Vancouver Riots Shouldn't Tarnish Boston's Incredible Run

It's that old 10/90 rule. The one where 10% of the people cause 90% of the problems. This rang ever true on Wednesday night as the clock ticked down in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals between Boston and Vancouver. As the Canucks were defeated in the Finals, as in 1994, riots ensued on the streets of Vancouver which resulted in nearly 150 people being hospitalized, effectively casting a shadow over the Bruins impressive Cup run.

While the Bruins won their first Cup in nearly 40 years, Vancouver's drought continues. But what's left in the rubble is an unfortunate. Vancouver's legacy is unfortunately tainted by what are being described as "anarchists" who intended to break things, loot, and set cars on fire whether the Canucks won or lost Game 7. And what needs to be understood is that those at the heart of the mischief are nowhere near an accurate representation of the Canucks fan base.

These are the Canucks fans that continued to chant "Luuuu" with every Luongo save right down to the last buzzer, despite the blame they could be laying at his feet. The same Canucks fans that gave their team a standing ovation as the clocked ticked down on a defeat. The same Canucks fans that stuck around to see the Cup presented, cheering Milan Lucic, Tim Thomas, and other Bruins as they took laps on enemy ice. The same Canucks fans that came out in droves, brooms in hand, to help clean up the rubble left by the unfortunate few who set out to damper a great night for this great sport. And the worst part? In the aftermath of the Bruins historic victory, the most discussed topic is not a four decade drought that was exterminated--it was rioting in Vancouver taking the headlines.

Thomas's heroic run shouldn't be overshadowed by post-game riots.(NY Daily News)

But moving forward, the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals should not be remembered by images of tear gas and burning cop cars. It was an incredible Finals, the most watched series since 1991 when TV numbers were first recorded. The story lines and drama unfolded in a Shakespearean-esque manner, with the series swaying back and forth until it was decided late on Wednesday night. This series didn't need a burning cop car to light up the night--the play on ice took care of that. But what we are left with is a sad reminder of what society has amounted to, even in a well-respected city like Vancouver.

The Boston Bruins should be given all the credit in the world. They assembled a champion built on a team concept, for the most part void of huge names. They defeated a loaded Vancouver team, boasting superstars top to bottom throughout their President's Trophy-winning line-up. They battled back from a 2-0 hole, forced a Game 7 with a decisive Game 6 win and left no doubt about who the better team was in Game 7. But sadly, at least in the interim, much of this is lost in flash grenades and broken windows.

When the dust settles and the streets of Vancouver have been restored, we'll be left with a saddening reminder of how a select few can take things too far, leaving the innocent masses to bear the brunt of the atrocities. This should be about the Bruins winning a Stanley Cup, not about Vancouver "fans" burning things. Because frankly, it wasn't the Vancouver fans burning things. It was the Vancouver fans cleaning up the mess.

The Stanley Cup playoffs are the most incredible battle of will. The Boston Bruins reached the summit, and this should be their moment. The tears shed after Game 7 should have been those of Tim Thomas, a journeyman goaltender who was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy and is the front-runner for a Vezina trophy in Vegas in the coming weeks. The tears should have been for Mark Recchi exiting the game as a champion at a ripe 42 years of age. The tears should never have come from tear gas and fearful bystanders. And hopefully as the dust settles on what was an incredible season, we can all remember that this was the Boston Bruins Stanley Cup victory and not a victory for those hell-bent on tarnishing Vancouver's reputation as a city and a fan base.