Five Reasons Why The Boston Bruins Will Win The Stanley Cup

Boy, are Bostonians ever spoiled.

First it was the Patriots in 2001, 2003 and 2004. Then the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007. Then the 2008 Celtics.

Now, it's time to add 2010 Bruins to the list of recent Massachussetts sports champions.

Many experts believe Boston will be competitive again in the NHL this season, but sportsbook odds still list Detroit, Pittsburgh, San Jose and Chicago above the Bruins. However, the Bruins have the inside track and here are five reasons why.

1. The Big, Bad Bruin mentality is back up front. Is it a coincidence that Milan Lucic, who is rapidly ascending the NHL's unofficial power forward ranks, has Cam Neely for a mentor? As he showed against Mike Komisarek in the playoffs last year, he may be the best forechecker in the NHL. Along with Michael Ryder and budding star Blake Wheeler, who may be the best of the bunch, Lucic represents that classic Boston intimidation factor. These guys explode into the corners and hit to hurt.

2. Depth down the middle. Few players are as underrated as Marc Savard. A plucky guy who gets run out of every city he plays in despite always posting great numbers, he's the quarterback of Boston's attack. He makes up for his diminutive stature with smarts, creativity, great passing skills and clutch scoring. David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron give Boston three solid pivots.

3. Tim Thomas in his prime. Timmy Thomas will never be mistaken for Patrick Roy, but he will be mistaken for Curtis Joseph in his heyday, and that ain't half-bad. Like Joesph, Thomas is a late bloomer and, like Joseph, Thomas makes up for his ugly style with great athleticism and competitiveness. Thomas may not be an elite goalie for many years longer, as his reflexes will eventually go, but he's as good as any puckstopper right now.

4. One of the best, if not the best, captain in the NHL today. Zdeno Chara's maturation has been a pleasure to watch. He's gone from a gangly, awkward, soft-spoken guy to a strong, slick skating, shutdown defender with a booming shot and puck-moving skills to boot. He keeps getting better and he's grown into a true leader, one the other Bruins would follow into Hell by the looks of it. He can be what Scott Stevens was to the Devils of 1995-2005.

5. Chinks in the competion's armor. The Sharks have to worry about Evgeni Nabokov and their whole team always choking come playoff time. The Wings lost Marian Hossa and Jiri Hudler and Chris Osgood is getting old. The Blackhawks are a great team but are placing their hopes on Cristobal Huet to be their No. 1 goalie. The Penguins let Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi walk and may lack the physicality on defense that helped win them a Cup last year.

Are the Bruins perfect? No -- they could use some depth on defense. However, there's still an overwhelming number of reasons to pick them; no wonder they're gaining so much online sports betting momentum.