Here We Go!

So it's come to this. The regular season is over, and the Bruins have captured the #1 Seed in the Eastern Conference. Their 6-week skid was solved by a monster momentum-shifter against the Devils. Whatever ailed them before that 4-1 win, the Bruins got rid of it (mostly) and were able to clamp down a 6-game winning streak, a come-from behind win against 1st round opponent Montreal, a rout loss against the Sabres (thank GOD they're out of the playoffs), and a convincing end-of-season rout of their own vs. the Islanders. So much to talk about, such a low WPM.

Anyway, if you haven't heard, the Bruins ended the 2008-2009 season with a record of 53-19-10, which gives them 116 points. That's third in team history, behind only to the 1971-72 team that won the Stanley Cup, and the 1970-71 team that should have. They have the best record in the Eastern Conference, and the second-best record in the entire NHL, behind only the San Jose Sharks. They ran away with their division, and are set to face the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs, a rematch of last year's franchise-defining series that saw the Bruins take the #1 seed Habs to 7 games before bowing out.

But a couple of things have changed since then. First of all, the shoe is on the other foot now, with the Bruins being the #1 seed this time around. And true, the Canadiens eliminated the Bruins the last time they were the 1 seed, but that's in the past and the organization has a new philosphy this time around. And yes, the Bruins have met the Canadiens in a playoff series more than any other sports team has ever met another (31 times), and won only 8 of them. But that's all in the past, right? Right? Here are the top 5 reasons I'm not *quite* terrified of the matchup this time:

1. If there's a Game 7 this year, it'll be at the Garden. Say what you will about Boston fans, but they have done a pretty good job of embracing the Bruins again this year, and the city is once again on the verge of being a hockey town again. This of course hinges on the Bruins winning a playoff series or two, but the fans now know, I think, that they can go a long way to making the Boston Garden a tough building to play in again, and they (we) will go all out if it come down to anything deciding. I'm going to Game 1, and I think my ears might be bleeding before the puck even drops.

2. These teams DO NOT LIKE EACH OTHER. This Bruins team was birthed in the crucible of last year's playoff series, where no one believed that they would last more that 4 games. Now, they know they can hang tough with the best in the league, and they can beat anyone anywhere if they play a tough, 60 minute game. Expect that.

3. Tim Thomas is not Carey Price. And that's a good thing. Timmy finally got the contract he's deserved for years, and has been the rock upon which the Bruins have built this incredible regular season. He tightened up his style and plays a bit more conventionally now, while still pulling out a save every now and then that he has no business making. Carey Price, on the other hand, was the savior of the franchise that was annoited last year as the next Ken Dryden, and while he has been ok this year, he has not been what the Canadiens need him to be. His high glove side is weak, and he has all the makings of an early-career headcase who might flame out if the Habs aren't careful. I'm quite pleased that the Bruins have not taken this approach with Tukkaa Rask, and I'm not convinced that head-to-head, everything else being equal, Price will be the difference maker over a Vezina Candidate like Thomas.

4. The Season Series. Quite simply, the Bruins could not beat the Habs last year. At all. They did not beat the Canadiens in any of 9 regular season games last year. However, putting in the effort, they were able to take them 7 games. This year, the Bruins have lost only once to the Canadiens, and they were not beaten by the Habs at all during regulation, obtaining at least a point in every game this year. Of course you could say that the Habs might do that with the Bruins this year, but I'm thinking this works in the Bruins favor.

5. Expectations. Yes, the Bruins are the best team in the Eastern Conference. Yes, they have to win at least one playoff series for the season to be considered a success and break the cycle of cynicism amongst Boston hockey fans. However, the Canadiens turned 100 this year, and hosted the All-Star Game. They had Stanley Cup hopes to begin the year, and they succombed to injuries, had Alexei Kovalev become a major distraction, the Kostitsyn brothers connected to organized crime, and they fired their coach and replaced him (with only mized results) with the GM. Honestly, I think the Canadiens have more pressure on them from their fans than the Bruins do, if only slightly.

So, here we go. Bring it on, and PLEASE GOD let them win this time around.