The Boston Bruins will be in the playoffs once again, and they will be a group that other teams may like to avoid.
The 2019 Eastern Conference Champions are back for their sixth consecutive postseason appearance. That experience and recent success are some of the many things that make the Bruins a dangerous club in the playoffs.
This season has been a lackluster year for the B’s. They were on the outside of the playoff picture looking in early in the campaign and have been largely relegated to a wild card position since they finally climbed into a playoff position.
There have been questions regarding Boston’s depth and its goaltending at various points in this season. While goaltender Jeremy Swayman has answered one set of questions, the depth concerns are still real for a Bruins team that will hope to contend for the Stanley Cup.
The Bruins will be a tough out in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While I do not believe that this version of the Bruins will be complete enough to win the 16 playoff games necessary to hoist the Cup, I do believe that it will be the type of team that no other club really wants to play.
Look no further than Tuesday’s contest against the St. Louis Blues. The Bruins went into St. Louis, outshot their opponent, and took down a Blues team that had won nine games in a row.
Considering that the Blues are among the top contenders in the Western Conference, I would argue that this game was the perfect example of what Boston is capable of in a playoff series.
As a team, the B’s still boast an elite defense, as it easily ranks in the top ten in both goals allowed and penalty killing. That could become especially tricky for teams that succeed by scoring at will.
On an individual level, players like Brad Marchand (73 points in 65 games) and David Pastrnak (71 points in 69 games) are still scoring at an elite pace to make the offense formidable as well.
As a top team, I would prefer to see the weaker Washington Capitals, struggling Pittsburgh Penguins, or inexperienced Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Bruins carry a 47-24-5 record into Thursday’s action, and with six games remaining, the team finds itself one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the third spot in the Atlantic Division.