Not too long ago, Boston was considered the home of champions. Local teams like the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and Boston Celtics always seemed to provide moments of pure euphoria. Fans will remember the Sox’s riveting comeback in the 2004 ALCS against the rival New York Yankees, the Celtics NBA Finals victory in 2008 and the many moments of glory provided by the combined greatness of Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick and  ex-quarterback Tom Brady. These victories were made even sweeter given the fact that they followed years of turmoil for the majority of these franchises. The Patriots were once a laughingstock, the Sox hadn’t won in 86 years before the 2004 Series and the Celtics faced years of heartache in the post-Bird era. Clearly, Beantown had earned their success. Also woven into the fabric of New England sports are the Boston Bruins. Like their neighboring franchises, they have enjoyed a great deal of success over the past 15 years. Since 2007, the Bruins have captured five Division championships, three Conference championships and two Presidents’ Trophies.   However, their level of success has been different than that of their peers. Missed opportunities have plagued them on the ice. In this stretch, the Bruins were only able to bring home the Stanley Cup once. In fact, this lone Cup win came after a 39 year drought. Prior to 2011, Boston’s last reunion with the Stanley Cup was in 1971. Gut wrenching losses in the 2013 and 2019 Stanley Cup Finals have made their triumphant win in 2011 seem like ancient history. With the 2021-2022 season potentially being the last one for many of the original Bruins core, this could be the last chance for Beantown’s hockey club to experience one final boom and bring home the ultimate prize. 

The good news for Boston is twofold. In terms of both personnel and momentum, the team is headed in the right direction. Much of their original core is still intact. Indeed, members of the 2011 team like LW Brad Marchand and C Patrice Bergeron have been staples. Further, the team has watched players from the 2019 run, such as D Charlie McAvoy and RW David Pastrnak, continually grow and mature. The “icing on the cake” came a few weeks ago as longtime goalie Tuuka Rask returned to the team after a brief hiatus that was sparked by a torn labrum. Even after losing key skaters, such as David Krejci and Zdeno Chara, the Bruins have managed to keep who they could and build a unit that shares a common thread of playoff experience. Importantly, last season’s addition of Taylor Hall and this year’s free agent signing of goalie Linus Ullmark have cemented a “win now” mentality among the front office. They are clearly “all in.” 

This season held a slow beginning. Thankfully, the new calendar year has been kind to the Bruins thus far. The team is catching fire at the right time. At the time of this article, they’ve won 10 of their last 12 and are in the midst of a solid homestand. Offensively, Boston has been playing critical hockey; specifically, David “Pasta” Pastrnak has been on a hot streak. Over the last 12 games, “Pasta” has scored 11 goals. With his rejuvenated game and steady leadership from Bergeron and Marchand, Boston has become scary once more. In terms of the literal standings, the Bruins have firmly planted themselves in a wild card spot and are hot on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ tails for a top three finish in the Atlantic Division. All of this certainly gives Bruins’ fans a reason to hope.

The reality for the Bruins is that this will inevitably be the “old guards” final chance at another Stanley Cup win. Given that Rask only signed a one-year deal and that this may be captain Patrice Bergeron’s final season, the pressure is on. The Bruins will need all of the experience they have gained. Younger teams like the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lighting  and Carolina Hurricanes pose the greatest threats to win the Eastern Conference from a talent perspective, but if the Bruins are able to clinch a “spot in the dance,” anything can happen. It is fully possible that experience, as it so often does, becomes a determining factor. For this to happen, Rask will have to gradually get crisper in the net after his hiatus and the third line of Jake Debrusk, Charlie Coyle and Oskar Steen will have to find stability. These events will ensure that the always solid play of the top lines does not go unnoticed. In other words, Pastrnak, Marchand and Bergeron cannot do it alone. Boston needs to bring a complete unit to the playoffs if they want to keep up with the young bucks.

After this season, the Bruins will look quite different. The wheels of change have swung into motion, but one question remains: Can the Bruins officially signal the end of an era with a Stanley Cup Championship and go out with a Beantown Boom?