Winner takes all tonight in Stanley Cup Final
Posted Jun 15, 2011 07:14:55 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER, BC – For the last two months fans have arm-chair coached, splurged on new TVs, grown some epic facial hair, and even measured each other’s loyalties. Today, it’s all about the dream, and the mood around town is festive and tense.
“It’s epic,” says one fan. “This is what they dream about, right? Game 6 and 5, that doesn’t mean anything… When you’re kid in the backyard playing hockey or in the driveway, it’s always Game 7.”
The Canucks survived Chicago, played some banjo in Nashville, and stuck it to San Jose — while Boston
beat Montreal, swept the Flyers and survived St. Louis and Stamkos in Tampa Bay.
Little has united the two cities like their team’s dramatic journey’s. Today, fans are trying to find the balance between nerves, pride, and hope.
“I’m anxious, very anxious, but I’m confident that they’ve won in their hometown and they can do it,” one woman says, before letting out a barrage of cheers.
For today, what’s done is done. Fans are putting the upsets of the past behind them, focusing instead on the talents that got their team here.
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Do the Canucks have anything left in the tank?
“Tonight is the night that even if they don’t, they suck it up, they tape it up, and they give it all that they’ve got. There is one more game left, winner takes all,” says 1310’s Ann Schmaltz.
“These guys are playing for the Stanley Cup, this is a dream for all of them. Are they hurt, battered and bruised? Sure, but none of that matters now. No regrets will be the theme inside the locker-room, leave it all on the ice.”
“Roberto will need to be outstanding,” she says. “The pressure of battling back can not be handed to just one guy, all 20 that will be wearing that jersey on the ice will have to leave it all on the line.”
All the blood, sweat, and tears have led to this. Hockey’s ultimate game is hours away and ultimate glory for the Vancouver Canucks is on the line.
Bruins have some inspiration in Horton
Neither team is short on inspiration going into Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, but the Boston Bruins point to injured winger Nathan Horton as their talisman. Horton, recovering from a severe concussion after taking a late hit from Vancouver defenceman Aaron Rome in Game 3, is with the team, but only as a spectator. Still the Bruins have kept his gear in their locker-room to show he is still part of the squad.“There’s a lot of reasons to want to win this for different people and right now Horton’s the guy we’re talking about,” coach Claude Julien said Wednesday morning in advance of the Cup decider against the Canucks.
Players nervous, excited
“You can bet there are some nerves, and there should be,” says Schmaltz. “Kevin Bieksa said before Game 6 that the players wouldn’t be human if they weren’t nervous. But he commented that it was an excited nervous energy.”
After all, look at the opportunity in front of them: a shot at winning something very few people do, the Stanley Cup, she says.
“I think that the team will find a way to channel their nerves, focus on getting the job done and playing with everything they’ve got inside, nerves and all.”
Schmaltz doesn’t anticipate the sort of long-winded locker-room speech tonight that has preceeded previous games — “After all, what is there left to say?” she asks.
“Raffi Torres addressed the group prior to the last game about leaving it all on the ice, having no regrets,” she says. “He’s been there and he’s lost.
1310news will have complete coverage with updates on the game at :15 and :45 past every hour with Eric Prime.
