The Boston Bruins have the first goal and a 1-0 lead through one period in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Vancouver Canucks, and as we've been reminded 40 times by NBC and CBC, the team that's scored first in every game in this series has gone on to win the game.
Bruins Vs. Canucks, Game 7 Update: Boston Takes Control, Lead After Slow Start
But if the Bruins do hold on to win the game, and thus the Stanley Cup, it’s not going to be simply because they scored the first goal. It’s going to be because they continuously got better over the course of the game, improving upon their sluggish start and slowly building upon things as they grabbed momentum.
That's what they did in the first period. They looked a step behind the Canucks in the early stages of the game, but then slowly started to find their legs as the first period grew. One noticeable difference was when the fourth units were on the ice, as the Bruins definitely have more depth at this stage of the series. It's showing. Shawn Thornton has been all over the place so far on Wednesday night.
The Canucks need to get back to what they were doing early in the first period if they're going to want to get on the board. Ryan Kesler really stood out in the first 20 minutes, and with the Sedin's still kind of invisible and Mason Raymond out of the lineup, the Canucks really need that pressure from their second line going forward.
The Stanley Cup Finals are ongoing, as the Vancouver Canucks battle the Boston Bruins. Stick with this StoryStream for complete coverage of Game 7. For coverage on the Finals, stick with our Stanley Cup Finals hub, our Canucks blog, Nucks Misconduct, and our Bruins blog, Stanley Cup of Chowder.
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