| Jeff Cargerman. 22nd December, 2008 - 11:13 am
 No city in the United States has as many title contenders as Beantown.
The Red Sox have won two World Series in the last five years.
The Celtics won the NBA Championship last season and are on pace to set the best single season record in the history of the NBA.
The New England Patriots dynasty has won three Super Bowls since 2001 and is still in contention this season.
After five years of early playoff exits, missing postseason play altogether, and being relegated to only blurbs in the Boston Globe, the Bruins have now joined the elite ranks of Boston sports.
The Bruins started this season slow, going 2-2-3, but have since caught fire and now have the best record in the Eastern Conference. Since a 3 game losing streak in October, the Bruins have played the best hockey in the NHL outside of the San Jose Sharks, going 23-3-1.
The Bruins lead the Eastern Conference in goals scored, goals against, and power play conversion percentage. Led by veteran center Marc Savard, young guns Phil Kessel and David Krecji, and the outstanding play of netminders Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez, the Bruins are 9-1 in their last 10 games. The Bruins have an outstanding 9 skaters in positive double figures of +/-.
The backbone of the Bruins’ on-ice success this year can be attributed to their exceptional play behind the blue line. Their defense is a mixture of physically imposing veterans and talented young newcomers. Boston big man Zdeno Chara has been his typical goaltender’s best friend this season. Even at age 31, he is still one of the top natural defensemen in the NHL. Fellow veteran defense partner Shane Hnidy has been a pleasant surprise this season for the Bruins. Last year, Hnidy posted a +/- of -2 in 77 games and this season he is already +12 through 27 games with no signs of slowing down. The biggest surprise on the defense, though, is Norris Trophy candidate Dennis Wideman. After a mediocre 2007/08 season, 25 year old Wideman has been one of the league’s top 2-way defenseman with 19 points and only 6 penalty minutes through 30 games.
The most important defensemen on the Bruins’ this season has been tandem goaltenders, Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez. Statistically, Thomas and Fernandez are among NHL leaders in almost every goaltender category. Fernandez ranks #2 in the league in Goals Against Average with 2.02 while Thomas checks in at #4 with 2.15. If Thomas and Fernandez can keep up the stellar play between the pipes, the Bruins will be the consensus favorite going into postseason play.
The Bruins’ path to a first Stanley Cup victory in 37 years is not without competition, though. While the Western Conference is still deeper, the Eastern Conference is not without viable Cup Contenders. The Penguins, Rangers, Canadiens, Flyers, Captials, and Canadiens all have Stanley Cup caliber talent. The key to a Bruins’ Stanley Cup appearance is to not succumb to the complacency that has dogged past #1 seeds. If the Bruins can keep playing like they have a chip on their shoulders, they have an excellent chance of joining Boston’s elite and adding yet another title to America’s championship epicenter.
- Jeff Cargerman can be reached at cargs21@ksu.edu |
