Boston Bruins: 5 Teams They Most Need to Worry About in the Postseason

The fact that there are 13 games and three-plus weeks separating the Boston Bruins from the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs should be simultaneously encouraging and toe-curling.

There is still time for this slumping, shorthanded squad to restore normalcy before best-of-sevens begin. But there is equal time for the Bruins to lose ground in the standings and/or for potentially problematic opponents to align themselves with Boston in the bracket.

As of Thursday morning, Boston is still projected to host the first two games of an intra-divisional series with the Ottawa Senators. And even if Ottawa usurps the top seed in the Northeast and flip-flops the second and seventh slots in the Eastern Conference, that still ought to be a winnable series for the Bruins with Adam McQuaid, Danielle Paille, Rich Peverley and Benoit Pouliot all in action.

But there are two other conference cohabitants presently out of the top eight, though making a timely threat to make the dance, who can derail the defending champs if they finish seventh. And then there are the top three heads from the Atlantic Division monster.

In ascending order of strength, these are the top five adversaries with the best chance of bumping the Bruins in a first-, second- or third-round encounter.

5. Winnipeg

The Jets are one of the NHL’s better teams on home ice, where goaltender Ondrej Pavelec has been historically problematic against the Bruins. That has held true since his Atlanta days, and if he can out-duel Thomas at least once at the Garden, he would give Winnipeg a fighting chance.

In addition, old friend Blake Wheeler is short on postseason fulfillment after being dealt last February. Now he is Winnipeg’s leading playmaker and point producer, and he, along with up to nine other double-digit goal-getters, could prove more of a handful than their record indicates.

4. Buffalo

Ryan Miller is looking like he can steal a series with the help of the Sabres’ top two forward lines.

Furthermore, however covert he may try to keep it, it is hard not to envision him harboring a determination to bring closure to a Nov. 12 incident by bumping the Bruins out of the bracket.

3. Philadelphia

This prospective playoff three-match projects to be a go-either-way series, depending on each team’s status personnel. If the Bruins can at least get everyone back in action, with the probable exception of Nathan Horton, they should be able to virtually match Philadelphia on paper.

That said, if Flyers’ goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov can find the formula for playoff success and stares down a comparatively fatigued Thomas, the Flyers’ decisively superior offense could be the deciding factor in this potential series.

2. Pittsburgh

The other black and gold team has a clear-cut upper hand on both sides of the special teams’ spectrum and is one of only two NHL clubs averaging more shots on net per game than the Bruins. That is the last thing Thomas wants to face even if he gets enough breathers in the homestretch of the regular season.

And this has been done largely without Sidney Crosby. Assuming he is back to stay, a healthy and hungry Crosby will only upgrade the spectacular Pittsburgh Penguins show to high definition this spring.

That is enough to put any competitor on watch, even the team that is currently the favorite to seize the Prince of Wales Trophy and seemingly in Boston’s head.

On that note…

1. New York Rangers

Long-time regular-season nemesis Henrik Lundqvist has already laid another albatross egg on the Bruins this season. In their two other 2011-12 meetings to date, the Rangers’ offense has clicked in the clutch, never allowing Boston to raise an upper hand even after deleting multiple deficits.

For the better part of this season, virtually all of Lundqvist’s praetorian guards have flaunted the physicality, second-nature inclination to block shots and timely scoring one needs in the playoffs. That is how they have ascended to the top of the conference, how they have seized six of the first seven points doled out in the season series and how they can win four out of seven against Boston in May.

Even if, say, Zdeno Chara finally stifles and wears down Marian Gaborik, the likes of Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girari and Michael Del Zotto can return the favor to Tyler Seguin, David Krejci, etc.