Stanley Cup Finals A Fantastic Journey

That would be the 23-year-old Marchand, a self-proclaimed rat on the ice, who proved to be much more, especially when the stakes were highest. Nearly 15 minutes into the first period the forward beat Daniel Sedin to the puck on an offensive zone face-off. He skated with it up the wing, eluding defenseman Sami Salo before backhanding a pass into the slot, where Bergeron found some space and slipped the puck past Luongo. After scoring twice in the game, Marchand finished the postseason with 11 goals, the most by a rookie since Jeremy Roenick scored as many for the Blackhawks in 1990.

The Canucks, with the NHL's top offense during the regular season, could not find a way around Thomas all series. When Bergeron scored a shorthanded goal late in the second period to extend Boston's lead, the Bruins' penalty kill had outscored the Vancouver power play in the finals.

For the first time in seven games the visiting team had been the better team. As the Bruins skated around afterward, taking turns pressing the Cup above their heads, it didn't really matter that they weren't home in Boston. Besides, a piece of home—or, rather, a splash of it—was right there with them.