Ok, so maybe that's not as catchy as it first looked. But, still, as Boston tries to dig itself out from under the last big storm of the season, the Bruins enter March at a crossroads. Not that long ago, they seemed to be absolutely running away with the East, a deep playoff push and a possible place in the Stanley Cup Finals not too much of a stretch.
Now? Not so much. This is not to say that Bruins don't have an excellent chance to enter the playoffs as the first seed in the East, it's just saying that they don't look like the world-beaters they did in November and December. January was not so accommodating, and February was downright Brutal. The B's are not-so removed from a disappointing 1-4-2 run that had me punching holes in walls, smashing bottles of alcohol, and cursing like a sailor to anyone within earshot. Now, after two blowout wins against the Panthers and Ducks, and a tough OT loss to the Caps, the Bruins looks as though they might be in the process of righting the ship. Not yet, though, as they have another difficult matchup with the Broad Street Bullies tomorrow. So hold off on the "The Bruins are BACK!" articles. At least for now.
But as the Bruins are a near-lock to punch a playoff ticket for the second year in a row, barring an epic Mets-esque collapse, I thought I would try and collect my thoughts as to the Bruins' possible playoff opponents come April. So, here goes. At present, the Eastern Conference Playoff Picture is as follows (with total points):
1. Boston (93)
2. New Jersey (85)
3. Washington (85)
4. Philadelphia (76)
5. Montreal (75)
6. Florida (72)
7. New York Rangers (72)
8. Pittsburgh (70)
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9.Buffalo (69)
10. Carolina (69)
As Boston is pretty much assured the 1, 2, or 3 seed, with the Devils and Capitals rounding out the top 3, let's focus, at least to start, on the bottom third, which could present the Bruins with their opening round opponent:
10. Carolina Hurricanes
Season Series: 4-0, Bruins
Matt's Worry Factor: 1 Shattered Vodka Bottle
Pretty much my ideal opening round opponent. The Bruins played the Hurricanes hard all year, and while 4 games is not exactly a great sample size, in no game did the 'Canes seem like they were in it late. Good cloggin defense, clutch goaltending and timely scoring (including shorties) powered the Bruins to their sweep. An opponent to look forward to on the schedule, and while nothing is ever certain, the Hurricanes were also the last team that the Bruins defeated to advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, back in 1999.
9. Buffalo Sabres
Season Series: 2-2-1, with one last game @ Buffalo 4/11
Matt's Worry Factor: 4 Shattered Vodka Bottles
You wouldn't expect a team this far down in the standings to present me with such problems, but to put it plainly, the Sabres scare me. They reek of upset. The Bruins have not looked particularly good against them at any point this season, and I really, REALLY don't want to face them in the playoffs. With threats like Vanek ready to go off at any moment, and a tender in Ryan Miller who can be among the best when he's hot, I'd just prefer the Sabres just not make the playoffs all together. Pretty much my worst potential first round opponent.
8. Pittsburgh Penguins
Season Series: 2-0-1 Bruins, with one last game @ Pittsburgh 3/15
Matt's Worry Factor: 3 Shattered Vodka Bottles
The Upside: The Bruins have played the Pens well all year, and have come away with at least a point in every game they have played against the *other* Black and Gold. The Downside: The Penguins are, let's not forget, the defending Eastern Conference Champs, and they have a duo in Sidney Crosby and Gino Malkin that could propel a team further than it has any natural right to go. I'm not exactly quaking in my boots, but another team I would prefer to see on the couch on Patriots' Day.
7. New York Rangers
Season Series: 1-0-1 Bruins, with two games left, @ New York 3/8 and @ Boston 4/4
Matt's Worry Factor: 2.5 Shattered Vodka Bottles
Honestly, this team doesn't scare me as much as it probably should. They've matched up against the Bruins rather well this year, with both games being decided by one goal, and a 7-game series against these two Original Sixers would be, at the very leat, very fun to watch. Something rubs me the wrong way about the Rangers (being a Boston-New York thing, probably), but of all the teams in the tri-state area, I think I probably hate the Rangers the least. And believe me, that's saying something.
6. Florida Panthers
Season Series: 3-1-0 Bruins
Matt's Worry Factor: 1.5 Shattered Vodka Bottles
A little flipflopping would need to happen to have the Bruins play the 6th seed in the opening round, but the Panthers strike me as a team that, if Boston gets them on their heels, will never recover. True, they shut the Bruins out a little while ago on the strength of 40+ saves by Tomas Vokoun, but tell me: if the Panthers have to rely on their goalie making 40 saves a night to win 4 games in a row, do they stand a snowball's chance in hell of winning the series? I thought so.
5. Montreal Canadiens
Season Series: 4-0-1 Bruins, with one last game @ Boston 4/9
Matt's Worry Factor: 3 Shattered Vodka Bottles
What a difference a year makes. The Globe Bruins blog coined the term "Habsenfreude" to describe the feelings of glee as the habs struggle of late, and I can't think of a better way to put it. Carey Price wilting, the fucking Kostitsyn brothers being linked to organized crime, Guy LaFleur calling out Carbonneau...it's been great. And oh, did I mention the Bruins have OWNED the Canadiens this year? I've been at two games in person, and they've been amazing. Still, given the nature of the rivalry, I'd prefer them to get bounced in the first round, but if we get to beat up on them in the next round, then fine by me. Should make for an epic series, regardless.
4. Philadelphia Flyers
Season Series: 1-0-1 Bruins, with two more games @ Boston 3/3 (tomorrow) and @ Philly 3/29
Matt's Worry Factor: 3.5 Shattered Vodka Bottles
I haven't been able to see either Flyers game this year (stupid birthday party!), so I'm looking forward to being able to size them up tomorrow night when they come to the Garden. I'm nervous, though, given that they play hard, and have been flying under the radar for most of the season. I sense an upset possibility, and would really prefer not to play them. It would be an epic series, but I dunno if Philly might pick off a superior opponent on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals, a la last year.
3. New Jersey Devils
Season Series: 1-1-1 with one final game 3/22 @ Boston.\
Matt's Worry Factor: 5 Shattered Vodka Bottles
In what would be an Eastern Conference Finals matchup, I'm really rather scared of the Devils. First, they've played three games against the Bruins that have had a tight, suffocating, playoff feel to them. Second, they have Marty Brodeur back, and he looks like he never left. Of course, the Bruins have gone toe to toe with them all year, and the two teams look incredibly well matched. Of course, if the series comes down to Tim Thomas vs. The Greatest Goaltender in NHL History, then I'm not optimistic about Boston's chances.
2. Washington Capitals
Season Series: 3-1-0 Capitals
Matt's Worry Factor: 5.5 Shattered Vodka Bottles
In a nutshell: the Bruins *can't* beat the Caps. They can't. Unless they have home ice advantage, then they might have an outside chance, but the Capitals are a dangerous, dangerous team. What pisses me off in a sour grapes kind of way is the fact that the Bruins have gotten where they are with solid contributions from all over the ice, while the Capitals have ridden Alexander Ovechkin all the way. Jose Theodore is not the goaltender he used to be, and while Mike Green provides some pop and Alex Semin is difficult to predict, the Caps would be a 6th or 7th seed team without Ovechkin, if that. I'm hoping some defenseman takes him down a peg or two at some point (nothing career-ending, mind you...just a nice, huge, jarring hit to show him he doesn't own the ice). This again would be an Eastern Conference Finals Matchup, and it would be a great series, but I really, really, don't want to have to play the Caps. Philly, I'm looking at you to knock 'em off again this year. Or, hell. I'd root for the Habs over the Caps at this point (shudders)
So, there you have it. I'm not going to address the Western Conference, 'cause that's just inviting bad luck, but I'd be surprised if some mixture of these 10 teams didn't constitute the Eastern half of things. I'm hoping the Bruins can hold off the Caps and Devils to nail down home ice, as the Garden has become a rocking place again, but we'll see. Everything begins tomorrow night with the Flyers, and from then on out we get to see what exactly this team is made of. I think I'll write an entry tomorrow recapping the game, as well as addressing Wednesday's Trade Deadline, but that's another entry entirely. Catch you 'round.
-M
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