It starts in October. 31 teams, 31 fanbases. We hope, we dream, and we pray to the Hockey Gods (I imagine they’re big-bellied, beer-guzzling, bearded bad-asses who show one another affection by fighting). We all want one thing: the Stanley Cup. This year it came down to the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues. It took all 7 games, but the Bruins ultimately fell to the Blues, who won their first Stanley Cup in their 51-year history.
Starting Strong
The Bruins were on home ice at TD Garden in Boston. The crowd was chanting “Let’s Go Bruins”, they were loud, and they were proud. The Black and Gold came out swinging. They fired at Blues goalie Jordan Binnington from every angle, and limited the Blues to one shot on goal in over 10 minutes to start the game. The Bruins outshot the Blues 12-4 in the first period, but that ultimately didn’t matter. With 3:13 left in the first period Ryan O’Reilly scored on a deflection to put the Blues up 1-0. Later, Brad Marchand went to the bench for an ill-timed line change, leaving Alex Pietrangelo a wide-open lane and shot at Rask. Pietrangelo scored with 7.9 seconds left in the first.
(Photo by Michael Dwyer)
In the second period the Blues fed off their momentum. Neither team scored in the second, but St. Louis was taking over. They established a defensive stand at center ice, limiting offensive opportunities for the Bruins by forcing turnovers and pouring the puck back into the Bruins zone. Rask stood tall, denying all shots, but the Blues wouldn’t be deterred. They hit more and stayed on the puck, bringing the momentum with them into the third period.
Collapse
Entering the third period down 2-0 the Bruins were still alive. They pushed, making great entries into the St. Louis zone. But Binnington was a brick wall, allowing nothing. He made easy saves on weak shots, he made brilliant saves on nearly unstoppable shots. No matter what the Bruins gave him, Binnington was equal to the task. With 8:35 left in the game Brayden Schenn scored, putting the game all but out of reach at 3-0. Four minutes later the final nail was put in the coffin when Zach Sanford scored. Up 4-0 with 4:38 left in the season, the Bruins got desperate. They pulled Rask, putting six men on the ice for Boston, but they couldn’t get anything past Binnington until Matt Grzelcyk scored with 2:10 left. It made little difference in the outcome of the game, but it did prevent a St. Louis Game 7 shutout in Boston.
(Photo by Patrick Smith)
After the game Brad Marchand told Boston Sports Journal’s Conor Ryan, “It’s a heartbreaker. It’s tough to describe. You know, they just took our dream, our lifetime dream from us, and everything we’ve worked for our entire lives, and it’s 60 minutes away from that. You can’t describe it.”
Moving Forward
The loss brings many offseason questions. Zdeno Chara signed a one-year contract extension. Will the 42 year-old actually come back and try to get to the Finals again next year? Or will he retire after coming to the brink and losing? The Bruins core is getting older, and some of the young guys will need new contracts. There’s a lot of work to be done to try to get back to the Cup. In October we’ll start over. We’ll hope, we’ll dream, and we’ll pray to those often insufferable Hockey Gods.
St Louis drafted David Backes in the second round of the 2003 NHL entry draft. In 2008 the Blues completed their first full season with Backes. Backes played with the Blues for ten seasons. As result of exceptional leadership Backes was team captain for five of those years. St. Louis Fans absolutely considered Backes a crowd favorite. He played a crucial part in the Blues making the playoffs in six of his ten years there. After no championship in ten seasons, or even making it to a cup final, Backes decided to turn a new leaf.
In 2016 David Backes signed a five year contract with the Boston Bruins. After three seasons with the Bruins, and a so far successful run in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, a very interesting situation has come as a result; The Boston Bruins are playing the St. Louis Blues in a Stanley Cup Final, winner take all game seven on Wednesday night.
Leader on and off the ice
Backes is seen by some as the bad guy given that he plays with quite the amount of grit, in other words, he’s not always a crowd favorite. Presenting himself in a good manor is something David Backes does very well. He’s highly active in animal rescue and animal adoption efforts. Those efforts have resulted in starting his own organization that raises funds and awareness for protecting homeless pets. Who doesn’t like a guy that saves animals? But presently Backes’ game results in him being quite dog himself. Backes isn’t the type of guy to be a crowd favorite for the fans of opposing teams. After taking on the enforcer roll, Backes is a thorn in the side of opposing players now even more so.
Feeling Blue?
Having to play the Blues in the Cup does have Backes a little torn. He even wishes the Bruins and Blues could take turns winning the cup. As a result of playing former friends and coaches for the cup, they’ve all given the cold shoulder until after the series according to Backes, therefore game seven will be open season. Given that David Backes still roots for the Blues, even as a member of the Boston Bruins, he isn’t in a lose – lose situation.I
Certainly hoping to hoist the cup himself with the Bruins, I think its easy to tell now that even if the game results in the Blues win the cup on Wednesday night there’s a little piece of David Backes that will be filled with joy, seeing his former teammates, coaches, fans, and even some close friends hoist the Stanley Cup.
The Boston Bruins had their backs against the wall going into Enterprise Stadium in St. Louis on Sunday night. The Stanley Cup was in the building and the Blues were looking to hoist it in front of their home crowd. Word got out that the Blues already had a restaurant rented to celebrate their victory and a St. Louis newspaper had leaked an image online congratulating the Blues on their Stanley Cup win. Boston had an uphill battle to climb and they were up to the task.
Motivation
In the locker room before the game, Patrice Bergeron gave a rousing speech to fire up the boys in black and gold. Jake DeBrusk spoke about it afterward. “He’s a legend. He said some words that I don’t know if he necessarily wants me to repeat. They weren’t bad words. It was just about what we all dream about doing. Everyone that grows up playing hockey dreams of being in this moment. It was something along those lines and to see him set the tone that way wanted us all to run through a wall.”
(Photo by Jeff Roberson)
Quick Start
If the St. Louis Blues defense was the proverbial wall, the Bruins certainly ran through it. In the first period they had a 5-3 power play and capitalized almost immediately with a goal by Brad Marchand. After holding a 1-0 lead through two periods, the Bruins opened the floodgates in the third. Two and a half minutes into the period Brandon Carlo scored, and halfway through the period Karson Kuhlman scored his first career postseason goal, putting the Bruins up 3-0.
With eight minutes left in the game, Blues Center Ryan O’Reilly scored in a bizarre incident. Tukka Rask stopped the puck with his right leg pad, kicked it back out and play continued. During the next stoppage in play word had come down from Toronto to review the shot attempt. Upon review it was determined that the puck had completely cleared the line, making it a good goal. St. Louis was on the board and had life with the score now 3-1.
Closing Out Strong
That was the only goal they would score. With six minutes remaining, Brad Marchand, in front of the net, sent a backward pass to David Pastrnak. Pastrnak faked a shot, baiting goalie Jordan Binnington, who laid out to make a stop. The puck was shot top shelf and went in easily. Finally, with just under three minutes left, Zdeno Chara scored with an unassisted slap shot, making the final score 5-1. After the game, Brad Marchand said, “We’re fighting for our lives obviously. When you play desperate, I think you see everyone’s best game.”
(Photo by Jeff Roberson)
The Bruins are now 3-0 when facing elimination this post season and Tuukka Rask is a major part of that. His goals allowed average is 1.34, and he has a .953 save percentage in elimination games. Boston will host Game 7 on Wednesday night. The Cup will be at TD Garden and somebody will be hoisting it in victory. Both teams will be desperate. With Rask in net and the home crowd fired up and participating, this Boston Bruins team could very well pull the victory. They’ll need everyone ready to run through a wall to do so.
After losing 2-1 to the St. Louis Blues in Game 5, Tuukka Rask was asked for a summary of the game. He laughed and said, “Summary? Probably could’ve stopped more pucks with my eyes closed. That’s about it. It’s on me, but we’re on to the next one.”
Officiating
It’s an admirable statement, but it’s also false. We can talk about how the first goal was scored while St. Louis had too many men on the ice. We can talk about how the second goal came seconds after Tyler Bozak took down Noel Acciari with a slew foot that wasn’t called, despite happening directly in front of referee Kelly Sutherland. We can talk about Ivan Barbashev hitting Marcus Johansson with a shoulder to the head and Zach Sanford hitting Torey Krug with an elbow to the head. None of those were called. In fact, the Blues haven’t had many calls against them since Blues Coach Craig Berube complained about the calls they received in Game 3. It’s also no coincidence that Game 3 was the best-called game of the series and the Bruins dominated, 7-2.
(Photo by Greg M. Cooper)
The officiating can’t be held completely responsible though, and neither can Rask. The Bruins have depth that has yet to show up in force. The power play was ferocious in Game 3, but seemed to disappear in the last two games. The zone possession hasn’t been steady by any means, and the first two lines have yet to truly show up. In short, the Boston Bruins need a hero to step up.
Boosts to Morale
Captain Zdeno Chara took a puck to the face, breaking his jaw in Game 4. In Game 5 he was back on the ice on the starting line and even had the first hit of the game. At one point the Blues were shooting on net and Rask ended up flat, too far out. David Krejci jumped in the crease and stopped a puck with his chest. Those are huge steps and great confidence boosters for the team. Now down 3-2 in the series, the Bruins have to win both of the remaining games. With their backs against the wall, they have to prevent the Blues from winning Game 6 in St. Louis and force a Game 7 back in Boston.
(Photo by Winslow Townson
The Bruins have been here before. They were down 3 games to 2 in the first round against Toronto. They’ve shown they have the fortitude, strength, confidence, and downright grittiness to win against tough odds. So who will it be? It has to be the first two lines. Krejci had that amazing save, reminiscent of Michael Ryder in Game 5 against the Montreal Canadiens in the 2011 playoffs, but his line hasn’t been effective in scoring. The Perfection Line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak has been well defended, but it’s time to break through that defense. They have to persevere and find a way and it has to happen now. There’s no longer a tomorrow.
Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals is set for Thursday, June 6th at TD Garden in Boston. It’s a pivotal and important game for both teams with the series tied at 2. The Blues will be riding momentum after beating the Bruins 4-2 in Game 4. The Bruins, however, have shown they have the resilience to fight back after coming back from a 2-0 deficit in Game 1 and winning 4-2. They’ve also shown they can completely dominate by winning Game 3 in St. Louis 7-2. The Bruins will need the hometown crowd to participate, getting as loud and supportive as possible. One of the keys to their Game 3 win was scoring early and taking the St. Louis crowd out of the game. They weren’t so lucky in Game 4.
Crowd Involvement
The crowd needs to get into the game early. In fact, they need to get loud and rowdy before the puck drops. That’s a job for the Banner Captain. The role of the Banner Captain is to wave the Bruins flag shortly before puck drop to get the crowd going. For Game 1 it was a position mutually held by the 2011 Stanley Cup-Winning Bruins team. In Game 2 it was New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. So who should wave the flag as Banner Captain before the pivotal Game 5?
(Photo by Associated Press)
Could it be Brady?
The rumor mill is churning with heavy force in that regard. The overwhelming prediction is Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady doesn’t usually participate in other Boston sporting events due to his rigorous schedule. That said, if the G.O.A.T. showed up waving the flag the crowd would erupt on an epic scale. Brady’s already assisted Captain Zdeno Chara in a hype video before Game 1, and has actively participated in support of the Bruins via social media. If he were at the game in person it wouldn’t just be the fans with electric energy, it’d be the Bruins themselves. In the company of greatness a competitor always wants to push just a bit harder and execute just a bit better. One of the greatest players in the history of the NFL showing up at the Garden to represent the Bruins would be dangerous for the Blues.
(Photo by Bruce Bennett)
Orr Someone Else?
If Tom Brady is unavailable the second most likely choice is Bruins legend Bobby Orr. Yes, he was already a Banner Captain during the series against the Carolina Hurricanes, but there are two things to keep in mind. First, let’s be honest, the Boston faithful never get tired of Mr. Orr. Second, in such an important game, tied against the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals, an ideal choice would be the man that scored the game winning goal against them in 1970. History and Bruins royalty make an electric combination.
There’s always the chance they go with another Boston sports icon. Rob Gronkowski, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez… frankly, the list could go on and on. But the Bruins will likely be looking to make a big splash with this one and, for the record, Tom Brady is currently participating in Patriots Mini Camp right down the road. Imagine him waving the flag while yelling his inspirational catchphrase, “LET’S GO!”
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals didn’t go Boston’s way. After trading goals back and forth with St. Louis, the first period ended tied at 2. Despite goals from Charlie Coyle and Joakim Nordstrom, the Bruins attack soon fell flat. The second and third periods were defensive battles that resulted in no scores, forcing overtime. Just 3:51 into that overtime period with a delayed call against the Bruins, Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson scored to tie the series 1-1.
A Physical Game
The Blues played with a physical ferocity that the Bruins couldn’t keep up with. A hit by Blues center Oskar Sundqvist on Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk resulted in a two minute penalty and Grzelcyk leaving the game. He’s now in concussion protocol, will miss at least Game 3 and likely Game 4. Sundqvist was given a one-game suspension. Once again, goalie Tuukka Rask was outstanding, but in the second and third periods the Bruins seemed sluggish. Whether there’s still some rust or they were just tired from the physical play, the Bruins didn’t look like themselves. The first line of Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak was separated, moving Pasta to the second line and bumping up Danton Heinen. They never got into a rhythm and the team suffered for it.
Photo by Matt Stone
“I know we haven’t played our best yet,” Center Charlie Coyle said after the game. “Our starts have been off for whatever reason. So we just have to look at some things and go over some things… We have to be on time in this league.”
Bringing the Battle to St. Louis
Game 3 will be an uphill battle. The Blues will be riding the momentum of their win and they’ll be feeding off the energy of the St. Louis home crowd. Boston will have to play their best game of the season. That said, in Game 2 the Bruins looked completely off their game and the Blues played their hearts out. Despite that, it still took an OT delayed call for the Blues to win.
The Bruins have everything they need to take Game 3. In Game 2 they couldn’t keep the puck in the zone, they gave up too many turnovers, and they couldn’t capitalize on power plays. They’ll need to be more productive on the power play, establish offensive zone time, and shoot more instead of attempting as many unnecessary passes that resulted in turnovers. This series is still early. There’s a lot of time left for the first line to get into their groove and lead the way.
Photo by Bruce Bennett
Defenseman Torey Krug had this to say about that first, “Perfection Line”, “That’s kind of been the way the playoffs have gone for them, right? In every series, you give them enough time and enough reps against a certain matchup, they’re smart enough hockey players, they know what’s going to be open and they’ll find a way to break through.”
How To Win
It’s going to be a physical and punishing game. The Big Bad Bruins will need to be just that and dish it out just as much as they get it. The Blues think they found a chink in Boston’s armor and they’ll be on the attack. The Bruins will need to be just as physical, if not more so. Clean hits and staying out of the box will be key. Tuukka Rask will keep them in the game, the first and fourth lines (the best lines thus far) will need to step up and take the game away. Coach Bruce Cassidy said that in Matt Grzelcyk’s absence, defenseman John Moore will likely take his place. Moore could just be the fresh spark the Bruins need.
The Boston Bruins showed a bit of rust in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. That was to be expected after having ten days off. In the first period they ended with only eight shots on goal and down 1-0. It didn’t take long to shake that rust off, however. After going down 2-0 early in the second period the Bruins finally found life. Goals from defensemen Connor Clifton and Charlie McAvoy tied the game at 2, and the St. Louis Blues wouldn’t score again. Meanwhile, Sean Kuraly would score the go-ahead goal and Brad Marchand sealed the game with an empty netter. In the last two periods the Bruins out-shot the Blues 30-12 and beat them 4-2 to take a 1-0 series lead.
That Old Feeling
In a rematch of the Stanley Cup Finals from 1970 it’s appropriate that this game had a feeling of ‘70s hockey. It was physical and the referees let the boys play. Also appropriate is the Bruins felt like their brutally physical ‘70s counterparts. Just as they were nicknamed in that era, last night the Big Bad Bruins returned. At one point Brad Marchand made a play on goal and Blues goalie Jordan Binnington hit Marchand with his stick, losing it in the play. After the play was blown dead, Marchand skated past Binnington, giving him a shoulder bump along the way. That was one of the friendlier interactions of the night.
Changing Momentum
Photo by Bob DeChiara
The key moment in the game came from defenseman Torey Krug. While in the Bruins defensive zone, in front of Tuukka Rask in net, Krug and Blues forward David Perron got into a wrestling match. It started with a couple of hacks of the sticks, then Perron began shoving Krug from behind several times while Krug stood his ground. Perron fell on top of Krug and pushed his head down once before trying to get back to his feet, pulling Krug’s head back twice and yanking his helmet off. Krug, not backing down, held Perron’s right leg, causing both of them to fall down again. Perron then successfully got back to his skates, straddled over Krug, and pushed his head back down, before skating after the puck, now in the Blues defensive zone.
Torey Krug was clearly angry. He got to his skates, flew up the ice, and with no helmet he ran full-speed into rookie forward Robert Thomas, knocking both of them down. No penalty was called on any of it. The wrestling match was questionable, but Krug’s hit on Thomas was legal. Thomas had the puck, the hit was shoulder to shoulder, and while Krug’s skates did come off the ice it wasn’t until after the contact. The Big Bad Bruins, led by Torey Krug of all people, were back in force in Game 1.
David Backes perfectly summed it up after the game. “That gave me goosebumps. He doesn’t have a helmet on but he goes right up the ice and lays a big hit. He thinks he’s playing thirty, forty years ago.”
The 2018-2019 NHL season is rapidly coming to a close. The Boston Bruins have clinched the Eastern Conference and are four wins away from winning the Stanley Cup. This would be their first time in eight years and the seventh time in franchise history. The Cup is close to coming back to Boston. No matter what happens, the off-season is looming in the near-future, and with it contract negotiations.
Photo by Joshua Kloke
Contract Extension
One of the biggest off-season moves for the Bruins is extending defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who becomes a restricted free agent at the end of this year. McAvoy has been a reliable staple on the blue line lately, partnered with Zdeno Chara. He recently turned down a long-term offer by the Bruins, suspected to be due to recent offers to similar players such as defenseman Esa Lindell. Lindell was extended by the Dallas Stars on a 6 year, $34.8 million contract, giving him $5.8 million a year. He scored 11 goals this season and put up 32 points. Making that more enticing is his youth. Lindell is only 25. McAvoy wants a similar contract and why not? The kid’s young with plenty of potential that he’s sure to live up to.
Value
Charlie McAvoy was an integral part of the USA team in the 2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. He received the Player of the Game honor in their gold-medal game win. McAvoy’s also got youth on his side, at 21 years-old, and his stats are impressive this season. He’s missed 28 games due to a concussion, a lower-body injury, and a one-game suspension. Despite that, he has 8 goals and 35 points thus far. McAvoy has the ability to become a superstar on an already star-studded Bruins roster.
(Getty Images)
Salary Cap Era
Unfortunately, we live in the salary cap era. Dallas can afford to pay Lindell $34.8 million over 6 years because they have the cap space. The Bruins aren’t as fortunate. GM Don Sweeney is still filling the hole that was dug by former GM Peter Chiarelli. McAvoy would be in the upper-echelon pay scale of Bruins players with a contract similar to Lindell’s. He’s a great defenseman who looks to only get better, but is he worth paying as much or more than someone like David Pastrnak? More to the point, is he worth paying so much against the cap that the Bruins can’t afford to keep some of their other top-tier players for much longer? The Chicago Blackhawks did that a few seasons ago with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews and it hurt the team.
What Can Be Done
One potential solution is extending the time on the contract. An amount such as $30 million over four years is unrealistic, but over six or seven years could be manageable. It comes down to McAvoy and what he’s willing to accept versus what he feels he’s worth. Would he be willing to take a pay cut to stay in Boston? Furthermore, what happens if the Bruins win the Stanley Cup? The way McAvoy plays combined with his ice time would be factors in that win, giving him a much larger bargaining chip. However, the salary cap is ruthless and inflexible. Only time will tell but this will certainly be an interesting and potentially exciting off-season.
Photo by MatthewReid / CC BY-SA 2.0 Caption: It was 2011 when the Boston Bruins last won the Stanley Cup
The Boston Bruins have only missed the playoffs twice since 2008. They are always in the mix, and though they often have a lot to give, they haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 2011. But this year could be different. And though the Bruin’s season has had its ups and downs, you can be sure, but long spells of point streaks and impressive victories over the best teams in the NHL make them serious contenders for a playoff victory dance. Impressive Results in Late Season A rough start early in the season left it looking like the Bruins wouldn’t even make it to the playoffs this year. It all started with an initial defeat by the Washington Capitals, and it pretty much all went downhill from there. Constant injuries haven’t helped matters. Nearly every player on the team, bar David Krejčí who has played every game, has been sidelined with an injury at some point. Still, the early season upsets were not the end for the Bruins, who mounted a comeback that has now led them close to the top of the table in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins didn’t lose a game between January 19th and March 10th, a point streak that lasted for a total of 19 games. During this time, the Bruins wrecked the Tampa Bay Lightning, one of the current favorites to win the Stanley Cup, by 4–1. The streak eventually came to an end against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but since then, the Bruins have gone on to slam the New York Islanders by 5–0, among other victories. This season, they have beaten rivals Toronto Maple Leafs by three games to one over the course of the season and have finally ended their long and bitter losing streak against the Capitals. These results have shot them up to second place in the league, chasing the Tampa Bay Lightning right to the end. Determined Roster of Talent
Photo by Sarah Connors / CC BY 2.0 Caption: The Bruins have a talented roster of players.
The Bruins have proven that they can beat the best teams in their division. They look strong, and right now, their roster shines with talent, both elite and upcoming. There are currently four players who have more than 20 goals this season. They are David Pastrňák and Brad Marchand, who both have over 30 goals, as well as Patrice Bergeron with 28 and Jake DeBrusk with 23. Center David Krejčí currently has 19 goals. The Bruins have always drafted effectively. They picked up Bergeron in 2003 and Krejci in 2004, and then in 2006, went wild and bought Marchand, Phil Kessel and Milan Lucic. That was the year that they topped the league in points, and it was no coincidence. Since then, the drafting has calmed down, but the Bruins also have an excellent eye for homegrown talent and are always bringing youngsters up through the ranks. The likes of DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy have contributed significantly to the squad this year, and four out of the top six goal scorers are under 23. Both the elite players and newcomers proved their worth in the current Bruins squad, which could be a team capable of winning the playoffs, especially when they brought out the A-team to play. Who to watch? The Bruins sit at number two in the Super 16 rankings right now. They have 189 points and a record of 44–20–9, and are right behind the Lightning, both in the Super 16 and in the Atlantic League. It goes without saying then, that the Lightning will be one of the ones to watch, and unfortunately, for the Bruins, they will have to play each other before the third round, along with rivals the Maple Leafs. Another team to watch, the Vegas Golden Knights have recently surged up the rankings following a winning streak of nine of their last 10 games. They go from number 11 to number seven and have had an incredible season. The Penguins and Capitals are others who might take the Stanley Cup, and both have given the Bruins difficulty in the past. Nobody can say for sure who will win the Stanley Cup. It’s a competition that can have its upsets easily. Though it’s safe to say the Bruins will have a tough field to get through early on, and every team will be fighting to make the most of the playoffs. Still, this year is one of the strongest we’ve seen the Bruins in a while, and should they find the form they had in February, they have every chance of being unstoppable.
The Bruins have proven that they can beat the best teams in their division. They look strong, and right now, their roster shines with talent, both elite and upcoming. There are currently four players who have more than 20 goals this season. They are David Pastrňák and Brad Marchand, who both have over 30 goals, as well as Patrice Bergeron with 28 and Jake DeBrusk with 23. Center David Krejčí currently has 19 goals. The Bruins have always drafted effectively. They picked up Bergeron in 2003 and Krejci in 2004, and then in 2006, went wild and bought Marchand, Phil Kessel and Milan Lucic. That was the year that they topped the league in points, and it was no coincidence. Since then, the drafting has calmed down, but the Bruins also have an excellent eye for homegrown talent and are always bringing youngsters up through the ranks. The likes of DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy have contributed significantly to the squad this year, and four out of the top six goal scorers are under 23. Both the elite players and newcomers proved their worth in the current Bruins squad, which could be a team capable of winning the playoffs, especially when they brought out the A-team to play. Who to watch? The Bruins sit at number two in the Super 16 rankings right now. They have 189 points and a record of 44–20–9, and are right behind the Lightning, both in the Super 16 and in the Atlantic League. It goes without saying then, that the Lightning will be one of the ones to watch, and unfortunately, for the Bruins, they will have to play each other before the third round, along with rivals the Maple Leafs. Another team to watch, the Vegas Golden Knights have recently surged up the rankings following a winning streak of nine of their last 10 games. They go from number 11 to number seven and have had an incredible season. The Penguins and Capitals are others who might take the Stanley Cup, and both have given the Bruins difficulty in the past.
Nobody can say for sure who will win the Stanley Cup. It’s a competition that can have its upsets easily. Though it’s safe to say the Bruins will have a tough field to get through early on, and every team will be fighting to make the most of the playoffs. Still, this year is one of the strongest we’ve seen the Bruins in a while, and should they find the form they had in February, they have every chance of being unstoppable.
