Gameday: Boston at Vancouver - Stanley Cup Final, Game Seven

The Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins will meet tonight in game seven of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.  The series is tied three games to three, and the series has been a tale of two cities as the Canucks have won all three games at Rogers by one goal, while the Bruins have won all three at TD Garden by a combined 14 goals.  In game six, the Canucks started brutally, allowing four goals in 4:14 within the first ten minutes, but bounced back to play a better final 50; however, at that point the game was way over.  Now, this is it.  It's game seven for all the marbles, and this is without a doubt the biggest game of the NHL season, as well as the last in what has been a long and interesting season.

For Boston, Tim Thomas will receive the nod in goal, as he has for every game in these playoffs.  Thomas is having a magnificent postseason, leading all goalies in GAA (2.06) and save percentage (.937) while also being second in shutouts (3) and tied for first in wins (15).  He was magnificent in game six, as he has been all series, making 31 saves for the second consecutive game to lead Boston to victory.  With 33 saves tonight, he will set the record for most total saves in a Stanley Cup Final.  The Bruins are paced in scoring by David Krejci, who has 23 points and 12 goals (both of those numbers also lead the NHL).  On the injury front Boston will be without Nathan Horton, who has a severe concussion, but other than that Claude Julien is expected to keep the same lineup that saw their game six win.

Vancouver bench boss Alain Vigneault is expected to give the nod in goal to Roberto Luongo, who was pulled just 8:35 into game six after allowing three goals on eight shots.  Overall he is ninth in postseason GAA (2.54) and eighth in postseason save percentage (.916) but somehow leads in shutouts (4) and is tied for first in wins (15).  Luongo needs to be absolutely brilliant in this game for Vancouver to win; Boston is going to come hard and fast at him and try and shake him early.  Vancouver is led in scoring by captain Henrik Sedin, who has 22 points, 19 of which are assists; the second number leads all postseason skaters.  In terms of injuries, the Canucks are racked with them.  Winger Mason Raymond had his back broken just one shift into game six, and is out for four months at least.  Both defenseman Dan Hamhuis (ruptured testicle) and winger Mikael Samuelsson (shoulder surgery) are out as well, while blueliner Aaron Rome is suspended for the hit that knocked Horton out.  After injury scares in game six, however, defensemen Alex Edler and Andrew Alberts will both play.

Puck drops for this one 8:15-ish.