The Cup Cometh.....to Boston?

                With the season back in full swing after the All-Star break, teams gear up for another exciting finish as the playoffs loom closely on the horizon.  While most teams will fight to have the honor to play for Lord Stanley’s Cup, only a handful is currently viewed as top contenders.  You often hear about teams such as Vancouver, Philadelphia, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Dallas when this discussion comes to light.  Why not Boston?  They are currently 3^rd in the Eastern Conference, 1^st place in the Northeast Division, yet the Bruins are left out in the cold by industry insiders.  When looking at the team as a whole and not based on individual accolades, the Bruins have every right to be listed among the favorites.  The club flourishes when working as a unit, which becomes deadly for opponents when the playoffs roll around.  While the above mentioned teams have had their success analyzes and glorified, the Bruins demonstrate their own reasons for a long playoff drive.  Here are five reasons why the Cup could be making its way to Beantown:

1.       Balanced attack.  The Bruins offer four forward lines that can all score.  With 8 players with 10 or more goals, the team does not rely on one or two superstars to carry the offensive burden.  With 161 goals accounted for by the attack, the Bruins rank tied for 6^th in league for offensive output.  By having such a wide array of capable scoring, teams will have a difficult time matching lines, which is imperative in the playoffs.

2.       Team defense.  It is one thing to be able to light the lamp on a consistent basis, but as the old saying goes, “Offense sells tickets; defense wins championships.”  The Bruins have the luxury of both entities and pride themselves at keeping the puck out of their net.  The team’s defense is more prolific than its offense, as evidenced in ranking tied for 1^st in both goals against with 117 and team goal differential at +44 (goals scored minus goals against.)  The penalty killing unit works at an impressive 85% clip, good enough for the 4^th best in the NHL.  Being able to keep their defensive zone in check allows the Bruins to further enhance its offensive chances.

3.       Tremendous goaltending.  The Bruins showcase the NHL’s premier goaltending tandem of Tim Thomas and Tuuka Rask.  Each has a won a Vezina Trophy* and Thomas is the front runner for the award this year.  Thomas has posted a ridiculous 1.82 Goals Against Average, .945 Save Percentage, and 7 shutouts in 37 games played.  After a slow start, Rask has solidified his game, showing a 2.69 GAA, .922 SV%, and 1 shutout in 17 games of action.  Their level of play gives the Bruins confidence that mistakes will be erased rather than end up in the back of the net.  It also serves as frustration to opponents who constantly look up to the heavens in disbelief of not scoring what they deem a “sure” goal.  By having two top-tier goaltenders in its arsenal, the Bruins can ride either one to the Cup should the other falter.

4.       Team consistency.  The longest Bruins losing streak this season is 3 games, which they have only done once.  This shows that the team does not get down on itself after a loss and allow defeats to pile up.  With the largest margin of defeat being 3 goals (occurring twice), the Bruins are always a threat to win each and every game.  Frustration is born when you think you have a team beaten, but they keep coming after you.  The Bruins will cause fits for their postseason foes with their relentless style of play.

5.       Coaching and veteran leadership.  Since his arrival in 2008, Claude Julien has preached the concept of team to the Boston Bruins.  His record of 163 wins, 105 losses, and 42 overtime losses is proof that the players have bought into his strategy.  Not having to worry about the headaches that individual superstars sometime bring to a team, the Bruins play for each other and a common cause.  The team’s leadership of Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and the ageless Mark Recchi should hold their heads high, for they are the preachers of Julien’s teachings. 

The ingredients are all there for sustained postseason success: team first attitude, tenacity, fortitude and veteran leadership.  Through continued keen focus and consistent effort, the Boston Bruins may be something they have not been since 1972: Stanley Cup Champions.

*The Vezina Trophy is awarded to the NHL’s best goaltender each year. It is named in honor of Georges Vezina, who played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1910-1925 and died from tuberculosis in 1926.  It has been awarded annually since 1927.