Can the Bruins repeat as Stanley Cup Champs?
YES – Haley Van Orman
I’m a real “Bruins Believer.” I knew they would hoist the Stanley Cup over their heads in 2011 and they can do it again in 2012. Amazing goaltending is the number one factor. Tim Thomas, the 2011 Vezina Trophy winner will still be that Grizzly Bear in the net he was last season. When he needs to hibernate here and there for some rest, 24-year-old Tuukka Rask will get his shot. Having the tallest and most aggressive defenseman in the NHL, Zdeno Chara, will also be a huge factor. The captain was always that spark on the ice last season and should be just as clutch this year. Whenever an opponent would get hot, Chara would always be there to cool it down. Like the Celtics, the Bruins also have a “Big 3” consisting of Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton, and Patrice Bergeron. Combined they contributed 78 goals and 87 assists. Don’t let their good looks fool you; they are true beasts when they put the gear on.
So what if the “Big 3” have some slumps? Tyler Seguin will step up this year for the B’s. He pretty much pushed the Bruins past the Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs with three goals and assists combined in games one and two. Other big rookie contributors like Brad Marchand and Adam Mcquaid will have huge second years.
The Bruins were stacked last year and have kept the majority of their talent. If everything goes according to plan, by June 2012 another Stanley Cup banner will be hanging in the rafters of TD Garden.
NO – Marcus Merisier
The Bruins absolutely cannot and will not repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Last year we were quite possibly the worst team to ever win Lord Stanley’s Cup. We don’t have flash or style. That’s not how the Bruins operate. We played a physical and sometimes downright dirty style of hockey. Our power play all year was absolutely atrocious and we didn’t do much during the playoffs to indicate that we gave a damn.
Quite frankly, it was embarrassing to watch the Bruins get a man advantage because quite honestly it wasn’t really that much of an advantage! Whether I was watching the final’s games at home (and sometimes at work) or with my buddies at a pub, I always had the same reactions whenever the referee indicated a penalty in our favor-exasperation. How can a team so crappy on the man advantage possibly contend for a championship?
Other more talented teams can essentially fly under the radar during the regular season-avoiding the constant questions about whether or not they’re capable of repeating. Watch out for the Flyers. Those pesky Broad Street Bullies are going to give us hell all year and, even though there’s no more Richards around to intentionally injure our guys, those bastards will still most likely damage one of our boys.
Besides our obvious lack of sexiness in our offensive play, there are much better teams in the league. The geriatric Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks are more talented than we are and it would be a safer bet to put your money on them for winning the Cup. Hell, even the maybe Crosby-less Penguins stand a better shot.
