Speculation: Who do you want in Round 1?

[missingchicklet]

I don't care at all who the Bs play in the first round. If any of the teams likely to meet the Bs can take a series to 7 then I'll start to worry. NYI have Sorokin, but no way he can get hot enough to shut down the Bs enough to where the Isles' offense can outscore the Bs over the course of a series. PIT and FLA both have some high-end talent and have been playing well as of late, but I don't think either team has enough to get out of the first round. FLA will enter the playoffs with a subpar coach, so there's that factor as well. Bs are a major matchup problem for any of the possible teams in the first round.

 

[BruinDust]

Last year I was like "Give me the Hurricanes!" We all saw how that turned out.

Bottom line for me is no bad teams will be making the playoffs in the East, even the two WC seeds. I don't care what the Bruins did in Oct/Nov/Dec, every match-up come playoff time will be a solid opponent and none to be taken lightly.

Which is a long way of saying I don't care who they play.

 

[LavioletteScores]

 

[UncleRico]

Pittsburgh. Its fun beating Crosby and Bergy is great at it.

 

[McGarnagle]

First Caveat: I just want a cup and don't care who we go through to get it

That said, the playoff runs are a little more magical when you go through rivals or other powerful teams. Like 2011 would've been fun regardless of the path but that we knocked out the Habs, Flyers, and Canucks on the way made it a true legendary event. So it just came to me what the ultimate path for the best storyline this year would be:

Round 1 - NYI - Revenge for 2021
Round 2 - Tampa - Revenge for 2020, 2018
ECF - Carolina - Revenge for last year

For the SCF I could go three ways, ranked by my preference

1. Vegas - Beating Bruce would be the ultimate end to a hell of a year
2. Colorado - Knocking off the defending champs is always nice
3. Edmonton - Best team beating the best individual player in the game, also could be revenge for 1988 and 1990

 

[smithformeragent]

Feels like it’ll be one of the Islanders, Panthers, or Penguins.

 

[KnightofBoston]

Not going to vote on who I want, I don’t play that game as it’s bad juju, but I think it will be the panthers.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

I want the easiest matchups all the way to the cup final.

Ideally we play Nashville in the SCF

 

[rocketdan9]

One team that could cause a major headache is Canes. If possible, bypass facing them all playoffs.

 

[goldnblack]

One team that could cause a major headache is Canes. If possible, bypass facing them all playoffs.

Well that won't be up to us! All we can do is show up in the conference finals and see who made it

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

 

[TSBruins13]

Had to do a double take that Detroit is even in playoff contention. That is your answer.

 

[rocketdan9]

Well that won't be up to us! All we can do is show up in the conference finals and see who made it

Yes...but we can hope

Playoffs is also about luck

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Had to do a double take that Detroit is even in playoff contention. That is your answer.

I mean, if we are counting long shot playoff teams in this thread, I’ll say Buffalo.

Buffalo has almost no defensive commitment whatsoever on their roster. You don’t win with zero commitment to defense (nevermind bad goaltending) in the playoffs. Ever.

 

[EvilDead]

I guess Detroit since people think they are an easy win? I have to be honest, I don't know if it would be good for the Bruins get a softer team to start.

 

[CamFan81]

I learned a long time ago to be careful what you wish for...

Here's who I want. I want the bruins to be healthy and ready for whoever gets matched up with us round 1.

 

[TP70BruinsCup]

LOL! Toronto Sports Network at their best…..who ever said we would just smoke everyone in the playoffs??? Nobody. We know anything can happen.

Now if it was TO in frost overall the conversation would be……... ‘Can the Leafs go 16-0 to win the Cup????’

Canadian media hate the Bruins because we keep smoking the Leafs. Fact

 

[BlackFrancis]

First Caveat: I just want a cup and don't care who we go through to get it

That said, the playoff runs are a little more magical when you go through rivals or other powerful teams. Like 2011 would've been fun regardless of the path but that we knocked out the Habs, Flyers, and Canucks on the way made it a true legendary event. So it just came to me what the ultimate path for the best storyline this year would be:

Round 1 - NYI - Revenge for 2021
Round 2 - Tampa - Revenge for 2020, 2018
ECF - Carolina - Revenge for last year

For the SCF I could go three ways, ranked by my preference

1. Vegas - Beating Bruce would be the ultimate end to a hell of a year
2. Colorado - Knocking off the defending champs is always nice
3. Edmonton - Best team beating the best individual player in the game, also could be revenge for 1988 and 1990

Only thing you're missing is Seattle coming out of the West. After the two games they played this season, I'd imagine a 7 game series between them to be about eight pounds of crazy in a five pound bag.

 

[22Brad Park]

I do not think a couple teams on this list are realistic like Sabres .Florida NYI and Shittsburgh are 3 they could face.I pick Shittsburgh they are not as physical as Florida and do not have goaltending NYI has.Add to it, I want to see Crysby face getting eliminated again by Boston.

 

[Alicat]

Don't care who they face. Regular season doesn't matter when the playoffs start

 

[quietbruinfan]

It is down to Fla, NYI and Pitt. All three present serious challenges but of the three, I will take the Isles. They have the least talent and are difficult to play against but solvable...Playoffs are much different than the regular season, but the three similar wins against the Isles have given me some confidence.

 

[EvilDead]

I learned a long time ago to be careful what you wish for...

Here's who I want. I want the bruins to be healthy and ready for whoever gets matched up with us round 1.

The best answer possible.

 

[22Brad Park]

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

First Caveat: I just want a cup and don't care who we go through to get it

That said, the playoff runs are a little more magical when you go through rivals or other powerful teams. Like 2011 would've been fun regardless of the path but that we knocked out the Habs, Flyers, and Canucks on the way made it a true legendary event. So it just came to me what the ultimate path for the best storyline this year would be:

Round 1 - NYI - Revenge for 2021
Round 2 - Tampa - Revenge for 2020, 2018
ECF - Carolina - Revenge for last year

For the SCF I could go three ways, ranked by my preference

1. Vegas - Beating Bruce would be the ultimate end to a hell of a year
2. Colorado - Knocking off the defending champs is always nice
3. Edmonton - Best team beating the best individual player in the game, also could be revenge for 1988 and 1990

You like revenge, eh?

 

[Ladyfan]

I learned a long time ago to be careful what you wish for...

Here's who I want. I want the bruins to be healthy and ready for whoever gets matched up with us round 1.

THIS^