Boston Bruins Win Stanley Cup! [VIDEO]

Seacoast residents who donned their Bruins jerseys and packed downtown bars Wednesday night were confident the Black and Gold would win their first Stanley Cup since Bobby Orr raised it in New York in 1972.

Their faith was rewarded when the 2011 Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 on the road, 4-0, to cap an amazing season and playoff run where the Bruins set a record by winning three Game 7's during the NHL playoffs.

At the State Street Saloon in Portsmouth, patrons erupted into cheers when the Bruins scored the first goal in the first period.

Mike Rowe of Portsmouth said that was a great sign the Bruins were going to win the Cup.

"I think the Bruins are looking really strong," he said. "They've got Vancouver back on their heels."

At RiRa on Market Square, Alex Hammond and Jaime Morris, both of Portsmouth, were also confident the Bruins were on their way to championship glory.

"In every game the first team to score has won, so that's a good sign," said Hammond, who wore an older Bruins jersey he said he got when he was six years old.

In several Portsmouth bars and restaurants, fans made it clear they were ready to celebrate, and the Bruins didn't let them down. The Black and Gold dominated Game 7 in Vancouver from the opening puck drop, and were paced by two goals each by Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

Bruins Goalie Tim Thomas was this year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner, an honor bestowed to the Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Paul Dumont, a Florida resident who was in Hampton to visit family
Wednesday, said Thomas was easily "the best player
through all of the playoffs" and "definitely" deserved the award.

Dumont, a Nashua native, also said he thought the Thomas cemented himself as
one of the best playoffs goalies of all time with his performance, which came after a record-setting regular season performance.

"It's pretty darn good," said Dumont of Thomas' season. "He's up
against guys like Patrick Roy… Grant Fuhr, and Dominik Hasek, but he's definitely
in the 'Top 10' (of greatest playoff performances of all time). He's
had a great series."

When the final seconds ticked off in the third period, fans exploded with cheers. Some hugged, others raised toasts, and there were plenty of high fives to go around. Meanwhile, the scene on Market Square was very quiet as fans quietly filed out of the establishments and headed home shortly after 11 a.m.

Some Bruins fans couldn't believe their team had finally won the Stanley Cup after the Bruins were defeated in Game 7's the past three years.

"I can't believe they're going to win. I'm in shock," said Eric Beauregard of Saco, Maine, who watched the game at the Chef's Table restaurant on State Street.

At Hampton Beach, Bruins fans also savored the moment when their team hoisted the Stanley Cup in triumph.

La Bec Rouge, a restaurant along Ocean Boulevard, was filled with a massive collection of ecstatic, black-and-gold clad Bruins fans, so much so that Bar Manager Tonya Marandola got the impression that the building was "shaking."

Marandola said it was a "huge" feeling knowing the Bruins lifted their first Cup since 1972, although she said regardless of the end result of Game 7, she still would have been jubilant and proud of her team.

"They put their hearts into it - you could tell," said Marandola. "It's great. You have to be pleased with the way they fought to stay in it. Nothing's been more exciting than to have had it play out this way."

Tim Merrill, a 14-year-old Methuen, Mass., resident visiting Hampton
Wednesday, said he wished he was celebrating the victory with the team.

Even though he wasn't, Merrill said he was still "proud" of the win
and was happy to see his first Bruins Cup victory.

"Every single game was so intense that it made me want to watch the
next game," said Merrill. "I (wasn't) that big of a hockey fan, but
I'll probably watch more hockey (since they won)."