In the last Broons Weekly Update, I went over the possible opponents that the Bruins may face in the first round. At the time of writing, the Bruins either could face the Hurricanes or Maple Leafs. And yes, those are two teams that gave Boston problems in the regular season. But heading into these playoffs, Bruins fans shouldn’t be worrying because of this.
Finishing Off Strong
In any sport, one of the deciding factors in a successful playoff run is how a team finished the regular season. Not standings-wise, but momentum-wise. In a seven-game series, a team coming in with momentum has the advantage. Think back to the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs when the Blue Jackets swept a historic Lightning team. The Jackets had won seven of their last 10 games to put themselves into that final Wild Card slot. Carrying that momentum, the Jackets swept the team that had apparently already stamped their names in the Cup.
Now the Bruins did not necessarily have to have a late-season push in order to secure their spot in the playoffs, but they have played pretty well. Yes, you may probably remember me talking about their recent setbacks, but that was due to injuries to key players who have since returned. Remember too, the Bruins were expected to not even make the playoffs a few months ago, now some people consider them contenders. If the Bruins can carry this momentum, it’s going to be a fun early summer.
How Will the Bruins Playoffs Go?
The Bruins have not made it past the second round since their Cup run in 2019, so can they change that this year? It’s certainly not impossible, it’s honestly even probable. Every team in the East this year could beat any other team in the East this year. Standings really just seem like they are a formality. Really the only series that I do not see as an even one for the Bruins is against Florida. But even then the Panthers are not unbeatable.
Momentum is going to play a big part in determining if the Bruins will go all the way, as I already discussed. Boston’s two potential opponents right now are Carolina and Toronto, and if the Bruins beat either of those teams, they could carry that momentum all the way to the top of the East. Of course, to make it to the top, the Bruins will most likely have to face the Panthers. And sometimes momentum cannot beat a well-put-together team like Florida. With how random the Cup playoffs can be sometimes though, who knows?
How Would the Parades Work?
So I’ll finish off this Broons Weekly Update with an interesting question. If the Bruins and Celtics win both their respective championships, how will the parades work? After all, the finals for both leagues will most likely happen at about the same time. Like, will they do separate parades? A combined one? They do after all have a lot of duck boats at their disposal.
Personally, I’d love to see a combined one. Seeing a sea of green, black, and gold would just be amazing. Also, I think it would help consolidate cleanup. I don’t think Boston’s public works are exactly keen on cleaning up thousands of beer cans and Kyrie Irving jerseys back to back.
Hi, I’m RJ Oakley, the Bruins beat writer here at Belly Up Sports. Check back here and follow me on Twitter for news and discussion on the B’s. Be sure to follow Belly Up Hockey for all your NHL needs!
