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The Boston Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 on Wednesday night at the Rogers Arena, quieting the city while igniting their own; 2,504 miles away. Conn Smythe winner Tim Thomas achieved the first Game 7 shutout in Stanley Cup history, leading his team to their first Championship since 1972. With a 1.15 GAA in the Finals, Thomas’ earned every bit of the praise he received throughout the playoffs. But, he was just one part of a group that willed itself beyond the expectations of even their own fans.

The adversity that the Bruins have faced throughout the playoffs has been well documented. The distance between Vancouver and Boston is the farthest in Stanley Cup Finals history. The Bruins made that trip three times. They were a team that was coming off a seven game series against the Lightning in which they flew to Tampa twice, and a seven game series in which they traveled to Montreal twice.

They have been tired, beaten, disrespected and doubted. They’ve been bitten, taunted and criticised for their style. Yet they fly back to our city Thursday with the Stanley Cup: the 7th time a major Championship will belong a Boston team since 2002. It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t pretty, and Boston fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

So here it is, the 2011 road to the Stanley Cup.

39 Years since the Bruins won the Stanley Cup

38 Saves by Tim Thomas in Game 4 of Stanley Cup Finals

37 Saves by Tim Thomas in Game 7 of Stanley Cup Finals

36 Points by Zdeno Chara in career postseason

35 The height of the Stanley Cup in inches

34 Combined playoff points by alternate Captains Mark Recchi and Patrice Bergeron

33 Total Championship banners from four major sports in Boston

32 Career postseason points by 23-year-old Milan Lucic

31 Postseason assists by Johnny Boychuk in 2 seasons with the Bruins

30 Number of Conn Smythe winner Tim Thomas

29 Age of Dennis Seidenberg, the only German-born Bruins player

28 Penalty minutes by Daniel Paille in the 2011 postseason

27 Faceoffs won by the Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals

26 Career postseason points by Bruins third line center Chris Kelly

25 Games the Bruins had to play to win the Stanley Cup

24 Age difference in years between Mark Recchi and Tyler Seguin

23 Points from David Krejci in the 2011 postseason

22 Seasons Mark Recchi played in the NHL

21 Years since the Bruins last appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals

20 Minutes per game averaged by Zdeno Chara in 2011 playoffs

19 Age and number of Bruins rookie Tyler Seguin

18 Number of Nathan Horton, who scored two game winning goals in two Game 7’s

17 Goals allowed by Roberto Luongo at the TD Garden in the Finals

16 Games the Bruins won in the 2011 postseason

15 Minor penalties earned by Brad Marchand in the 2011 postseason

14 Assists by Patrice Bergeron in the 2011 postseason

13 Seasons that Captain Zdeno Chara has played in the NHL

12 Height difference in inches between Zdeno Chara and Brad Marchand

11 Goals by Brad Marchand in the 2011 postseason

10 Points by 2^nd line defenseman Andrew Ference in 2011 postseason

9 Career +/- differential in the playoffs for Mark Recchi

8 Goals allowed by Tim Thomas in 7 Games in the Stanley Cup Finals

7 Hits delivered by Milan Lucic in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals

6 Seasons that Nathan Horton played in the NHL before he reached the postseason

5 Overtime games played by the Bruins in the 2011 postseason

4 Goals scored by Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals

3 Times that the Bruins won a Game 7 in the 2011 postseason

2 Players that scored in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals

1 Team

Congratulations to the Boston Bruins for completing the sports decade Grand Slam for Boston. It continues to be an honor to cover and talk about sports in a city full of such history, tradition and success.

About Tanya Ray Fox - My Twitter

I am 24 years old, and I work on the sports desk for the premier Boston sports station, Comcast SportsNet New England. My first and lasting love is with the New England Patriots, and then I split my allegiances between the Sox, Celtics and Bruins. I have grown up here and have a passion for all things Boston sports, not just because it is an amazing sports town, but because as a writer we are blessed to always have something to talk about!

Tags: Boston Bruins, Conn Smythe, Stanley Cup, Tim Thomas, Vancouver Canucks