CharlestownChiefsESC
Registered User
This has been on my mind for a while. I got to thinking the other day that if there was ever a team who's future could have been changed immensely by 1 different result multiple times its definitely the Bruins. For example
April 8 1971 The Bruins are up 5-2 on Montreal heading into the 3rd period of Game 2 of the EDSF . In reality they give up 5 goals and lose 7-5, but had they held on and won they take the series in 5 and March on to their 2nd straight cup with victories over Minnesota and Chicago this momentum carries them into 1972 where they win thier 3rd cup in a row. Which leads us to
May 9 1974 The Bruins lose Game 2 of the SCF to Philly in ot and eventually lose the series in 6. However lets say they win in ot. The series would then be forced to go back to Boston for Game 7, in which many of the Bruins players including Phil Esposito said the Bruins would have won easily. So that now gives them 3 or 4 cups in the 70s depending if the win in 71 carries over to real life. which takes us to
May 10 1979 The infamous blown lead in Montreal had they held on and won that sends them to the finals where they most likely win, so depending on how you look at it that gives them 5 cups in the 70's definitely the team of the decade and definitely a model franchise in terms of building a winner in different circumstances as hey won with a star laden lineup and a team first approach. Almost like Detroit in the 90s and 00s. It also kills Montreal's aura as well as Boston has 1 more cup than them in the 70s and are looked at as a team who could do it numerous ways.
Now lets fast forward to
May 5 1991 The infamous Neely cheap shot game. I know Neely played the rest of the series after this hit, but he wasn't at 100% so lets say he remained at 100% and the Bruins take the series. Chances are they beat Minnesota for the cup. Bouque has a cup 10 years earlier and probably retires a Bruin in 2000. Therefoe the 2001 finals look alot different and maybe the Devils win 2 cups in a row which means they never break the team up in 2002, which as a result means the top guys they had in 03 Nieuwendyk and Langenbrunner are never acquired which means maybe Ottawa wins in 03 or Dallas. Who knows????
This brings us to the 2010s
I'm not even gonna bring up 2010. So lets go to
June 12 2013 The Bruins found themselves up 3-1 on Chicago in Game 1 of the finals. Say the held this lead, they go up 3-0 on Chicago with the other games remaining the same and its hard to see the Hawks coming back from that defect which means the Bruins have their 2nd cup in 3 years which takes us to
May 1 2014 The Bruins lose Game 1 of their ECSF series to Montreal in ot. Say they win this game. They then take the series in 6 and beat the Rangers and Kings on the way to their 2nd cup in a row and 3rd of the decade, which brings us to
June 6 2019 The Bruins lose Game 5 to the Blues to go down 3-2 in the SCF on a brutal non call. Say the call went their way and the St.Louis goal gets called back, they then win Game 5 and take the cup in 6 games for their 4th cup of the 2010s.
To conclude its not a slight at the Bruins but I just cant think of another team who's had this happen to them so many times.
April 8 1971 The Bruins are up 5-2 on Montreal heading into the 3rd period of Game 2 of the EDSF . In reality they give up 5 goals and lose 7-5, but had they held on and won they take the series in 5 and March on to their 2nd straight cup with victories over Minnesota and Chicago this momentum carries them into 1972 where they win thier 3rd cup in a row. Which leads us to
May 9 1974 The Bruins lose Game 2 of the SCF to Philly in ot and eventually lose the series in 6. However lets say they win in ot. The series would then be forced to go back to Boston for Game 7, in which many of the Bruins players including Phil Esposito said the Bruins would have won easily. So that now gives them 3 or 4 cups in the 70s depending if the win in 71 carries over to real life. which takes us to
May 10 1979 The infamous blown lead in Montreal had they held on and won that sends them to the finals where they most likely win, so depending on how you look at it that gives them 5 cups in the 70's definitely the team of the decade and definitely a model franchise in terms of building a winner in different circumstances as hey won with a star laden lineup and a team first approach. Almost like Detroit in the 90s and 00s. It also kills Montreal's aura as well as Boston has 1 more cup than them in the 70s and are looked at as a team who could do it numerous ways.
Now lets fast forward to
May 5 1991 The infamous Neely cheap shot game. I know Neely played the rest of the series after this hit, but he wasn't at 100% so lets say he remained at 100% and the Bruins take the series. Chances are they beat Minnesota for the cup. Bouque has a cup 10 years earlier and probably retires a Bruin in 2000. Therefoe the 2001 finals look alot different and maybe the Devils win 2 cups in a row which means they never break the team up in 2002, which as a result means the top guys they had in 03 Nieuwendyk and Langenbrunner are never acquired which means maybe Ottawa wins in 03 or Dallas. Who knows????
This brings us to the 2010s
I'm not even gonna bring up 2010. So lets go to
June 12 2013 The Bruins found themselves up 3-1 on Chicago in Game 1 of the finals. Say the held this lead, they go up 3-0 on Chicago with the other games remaining the same and its hard to see the Hawks coming back from that defect which means the Bruins have their 2nd cup in 3 years which takes us to
May 1 2014 The Bruins lose Game 1 of their ECSF series to Montreal in ot. Say they win this game. They then take the series in 6 and beat the Rangers and Kings on the way to their 2nd cup in a row and 3rd of the decade, which brings us to
June 6 2019 The Bruins lose Game 5 to the Blues to go down 3-2 in the SCF on a brutal non call. Say the call went their way and the St.Louis goal gets called back, they then win Game 5 and take the cup in 6 games for their 4th cup of the 2010s.
To conclude its not a slight at the Bruins but I just cant think of another team who's had this happen to them so many times.
