Where to Watch the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in NYC

By Ted on Monday, May 30, 2011
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We'll keep this one admittedly a little short -- we've watched a bunch of hockey this year, as every year, but being based in the tri-state area, we haven't seen a ton of Bruins and Canucks before the actual playoffs commenced. Here's what we do know, though: it should be a good series. Might even be seven games. If NBA and NHL both went seven games in the same year, that's a nice little June. ("Nice little Saturday... Bed, Bath and Beyond...") Here's a couple of things to discuss with your friends at the taps as these games play out:

The geography factor

Hockey is a really tough game. Sitting on planes after being bashed into boards all night is not fun. Know what's worse? Sitting on planes from Vancouver to Boston and back. If this goes seven games, the trainers mean more to the series than almost anyone. Fo' realz.

The Canada factor

Last team from Canada to win the Cup? 1993 Montreal Canadiens. That's almost 20 years ago. CANADA! What is affiliated more with Canada than hockey? Maybe the two letters 'eh?' It's a crime the country hasn't lifted Lord Stanley in that long.

Flip side: The Beantown factor

Look, you can't say Boston sports is cursed (Patriots three times, Red Sox twice, Celtics once in recent years), but the Bruins haven't been to this stage since 1990, and haven't won since before probably everyone reading this was born. The B's are an Original Six franchise, boast maybe the second-best player ever to lace 'em up (Orr) to their name, and have as passionate a fan base as you're going to find (outside of Canada). They need to break their curse too.

Fun videos

The Canucks have a parody of Rebecca Black (er, their fans do):

The B's have this:

Zdeno Chara vs. The Sedin Twins

Aside from Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo -- all playoff series truly come down to goaltenders -- this is what everything comes down to: can Chara, who is way too f'n tall to be playing hockey yet is quite good at it, contain the Sedin brothers and Ryan Kesler (with help, of course)? And how often will Chara get parked near Luongo to help the Bruins boost their currently crappy power play? Chara is a wild card here, insofar as a gigantic man with a mean streak can be such a thing. Side note -- this is also kinda funny: