2011 NHL Playoffs Predictions: Chances of Boston Bruins winning the Stanley Cup this year
The way Boston Bruins have been playing so far in the postseason does not have to be a factor in the outcome of the National Hockey League playoff Eastern Conference series just yet.
The Bruins are capable of turning the tables around at any moment and it is always a surprise when they do it.
Expecting Boston to lose in game two like they did against Tampa Bay Lightning in game one would be a dire mistake by an NHL fan, because when you have a team like the Bruins playing, things change when you least expect them to. It is a universal fact that
the Lightning are without a doubt the best team in the postseason at the moment, but then again, Boston have a history of dynamic wins in the playoffs under their belts.
They lost in 2010 to the Philadelphia Flyers in a horrific collapse after taking a 3-0 lead in the series and rewrote history this time around as they eliminated them in a 4-0 clean sweep of the semi-finals. Montreal put up a good fight against the Bruins
during the quarterfinals, but that was the first round and every team was a little shaky back then. Now the Bruins have learnt from their mistakes and most likely will not repeat them again against the Lightning.
There are a few factors which, if exploited, can help Boston Bruins to easily defeat Tampa Bay Lightning and reach the Stanley Cup finals against their Western counterparts.
Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara
These two players are what we would call “sleeping giants” because when they are provoked they can become unstoppable forces and ultimately take the game into their grip. But here is the problem. Awakening them is something very hard to do. Both are extremely
talented, it’s just the need to motivate and stress them into giving it their all which can get the job done.
Lucic is without a doubt, Boston’s key to winning. He came out into the spotlight during game four against Philadelphia Flyers which later on became their last as Lucic fired two goals, both of which were his first of the playoffs, sparking a shooting spree
from the rest of the team and took the game by a hefty 5-2 victory.
Since the hit on Max Pacioretty, Zdeno Chara looks to have been playing it safe and avoiding any physical contact with players, which sends his game into turmoil. Chara is a physical player and until and unless he is not given an open hand to play like he
wants, he will not be performing anytime soon. Both players hold the key for the Bruins- it is now up to the management on how they use it.
Tim Thomas
The NHL’s leading goalie in the regular season, Tim Thomas is a veteran who knows how to handle pressure at the defensive end. All those years of experience count for a lot as most might suggest, it’s a combination of things.
Thomas has had problems in the Bruins end of the ice mainly because of the lack in defensemen taking responsibilities to properly guard the net alongside him.
Since Marc Savard’s oust in January 2011 due to a concussion, they have not been able to play in the same defensive style they once did. A combination of offence from Chara and Lucic along with Thomas’ defending abilities can take the Bruins to a whole new
level and maybe give them their first Stanley Cup since 1972.
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