Fansided

NHL playoffs 2017: Boston Bruins preview

By David Austin Bumpus

Mar 30, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) skates past the bench after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) skates past the bench after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Bruins looked as if their season was over already two months ago, and fought their way into the playoffs under interim head coach Bruce Cassidy.

A few weeks back, it seemed like Boston fans had already moved onto next season and had given up hope on their beloved Bruins. Just two months ago, the team fired head coach Claude Julien, and seemed as if it was time to just move on to next year.

Two months later, the team utilized a six-game win streak to propel themselves into a playoff spot, and have the chance to play spoiler as they make a run at a Stanley Cup. The team missed out on the playoffs the last two years, and their last appearance in postseason hockey was in a Game 7 loss to the Canadiens in the 2014 conference semifinals.

Now, the team is looking to ride their new underdog status, where they love to be, as far as they can. They have almost no expectations from anyone outside of New England, and could do some serious damage in the first few rounds.

Why they can win

Momentum is a dangerous thing in hockey, especially when it comes to the Bruins. While they had some setbacks as they ended the season, including a shootout loss to the Senators and another loss against the Capitals.

During the 27 games under interim head coach Bruce Cassidy, the team went 18-8-1, and a lot of that success goes directly back to Cassidy. Under Julien, the team seemed lost through the first 55 games of the year. The team actually cares when they step onto the ice for Cassidy, and completely bought in under their new head coach.

Now, it’s time to find out if Cassidy’s success late in the season can translate to the postseason, and, as aforementioned, he has zero expectations. All that could help make for a sneaky Bruins team if they can make it past the first round.

On the other side, away from replacing people, the Bruins were led by one mainstay throughout the season: Brad Marchand. Aside from a selfish spearing penalty in a key, berth-clinching game on Tuesday, the 39-goal scorer had a stellar year for the B’s, hitting a new career high for goals and setting a solid base for the team this season.

The other fact that’s stuck around this season is the Bruins’ penalty kill success. Led by defenseman Zdeno Chara and perennial Selke candidate Patrice Bergeron, the team has the best penalty kill in the league, with a 85.7 PK percentage.

Another key factor that has returned to Boston just as the playoffs are is the scary thought of playing in TD Garden in the postseason. The team had seemingly lost their home-ice advantage in recent seasons, but bounced back quickly once Cassidy came into power.

When Julien was fired, the team had lost 37 of its previous 66 home games, the third-worst percentage in the league in that time period. The team then went on to win 11 of their first 15 home games under Cassidy, and the idea of headed to Boston isn’t as nice as it previously sounded for potential opponents.

Why they can’t win

Quite simply, this team has proven clearly both how they can do some damage in the playoffs, and, at the same time, showed exactly how they couldn’t. The team has been riddled with bad luck towards the end of the regular season, with Marchand being his usual instigating self and getting suspended, and defenseman Torey Krug suffering a knee injury in their second-to-last game of the season against the Senators.

Another big factor in all of this, which could be the downfall of this year’s Bruins, is debating which Tuukka Rask will show up in the playoffs. On one hand, the goalie has been stellar since Cassidy took over the team, mainly due to splitting time with backup goalie Anton Khudobin and not having to stand on his head night in and night out. On the other hand, if Rask gets rattled early in the first round, the tendency is there for a snowball effect.

X-Factor

Patrice Bergeron

Everyone will expect Marchand or Rask to be the big-time player for this year’s Bruins, but Bergeron is a key piece in whether or not the team succeeds. The assistant captain provides veteran leadership to an inexperienced team, most of which hasn’t seen a playoff game in Boston. Bergeron is a faceoff master, and his ability (or inability) to control the puck for the B’s throughout the first round and moving forward will be a key piece to the puzzle for the Bruins.

Next: 10 reasons Stanley Cup playoffs are better than NBA playoffs

Prediction

The Bruins should make it out of the first round in a close series, but I don’t see them surviving the second round. This team has shown both sides of the spectrum throughout this season, and it’s too tough to picture exactly what team will be out on the ice in the first round or beyond.

Many of the players that the B’s will send out will be young, inexperienced players that will have to face the music of skating on the TD Garden ice with rabid, playoff-hungry fans expecting success.

The leadership of Bergeron, Chara, and the talent with Marchand’s return from his suspension gets them out of the first round, but the Cinderella story ends shortly after.