Boston Bruins: Will They Finally Get Over the Hump and Win It All?

As everyone that has been following me knows, I am a huge Boston fan, and born and raised in Boston and just a "Boston Guy." The Pats lost over the weekend, the Celts will be deep in the playoffs and the Sox don't start for another month or so, so I figured to turn my attention to the most interesting Boston sports team left, the Boston Bruins.

The goaltending has been the story from Day 1 as Tim Thomas has emerged as the No. 1 goalie for the B's and maybe even the NHL as he is 21-4-6 as the starter for the Bruins with seven shutouts and a GAA of 1.82 per game! He has been absolutely lights out for the black and gold so far this season.

Backup goalie Tuukka Rask has been the exact opposite for the B's, going 4-9-1 on the season with a respectable 2.57 GAA on the year. The one thing you can say about these two is that they are best friends with each other, nothing can get between these two as they help each other day in and day out and really don't get jealous or angry with their playing time. Mark my words, before this season ends, Rask will go through a stretch of four or five games to give Thomas a break and will go 4-0-1 or 5-0 in those games and catch fire. That is the thing about these two goalies, they are a legit one-two punch and couldn't be happier about it.

When I wrote an article in the preseason, I said that the Bruins must be able to score the puck to want a chance at the Cup at the end of the year. This team had zero 20-goal scorers last year and I said they must have one or two minimum this year to go deep. This B's team has SIX players with 10 or more goals on the roster so far this year, with all six having a legit chance of getting to 20+ goals this year before the end of the season. 

That is the difference in this hockey team this year, they can score goals to back up the great goaltending. Milan Lucic went from tough guy enforcer to a 16-goal scorer before the All-Star break and is leading the team in goals. Patrice Bergeron is right behind him with 15 goals to go with his 21 assists and looks like he is finally living up to his potential after that scary concussion he got a couple years back that almost ended his career. Rookie Tyler Seguin has given this team some speed to counteract with the toughness that they have always had and really given them a complete look. Defense is huge for the B's lead by 10-goal scorer Zdeno Chara, who is sporting a +20 ratio on the season, which means teams don't score when he is on the ice, but the B's do.

In the end, everyone knows that the playoffs come down to who is the hottest GOALIE in the NHL and I think its safe to say that Tim Thomas is going to be there when the time comes. The B's have a bad history in the NHL playoffs as they cannot make it past the second round, ever, no matter what seed they are, who they are playing or if they are up 3-0 in the series. Thomas will be there in the end, the real story is going to be if the Bruins can keep scoring the puck like they are right now.  Only time will tell, it's going to be fun to watch! (I hope).