This is it. 4 more wins and we will know what its like to watch our hockey team hold the Stanley Cup. It’s been a long season. Many of you started watching this team in October when the opened the season overseas in Prague. By mid February you were freezing your balls off somewhere watching the B’s pull off 6 straight wins on the road that helped define this season. Now its June 1st and its strange as fuck to be watching the Bruins play past Memorial Day weekend and into June. This is what it was like to be a Bruins fan in the 70’s and 80’s when the B’s dominated the sports landscape of Boston. The Bruin glory days are back. The stage is set with all of the lights shining brightly on the black and gold. Standing in their way, the best time in the NHL. The Vancounver Canucks.
Keys to the Bruins winning this series
- Matching up the defensive pair or Chara and Seidenberg on the Sedin Twins anytime they are out on the ice. This line will kill the Bruins if they are out there for an extended period of time against Kaberle and McQuaid. If you notice that happen at any point in the series, get ready to spawn and ulcer and chuck your remote across the room because that matchup spells doom for the Bruins.
- Avoid taking bad penalties. I cant STRESS this enough. Vancouver’s power play is hotter than Blake Lively and Stacy Dash Combined. The Cancucks have a playoff Power play success rate of 28 percent while the Bruins come in at a historically embarrassing 8 percent. Bruins need to keep on ice play to 5 on 5 if they want to compete with the Canucks.
- Get traffic in front of goal tender Roberto Luongo and elevate pucks when the net is open. Luongo is a Vezna Trophy finalist as is Tim Thomas. Although, their style of play couldn’t be any different. The Bruins need to get screens in front of the net and then elevate pucks when rebound chances occur. They will not beat Luongo on along the ice. He is too good.
- Know where Ryan Kesler is at all times. Kesler is the “Krejic/Bergeron” of the Vancouver Canucks. He happens to be playing the best hockey of his life and its at an MVP type level. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chara is out there against Kesler at times if he starts to dominate play. The Bruins forwards also need to keep a body on him and not let him get free down the slot. Bad defensive break downs will enable Kesler to capitalize on those mistakes.
- Continue to produce at the faceoff circle. Often it’s the little things that can separate 2 evenly matched teams in the playoffs. Krecji and Bregerogn need to continue their stellar play at the dot. Vancouver looks to get centerman Manny Malhotra back this series. Malhotra suffered a serious eye injury that was thought to be career threatening. He’s regarded as one of the best faceoff men in the NHL. When there is an important faceoff to be had, don’t be surprised to see Malhotra vs Bergeron. Although it may seem like a minor point, the faceoff battle will be key to which team wins this series.
- Play ugly, nasty, defensively disciplined Boston Bruins Hockey. The Bruins cannot afford to get in a wide open, trading shot for shot style of play that they did at times with Tampa Bay. Vancouver has too much fire power that will overwhelm the B’s. The Bruins are regarded as the best defensive team in the NHL. Which is good because they are going to need it.
Overall, I expect this to be a great series. Vancouver is clearly the more talented team from top to bottom. It’s no mistake that they were the best team in the regular season and seem to be the best team in the playoffs. As previously mentioned, if the Bruins can keep this a 5 on 5 series and stay out of the penalty box (avoiding the green men) they have a great shot at winning their first cup in 39 years. Tim Thomas is going to need to steal a few games in this series for the B’s to have a chance. In fact, he may have to steal all 4.
My prediction: Bruins in 6 (my head says they lose this series but my heart says they win. Yes that was the gayest line I have ever used in a blog.) No one in the national media is picking the Bruins to win this series. In fact some of them are picking Vancouver to sweep the Bruins. They say there is no chance that the Bruins hold the cup. Guess we'll will see about that...
