Boston's physicality is absolutely making a difference right now too. And Chicago in general seems to be tired. I guess you can blame that on the Garden ice but you gotta think that they are getting worn down as the series goes on. Whereas the Bruins look just fine at least to my eyes.
It's the curse of the President's trophy. Winning streaks during the regular season sure are nice, but winning the Cup is the final goal. Bruins have the correct game plan for their particular team. Can't play good Bruins type hockey for 82 games or even a tightly condensed 48 game schedule. Instead, play enough good games to stay at or near the top of your division, try to limit big injuries, and keep enough in the tank for a good playoff run.
After 2011, teams started trying to emulate our physical style by picking up fighters/goons/big guys. Wonder if anyone will want to dominate the regular season for long long stretches if it means nothing in the playoffs?