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June 15:  Vancouver, BC
Boston Bruins vs Vancouver Canucks
Rogers Arena
Stanley Cup Finals Game 7

The words had been scrawled on my chalkboard for a few weeks.  "You won't remember the money, but you will remember Game 7."  Ben and I had decided it couldn't be a coincidence that, in the year of the J-Boys Tour, the universe put Stanley Cup Finals Game 7 as close to us as is physically possible.

And pitting two of our favorite teams, two of Ben's three favorite goalies, in a winner take all game.  What a way to end this 53,000 mile tour!

Vancouver was absolutely electric, the city totally focused on winning it's first ever Cup in it's 40th anniversary season.  Boston was here seeking it's first Cup since 1972.

Vancouver was the regular season's best team, the league's highest scoring team, and had home ice.  What they didn't have was Tim Thomas.

It was clear that Tim Thomas had Vancouver completely intimidated.  They knew they couldn't score on him.  When Boston got a goal in the 1st Period everyone, including the Vancouver players, knew it was pretty much over.

With 37 saves in Game 7, Thomas now owns the NHL record for most saves in the postseason (798) and a Stanley Cup Final (238) as well as most shots faced in a postseason (849). He allowed only 8 goals in the Final and became the first goalie in NHL history to win

Game 7 with a shutout on the road. He is only the fourth goalie in history to post a shutout in Game 7.

What an experience after the game.  We checked two things off our bucket list.  Stanley Cup Finals game, and a full on city riot!

Very tense but also quite an experience.  We walked right through ground zero of that thing.  Riot police, cars on fire, windows shattering, really sad to see.

Home to hockey camp for Ben, it's time for summer.