The Boston Bruins are headed to the Stanley Cup Finals and get to rest for a bit as they wait to see who they will be playing from the West. As the playoffs progress the B’s continue to get better.
They did it! The Boston Bruins swept the Carolina Hurricanes and are headed to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Bruins were absolutely dominant. The Hurricanes didn’t stand a chance. It was clear that the Bruins were the better team and that they deserved to head to the Stanley Cup Finals.
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win
Now the Bruins get something that is very rare in the playoffs. They get to rest for a while. The NHL announced that the Stanley Cup Finals won’t be starting until May 27th. The B’s will have the longest period of rest in Stanley Cup history.
We have seen rest hurt teams this postseason. The Columbus Blue Jackets got beat by the Bruins after sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Hurricanes swept the New York Islanders before getting swept by the Bruins.
Hopefully Bruce Cassidy will keep his players fresh and ready for the Stanley Cup Finals. If not, Boston’s season could end in disappointment.
As a Boston Bruins fan this was an amazing series. You just got to see the Bruins play there style of hockey and play well.
So let’s look back on the Bruins dominating sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes.
1. Prime Tuukka Rask
This is the best hockey that Tuukka Rask has ever played in his life. It seems like nothing can get by him.
The thing that stood out in this series was how calm Rask was. Even on some tough shots, Rask made it look like he could have made the save with his eyes closed.
This entire postseason Rask has been amazing. He is 12-5 with a save percentage of .942 and a goals against average of 1.84. That is phenomenal.
Some Bruins fans love to talk about how amazing Tim Thomas was in 2011 and say that Rask could never live up to that, but Rask has been even better than Thomas.
There is no reason to be mad at Tuukka Rask anymore. He has led this team to the Stanley Cup Finals and is establishing himself as the best goaltender in Boston Bruins history. Hopefully he can finally bring home a Stanley Cup.
2. Perfection
The Boston Bruins 1st line is nicknamed the perfection line for a reason. They are perfect for each other and most of the time play a perfect brand of hockey.
More from Boston Bruins
- Boston Bruins fans better be ready for a bridge year
- Boston Bruins Rumors: Why letting Tyler Bertuzzi walk is a big mistake
- Boston Bruins Rumors: Milan Lucic back returns to the Black & Gold express
- Boston Bruins Draft class 2023: Grades & thoughts on draft selections
- Boston Bruins win 3 big awards at NHL Awards Gala: Thoughts & reactions
This series the Bruins 1st line finally was performing like Bruins fans wanted. After being stifled for a good chunk of the playoffs, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Brad Marchand combined for 6 goals and 8 assists on the series.
The groups best game came in Game 4 when they secured the sweep tallying 4 goals and 5 assists. They were absolutely on fire.
When the Bruins first line is getting involved offensively they are a tough team to beat. Once they get going the puck just seems to find a way to go in the net.
If the Boston Bruins 1st line continues to play like this I think we will be seeing the boys parading through Boston soon enough.
3. Deadly Depth
The thing that has put the Bruins over the top is the depth they have on the roster. Boston’s front office deserves a lot of credit for the moves that they made in the offseason and at the trade deadline.
All 4 of Boston’s lines have been playing great hockey. There are two players that really stuck out. Marcus Johansson and Charlie Coyle.
At the time they were acquired I wasn’t too stoked about these moves, but they have proven me wrong. Johansson and Coyle have quickly acclimated to the B’s and have made an impact.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, Johansson had a goal and 2 assists while Coyle had a goal and 3 assists.
Boston’s depth ensures that even when their top line is having a tough game that they are able to score some goals and win games. Without them the Bruins would probably be sitting at home right now.
So now we anxiously wait for the Stanley Cup Finals to begin. Only 4 wins separate the Boston Bruins from a Stanley Cup.