If the Boston Bruins can advance from the Second Round, they have to be seen as favorites to lift the Stanley Cup this summer.
We don’t quite know who lies ahead of the Boston Bruins as the next challenge, with that not being confirmed until the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers’ series reaches completion.
However, whoever it happens to be, the Boston Bruins are incredibly well-placed to get the right result in that series.
This is a Boston Bruins team that has already dealt with adversity since entering the ‘bubble’. Not only has their regular starting goalie Tuukka Rask had to leave, but they have been down their leading goal scorer for 3 of their 5 Stanley Cup Playoff fixtures.
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Adversity isn’t necessarily going to get them over the line on it’s own, but couple the fact that they have a team bond that saw them go all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last year and they’re incredibly well set up to advance further in this year’s tournament.
Should they have to face Tampa Bay, that series will no doubt be brilliant viewing but also decisive. A victory over them gives us real momentum to build on, more so than facing a team like the Islanders would.
Perhaps, the scary thought is the likelihood of possibly facing a surging Colorado Avalanche side should we go all the way. Right now, they’re look nigh-on unstoppable in the Western Conference, though the Vegas Golden Knights may still give them a run for their money.
It’s hard not to get over-excited but we’ve seen time and again that teams do need to face heartbreaking losses before finally breaking through. The Penguins did it, the Capitals did it; it’s almost a rite of passage en-route to lifting the Stanley Cup.
The Boston Bruins are right there; this current side is incredibly hard to match-up against; the top line is among the best in the league while the form of the second and third lines makes us really hard to defend.
Defensively, we have one of the best young defensemen in the league in Charlie McAvoy, while guys like Torey Krug, Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelyck are proving invaluable. Let’s also not forget the leadership that our captain Zdeno Chara brings.
Between the pipes, Jaroslav Halak might not be your first choice to lead a side to the Stanley Cup, but the Boston Bruins number two stopper is as good of a choice as any without Rask.
Make no mistake, if we can win in the second round, the Boston Bruins can’t be written off. We may have opted to play carefully and without too much intent in the round-robin tournament, but the switch has properly been turned on in the series with the Canes.