In the 8 years since he made his NHL debut as a rookie phenom for Buffalo in 2005-2006, Thomas Vanek has played better against the Bruins than any other player in hockey. In 8 years he has scored 31 goals against the Big Bad Bruins, 6 times scoring 2 in a game and once netting a hat trick. No matter what sweater he is wearing, this hard hitting, speed skating, sick skilled left winger has a way of getting up and getting out for these Bruins games that nobody else in hockey has. And he did that when he was playing for the Sabers and Islanders, teams who have never been in a place for major intensity mainly because they have never been good enough to compete with their Boston foes.
But after he was traded to the Montreal Canadians last week, this motivation that has always made Vanek great will be even higher because now these games will be between Montreal and Boston rather than Buffalo and Boston.
The addition of this kind of player only makes the Bruins vs. Canadians rivalry just that much more intense. But it is not like it needs it.
After the fight charged atmosphere that defined the games between these two teams in the late 20th century was slowly made to be impossible to continue via various player safety rules, it was replaced by a simple obsession with scoreing and statistical excellence. While they have played just 1 game against the Canadians this season, the 4 games last season treated fans to 24 goals scored by the two teams, one stunning 6-5 OT game and an overall feeling of being on the edge of your seat that served as a constant prelude to those games.
Thomas Vanek who has scored 21 times this season with 32 assists and a total of 53 points will come to Montreal as the number one offensive talent on the team. History shows that before long he might also be a person as hated in Boston as say PK Subban or Max Paccoretty.
Nevertheless, being in Montreal will most surely raise the level of Vanek's play not only because of the players he will be playing with but also because Buffalo is nothing like Montreal when it comes to the intensity of their games.
"When you think of a hockey mecca, Montreal is it," Vanek said to ESPN after the trade. "I played many times for Buffalo in Montreal, and it's so electric. I'm super excited."
Yeah, actually contending for the Stanley Cup ought to be pretty exciting but even with that, Vanek is not decided as to whether or not he would accept a contract extension to stay in Montreal when his contract ends at the end of the year.
"It's been a tough year for me and my family," he said. "I knew there was a chance we'd move again. Now it's over and I'm a Montreal Canadian and I can just focus on hockey and helping that team win a lot of games."
It will be interesting to check in with Vanek after he has a Montreal/Boston game under his belt.
All and all, the addition of not only a pure scorer but a pure scorer with a history of pulverizing the Bruins on a game by game basis to the Montreal Canadians only makes the greatest rivalry in hockey that much more awesome.
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