from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,
The Bruins, it seems, we’re always going to play the role of Abdullah the Butcher and the Canadiens were always going to be Edouard Carpentier. The Bruins were favourites. The Habs were underdogs. The Bruins were big and bad. The Habs relied on speed and finesse. The Bruins were the team of Chara and Lucic. The Habs were the team of Brendan Gallagher and Brian Gionta.
On top of everything else, the Bruins had Brad Marchand. Even Bruins head coach Claude Julien understood the court of public opinion was sitting in judgment of his team.
“We’re perceived like the bad guys and they’re the good guys,” Julien groused after the Habs’ 3-1 win in Game 6.
OK, it over-simplified things to an illogical degree and seldom have the lines been drawn as sharply as they were for the Eastern Conference semifinal. But, if it was unfair to the Bruins, who cares? All great stories need good guys and bad guys, guys in black hats and white hats. And no matter your rooting interest, this was hockey, and theatre, of the highest order.
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