance for the numerous times I will call him J.T

Edited February 7 by Canadian_Kanga

[kilgore]

SPLAT THE RAT!

 

 

 

[ngoway]

This is going to be a fun game. Excited to see how the team reacts and responds to playing another good team. Will be extra sweet if Zadorov or someone else flattens Marchand 

[Gawdzukes]

Another good team we're playing. 

 

Not quite as clutch and grab but more skilled and they attack as a 5 man unit. Going to be a tough game but I have faith they will rise to the challenge.

[Goose]

Swayman vs Demko center ice lets go

[Dumb Nuck]

At 5-0-1 I just had to call up Jen at Alf’s Empties Hotline fo another prediction and sadly they are going with the Bruins for the win.

 

Bad Alf’s Empties

 

 

Edited February 7 by Dumb Nuck

[Silent Man]

1 hour ago, PistolPete13 said:

Beautiful win. The boys really stood up for each other in that game. Its not to late to extract revenge on the Rat for that dirty hit on Salo. 

Rat such a piece of sh#t.