BOSTON, June 8 (UPI) -- Tim Thomas made 37 saves for his third playoff shutout this year Wednesday and Boston deadlocked the Stanley Cup Finals with a 4-0 blanking of Vancouver.
The game turned ugly in the third period, with 15 penalties called, but before the rowdiness began Thomas had all but clinched a Boston victory by again excelling in goal. He has allowed five goals over his last five games and improved his 2011 post-season record to 14-8.
After losing the first two games of the series in Vancouver, the Bruins have come back to outscore the Canucks 12-1 in the next two. Game 5 will be played Friday in Vancouver.
The Stanley Cup Finals took a dramatic turn in the third game MOnday when Vancouver's Aaron Rome's vicious hit on Nathan Horton left Boston's leading playoff scorer with a severe concussion.
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Horton is out for the rest of the series and Rome was suspended for the remaining games.
Prior to Wednesday's game, former Boston great Bobby Orr stood behind the bench and waved a Bruins' flag. On the flag was stitched Horton's No. 18 and the roar of the crowd helped carry the Bruins to a dominating performance.
Rich Peverley, who took Horton's place in the top Boston line, scored the only goal of the first period with 8:01 to go and the Bruins built their lead to 3-0 in the second on scores by Michael Ryder and Brad Marchand.
Peverley added a third-period goal, driving Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo from the game. Luongo allowed the four goals on 20 shots before being replaced by Cory Schneider.
The game began to deteriorate with 2:27 remaining when Marchand was penalized for roughing, tripping and holding, Boston's Adam McQuaid was handed a 10-minute misconduct penalty and Vancouver's Keith Ballard was called for roughing.
Thomas touched off another incident with 1:51 to play when he slashed at the legs of Alex Burrows, who was parked in front of the net. Burrows turned and cross-checked Thomas and that collision touched off a melee that resulted in 28 minutes of penalties being called.
Burrows was already a target of the Bruins after appearing to have bitten the gloved right index finger of Boston's Patrice Bergeron in the first game of the series.
