Boston Bruins not a dark horse but a favorite for Stanley Cup

[wintersej]

Haha yeah as a Caps fan I'd be like, "Sweet, Caps in 4." It would be so fitting though if the Caps/Bs met in the playoffs and Holtby went from being a brickwall for the past seven years against the Bruins to a sieve in that series.

I still think that series is 2012 was the most entertaining low-scoring playoff series I can remember.

Ugh that series was a punch in the gut. That Bruins team was better than the Cup winning team. (Honestly, the Bruins had a few teams in that run better than the 2011 team). Most of the team is gone and Holtby is still in their heads. It's crazy.

 

[CupsOverCash]

I like them but they destroyed TB last year in the regular season and then got destroyed in the playoffs by them. Last night they were on their 3rd game in 4 nights. Back to back, back up goalie. Not quite ready to crown them yet.

 

[T REX]

Not sure why Tampa will even show up. It's obvious after last night that the Bruins are the clear cut favorite. They are getting healthy and they just killed Tampa that was playing it's 3rd game in 4 nights with their back up goalie.

That game is a total representation of how a series would go.

Spot on analysis.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Not sure why Tampa will even show up. It's obvious after last night that the Bruins are the clear cut favorite. They are getting healthy and they just killed Tampa that was playing it's 3rd game in 4 nights with their back up goalie.

That game is a total representation of how a series would go.

Spot on analysis.

Look at TBs record vs the Bs and NJ last regular season. Sure looks the same in the playoffs...

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Ugh that series was a punch in the gut. That Bruins team was better than the Cup winning team. (Honestly, the Bruins had a few teams in that run better than the 2011 team). Most of the team is gone and Holtby is still in their heads. It's crazy.

That was a wild series. Every game was decided by one goal, three games went to OT including G7, and one game went to 2OT. Pretty much everyone -- including Caps fans -- expected the Caps to get blown out. Holtby was a relatively unknown commodity at that point as the 3rd string goaltender but he was pressed into action because of injuries to Tomas Vokoun and Michel Neuvirth. If Vokoun or Neuvy don't get hurt the Bruins likely take that series in five games or less.

Separately, it's crazy how much more talented the Caps are now... Keith Aucoin was on the top PP for that 2011-12 team. Brutal.

 

[High five Tom]

Boston's good but I really wouldn't use last nights game as a measuring stick. I mean, you can if you want, but that was the Bolts 3rd game in 4 nights with a backup goalie in net, on the road. On the other hand it was Boston's 2nd game in 5 nights

The backup goalie is not an excuse for the loss last night. If it wasn't for him the Bruins score 2-3 more goals.

 

[wintersej]

I like them but they destroyed TB last year in the regular season and then got destroyed in the playoffs by them. Last night they were on their 3rd game in 4 nights. Back to back, back up goalie. Not quite ready to crown them yet.

I hope no one but the OP is. Bruins were quite clearly spent heading into that Tampa series and then the blue line fell apart with injury. I do take a little exception to saying Tampa "destroyed" them. This call goes correctly and this series is 2-2.

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

Bruins beat Tampa, give them the cup now
Everyone go golf

 

[Devil Dancer]

They're going to have a really tough path through the playoffs. Probably TOR --> TBL --> someone from the Metro playing well --> someone from the West playing well.

If it goes that way the SCF might he their easiest series. But hey, the Caps had ran a similar gauntlet last year, but with an easier first round.

 

[tapi]

The issue for the Bruins is facing TOR in the early stage of the play-offs, it will probably be insurmountable task for them to proceed from the first round. If TOR was eliminated by the Lightning maybe Boston would stand a chance at the cup but as it is it looks very bleak for them

 

[I Hate Philadelphia]

As a Bruins fan, we are in no way a "cup favorite". I'm glad we're on a good streak but we are very susceptible to our offense completely disappearing outside of our first line, if that happens during the playoffs then we're screwed.

Also, I always worry about an injury plague to our D-corps like what happened vs. Ottawa in 2017. The only "favorite" right now is Tampa, given they seem to have 50 more points than anyone else in the league.

 

[CupsOverCash]

I hope no one but the OP is. Bruins were quite clearly spent heading into that Tampa series and then the blue line fell apart with injury. I do take a little exception to saying Tampa "destroyed" them. This call goes correctly and this series is 2-2.

All Im saying is these regular season games mean very little when it comes to the big show. This includes us and how we are playing now. With the exception of last night and a few other games we are winning games and a lot of them fairly easily. This wont happen so easily in the playoffs. A lot less time and space out there will make wins come a lot harder then. Guys raise their games then too. TB didnt skate all that hard last night, but guarantee they will in the playoffs.

 

[veganbruin]

"Presidents' Trophy-winning teams reach the Stanley Cup Final -- and win it -- more than any other seed in the playoffs."


Myth of Presidents' Trophy Curse

I'll take those odds.

Hmm but do they make or win the Stanley Cup more often than they don’t?

 

[crackdown44]

How would the team with the 3rd most points in the league be a dark horse in the first place? Unless you’re saying everyone but Tampa is a dark horse

 

[alg363636]

The issue for the Bruins is facing TOR in the early stage of the play-offs, it will probably be insurmountable task for them to proceed from the first round. If TOR was eliminated by the Lightning maybe Boston would stand a chance at the cup but as it is it looks very bleak for them

lol what

 

[wintersej]

They're going to have a really tough path through the playoffs. Probably TOR --> TBL --> someone from the Metro playing well --> someone from the West playing well.

If it goes that way the SCF might he their easiest series. But hey, the Caps had ran a similar gauntlet last year, but with an easier first round.

I'm just hoping Tampa has to play Pittsburgh or Columbus in the 1st round so they actually have to break a sweat. Heck. They could LOSE to either of those teams. Playing "Taylor Hall and some other people I guess" last season was a big advantage for them. An advantage they earned thru a strong regular season, but an advantage or sure.

 

[CupsOverCash]

I'm just hoping Tampa has to play Pittsburgh or Columbus in the 1st round so they actually have to break a sweat. Heck. They could LOSE to either of those teams. Playing "Taylor Hall and some other people I guess" last season was a big advantage for them. An advantage they earned thru a strong regular season, but an advantage or sure.

Its funny because a lot of people were thinking we could get beat by NJ because of how they played us in the reg season. They were also playing very well going in too. We just took it up a big notch from where we were playing before. I think it threw them off.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

Hmm but do they make or win the Stanley Cup more often than they don’t?

More often than any other seed. Yes. Hence my statement of "I'll take those odds."

 

[MetM]

Those weren't excuses. Just facts. Tampa executed very poorly and did not play well despite Domingue being great throughout most of the game (minus that little 2 minute stretch where he gave up 3 goals). Boston played one of their better games and got all the bounces. It's a regular season game that's worth 2 points, that's it. Speaking of points, Boston still trails Tampa by 17 points in the standings in case you missed it.

"The amount of points Tampa has is duly noted"

 

[BB88]

Boston's good but I really wouldn't use last nights game as a measuring stick. I mean, you can if you want, but that was the Bolts 3rd game in 4 nights with a backup goalie in net, on the road. On the other hand it was Boston's 2nd game in 5 nights

Boston was just on the road in the West and were without Pasta.

But you're right that 1 regular season game means .... at the end of day.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

I'm just hoping Tampa has to play Pittsburgh or Columbus in the 1st round so they actually have to break a sweat. Heck. They could LOSE to either of those teams. Playing "Taylor Hall and some other people I guess" last season was a big advantage for them. An advantage they earned thru a strong regular season, but an advantage or sure.

Yes. Last year Boston played Toronto, TB had NJ.

What an odd playoff format.

 

[JoVel]

If you made that conclusion based on the past 60 games, it's fair, but I have this feeling that you watched one regular season game and made your opinion based on that alone.

 

[Kazcram]

Boston has the motivation to fight through exhaustion.

lol

 

[BeingTheThunder]

I think we can all agree that it will be a fun series... should we meet in the playoffs.

 

[Fatty McLardy]

Have them up there with TB & WSH. Whichever of those 3 make it out of the east will win the cup.