5:11 p.m. It has taken awhile for this crowd to liven up, but they are getting there. Two-straight losses and an early start to the game certainly had a dampening effect, but now that we are into the official pre-game video, this place is starting to buzz pretty good. By the time the anthems arrive, we should be at bizonkers level -- as expected.
4:48 Warmups have started and it looks it will be Chris Tanev as the sixth D. Keith Ballard is not
even on the ice as an option. It looks like it will be Andrew Alberts and Tanev on the third pair. Expect to see a lot of Vancouver's top 4 in this game -- especially if it stays close. With luxury of the last change, Alain Vigneault can spot his newbies on the blue line against Boston's fourth line and in other low-risk situations. Be interesting to see if Boston tries to change on the fly to press the advantage.
4:31 Once again, it is likely there will be at least one lineup change in Game 5 of the Final, meaning each game has featured a slightly different lineup. This time, it appears the healthy Keith Ballard did not make a favorable impression during his Game 4 trial. Ballard appears to be back in street clothes, replaced by youngster Chris Tanev. If Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault does make that move, is expected, it will mean that the Canucks have used 9 defensemen in the first five games of this series. That certainly is not a recipe for success.
4:20 p.m. Well, here we are for Game 5 at the Rogers Arena. I'm not going to lie, I didn't do much today during the day. The players can deny it all they want, but the cross-continent travel is becoming an issue. It's a lot of miles and a lot of time changes done on too little sleep and under too much duress. There's nobody that is immune. Yes, players are professionals and trained for this, but it doesn't make it any less taxing. It just makes them better at deealing with it. With that said, there is no doubt that the players are putting fatigue -- even injuries -- on the backburner at this point. Everyone involved with both the Canucks and Bruins are just two wins away from reaching the pinnacle of their sport. For the majority of the players involved, they may never get another chance. Don't think that isn't at the forefront of everyone's mind as they fight through the exhaustion and the aches and pains. As good as this series has been, it will only get better now.
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