Could there be a Stanley Cup in Boston this Year?

One thing that you will learn about me from this blog is that I am a huge hockey fan.  Being from Massachusetts and only 30 minutes from Boston, it's kind of easy to tell that I am a Bruins fan.  For those of you that don't know, the Bruins are, yet again, in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference.  The Bruins are constantly being talked about as one of the best teams in the league and there are plenty of reasons why.  They are 1st in the league in goals against per game, 3rd place in shots per game, and 5th in goals per game.  What is even more impressive is that even though they are ranked in the bottom three in the shots against per game category, they are 2nd in the league in goal differential at an astonishing +47 rating.  They fall behind only the impressive Vancouver Canucks team from the Western Conference.  But the question is, can the high-ranking Bruins make a run at the Stanley Cup this year?


My take on this question: Yes.  The Bruins have everything a team needs to make a legitimate run at the Cup.  The Bruins play solid defensive hockey and, as seen by the goal differential, outscore their opponents.  They are not the best defensive team in the league, but they manage to take away a majority of the high-percentage shots and break out of the zone with great efficiency.  In fact, defenseman Adam McQuaid leads the lead in plus/minus with a respectable +27.  The key to their defensive success, however, is their goaltending.  The Bruins feature the All-Star and former Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas in net on most nights.  The, once again, Vezina Trophy favorite is posting numbers that are helping the Bruins win night-in and night-out.  Thomas leads the league in save-percentage with a .939% and also leads in goals-against average, posting a 1.97.  Not to mention, he is in 2nd place in shutouts with 7.  However, Thomas can't play every night.  Well when he is unavailable, rising star Tuukka Rask is between the pipes.  After an incredible year last season Rask has cooled down a bit in this 2010-11 season.  However, as of late he has been regaining his original form, winning 4 of his last 5 starts including a shutout last night against the Ottawa Senators.  He is starting to look like his old self at just the right time for the Bruins.  


Defense isn't the only part of the game of hockey though.  So how has the Bruins offense faired this season?  Like I said earlier, they are 5th in the league in goals per game and have a plethora of potential 20-goal scorers.  The offense is being led by the likes of 27-goal scorer Milan Lucic who is also 3rd on the team in points with 46.  This breakout year for the gritty forward is just what the Bruins needed from him.  The always consistent Patrice Bergeron leads the team with 50 points and adds to the defense with his great defensive play.  Playmaker David Krejci is 2nd on the team with 46 points and has added a needed defensive side to his incredible vision on the ice.  Also contributing to the offense is 43 year-old veteran Mark Recchi who has 42 points.  Off season acquisition, Nathan Horton was expected to have a bigger scoring year, but he has found his niche on the squad through physical and defensive play, especially as of late.  Despite having a "scoring drought," the former Panther has scored 18 goals and posted 41 points in his first season as a Bruin.  The big surprise this season is rookie forward Brad Marchand.  Marchand started the season on the 4th line with the Bruins, but because of a great start to the season has made it up to the 1st line with Bergeron and Recchi.  Marchand's production keeps coming and he has played great hockey consistently throughout the season.  He has tallied 19 goals and 35 points in 60 games this season, putting him 6th in the Rookie point category.  With that being said, it is depth that is the name of the game for the Bruins squad.  There are no real super stars on the offensive side, but they all have produced consistently throughout the season making them one of the best offensive teams in the NHL.  When your 4th line combines for 27 of your team's 195 goals, you know that something is going right for you.


What is the final reason that the Bruins could bring home the cup this year?  They are becoming hot at just the right time.  In the recent road trip taken by the Bruins, they have racked up all 6 wins ending with a 1-0 shutout of the Senators last night.  During this road trip, the Bruins outscored their opponents 20-9, and increased their record on the road to 22-7-4.  The most impressive win on this road trip, however, was a tough 3-1 win against the league's best Vancouver Canucks in their barn.  The Bruins squad showed their grit after falling behind 1-0 to the Western Conference powerhouse who, at the time boasted a 22-5-5 record at home, by battling back to win 3-1.


The Bruins will now look to keep up their winning habits through the last 19 games as they close out the regular season.  In this stretch, the Bruins will face their conference foes, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Garden and will also face two red-hot teams in the Chicago Blackhawks and the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have come off a scorching February in which they posted an 11-2 record and will look to take down the Bruins.