Magic Time in the Hub of Hockey

 

With the Stanley Cup Finals starting tomorrow, it's time to take a step back and look at the journey the Bruins took to get there. Much of the media attention has been focused on paralleling this playoff run from the championship run two years ago, and this is fair to a degree. Afterall, 17 of the players from the Bruins' roster were on the team that won it all in 2011. The only glaringly big difference is in net, but with way Tuukka has been playing, who's complaining?

However, I was reluctant to be a believer coming into the playoffs. The Bruins were playing sloppy hockey to end the regular season, unable to play a complete 60 minutes, letting leads slip through their fingers, and losing to bad teams. And through the first six games of the Toronto series and two period of Game 7, I remained admittedly pessimistic about their chances. But something changed that night in the Bruins, in the city, and in the minds of the fans themselves. We began to believe.

After that historic comeback in Game 7 against Toronto, the Bruins are 8-1 and have outscored their opponents 28-12. If the Bruins go on to win, it will put any doubts of their ability and dominance of the Eastern Conference to rest. The run in 2011 felt magical not only because the Bruins hadn't won in 39 years, but it had that mystique from the beginning that the Bruins were doing something special.

Every championship run has those special moments that make them stand out, where people look back and recognize them as defining moments of their will to win. The 2011 Bruins twice came from behind 2-0 in a series and battled back. They won three Game 7s. They swept the Flyers, exorcising the demons of the infamous 2010 collapse. Bobby Orr went into the stands waving a flag with 18 on it for Nathan Horton, who was out indefinitely after suffering a devastating hit from Aaron Rome. And finally, Horton pouring a small bottle of Garden ice onto the arena in Vancouver to give the Bruins a piece of home.

These are the things that people remember. And this postseason already has its fair share. Just like other Boston sports, this 2013 Bruins playoff run has had many defining moments. If the Bruins go on to win, then the Game 7 comeback in Toronto becomes part of Boston legend. Bergeron's tying and OT goal becomes Adam Vinateiri splitting the uprights in Super Bowl XXXVI. Campbell blocking the shot and playing the rest of his shift becomes Dave Roberts stealing second in 2004.

It has been an amazing Cup run so far. And I can't wait to see what legendary moments are created next.