Roars of delight echoed throughout downtown Vancouver when Henrik Sedin and Maxim Lapierre scored in the third period, but the two goals weren’t enough to combat a Bruins onslaught.
Game 6 Monday night ended with a 5-2 Boston win, forcing a final showdown for the Stanley Cup in Vancouver on Wednesday.
The crowd had mixed emotions, most disappointed with the loss, but still confident that the Canucks would triump on home turf in the end.
"It’s just a lot of pressure," said Eugene Alec, 39, who travelled all the way from Tachet in B.C.’s northern interior to watch the game in downtown Vancouver with thousands of like-minded supporters.
"The Canucks are so close to the Stanley Cup that they got the jitters," he said.
Game 6 started like two previous Vancouver appearances in Beantown with a shaky-looking goalie Roberto Luongo surrendering goals in bunches.
Vancouver was bombarded with four early goals by the Bruins. As the puck sailed by Luongo, the boisterous crowd became hushed.
Phillip Mastroranni, who was watching with his son Ryan, said it was disappointing. But he was pleased when Luongo got the hook in favour of backup Cory Schneider.
“I’m happy to see [Schneider] in the net,” he said.
Even A.J. Pokonzie’s confetti wig, face paint, jersey and Johnny Canuck cape couldn’t stop the onslaught in the first period – but he wasn’t giving up hope.
“The strong and faithful will stay around until the ship sinks, and the ship hasn’t sunk yet,” he said.
“We’ve got to stick with them for the second period. If they can shut them down in the second, we can come back in the third,” said the never-say-die super fan.
The faithful who stuck around for the third period were rejuvenated by Sedin’s and Lapierre’s goals – as well as a near miss by Jannick Hansen.
But a five-on-three Bruins’ powerplay ended the short-lived Canucks comeback. The Canucks were unable to catch up, and many more fans called it a night.
The exodus at the live sites on Georgia and Hamilton swelled after the second period ended 4-0. Over at the SkyTrain Station at Beatty and Dunsmuir, a steady surge of fans headed home early.
Const. Jana McGuinness of the Vancouver Police said the number of spectators at the fan zones on Georgia and Hamilton Streets appeared reduced by half halfway in the third period.
The Aguilar family were among the many who made a quick exit to beat the crowds.
Esai Aguilar, 11, said: “This game sucks. That’s why we’re going home. Maybe we’ll win on Wednesday.”
But some decided they would stick it out.
“We can’t leave,” said Aleah Leger of Port Moody.
Alvena Keval, 19, of Surrey, was also staying put.
“I will stay to the very end.”
What went wrong?
“We just have to get more physical,” she said.
As the score hit 4-0, an estimated 5,000 fans in Surrey turned pensive.
“Boston is just intense. They want it as much as we want it,” said Tamanawis Secondary School student Iman Garcha, 16, who was cheering at the Surrey Central live site instead of studying for her finals.
Her friend, Sandy Nijjer, 25, said she didn’t expect the team to win on Monday.
“I’m going with the prediction that we will win Game 7,” she said.
Nijjer said she was looking for a series win because it was important to her that “the Cup come back to Canada.”
“Where it belongs,” chimed in Garcha.
Not everyone was down, despite the loss.
Dressed in superhero helmets and wearing painted-on Canucks jerseys, ‘Canucktimus Crime’ and Ironman still danced away despite the self-evident outcome.
"We dance – we keep the crowd pumped up," said Ironman. We want to encourage them to come back for Game 7."
"I do it for the fans," said Crime. "Even though we are losing, we show them a great time."
With Game 7 now appearing to be a near-certainty, Tim Stephenson of Langley, 19, wasn’t losing hope.
“It’s all ours baby, we’re going to win it,” he said. “Let’s keep that momentum rolling. It’s going to be beautiful guys.”
Vancouver leads the best-of-seven final 3-2.
PRE-GAME CHATTER
Excitement for the Canucks, who are one win away from hockey nirvana, was evident in a storm which blew through town just before game time.
Portland Winterhawks centre Brayden Low, one of thousands of fans crowding downtown streets, figures Vancouver will win Game 6.
“It’s going to be tight defensive hockey, maybe overtime,” said Lowe, but ultimately he figures the Canucks will pull it out in six games.
“Game 7 could go anyway since all the Vancouver games have been really tight,” he said.
Low, 17, is expected to suit up for the Western Hockey League team in September.
Sherry Hainc couldn’t wait.
“I don’t want to see a Game 7,” she said. “I’m just so excited. It’s great to see the whole city like this.”
Georgia Street resembled a jammed drive-in theatre without the cars as the crowd was standing-room only up to 400 metres away.
“I think we’ll do it,” said Karina Smeds, one of thousands upon thousands of blue-jerseys that crowded downtown streets everywhere as people searched for a spot to take in the game.
Douglas Leary, a 21-year-old Burnaby student, had tri-colour face paint and predicted a Canucks win.
“I think we’re the better team and we’re going to take it. We haven’t had the best of luck, but I think we’re going to get some bounces tonight. It may take Game 7, but we’re going to pull through.”
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