| 13 June 2011
It's the afternoon before puck drop outside TD Garden, and from the looks of things, you'd never be able to tell that it's a workday.
From the tour buses and duck boats honking at hockey fans as they pass, snippets of Bruins history floating audibly from their loudspeakers, to the Canucks and Bruins fans mingling in front of the NHL Network's outdoor set, to the multitude of fans from both sides of the continent posing with the Bobby Orr statue - it was a picturesque afternoon. The weather was perfect for all the hundreds of jerseyed spectators outside TD Garden. When I got there, it was too early for the Bruins' sponsored fanfest, yet people milled around as if it were an hour to gametime. Usually there's some commuter traffic due to the Garden being located above North Station, but never to this extent.
There were Vancouver fans aplenty, in all manner of jerseys, from the terrible old orange V to the blue and green hockey-stick logo, and contrary to popular belief - all was civil. Passersby asked a pair of Canucks fans if they could take a photo of the Vancouverites' flag they were toting around, and several Canucks fans expressed delight at having gotten to go on different Boston city tours. Aside from lighthearted razzing along Canal Street, and maybe a few feisty "Let's Go Bruins!" chants in the vicinity of those guys dressed in blue and green, thre was no animosity.
After all, when all is said and done, why should there be? The Bruins and Canucks are playing hockey in June. It's a beautiful day outside, with perfect weather. The NHL playoffs have run longer than either the NBA playoffs or last year's Stanley Cup run. Deep down, don't we all sort of want this to go on forever?
And why, really, should we get angry at Vancouver fans in our house, especially if game 6 goes in the Bruins' favor? They're not exactly guaranteed to see their team win here. And at the same time, it's a greater win for the city at large - they boost our economy, eat in our restaurants, visit our historic landmarks. Why wouldn't we want to bounce them back to the West Coast with a sour flavor in their mouths from the game - but a great memory of our city?
It's a beautiful day for hockey. Welcome to Boston, 'Nucks fans.....let's go B's.
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