For 59 minutes, neither the Vancouver Canucks nor the Boston Bruins were able to find the back of the net. Both sides came close, and Vancouver came just inches from breaking the scoreless tie multiple times in the third period, even hitting the post at one point. And as Tim Thomas stood on his head, it took a mistake by the Boston Bruins' defense and two crisp passes to beat the Bruins goalie with what was, essentially, the hockey equivalent of a buzzer-beater by Raffi Torres.
Here is the video of Torres' goal, which came with only 18.5 seconds to go and lifted the Canucks to a 1-0 win and a one-game lead in the Stanley Cup Finals (via Bubba Prog)
Moments like this are exactly why playoff hockey is so incredibly fun to watch. As both teams threw everything at their opponent's goalkeeper, Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo brushed the attempts aside as if swatting a fly. In the end, as both teams were struggling to find a winner with time running out in regulation, it took two great passes and a gentle nudge into the net by Torres to determine a winner. One moment, fans at Rogers Arena seemed convinced the game was going to overtime. The next: Jubilation.
The atmosphere, play on the ice and work in the net were superb, and set the bar high in the Stanley Cup Finals. And the ending? If it didn't make you a fan of hockey, there's no hope. Here's to more of this over the course of the rest of the series.
For the latest on Game 1, stay with our Stanley Cup Finals StoryStream. For more on the Canucks, be sure to check out Nucks Misconduct. For more on the Bruins, head over to Stanley Cup of Chowder.