Boston Bruins Cup or Bust?

[smithformeragent]

Pretty simple, boys and girls.

Do the Bruins need to win the Cup in order for you to consider this season a success?

I’m actually going to say “No”.

I did not expect them to have this level of success. I was ready for a full on rebuild, the sooner the better.

This has been a hell of a ride and I’ve enjoyed it no matter what.

Click to read more...

 

[roflstomper]

No moral victories. All time point record incoming and first round you get to slap around the Sabres, Sens or Pens. Then this roster has to go 12-9 at worst to win the Cup. Team will lose at least 3 quality players due to the cap next year and I doubt Krejci comes back. No 1sts of 2nds for multiple years and a bottom 5 prospect pool. Need to win this year.

 

[KrugAvoy]

If Bergeron and Krejci were 10 years younger I'd say no. If we weren't about to have a cap crunch I'd say no. But with the way the chips have fallen this year I have to say it's cup or bust

 

[BMC]

Cup or bust. This team finally has the players and coaching staff to win it all, without qualification (team x has to be ousted first, etc) After 2019 I thought it would be another 5-7 years at best for another opportunity to win it all. Add to that the Bruins have basically mortgaged the future for this chance.

 

[RI.B FAN]

Hard one, No Cup now and its going to be a while. Truth is, this is a great ride. I am enjoying this in a big way. Can't be sour if they do not win.

 

[wintersej]

17-1 wasn't a success even if it was fun along the way.

 

[MarchysNoseKnows]

Isn’t it Cup or bust every year though? Certainly around here it is.

 

[HustleB]

Absolutely cup or bust. I love that they went for it and there are no guarantees, but, there are also no moral victories or regrets. We had to go for it; We went all in and God willing we will get Bergy and Krejci Lord Stanley for the second time.

 

[UncleRico]

ask me two weeks ago and I would have been on the fence, but just based on all the future assets spent at the deadline I would say yes.

 

[missingchicklet]

The GM has put this team in as good of a position to win a Cup as could be expected. Hired the best available coach. Built a roster with zero glaring holes. Added 3 massive pieces at the deadline to solidify any soft areas on the roster and provide depth. Brought in a goalie who is going to win the Vezina. In the cap era I don't think any GM could have masterminded this any better than DS has done.

This team is setting records and making history. 100 percent Cup or bust. This is the most fun I've ever had rooting for the Bs in the regular season. Can't remember ever being entertained night in night out in so many regular season games. In that respect of course it's successful.

But the expectations are out the roof and the talent on the team is ridiculous in large part because of guys playing for below what they should be getting. Not getting a Cup for these core guys nearing the end of their career would be tragic. The team and coach at the time already blew it in 2019 icing an inferior roster than what they have this season. They need to get it done this year or it will be considered a failure with an asterisk denoting some regular season records being broken.

 

[ShiftyNifty16]

17-1 wasn't a success even if it was fun along the way.

This says it all. I've blocked that entire season from my mind.

It's Cup or bust for me. They aren't just having a nice season, this is one for the ages.

 

[ap3lovr]

I'll measure this team by my expectations coming into the season, and not the expectations I have now. This team is already a success. I didn't even have them making the playoffs to be honest. Though we would be sending out Krejci and Bergeron at the deadline for picks and prospects. Yet, this team has been good... well not just good. Historically good.

This team is on par with the Habs from the late 70s. Or the Bruins from the early 70's. Go look at the 1978-79 Montreal Canadians roster. Go look at the 1971-72 Bruins roster. They are littered with hall of fame players at every position. That is how good this team is, I'm still having a difficult time comprehending it.

There are only 2 things I want to see before the season end that I think would make this season perfect. #33 to the rafters on the final home game of the season. Raising a Stanley cup banner in the spring. Though neither are expected at this point.

 

[bruinmann77]

This team has to win a cup or it’s for not

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

Years from now no one will be buying the 2022-2023 regular season champs blu-ray.

It's cup or nothing.


Lightning fans don't look fondly on 2019.

 

[Mr Cartmenez]

Yes, cup or bust, simple as that. For multiple reasons, but most important: The competition is not all that scary. They have a clear path despite people saying how much of a bloodbath the east is gonna be.

They are a great 5on5 and pk team, have outstanding goaltending and a long bonded team chemistry.

They will not be stopped. I cannot see it. Might be one of these 2020 TB playoff-runs.

 

[PlayMakers]

Pretty simple, boys and girls.

Do the Bruins need to win the Cup in order for you to consider this season a success?

I’m actually going to say “No”.

I did not expect them to have this level of success. I was ready for a full on rebuild, the sooner the better.

This has been a hell of a ride and I’ve enjoyed it no matter what.

I would have said no before the deadline. I usually don't look at just playoff advancement as the sole definition of success because I think the playoffs are hard to predict with health and matchups and such. You can have an inferior team go deeper than a strong team that just got dinged up.

I would have considered this season a success based on the record setting run they went on. That and a good showing in the post-season would have been enough. BUT, then they mortgaged the future for a run. Giving up all those picks, first round picks... they pushed all their chips into the pot and now it's all or nothing.

 

[weaponomega]

I'll say yes. I've almost already forgotten about Tampa's 128 point 62 win season and that just 4 years ago.

This season has been immensely fun to watch and I don't want it to end, but with the age of Bergeron, Krejci and Marchand this season has to be thought of as cup or bust. The likelihood of another team like this is slim.

 

[weaponomega]

Yes, cup or bust, simple as that. For multiple reasons, but most important: The competition is not all that scary. They have a clear path despite people saying how much of a bloodbath the east is gonna be.

They are a great 5on5 and pk team, have outstanding goaltending and a long bonded team chemistry.

They will not be stopped. I cannot see it. Might be one of these 2020 TB playoff-runs.

I think this is going to be one of the toughest cups to win in recent memory for whomever wins it. The east will a war with Toronto, Tampa, Rangers, and the Devil's all adding significant pieces. And the wildcard teams of Ottawa, Florida, Islanders and Buffalo will all be a challenge.

And Seattle, Vegas, Dallas, Edmonton or Colorado coming out of the west will be another tough challenge in the final.

It's cup or bust, but not because of the competition.

 

[quietbruinfan]

Yep, cup or bust and they obviously know it. Given the ages of 37, 46 and 63 and the cap and prospect situation, this will be their last shot for a while. Unfortunately, the conference is as strong as I ever remember with one or two more contenders than usual.

All that said, they have had an incredible and incredibly enjoyable season, which I have enjoyed and will enjoy.

 

[N o o d l e s]

We have already won Presidents Trophies and made finals. All of that means nothing, especially to Bergeron and Krejci. Yes it’s win or bust. And not that we needed confirmation but Sweeney’s moves say so, too

Yep, cup or bust and they obviously know it. Given the ages of 37, 46 and 63 and the capand prospect situation, this will be their last shot for a while. Unfortunately, the conference is as strong as I ever remember with one or two more contenders than usual.

All that said, they have had an incredible and incredibly enjoyable season, which I have and will enjoy.

I think this format helps the Bruins. It’s nice to only have to play two of those teams and I don’t even like the format.

 

[quietbruinfan]

We have already won Presidents Trophies and made finals. All of that means nothing, especially to Bergeron and Krejci. Yes it’s win or bust. And not that we needed confirmation but Sweeney’s moves say so, too



I think this format helps the Bruins. It’s nice to only have to play two of those teams and I don’t even like the format.

I am looking for who gets the easiest matchup in round one and it may sound crazy, but I think it is Toronto. Carolina probably will on paper, my hunch is Pens ...The Sens give us trouble for good reason. The Rangers Devils will be a very difficult series though not as physical as some others.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

No one has President Trophy shirts or rings that anyone talks about.

With the season they are having, they are doing far above and beyond anything I would have imagined, but at the same time, they have set the bar pretty high.

Of course I'm enjoying the ride, but regular season means nothing after game 1 of the playoffs start. Yes we are setting some regular season records, yes, it's pretty neat. But the nothing beats the real thing. And that's what this season has set the expectation as.

 

[hrdpuk]

Obviously, I love to see them raise the cup. But also respect what they've done so far.
No guaranties about the future, ever.
They're giving it their best shot and I'm enjoying every game.

 

[ylekot]

B's are all in it's cup or bust for me. From the players choices to take discounts (37 and 46) to managements selection of Montgomery, zacha trade, and all deadline moves this team and management has crushed it. They refused to tread water early and excelled when injuries gave them an excuse to. Management rewarded team by supplying them with spot on talent to shore up areas of need . This team is a wagon and in my opinion the best team in the NHL. If they don't win the cup it will really sting cause this organization could not have done anymore then what they did. Most enjoyable team and season I've had since the early mid seventies and I'll remember it fondly regardless of outcome of final game.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Cup or bust. This isn't a young, building team. It's got some young pieces and Sweeney's done a better job than I expected at improving the team on the fly, but its top 2 centers are 36-37, one of whom happens to be a generational, culture-setting captain, and as others have noted, the cap is going to bite next year one way or another. I think the team can still be very competitive next season, but this right now is its best chance. This is the best roster they're going to have for quite some time, this is the year they've loaded up before the deadline to an extent that they're simply not going to be able to repeat in 2024, this is the year they've put all their chips in the 'win now' bucket.

As I've said in another post, much as Sweeney's obviously given up some of the team's short-term future for this run, I don't think he's yet placed it in too deep a hole in regards to its competitiveness going forwards. The team is not facing Blackhawks territory and has done considerably better at riding through the end of an aging core and into the next era than the Pens. But in the end this year is still as good as it's going to get and when you've had a regular season this dominant and when you look at all that's taken place and all the decisions made, then there can be only one outcome that's regarded as a success. We as fans know it, and more importantly the players know it. They are either going to attain the ultimate glory, or one of the most bitter of defeats. Hopefully it's the former.