Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins battle the Vancouver Canucks with the series lead on the line in Game 5 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday night at Rogers Arena (TV/Radio: NBC/WBZ-FM 98.5).
With the series tied 2-2, both teams are running out of time. Vancouver opened the series with two straight victories, a 1-0 win in Game 1 and a 3-2 overtime win in Game 2, but was flattened in two consecutive games in Boston, losing 8-1 and 4-0 in Games 3 and 4 at TD Garden.
As expected, the goaltending has been the storyline of the series. Thomas has been consistent in all four games and now has 141 saves on 146 attempts (five goals allowed) for a stellar .965 save percentage in the Cup Final.
On the other end of the ice, Roberto Luongo hasn't been as dominant. While Luongo held the Bruins' scoreless in Game 1 and gave up only two goals in Game 2, he appeared completely lost in Games 3 and 4, allowing eight and four goals, respectively. Luongo has 110 saves on 124 shots (14 goals allowed) through four games in the Finals.
Boston clearly has the momentum heading into Friday's tilt, and has a prime opportunity to take control of the series and have a chance to clinch their first Stanley Cup title since 1972 in front of their home fans in Game 6 on Monday.
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