NHL Predictions 2011-2012: The Boston Bruins' Chances to Win the Stanley Cup

The 2011-2012 NHL season is just around the corner, and it is now time for predictions of how all the teams will do in this coming hockey season. The Boston Bruins are no exception, since they won the Stanley Cup in June 2011, and it seems as if they could possibly repeat.

My prediction for the 2011-2012 season for the Boston Bruins is a simple one: They will make it back to the postseason. Sure, they do not have all the pieces in place at the moment, but when it comes down to it, they have multiple players who can help them make it back to the postseason.

Some of those players include Tim Thomas, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic and even second-year player Tyler Seguin. All these players are an important part of the Bruins, and if they remain healthy and effective, then I expect no less than a playoff run that could be as exciting as the past year's run to the Stanley Cup.

They have a slight edge over the injury-filled Pittsburgh Penguins to make the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012. I would say they have a 10 percent chance of winning the Stanley Cup again.

The Boston Bruins had one of the most impressive playoff runs in the 2010-2011 season to inevitably win the Stanley Cup over the Vancouver Canucks in seven games. They were led by goalie Thomas, who had two shutouts in the seven-game series and basically stole the show from the poor offensive production the Boston Bruins had all season, especially on the power play.