After blazing through the regular season on their way to a President’s Trophy and a top overall seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Determined to erase the bitter memory of their Stanley Cup Final defeat at the hands of Chicago, the Bruins looked primed for another run at the title.
A 4-1 series win over a dangerous Detroit Red Wings team was never in question, but it set up a matchup against the worst possible team. In sports, there is always more than X’s and O’s that come in to play. While we discount history as a useless statistic, recent history and a long-standing rivalry bring about another variable: emotion.
When playoffs get personal, talent gets taken off the table, or at the very least gets moved from the direct spotlight. A quick glance at the rosters of the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins would show a glaring mismatch in depth, goal scoring and experience.
However, the nature of the rivalry between the two hated rivals leveled the playing field, often tilting things in Montreal’s favor. The Bruins thrive on bullying and intimidation as co-pilots to the immense wealth of talent on the roster. They are big and strong with a mean streak. That gives Boston an advantage over almost every team in the NHL before they even step on the ice. Except Montreal.
Boston hit, shoved, punched and pressed, but the Canadiens would not go away. It almost seemed that Montreal was getting under the Bruin’s skin simply by sticking around and not pushing back after the whistle. When Boston chirped, Montreal chirped back, when Boston punched, Montreal turned the other cheek. Advantage Montreal.
The big, bad Bruins were left to lament what went wrong after their Game 7 loss on home ice. It was a choke to be honest because the Bruins were supposed to win. So now what?
The Bruins have some roster decisions to make, but nothing that will change the dynamics of the franchise or their style of play. With their core under contract long-term, the Bruins have the luxury of making roster decisions that are specific to depth rather than trying to fill holes like almost every other NHL team.
There is no shopping list for general manager Peter Chiarelli. He certainly doesn’t have to make a free agent splash but that isn’t to say that one of the NHL’s most savvy negotiators will stand pat with his current roster. There are plenty of movable pieces and Chiarelli has shown that he isn’t afraid to move a star (see Tyler Seguin).
The key for the Bruins is to use their early playoff exit as fuel for next year. Everyone knows that a President’s Trophy hardly guarantees playoff success, but the Bruins already looked like the best team in hockey in the playoffs too.
Subtle upgrades on defense, getting Dennis Seidenberg back from injury and possibly moving a player who underperformed in the playoffs like Loui Eriksson or Brad Marchand. Each has a cap hit over $4 million and have significant trade value. A package including both might fetch a handsome reward (Evander Kane, Joe Thornton, Ryan Kesler).
Boston has expressed a desire to bring Jarome Iginla back in what is certain to be another one-year deal. His 30-goal season was a nice reminder that the Hall of Famer can still play at an elite level. The defense is sound, and goaltending is off the charts. Don’t over think it Boston, and don’t panic. You’ll be back next year, and probably better than this year.