Bruins Deliver On Expectations

All aboard! That wagon you jumped off of earlier this week is about to leave for Florida. I’m sure you don’t want to miss it. The team you gave up on a few days ago made you a believer again, didn’t they? I heard you on the talk radio shows after the game. Why, there were even a couple of you talking about the Stanley Cup returning to Boston. A bit premature talk don’t you think?  Well, let’s give credit where credit is due. Thursday’s win over the Atlanta Thrashers was old time Boston Bruins hockey. Shawn Thornton led the way with two goals and his game opening dust up with the Thrasher’s Eric Boulton while Andrew Ference, Marc Savard, and Milan Lucic put the finishing touches on the game where the boys in black and gold were intent on saying they were not finished for this season and they had not given up on their coach, Claude Julien.

The B’s played with a passion they have not displayed in some time. They reminded one of the grinding, hard working, take no bull, clubs of the late 1970’s. Those teams known as, The Lunch Pail Athletic Club, consistently overachieved under the guidance of Don Cherry. The team had to take on that identity due to the departures of superstars Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. The 2010 version has no one that fits in the superstar mold, except for goaltender Tim Thomas, and they must play as a team.  A team that works harder than any other team in the league. A team that stands up for one another. A team that has an “us against the world” attitude. A team that, night after night, leaves everything it has on the ice. Of course, these are all cliches but they have stood the test of time, for this is what fans have come to know as Boston Bruins hockey. This is the type of hockey all Bruins fans expect from their team. The faithful only ask that the Bruins play with passion and an attitude that says “you may beat me but it will be the battle of your life!”

After Christmas, the Bruins head out for a five game road trip. The trip will take them south of the Mason-Dixon line where they will take on the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Atlanta Thrashers (again.) The B’s return north to Buffalo and Toronto then return home for a tilt against the Minnesota Wild. The trip will show the world what the black and gold are truly made of. This writer believes the team we saw defeat Atlanta is the team we will continue to see for the remainder of the season. That team could be capable of big things in the playoffs but for now, we must take it game by game.

Be prepared to move over because, I believe, more people will be boarding the bandwagon. Could someone watch my seat while I unwrap my Christmas gifts?

We, at Fansided, wish hockey fans around the world a very Merry Christmas. Since, you are all good hockey fans, may Santa bring everything you’ve asked for.

Remember to go to http://vote.nhl.com/ and vote for Tim Thomas, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and David Krejci, for the 2011 NHL All Star Game.

For all news pertaining to the NHL in general…..please visit  Too Many Men on the Site – Fansided`s excellent coverage of the Greatest Game on Ice !

Shawn Hutcheon can be followed on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/@shawnhutcheon. You can become his friend on facebook by going to www.facebook.com/shawnhutcheon.