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Canucks win in overtime

Alex Burrows' goal 11 seconds into the extra session stuns Boston.

The Canucks lead the Bruins 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck)
The Canucks lead the Bruins 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck)Read more
    by By Greg Beacham, Associated Press, Inquirer
    Published 

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Everybody knew Alex Burrows was fast. Just not this fast.

With the second-speediest overtime goal in NHL playoff and Finals history, Vancouver's talented forward moved the Canucks halfway to their first Stanley Cup title.

Burrows circled the net and scored a stunning goal 11 seconds into overtime, and Vancouver took a two-games-to-none lead in the Stanley Cup Finals with a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.

Right after the opening faceoff of overtime, Burrows received a pass from Daniel Sedin and streaked down the boards, eluding Boston captain Zdeno Chara behind the net before extending his stick for a wraparound goal, beating out-of-position goalie Tim Thomas for his second score of the game.

Game 3 is Monday in Boston.

Only four teams have rallied from an 0-2 series deficit to win the Stanley Cup Finals in 46 tries.

Burrows' goal nearly was the fastest OT goal in Finals history, taking just a bit longer than Brian Skrudland's goal for Montreal 9 seconds into Game 2 against Calgary on May 18, 1986.

Sedin tied it with 10 minutes, 23 seconds left in the third period, and Roberto Luongo made 28 saves for the Canucks. But the night belonged to Burrows, who avoided suspension for this game after being accused of biting Boston's Patrice Bergeron in Game 1. He also set up Sedin's tying goal with a sharp pass from the slot.

Thomas stopped 30 shots for the Bruins, but his trademark aggressiveness put him too far away from his net during the brief overtime. Burrows used his speed to elude Chara before slipping the puck into Thomas' unguarded net.

Mark Recchi put the Bruins ahead in the second period with a power-play goal just 2:35 after Milan Lucic scored Boston's first goal of the Finals. Recchi, the NHL's oldest active player at 43, ended the Bruins' 5-for-68 power-play drought with a deflection from the slot.

The Canucks got a pregame boost from the inspirational return of center Manny Malhotra, who hadn't played since incurring a career-threatening eye injury on March 16.

NHL Report

Stanley Cup Finals

Bruins 2 Canucks 3

Overtime

 Canucks lead series, 2-0.

Game 3: Monday

at Boston, 8