Posted in Playoffs April 9th, 2008
Playoffs 1st round: Bruins vs. Habs (gulp)
I guess if you’re looking at ideal matchups, this is the ONE team the Bruins didn’t want to face in the first round. Eight regular season tilts, eight losses. At least they managed to lose in OT the last time out, but the Canadiens probably got bored and let their guard down. The Penguins, the Devils and the ‘83-’84 Oilers would all be better matchups at this point.
However, I’m not a matchup guy. Here’s my take: You play to win it all. If you can’t beat everyone, you’re not the best team…period. So bring on Montreal. If the Bruins can beat Montreal in the first round, they can beat anyone.
That being said, here’s the reasons why we should think positively about this.
- Savard is due back soon. Even Bergeron has a chance of playing in the postseason. If anything, this team has gelled in the last couple of weeks without their offensive anchors. The young guys are proving their worth. Bring that to the 1st round and get Savard back sometime in the 1st few games and this team has a damn good chance.
- Tim Thomas has been hot, giving up no more than two goals in any of his last seven starts.
- The Canadiens can’t win EVERY game against the Bruins, can they? If the Bruins can win a game, preferably Game One, then they might get the monkey off of their back.
- Boston karma. Assuming Celtics playoff success this year, the Bruins are the last of the Boston teams to turn their franchises around.
And finally, the longtime underdog status. Habs-Bruins are the Yanks-Red Sox of the NHL. Historically, the Habs have had their number. This year, the Habs are the 1-seed in the conference and the Bruins are the 8. Few people expected the Bruins to make the playoffs and even fewer expect the Bruins to make it past the first round. An upset in this series could mean the Bruins start riding the karma express.
We’ve got the bastards right where we want ‘em.
LET’S GET IT ON!!!
This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 at 4:48 pm and is filed under Playoffs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
