2011. Those four digits haunt me, and most Canucks fans, every single day.
Every. Single. Day.
This is not an exaggeration. That was supposed to be the year the Canucks scratched a 40-year itch.
It didn’t happen.
Sorry for ruining your day, everyone, but I’ve got to get something off my chest (again).
I still hate the Boston Bruins.
I’m still bitter. I’m sorry.
But when the stench of the Bruins rolls into town, as it will late this evening, it gets my blood boiling.
The Bruins will be back at Rogers Arena again tomorrow night, and even though it’s been 4 years, 5 months and 19 days since the most disappointing day in Canucks history, there will be more energy in the building. We all know why.
Some of the biggest 2011 villains have moved on. Tim Thomas, Milan Lucic, Shawn Thornton, Andrew Ference, and Dr. Mark Recchi have all retired or moved on to other teams. Some of the players those idiot Boston fans hated have moved on too: Roberto Luongo, Ryan Kesler, Kevin Bieksa, Max Lapierre, and Aaron Rome.
But still, the hate lingers.
Rat-face Brad Marchand will be here, and that should be enough for you. So will their two-faced coach and their ridiculous media. And you know their fans will be watching.
Upon reading this article, many of you will reach out to me to tell me to let it go. I know. I want to let it go, but I can’t. That was Vancouver’s year and Boston robbed us of the glory we deserved. And they did it with some rather questionable tactics.
I try to block 2011 out of my mind, but I can’t. Former Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault has moved on to a powerhouse New York Rangers team, but he’s still thinking about it too.
Here’s a quote from last week after Rangers centre Derek Stepan was the victim of a late hit by the Bruins’ Matt Beleskey:
Vigneault: "I remember Aaron Rome in this building, .6 seconds late, getting suspended four games in the Stanley Cup Final." #NYR #Canucks
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) November 27, 2015
I don’t blame him. How could you? It doesn’t take much for it to all come back.
Dan Hamhuis’ hip-check on Lucic. The finger bite. The chastising of the finger bite while being totally cool with unpenalized bush league tactics by the mainstream media. The unprecedented length of suspension for Rome’s late hit. Ignoring Johnny Boychuk’s late hit that broke Mason Raymond’s back. The media demonizing Rome for only texting Nathan Horton while he was in the hospital, while shrugging their shoulders when Boychuk did the same thing for Raymond. The riot. Rat-face speed-bagging Daniel Sedin with very little repercussion. The media painting good guy, Roberto Luongo, as the arrogant guy. The media painting arrogant guy, Tim Thomas, as the down-to-earth everyman. The Bruins getting away with breaking two of Alex Edler’s fingers in garbage time in Game 6. Mark Recchi beaking Vancouver in the offseason. Rat-face’s cheap shot on Sami Salo in 2012. Shawn Thornton claiming he fought seven Canucks at once. Milan Lucic saying he’s done trying to defend Vancouver, after openly questioning fans here during the Cup Final. Rat-face kissing an imaginary ring upon his return in 2013. Brad Marchand’s rat-face.
Look, I know the series wasn’t that one-sided, and you’ll get an unbiased view in our game day report tomorrow. Usually you get a more unbiased view from me as well.
But this is Boston. These are the Bruins. And they’re coming to town.
Let’s go.
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