Felger, Bob & Shaughny Archives Part 2

I wrote this story after Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs' first round, when the Bruins came back to tie the series up. They're not the talk of the town this season, but they've made a marked improvement, and are on their way to one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference this year.
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The Bruins. The Bruins WHAT?

This is an article I've been meaning to write for a couple days, but now it has some serious implications. It could be even more relevant if the B's pull a victory out tonight in Montreal. Thanks to the article I read in yesterday's Globe by Dan Shaughnessy, I was inspired to get off my butt and write this.

The Bruins are Back

There are plenty of positives for Boston sports fan right now, whether you are a fan of baseball, basketball, or the Boston Marathon. One thing that Bostonians don’t usually expect to watch late into April is hockey, and that has come to be a pleasant surprise with the play of the Boston College Eagles and Boston Bruins. Patriots Day is one of the best days on Beantown’s sports calendar, year in and year out, and this year it could be more important than any in recent memory.

The Boston Bruins put themselves back on the map by forcing a seventh game in their first round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, giving fans an alternative to the local teams on the diamond or parquet. The last few games at the Garden have been unbelievably packed, and the energy levels are second only to what they were in the old Garden. However, if the young, strong, hungry team keeps playing the way they are for the rest of the playoffs and beyond, they may see some solid fan support for years to come.

I was at Game 4 myself, and even in the loss, it was hard to describe the intensity of the crowd. I can only imagine what it was like in Game 6, when the Bruins came back from three different deficits to win, tying the series and sending it back over the border for game 7 tonight.

Regardless of the outcome of today’s game, the Bruins are a team to watch again. They may not have a Ray Bourque, Cam Neely, Phil Esposito, or Bobby Orr, but they do have an exciting core of players who are determined to bring Lord Stanley’s Cup back to Boston. Whether it’s this year, next, or a few years from now, it seems a distinct possibility, especially with the rumors of them trying to land Marian Hossa in the off-season.

If the Bruins win Game 7, they’ll be the talk of the town for the night. If they don’t, at least they’ve shown their fans that there is another great team product to see at the Garden, and this one is in Black and Gold, not Green.