Winning The Cup May Be Easier Than You Think!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

Not since 1990 have the Boston Bruins played in the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been even longer since the Bruins have won the Cup – 1972. Wednesday night the B’s will begin their quest for four more wins which will put an end to that 39-year drought.

Winning a Stanley Cup is never easy. The numbers listed above should tell you that. But unlike when the Bruins last played in the Stanley Cup Finals, they appear to have more that a puncher’s chance to win this time.

In 1990, and two years earlier in 1988, Boston faced one of the best teams of all-time with THE best hockey player off all-time. They lost both times to Wayne Gretzkey’s Edmonton Oilers and haven’t been back on this stage ever since.

Much like those last two trips to the Cup Finals, however, Boston will play the role of underdog. The wise guys in Las Vegas have installed the Vancouver Canucks as 2-to-1 favorites to win the cup. Understandable? Yes. Insurmountable? No.

Yes, Vancouver won the NHL’s Presidents’ Trophy given to the team with the best record in the regular season. They scored more goals (262) and gave up fewer (185) than any team in the entire league. They are very skilled offensively led by the Sedin brothers (Daniel & Henrik). They are the antithesis of Boston on the power play, which is to say – great! So it won’t be easy.

But that may not matter to this Bruins team. After all, they have defied conventional wisdom by making it to the Stanley Cup Finals with an anemic power play (5 goals in 61 attempts – 8.2%). By contrast, Vancouver has converted on 28.3% of their power play opportunities in the playoffs (17 goals in 60 attempts). Still, you get the feeling that the B’s may be able to find a way to overcome these startling numbers.

Boston has made it this far thanks to a few things. First, the B’s are a good defensive hockey team. Their performance in game 7 against an equally skilled Lightning team is evidence of that. When the Bruins put their mind to it, they can contain even some of the league’s most potent offenses. They will need that type of resolve in this series.

As part of that great defense, they will need Vezina Trophy leading candidate Tim Thomas to play well in goal as he has for most of the playoffs. Has Thomas given up a few soft goals in the playoffs this year? Absolutley! But when the team needed him to be at his best (see game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals), he answered the call each and every time.

There are a few other things that have led Boston to this point. The much-maligned Claude Julien has kept this team on an even keel. Because of that, they have been very resilient in bouncing back from disappointing losses. His team has also played within itself and has thrived under the pressure of two game 7’s against Montreal and Tampa. Claude’s team will undoubtedly have a few of those “oh-oh” moments in this series to as well. There’s no reason to believe that his team won’t be able to stay the course.

Boston’s strength offensively has been their depth and their ability to adapt to their opponent.

Their depth may have ultimately helped them beat the more talented Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals. While Boston lacks a scorer the caliber of either Sedin, their four lines have all proved capable of putting the puck in the net this postseason.

They have also found different ways to attack their opponents offensively. Against Montreal and Philadelphia, the B’s attacked the offensive zone from the middle of the ice. Against Tampa Bay, Boston switched to the dump-and-chase as a way to combat the Lightning’s 1-3-1 defense. Whatever works.

Winning on the road also hasn’t been a problem for the B’s this postseason. Boston has won 5 of its 8 road games in this year’s playoffs. They will have to grab at least one in Vancouver if they are to win the Cup.

The bottom line is if Boston keeps doing what it has been doing this postseason they’ll have a chance. Should they improve in any area of their game, we’ll be planning a parade at Government Center for the Stanley Cup Champions.