The Stanley Cup Final between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks got very heated over the course of the seven-game series.
In the eyes of Mark Recchi, the Canucks stood out as the most hated team he faced over his 22-year career, which came to an end when the Bruins skated around the Rogers Arena ice in Vancouver with the Stanley Cup last June.
"In 22 years, they are the most arrogant team I played against and the most hated team I've ever played against," Recchi told CBS Radio in Boston. "I couldn't believe their antics; they're falling and diving. It was very frustrating, but at the same time as the series wore on we knew we were getting to them and we knew our physical play and our skating, I think it caught them off guard a little bit."
The series started on a nasty note when Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron accused Alex Burrows of biting his finger during a scrum. Then in Game 3, Canucks defenceman Aaron Rome was suspended for the duration of the series for hitting Nathan Horton late and ending the season for the Bruins forward.
Despite the gamesmanship, Recchi liked the Bruins' chances against the Canucks going into the Stanley Cup Final.
"We played Vancouver late in the season and it was a good game, but I had no doubts that if it came down to a seven-game series, we would the team that would be the champion," Recchi told CBS Radio in Boston.
