The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals: Enough With The Hypocrisy And Self-Righteousness

Never before in my memory has a Stanley Cup Finals been so charged with emotion over "clean" and "dirty" play between the teams. Bruins fans see the Canucks as whiny divers. Canucks fans see the Bruins as complainers and hypocrites. It goes both ways. I could devote a whole series of posts to fan behavior and perceived fan behavior, but I will avoid the generalizations that come with that. Instead, I will focus on the hypocrisy of this whole thing.

I have said it multiple times now that both teams have players with dirty tendencies. Thanks in large part to a Twitter pal of mine (now @TheGreatDane36, though knowing him that will change very shortly) I have some videos which illustrate exactly what I am talking about. Hopefully this sheds the light on what I am talking about. This is not a pro-Canucks post. This is not a pro-Bruins post. This is not an anti-Canucks post. This is not an anti-Bruins post. This is calling it right down the middle. It's the way it is with these two teams. Love it or leave it. Follow the jump for videos and examples of members of both the Canucks and the Bruins partaking in less than clean activities.


Maxim Lapierre treating a nudge with the stick from Chara like it's a stab wound.



Zdeno Chara dives



Brad Marchand dives



Ryan Kesler dives



Ryan Kesler dives again



Brad Marchand dives again



Roberto Luongo exaggerates contact.



Tim Thomas exaggerates contact.



Chara takes out Pacioretty by running him into the stanchion



Rome takes out Horton with a late hit as Horton has his head down



Alex Burrows buries his stick in the groin of Marc Staal



Milan Lucic is a 3rd man in on a Marc Savard-Mike Richards scrum



Chara mugs Upshall



Burrows bites Bergeron



One more dive by a Bruin



One more dive by a Canuck



If anyone needs me to go on, I would be more than happy to go on, but I think I have more than illustrated the point I am about to make.

In terms of "clean" and "dirty" there is no difference between these teams. None. Zero. Both teams have divers. Both teams have players that deliver cheap shots. If you want to take down Roberto Luongo for chirping the media by saying that he could have stopped the game-winning goal, then you must also take down Brad Marchand for saying the Habs shoot off their mouth and dive. Two factually accurate statements by two players, both said in rather smug manners.

What it boils down to is this. Whatever you think about the tactics of these two teams, I do not care. If you think these are diving, dirty scoundrels who are embarrassing the sport, then fine. If you think they are just doing what it takes to get a leg up, then fine. But if you believe the Canucks are dirty scoundrels who embarrass the sport and do not deserve to be in the Stanley Cup Finals, then by default you must also believe the Bruins are dirty scoundrels who embarrass the sport and do not deserve to be in the Stanley Cup Finals. If you believe the Bruins' tactics are just doing whatever it takes to win, then you must also believe the Canucks are just doing whatever it takes to win. If you feel meh about the Canucks on this issue, then you must also feel meh about the Bruins on this issue. There is no two ways about it and no other way to put it. This self-righteousness and hypocrisy displayed by both sides needs to stop now. Both teams have players who use "dirty" tactics to try and draw penalties and get ahead in the game. Both teams have players who try to get away with "cheap shots." What separates the Bruins from the Canucks and the Canucks from the Bruins in this regard? Nothing. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Nothing. And if you feel otherwise, then you are only lying to yourself.

There are one or two games left in the 2010-2011 NHL season. The two teams still playing have players who resort to what many would consider less than admirable tactics. Love it or leave it, but don't pretend one is what the other isn't. Because that's just not true.