Be Aggressive?

The goal to end Game 1 came as a result of a nifty pass, but it was Tim Thomas' aggressiveness that really caught the eye of the Canucks. In fact, the Canucks coach, Alain Vigneault, stated that the Canucks wanted clarification regarding Rule 69.4 and what is (and isn't) allowed with regard to contact with Thomas outside the goal crease after Burrows was called for a penalty in Game 1. In an AP article it was noted that:

As for Thomas's tendency to charge out of his net, the Canucks believe they can target it for goals. His challenge on Jannik Hansen left Torres with an empty net driving backdoor for the winning goal Wednesday.

"We can't take runs at him even though he's outside," Hansen said. "It's a matter of being careful. If he's out there, there should be room around him and behind him, so it's something we can take advantage of as well."

Only 11 seconds into OT Burrows took control of a nice chip off the boards and barreled in on Thomas. It was actually quite reminiscent of the rush on the goal he scored to end their series with the Blackhawks. However, this time instead of blasting a shot he faked one and had Thomas completely at his mercy. The scouting reports certainly paid off. Thomas was left flopping like a fish while Burrows went behind the net. Ironically the fact that Burrows lost control of the puck helped him. He was able to curl behind the net as the puck took a perfect bounce off the boards right back to him. Chara's size was a weakness here as he was unable to match Burrows speed and agility behind the net as Burrows regained control of the puck and deposited it into the empty net as Thomas tried in vain to scramble back to the net.

Thomas certainly won't change the way that he plays. He had a phenomenal season, and is probably the favorite to win his second Vezina trophy. Nevertheless, the Canucks seem to have found a way to use his strength against him, and at a stage when the difference between victory and defeat is extremely slim, every little edge helps. Two games now have been decided by 1 goal, and both of of those goals have come as a result of the Canucks using Thomas' aggressiveness against him.