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Sunday, June 12, 2011

LAPIERRE SCORES IN THE THIRD TO GIVE THE CANUCKS A 1-0 WIN






















GOAL SCORERS

VAN:   M. Lapierre (04:35 - 3rd)
GOALIES

BOS: T. Thomas (L)
 VAN: R. Luongo (W)




       Friday night in Vancouver, it was Game 5 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final between the Bruins and Canucks. 4 minutes into the first, the Bruins came in on a 2 on 1 and Kelly took a shot and hit the crossbar, glove side on Luongo. Late in the first, the Bruins were on a powerplay. Chara played the puck to Sidenberg and his one-timer was stopped and the rebound by Bergeron was stopped as well. So there was no score after 1 period of play. 12 minutes into the second, Tanev played the puck to Glass (who had an open net) and he fanned on it and shot a backhander that was stopped by Thomas. There was still no score after 2. This was starting to look like Game 1 all over again.

       In the Third, just 5 minutes in, Lapierre dropped the puck to Torres and he played it back to Lapierre and he was stopped by Thomas. On the same play, Bieksa's shot went wide iff the rear end boards and right to Lapierre who scored on the empty net to make it 1-0 Canucks lead. What Bieksa did on that play was, shoot it wide because he knows when Thomas makes saves he makes it on the white ice. So he fooled Thomas by purposly making it go wide so Lapierre would have an empty net and he did and what do you know it's a 1-0 lead. That 1-0 lead would be all the Canucks need as they won Game 5 by the score of 1-0 and took a 3-2 series lead going back to Boston for the Bruins final home game of the 2010-2011 season.

       "We do whatever it takes, and that's what we need to do if we want to win the last one here," said Luongo, who stopped 31 shots in his fourth shutout of the postseason. "I play the game because I love it and I want to win the Stanley Cup, so that's the only motivation I need right now. I try to block everything else out. Sometimes it's hard to do in a city like this. You can't let those things affect you, because then they will affect your game." Game 5 was an even game once again. Having said that the team that had a little more hunger got the win even though they were outshot 31-25. It's not about the shots, it's about goals and former Montreal Canadien and former Anaheim Duck and now a Vancouver Canuck got the goal that gave the Canucks a 3-2 series lead.

       Lapierre had quite a road this season. He started in Montreal, then he was traded to the Ducks and then he was traded to the Canucks and he got a huge goal for them as they are 1 win away from the Stanley Cup."It's been six months I'm thinking about a goal," Lapierre said. "We got lucky. Good bounce. It was challenging there for us, right spot at the right time."

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

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