Boston Bruins: 11 Reasons They Will Not Suffer a Stanley Cup Hangover

You can argue that the Boston Bruins were symptomatic of a Stanley Cup hangover for at least the first week and four games of the new regular season. In fact, it is almost foolhardy to argue otherwise.

A 1-3-0 start with only seven goals in one’s favor and seven against? Only two points out of a possible six in a season-opening homestand? That’s definitely a case of physical or subconscious mental drainage, or a combination of the two.

But will this sort of nuisance plague the Bruins for the duration of the 2011-12 season? Not likely.

Long-term cases, as in year-long cases, of post-Cup hangover have been the norm in the NHL’s recent history. Dating back to 2002, only the 2008-09 Detroit Red Wings and 2009-10 Pittsburgh Penguins have so much as made it past the first round of the playoffs when the title was theirs to relinquish.

With this group, it is tough to envision an eventual first-round flameout, much less a playoff no-show, in 2012. Odds are, as hard-fought as it might come, the Bruins will still finish above .500 and work their way into the Eastern Conference’s top eight by the time they have played 82 games. From there, almost anything can happen in the postseason, even if it is a couple of rungs short of a repeat.

Short-term hangover and sporadic flare-ups are almost certainly bound to happen, but the problem won’t hang around consistently. Not nearly enough to decompose this team from champs to chumps.

Here’s why:

The Cup Has Left The Building

Both of Boston’s first two home losses were immediately preceded with yet another gathering around the trophy. First, they practically re-enacted their June 15 victory laps before raising the banner, then spilling a 1-0 lead en route to a 2-1 loss to the Flyers. Then, they shared the Cup with the New England Patriots less than 24 hours before relinquishing a 1-0 decision to the Colorado Avalanche.

But immediately after that, the Black and Gold and the silver went their separate ways. The Cup returned to its regular abode at the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Bruins embarked on a road trip, which culminated in a 3-2 shootout win over Chicago after their first instance of two full days off between games.

So long as the Cup stays out of their sight, it should generally stay out of their heads going forward.

Cooking at Home

To give credit where credit is due, reader Patrick Holden raised this point in a comment last month. And it is a notion worth considering.

Now that the Cup is out of the way and now that they have had four-plus days on the road, the Bruins should be able to take advantage of a predominantly home-based slate for the next month.

Out of their next 12 games between Oct. 18 and Nov. 17, 10 of them are at the TD Garden. The only two road games interspersed in that time span are visits to Montreal (Oct. 29) and Toronto (Nov. 5).

Not only should this spare everyone a buildup of road-weariness on top of any leftover drain from last year’s playoffs. Playing in front of a fanbase that expects them to keep up their winning ways (and will subtly be urging them to help everyone get over the Red Sox) should spawn enough incentive to sculpt a healthy record by Thanksgiving.

If November 2008 was the time Claude Julien’s Bruins declared their status as contenders, then November 2011 should be their time to re-assert that they are contenders to stay.

Tyler Seguin

In his quest for a sophomore surge, Seguin is leading the team with a point-per-game average so far. Already, he has four assists and one highlight-reel goal through five games. This coming after he mustered an unspectacular 11-11-22 scoring log in 74 games played as a rookie.

It’s a stretch to assert that Seguin will ultimately finish with 82 points this year, but he is on a comfortable pace to at least perform more like a No. 2 overall draft choice. Depending on how quickly and efficiently he fosters his game, he could soon be that pined-for replacement for Marc Savard with a mixture of clutch-scoring, prolific playmaking and even a shot in the Bruins’ wobbly power-play arm.

Solid-As-Usual Goaltending

For three years running, a Boston backstop has led the NHL in both goals-against average and save percentage. Two-time leader Tim Thomas has played four of five games in the young 2011-12 season, retaining an irreproachable 1.98 GAA and .932 save percentage.

Tuukka Rask, who topped the goaltending charts in 2009-10, has played one game so far, but repelled 35 out of 36 shots in a tough 1-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

There's no reason to think there isn’t more where that came from. So long as Thomas and Rask each get their share of playing time and don’t stray too far off their game, there will be plenty of nights when they bail out their skaters by stealing points and/or wins.

That, in turn, will make a critical difference as to the Bruins’ position in the standings.

Depth in the Middle

In addition to the versatile Seguin, the Bruins’ active roster includes five players with considerable experience as centers: Patrice Bergeron, Gregory Campbell, Chris Kelly, David Krejci and Rich Peverley. For those keeping score, that’s the minimum requirement of four pivots with a remainder of two.

While you’re at it, throw in Josh Hennessy, who should have little trouble making a case for a call-up from Providence when the time comes to make such a move.

As was just evidenced on their recent two-game road trip, when Seguin filled in for the injured Krejci, this makes for invaluable collateral. Players will periodically need time off to recover from ailments or replenish from fatigue, but when that happens, there ought to be a suitable stand-in at any given time.

Steven Kampfer

Due to a knee injury sustained late in training camp, Kampfer has not yet had his chance to assume his position as Boston’s seventh defenseman. Once he plays, he ought to be even fresher and hungrier than the likes of Seguin or Rask.

As a rookie last year, Kampfer saw action in 38 regular season games, three shy of the requirement to have his name inscribed on the Cup. He arguably exceeded expectations in helping the Bruins to first place in the Northeast Division, whereas fellow blueliner Tomas Kaberle undoubtedly underachieved in the homestretch and the playoffs. Yet Kaberle got tangible credit for his role when Kampfer did not.

Once he is healthy, Kampfer will be the go-to fill-in on defense in the event of an injury, slump or rest day for the top six. If he acts on the natural drive that should come with his absence on the Cup, he might even earn playing time in his own right.

Mark Recchi

That’s right. The leader’s retirement came at just the right time for the Bruins. The prerequisite Stanley Cup victory has allowed Recchi to skate away on the highest note and avoid any risk of becoming the next Chris Chelios.

Regardless of the strength of his heart and soul, there is no chance the 43-year-old plugger could have followed through on the 2010-11 campaign on three months’ rest. Moreover, his inevitable decline in production and consistency could have been a silent demoralizer to himself and his teammates.

Instead, with Recchi out, the oldest member of the Bruins is now the 37-year-old Thomas. Among skaters, only Zdeno Chara, Joe Corvo and Shawn Thornton were born prior to 1980. Recchi’s successor on the top six, Rich Peverley, is a good 14 years younger than him.

More youth means more energy. Plain and simple.

Persistent Doubters

How many times last June did Thomas have to deal with questions about his unique style even when it was bringing himself and his team more success than most others could boast? As perplexing as those questions were, Thomas thrived on that persistent derision en route to outdueling Roberto Luongo and claiming playoff MVP accolades.

In the new year, the Bruins as a whole will have to answer similar queries about how they will fare against certain adversaries.

The almighty Red Wings, you may recall, knocked them back into 2006 during a home-and-home series last February. With Evgeni Malkin and ultimately Sidney Crosby both back in the equation, the Bruins will have a tougher time making epic comebacks against the Penguins or even confining Pittsburgh to a one-goal difference. And as dynamic as Thomas might be, Henrik Lundqvist could steal most any game or series in favor of the Rangers.

At least that’s what we the analysts will assume.

Peter Chiarelli and the Trade Deadline

In his five-plus years as general manager, Peter Chiarelli has repeatedly proved a diligent dealer at or within a few weeks of the NHL trading deadline.

He knows when it is best to leave the roster unruffled, like he did in 2008 when first-year coach Claude Julien’s team ultimately squeezed its way into the playoffs for the first time in four years. He also knows when one or two pieces need to be added before hitting the homestretch.

Cases in point: Chuck Kobasew, Andrew Ference, Aaron Ward, Dennis Wideman, Steve Montador, Mark Recchi, Dennis Seidenberg, Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley.

Depending on how this returnee-laden group is performing through the first four-plus months, Chiarelli will know who is expendable and who, if anybody, ought to be plugged into the equation in February. And whoever is added to the mix will all but doubtlessly be fresher and hungrier than his reigning-champ teammates.

Road-tripping At the Right Time

Reeling off two previous points about early homestands and Chiarelli’s trade deadline track record, it is worth noting that the Bruins’ longest road trip is a six-game swing between Feb. 15 and Feb. 25.

Recall that, last season, the Bruins embarked on a six-game excursion in mid-to-late February on the heels of being mortified by the Red Wings and letting the Maple Leafs get away with two points at the Garden. Early in that trip, more than a week ahead of the deadline, Chiarelli imported Kaberle, Kelly and Peverley.

While the newly tweaked roster came together and jelled at an opportune time on the road, the Bruins happened to go on a 6-0-0 hot streak, which they augmented to 7-0-0 in their first game back home. That surge was arguably the beginning of the end of the race for the Northeast Division title.

Odds are they will not match that feat in the win column this February. But if any moves need to be made, one can bet Chiarelli will make them and allow the homestretch/playoff roster to come together before most of his competitors are finished with their final tweaks.

Inherent Resilience

The finished product of their 2009-10 season was not entirely palatable to their fanbase, to say the least. But in a year that saw them start at 2-3-0 (same as their current record) and combat an unremitting injury bug, the Bruins clinched a playoff spot in Game No. 81 and subsequently upset the Northeast Division-champion Sabres in the first round.

Few adages have held truer than, “It’s not what they do in the regular season, but what they do in the postseason.” Even if they get there in Black and Gold tatters and a residual headache from six months’ worth of inconsistent play, the Bruins can still find their way to the NHL’s elite eight or even final four next spring.