The Boston Bruins routed the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 to knot the NHL Stanley Cup Final at two games apiece.
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| Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins makes a save against the Vancouver Canucks during Game Four of the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. |
Tim Thomas made 37 saves for his third shutout of the playoffs and Rich Peverley scored two goals after replacing the injured Nathan Horton on the Bruins\' top line.
The Bruins, who were reeling after dropping the first two games of the best-of-seven series, now head back to Vancouver for Friday\'s game five on level terms.
The series will return to Boston for game six on Monday.
"It\'s always easier to be at home," said Brad Marchand, who also scored for Boston along with Michael Ryder. "We feed off the energy, off our fans. They just bring out the best in us. ... Just seems everyone is so focused right now."
The Bruins are seeking their first NHL title since 1972. To claim it, they must win at least once in Vancouver.
They opened their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 21 years with two demoralizing one-goal defeats on Canada\'s West Coast, but have been dominant at home.
The latest game was preceded by an emotional tribute to Boston right wing Horton, who will miss the rest of the series with a serious concussion suffered in game three on a hit from Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome.
Rome was suspended for four games -- the remainder of the championship series.
Hall of Fame defenseman Bobby Orr, a Boston icon, wore his own number four jersey as he waved a flag bearing Horton\'s number 18, drawing a huge ovation.
Blue-clad Canucks fans joined in the cheers for Horton.
Thomas delivered another superb performance in his first Stanley Cup Finals. He has allowed just five goals and Vancouver\'s Sedin twins, who are the league\'s last two scoring champions, have so far not beaten him.
"That\'s indicative of the way he\'s had to battle to get here," Boston coach Claude Julien said of the veteran goaltender. "He has taken a real bumpy road to get to the NHL. He has had so many obstacles in front of him that he\'s had to overcome.
"That makes him the perfect goaltender for our organization," added Julien, who called his Bruins a "blue collar" team.
Perhaps not surprisingly, given the emotion of the series so far, a few skirmishes erupted late in the third period.
Boston fans weren\'t displeased to see Thomas slash Vancouver agitator Alex Burrows with 1:51 remaining, sparking a brawl.
Peverley, who arrived in Boston in a late-season trade from Atlanta, lined up with David Krejci and Milan Lucic in the Bruins\' top line.
The Bruins took the lead midway through the first period after Krejci nudged a loose puck in the neutral zone ahead to Peverley, who scored just his second goal in 19 games.
Ryder scored midway through the second period and less than three minutes later Boston\'s Patrice Bergeron forced Keith Ballard\'s turnover behind the Vancouver net. He chipped it in front to Marchand, who scored.
After Peverley scored again early in the third, Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo departed having given up his 12th goal in fewer than two games.
Bruins fans cheered as Cory Schneider replaced him.
The Canucks have struggled on defense since losing top blueliner Dan Hamhuis to an injury in game one, and that was before Rome was suspended.
Vancouver, best in the NHL on the power play in the regular season, were 0-for-6 in game four to drop to 1-for-22 in the series.
But Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said he couldn\'t fault his team\'s effort.
"It\'s not for lack of effort, not for lack of trying to win," Vigneault said. "Give the other team credit. They\'re playing a smart game, and right now they\'ve been able to shut us down offensively the last two games."
