Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
In a mere 11 seconds, Alex Burrows used the strengths of the Boston Bruins’ two best defensive players against them.
In one electric moment, the Vancouver Canucks’ scrappy forward made sure he’ll be remembered for something other than his infamous bite in the Stanley Cup finals.
Everybody knew Burrows was fast. Just not this fast.
Burrows circled the net and scored a stunning goal right off the overtime faceoff, capping a three-point night and ending the Canucks’ 3-2 win in Game 2 Saturday night with the second-speediest overtime goal in NHL playoff and finals history.
Vancouver took a 2-0 lead in the finals heading to Boston for Game 3 on Monday thanks to the brilliance of Burrows, who avoided suspension for this game after being accused of biting Boston’s Patrice Bergeron in Game 1 — but still endured criticism from fans and media.
“My parents don’t really like the negative press I get sometimes,” Burrows said. “It hurts them, not me. My dad told me I should go out and score some goals, because that’s what’s really going to hurt them.”
Burrows scored on a power play in the first period, and he even set upDaniel Sedin’s tying goal midway through the third period with a sharp pass from the slot.
And after the overtime draw, Burrows received a pass from Sedin and streaked down the side, eluding Boston captain Zdeno Chara behind the net. He extended his stick for a wraparound shot, beating out-of-position goalie Tim Thomas for his second goal of the game.
“As soon as I got the puck, I knew I was going to fake a shot and then try to beat him,” Burrows said. “I lost the puck in front of Tim Thomas, but I got it back, and I got it in.”
Burrows’ speed turned the strengths of Chara and Thomas into huge problems. Although the 6-foot-9 Chara is a massive obstacle, he wasn’t mobile enough to match Burrows’ slick turn behind the net, not even with his enormous reach.
Thomas is an aggressive goalie with a Vezina Trophy at home, but his aggression sometimes gets him away from the net.
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