Boston Bruins: Roles Have Reversed As NHL Team Is New England's Best Bet

The pure water (or “dirty water”) New England sports fans need to rinse out the vinegar that's suddenly sitting inside the Stanley Cup. For at least another seven or eight months, that Cup happens to be in the clutches of the Boston Bruins.

Oh, how times have changed. How often have the Bruins needed the likes of the Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots to help take everyone’s mind off of their sorry state of affairs?

As recently as four years ago, the Bruins were the odd team out, as poised prognosticators saw nothing but success for Boston athletes wearing sneakers and cleats but nothing but irrelevance for those in skates.

As it happened, between October of 2007 and June of 2008, New England celebrated three regular-season championships, a World Series, a NBA title, an AFC crown and even a berth in the MLS Cup final.

All the while, the Bruins exceeded expectations just by scratching into the playoffs but completed a full decade without winning a single postseason series.

But now, as of this morning, there is a decent chance that the Bruins will be the only major pro team in the region to see playoff action in the coming year.

For at least one year, the Red Sox have regressed to their pre-2004 habits and even evoked acrid memories of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs.

They blew a multi-game lead in the American League wild-card race and then spilled a lead in their last game while the Tampa Bay Rays pulled off an epic comeback both in the standings and on the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, especially in the wake of a fall-from-ahead loss to Buffalo this past Sunday, there are no guarantees that the Patriots are going anywhere.

Also, while the Sox were licking their wounds on Wednesday, the latest basketball news suggested that the Celtics could very well miss the 2012 NBA playoffs, just like the league’s other 29 teams.

Even the four-time MLS Cup finalist New England Revolution have done nothing commendable this summer.

At this point, the only certifiable shred of good news is that the TD Garden ceiling will ceremoniously acquire its sixth Stanley Cup banner one week from tonight. From that point forward, an extensive returning core of Bruins will be tasked with pulling off the NHL’s first championship repeat in 14 years.

Naturally, New England's fans ought to understand that this is asking a lot. Of the six other championships they have enjoyed in this young century, only the 2003 and 2004 Patriots have won in successive years.

Still, considering the way the Red Sox just dashed their own dreams, a convincingly competitive hockey season ought to suffice. And while more returnees will equal more susceptibility to Stanley Cup hangover, at least the majority of the Bruins know their own winning formula.

That didn’t seem to be the case with the Sox and their efforts to gel in such acquisitions as Carl Crawford and Erik Bedard.

Not unlike last year, the Bruins are not going to be leaning upon a celestial lineup, but rather working with depth and balance. And at least they are flaunting a genuine hunger, especially through many of their younger players.

Rising sophomore scorer Tyler Seguin doubtlessly wants to see more action and keep earning his ice time. Fellow young gun Brad Marchand may be a little drained after a productive playoff, but he has a new contract to validate.

Also, goaltender Tuukka Rask has his chance to stand in for a shagged-out Tim Thomas and prove that he will not be another Andrew Raycroft.

Ultimately, if the Bruins and their fans alike take the proper approach, they should be in a comfortable position to, if nothing else, propitiate an otherwise exasperated Boston fan base.

The all-around championship marathon of the last decade is clearly dying down, and the withdrawal symptoms are going to be tough to deal with. It doesn’t help when multi-championship coaches and clubs like those of Bill Belichik and Terry Francona are repeatedly coming up short, let alone in this fashion.

But for the family in Cam Neely, Peter Chiarelli and Claude Julien’s ice house, there is a consensus that a long-term string of satisfaction is still in its early stages.

For the front office, the coach and his multitude of 30-and-under players, there should be plenty more deep postseason runs and at least one or two more Stanley Cups yet to come.

With unforeseen damage to assess around Fenway Park, no certainty for January football in Foxborough and maybe no NBA season at the Garden, this could be a glum winter in Boston.

But the Bruins can help remedy that, and next Thursday’s banner night alone will be a welcome reminder for New England fans to count their blessings.

It’s the least that a formerly ostracized franchise can do for its now-needy neighbors.