Boston Bruins: What a Stanley Cup victory could mean for teams legacy
In a current era and team history scattered with championships, these Boston Bruins could establish their legacy with a second Stanley Cup victory.
The Boston Bruins have a rich tradition that spans multiple eras of NHL History. As an original six franchise, their fan base is also one of the oldest in all of sports.
The days of Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, and Gerry Cheevers ushered in an era of illustrious success during the 1970s that revitalized hockey in New England prior to the 1980 Olympic Games.
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Later, Cam Neely’s Bruins of the late 1980s and early 1990s with were a force in the Adams Division. But in this 21st Century run of Boston sports dominance, the Bruins have been overshadowed.
Their subtle successes and lone championship in 2011 are not as sexy as the New England Patriots six titles, the Boston Red Sox 4 World Series championships, or even the Boston Celtics‘ Big Three Era.
It’s ironic because, in many circles, Boston is still considered a hockey town. Nationally, we’re right up there with Minnesota and Michigan in terms of producing NHL talent.
And other than the Patriots, the Bruins have actually been the most consistent Big Four team in New England during in the 2010s.
The core group of Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Brad Marchand, and Tuukka Rask has been to three Stanley Cups and could win two by the end of next month. Orr’s Bruins only won two and Neely’s never won a single championship.
A second Stanley Cup for the Chara/Bergeron group would establish them as on-par with the Orr/Esposito group in terms of pure success. And, depending on how you looked at it, the current success could be more impressive because it happened over a longer period of time.
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Right now, the Bergeron/Chara Bruins only have one Cup to show for, despite being a stalwart in the Eastern Conference since 2008. A second victory would not only prove that these Boston Bruins weren’t a fluke, but also that they deserve to be in the all-time greats discussion.