Dear Bruins Fans,
The Bruins have fought through a losing streak that has seemingly passed. It was truly a difficult time as the Bruins were fresh off of a strong winning streak and the golden flash of the Spoked B began to catch in the peripheral of the existing Boston area. However, that flash began to dim and once again the Bruins were put on the back burner after their most recent slide south. The biggest hit during all of this was the absence of the captain and the lack of presence that comes with Zdeno Chara. It became apparent that this team's success starts with Big Z on the blue line. He is a force on the power play, he shuts down big name scorers, and his long reach cuts off passing lanes better than anyone else in the league. Being listed at six foot nine doesn't hurt him either.
Without Chara the Bruins faced scoring woes and defensive woes. All the while they still managed to keep the pace and are tied with the New York Rangers with 83 points (Rangers take 6th with one game in hand on Boston). It is remarkable that the Bruins remain tied with a team that has been on such a hot streak lately.
With all this being said, the Bruins have a major opportunity on their hands. They have the chance to blast preseason expectations (projected 11-14th) and they have a chance to do some damage in the playoffs with defensive minded hockey. The rest of the Bruins will realize the real importance of Big Z in the line-up when he returns on Thursday versus the Habs (keep your fingers crossed). If the Bruins can find a way to take three of four points from the home and home with Montreal this week, they could really open some eyes in Boston again.
Cordially,
-McKeon
No comments:
Post a Comment