Pumping up this reunion

January 06, 2012|Eric Wilbur, Boston.com Staff, Globe Staff

What do you think was racing through Roberto Luongo's mind last night as he watched the Bruins put up a nine-spot on the Calgary Flames? I mean, besides the unmistakable sound of deflating rubber?

They're back. Those whiny, diving, sniveling, skilled superstars from the Pacific Northwest invade the Garden tomorrow for a highly-anticipated showdown against the team that stole their rightful Stanley Cup on that riotous evening in June. One show only.

In the end, it's only two points at stake for the Bruins and Canucks. But the theater surrounding this game is wildly intriguing, a reminder of how quickly this rivalry percolated over the course of just seven games. Heck, remember, most Bruins fans went into the finals last June with the thought process of, "Well, if the Bruins don't take it, Vancouver's just as good as anyone else. They're pretty likable."

It took one "vegetarian" bite for that to change.

It's just another game, the Bruins will tell you.

It's just another game, the Canucks will tell you.

It is. But it is most definitely not just another game.

After last night's shellacking of the Flames (Calgary hasn't been that embarrassed since Brian Orser fell to Boitano) Boston and Vancouver head into tomorrow's matinee with identical stacks of 53 points. After a slow start, the Canucks are once again at the top of the Western Conference. After a slow start, the Bruins are one point behind the Rangers for the Eastern Conference lead with a New York showdown looming in a fortnight. The Bruins are scoring a ridiculous 3.65 goals per game, allowing a mind-boggling 1.84. Their goal differential is now exactly at 2:1 (138-69).

Two-to-one.

And how do the Bruins prepare for their showdown with the Canucks? By tallying 15 goals over two nights, while Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask allowed one combined.

Pumping tires, indeed.

Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault has yet to announce whether Luongo or homeboy Cory Schneider will get the start in net tomorrow, but Bruins fans aching for drama are indeed hoping for the former to go opposite Thomas. It would only add to the drama of welcoming the NHL's most-hated team to town.

Or, is that a fairy tale? Cory?

"Everyone has a lot to prove," Schneider told the Vancouver Province. "We took a lot of abuse from the media and their fans and some of our best players - Lou and the twins and guys like that - I think they're ready to prove that they are as advertised: first-team all-stars and incredible players, not what the Boston media portrayed them to be."

Oh.