Canucks Beat Bruins, 4-3

Henrik Sedin broke a tie with the third of Vancouver's four power-play goals and the Canucks beat the defending champion Boston Bruins 4-3 on Saturday in the first game between the teams since the Stanley Cup finals.

The Bruins won their first title in 39 years by taking the last two games of the seven-game series.

Ryan Kesler lifted the Canucks, who have the NHL's best power play, to a 1-0 lead 5:41 into the first period, but Brad Marchand and Rich Peverley responded for Boston. Alexander Burrows tied it at 15:21 of the second period and Sedin put the Canucks ahead at 19:47.

Vancouver's Cody Hodgson and Boston's David Krejci scored in the first two minutes of the third period.

Boston began the day leading the NHL in goals scored and goals against. Vancouver was the second-highest scoring team and third stingiest.

The Canucks did their scoring against Tim Thomas, their nemesis in the Cup finals when he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player. He later won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender.

That series sparked bad feelings between the teams.

Boston's Nathan Horton missed the final four games after suffering a concussion in Game 3 on an open-ice hit by Aaron Rome. The Bruins were the much more physical team, pushing stars Henrik and Daniel Sedin around with little response. And Boston fans chanted "Luongo, Luongo" about Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo, who struggled much of the series and was pulled in the first period of Boston's 5-2 win in Game 6.

They did it again just 1:55 into Saturday's game even though Cory Schneider played goalie the entire game.

About two minutes later, the ill will resurfaced when nine penalties were called during a scrum at the Vancouver bench that ended with Milan Lucic of the Bruins getting a game misconduct for stepping on his bench then leaving it to join the fray.

Boston, which won its previous two home games 8-0 and 9-0, fell behind early when Kesler scored his 11th goal of the season during a two-man advantage. Chris Kelly blocked a shot in front of Thomas, but Kesler got the rebound and connected on a wrist shot from the bottom of the left faceoff circle.

The Canucks took the first seven shots on goal.

Marchand scored his 16th goal a little more than nine minutes later when he cut in front of Schneider and connected on a pass from Patrice Bergeron along the boards.

Daniel Paille missed a penalty shot for the Bruins at 23 seconds of the second period, but Peverley gave them their only lead at 7:12 with his seventh goal on a wrist shot. Burrows tied it when he tipped in Hodgson's shot.

Then came a costly penalty for Boston when Marchand was called for clipping when he hit Sami Salo along the boards, flipping him to the ice. That also drew a game misconduct.

Henrik Sedin, who began the game tied for the NHL scoring lead, took advantage exactly one minute later, scoring his 11th goal when he tipped in Alexander Edler's shot from just above the right circle.