Boston Bruins: Talking ‘time off’ with New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick

BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 31 : New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick enjoys Practice Day on December 31, 2015 during 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 31 : New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick enjoys Practice Day on December 31, 2015 during 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Boston Bruins are in an odd spot; they swept the Carolina Hurricances and now have to wait nearly a week and a half for the Stanley Cup Final. Who better though, to get advice from than the New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick.

If any coach knows what to do with the down-time, it’s Bill Belichick, so full credit to Boston Bruins General Manager, Don Sweeney for realising that advice works cross-code when it comes to that winning edge and bringing a championship back to Boston!

When it comes to Bill Belichick, he typically has near-on two weeks to sit back, relax and scheme up his game-winning plays. You could argue that the same luxury isn’t quite afforded to the Boston Bruins coaching staff, especially as it’s a best-of-seven series, but at least they’ll have plenty of time to watch video on both their potential opponents.

The similarities between gridiron and ice hockey are rather limited, but the key smarts that can be shared are all about mentality. This is the time to focus your players and ensure their eyes are there for the prize and they’ll leave it all out there when the time comes.

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That is shared, whether we’re talking Tom Brady and a game-winning play or Zdeno Chara laying a bone-crunching hit to halt the opposition’s momentum. When it comes down to the crunch, the Bruins need to be 100% mentally focused. That’s something that Bill Belichick has shown himself to be masterful in over the years.

Possibly the most remarkable thought regarding Boston chatting with Bill Belichick is the fact that between the two teams – the New England Patriots and the Boston Bruins; they could be bringing two of the trophies from the big four American sports back to Massachusetts. What a party that’d make for this summer!

All eyes of course are on the Boston Bruins for the next week or so; will their captain be fighting fit in time for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final? Will the advice of a bonafide NFL coaching legend make the difference, especially when their opponents will be rolling in on a tide of momentum from night-in, night-out game play?

Right now, we’re at a point where we can sit back and speculate. We get the chance, much like the Boston Bruins coaching staff, to sit back and watch the Blues and Sharks fight it out; all the while, recuperating and ensuring that every Bruins player is ready to go when that puck eventually drops.

If the Stanley Cup heads to Boston this summer, Bill Belichick can enjoy the knowledge that a tiny bit of that success can likely be attributed to a nugget of advice from him.