Unbelievable. I am now watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the day after, since I didn't have a chance to do that live from start to finish last night. Considering how this series started, I can't believe how the Bruins turned this series around and specifically how the officiating changed as well. When the NHL didn't suspend Burrows for the biting incident in Game 1, he became the hero in Game 2. Then Rome pulled that cheap shot in Game 3 and was suspended for the series as the Bruins picked up a blowout win. Then there was word that the officiating would change, making sure it was tighter. I figured these were all signs that the Bruins season would be over soon and the Stanley Cup drought would reach 40 years.
But then something strange happened. What I figured was one bad game for Roberto Luongo became a regular shooting gallery of goals. With the exception of a Game 5 shutout at home, Luongo was awful after those first two games of the series. When the Bruins forced Game 7, I like many viewers, figured Luongo would get the magic back, but I also thought that something was, pardon the pun, brewing. (Or is that, "bruin...") My head said the Canucks would win, but my heart said somehow Boston would pull out the win and the Cup.
After nearly fifteen minutes of shutout hockey, Brad Marchand found Patrice Bergeron for the first goal of the game. The next day, my buddy Double J, the biggest hockey fan I knew, said he knew it was over at that point. Maybe, but this team has a history of giving up leads. One thing about this goal: I didn't see it live, because I was at Utica College covering the opening night of Kings of Kings, the summer basketball league that brings in huge college stars, like this year's headliner, Brandon Triche from the Syracuse Orange. (There are a ton of local guys playing, too. As soon as I walked through the door I saw Matt Welch from NY Mills as well as Walkery and Maurice Mills from Proctor. Later I interviewed Pat Moore from ND & Colgate, Dave Golembiowski from Holland Patent and SUNYIT as well as Sean Burton from ND, who also went to my alma mater, Ithaca College. Apparently he now plays pro hoops in the Icelandic league. Sweet!)
Last year I was amazed at how busy the summer season is in the Mohawk Valley. Between Baseball Hall of Fame events, the Boilermaker, the Turning Stone Resort Championship/the Notay Begay III Foundation Challenge, High School Football Previews, as well as college level and legion baseball. Now we did lose the TSRC, but the NB3 is going to be much bigger this year, unless Tiger Woods pulls out, as expected because of his injury. But even so, there's so much to cover and so little time to get it all done. And quite frankly I love it.
Technically the summer began offically last weekend with the High School State Championships for all the Spring sports. But in reality it really began with the final game of the last fall/winter sport, which is usually the NBA Finals, but not this year. I'm now watching the B's skate around with the Cup and it's amazing. Double J keeps telling me the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the best in any sport and the celebration is also better than any others. I definitely agree that one, the Stanley Cup is the best trophy, which he's also said, and seeing my team skating around with it is incredible. I'd still say that NCAA March Madness is still a more exciting overall playoff, but nothing compares to the NHL in pro sports. (I mean, last year I even got excited for the Blackhawks, of all teams. And I really wanted Philly to win, because that's Double J's team.)
The Vancouver fans in the arena were actually pretty gracious and most of them stuck around to watch the Bruins parade around with the Cup. (They even cheered for Milan Lucic, who was born in Vancouver and won a Memorial Cup with the Giants of the WHL.) They gave their team a standing ovation that was probably undeserved given how pathetic they were, losing 4-0 at home in Game 7. But still, it was a pretty classy gesture by the fans inside the building. Outside, however, was another story, as fans rioted and caused a lot of damage, with over 100 people injured. I really don't understand the whole, we're passionate fans, so let's get drunk and destroy things, mentality that occurs in these places. I mean sure, Boston fans can get pretty rowdy and do some stupid things, but it's usually, as Boston Mayor Tom Menino would say, "a few knuckleheads." (While we're at it Mumbles, how about a nice "They did it through teamwork" quote for the Bruins! "They worked every day at it!") This was just awful and I just don't get it.
In any case, I said before this series started that if the Black & Gold won, I wouldn't go crazy on the championship merchandise. There's just a few problems with that. First, the locker room shirt is really cool, with a cartoon trophy and I can totally see myself getting it. Plus, both Father's Day and my nephew's birthday are coming up, so they'll make perfect gifts. Amazing really, because I'm going to end up shelling out money I don't have for my #4 team, because quite frankly, they may not win again in my lifetime and the celebration, complete with the coolest trophy in sports, needs to be remembered.
So there you have it, The Boston Bruins are your Stanley Cup Champions. That makes seven pro sports championships for Boston in a decade. Plus four more NCAA Hockey titles by Boston College and Boston University makes it eleven major titles. How does your favorite city stack come compared to that? I know, you're all sick of hearing this, but you have to admit it's true. Right now, Boston is the center of the sports world. And you know what's scary? The PATRIOTS have the longest drought. Oy.
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