Fansided

Projecting every NHL team’s chances of hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2019

By Griffin Youngs

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates with the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the Stanley Cup Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates with the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the Stanley Cup Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – MAY 2: David Pastrnak #88, Brad Marchand #63 and Patrice Bergeron #37 of the Boston Bruins celebrate the goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Garden on May 2, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – MAY 2: David Pastrnak #88, Brad Marchand #63 and Patrice Bergeron #37 of the Boston Bruins celebrate the goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Garden on May 2, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /

6. Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins took a sudden jump from a mediocre fringe playoff to a Stanley Cup contender for years to come in just one short year. Through years of solid drafting, the Bruins built a team to be feared on all fronts.

Last season the Boston Bruins finished fourth in the league with 112 points, one point behind Tampa Bay for the top seed in the East.

Why they could win

The Bruin’s top line is the consensus top line in the entire league. Brad Marchand, Patrice Beregeron and David Pastrnak are all stars and deserve their own individual recognition for how much they carried the team last year. Bergeron got nominated for another Selke Trophy (that he should’ve won, and both Marchand and Pastrnak scored 80+ points. That will not be touched all season long, and in all likelihood will remain king.

The depth on the Bruins is also incredible through their years of excellent drafting. Jake DeBrusk is ready for a top six role next season after finding his game late in the season. Later round picks like Ryan Donato, Danton Heinen and Anders Bjork are developing wonderfully and had wonderful rookie seasons.

Charlie McAvoy deserves a mention for how he saved what could’ve been a underperforming defense last season. Now instead of relying on 41 year old Zdeno Chara, the defense has fresh young legs to push it long.

Why they won’t win

Tuuka Rask is far too inconsistent too have confidence placed in him for another full season. He can go from lights out stopping everything in sight to letting in soft goals on a game to game basis, and there’s never any warning as to when his play will switch. Boston had Anton Khudobin to solve this last year, and he did his job, but now he’s gone. Replacing him is fellow inconsistent and aging goaltender Jaroslav Halak.

As much as McAvoy saved the defense, it still needs some more. Chara is still getting older and older, and adding John Moore hardly seems helpful to moving the needle. The defense will likely consist of McAvoy and Torrey Krug doing all the heavy lifting, and unless they make a move for another guy to share the burden, things could get ugly real fast.

Conclusion

It’s looking real good for the Bruins this year. They’ve got the high end talent to carry the team and the youth to support them. Even in the top heavy Atlantic Division, the Bruins should have no problem getting into the playoffs. If Rask stays consistent during the postseason, the Bruins can easily leave 2019 with another Stanley Cup on their resume.

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