Stanley Cup Finals Bruins vs. Canucks: Are the Bruins a Write-Off?

There are many who are giving the Vancouver Canucks the Cup before the series even starts.

I love how people make predictions, especially when they are wrong.

The Bruins' chances were tossed in the trash long before we got to this point. Why? Folks were tossing out statistical numbers that ranged from the 1930's to last year.

Statistical reasoning is meaningless.

Honestly, there are many reasons to call this series too close to determine. The Canucks are good, really good.  The Bruins are battlers, real battlers.

In the Playoffs, who do you think is going to be more dangerous?

On top of that, the Bruins are hot right now. I've never seen Krejci so pumped and he's usually the calm one.

While I agree that the Bruins' power play is horrid (emphasized), it doesn't mean they can't wake up.

Even with the dismal power play, the Bruins scored more goals than the Nucks did.
the Nucks outscored their opponents 50-46.

The B's outscored theirs 59-43.

Imagine if the Bruins did find their power play...who knows?  Different teams can yield different results.

The Bruins had six games where they scored five or more goals. The Canucks? One.

For goals scored, Bruins' top center David Krejci is tied for the playoff lead with 10 goals while Nathan Horton is fourth with eight. Vancouver has Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler in fifth and sixth respectively and very close.

In terms of clutch play, Krejci and Horton are the top two in game winners with four and three respectively. Vancouver's Chris Higgins is tied with Horton.

Some were saying that the Canucks have the better all around defense.

I wouldn't pump up Vancouver's plus/minus either.

Bruins' is better with +21 while Vancouver is +1.

Let's talk about individual defense. After all, it has been proven that a team with a proven defense is far more dangerous than one with a potent offense. Look at the Washington Capitals.

In the top 30, there are 13 Bruins in the plus minus. Vancouver has three.

Guess who topped the list? Bruins' Captain, Zdeno Chara.

While Kevin Bieksa is tied for 2nd and is behind by one, you have to get through 10 players to get to the next Vancouver player.  Of the 10, six are Bruin players.

Of the 13 Bruins in that top 30, five are defensemen. Vancouver? One (Kevin Bieksa).

Some say Thomas has to play lights out to take the cup home to Beantown? Luongo has not had the most stellar playoff run and can be pretty shaky at times.  If your goalie is not on his game, the series can be lost. Luongo will have to be playing just as well.

The one thing I I like about the Thomas in net is that when he has a bad or mediocre game, he tends to be lights out on the next one.

Some say that the Bruins must play shutdown hockey and limit the Nucks on the Power play by playing disciplined hockey, this series can just as easily see the Cup in Boston for the first time in 39 years.

Shutdown hockey is what the Bruins do best so for it to be a pressure thing doesn't seem to be an issue.

Nobody could figure out the 1-3-1 system of Tampa Bay until the Bruins faced them and they figured it out.

In short, the Bruins have depth just as much that the Nucks do and can adapt fairly quickly.
A rookie by the name of Tyler Seguin said it best, "This is the Stanley Cup Finals. Anything before this doesn't matter."

Not bad for a 19 year-old kid...

I get it that the Nucks are the favorite on paper and I agree.

So far in the playoffs, there are some numbers that heavily sway in the favor of the Bruins ending an almost 40-year drought.

Support your team to the nines. Never doubt your team and give them all the positive energy that you can.

One thing that you should never do is underestimate your opponents.

You'll be sure that the Canucks know this as it nearly cost them the first round.

In a nutshell, this is the Stanley Cup Finals.  Anything can happen.  Personally, I hope for the B's to take it, but if I had the crystal ball to use one time, I'll use it getting the lottery numbers instead of the predictions that I constantly see here.

Until then, I look forward to the Stanley Cup Finals and hope for a great series.

This is Cory Ducey saying "Hit Hard, But Keep It Clean"