Are the Boston Bruins as good as advertised?
After falling agonizingly short of winning the Stanley Cup Final last season, the Bruins enter the 2019-20 NHL campaign among the contenders to win the title. At least, that’s what the digital experts and their real-life counterparts seem to believe.
However, Pro Hockey Talk’s Joey Alfieri isn’t as bullish about the Bruins’ prospects for success. He called Boston the NHL’s “most overhyped” team Tuesday in the website’s season-predictions feature.
“… Everyone has them locked into the top three spots in the Atlantic, but they’re coming into the year a little banged up,” Alfieri wrote. “They’re also coming off a long playoff run.”
It’s worth noting Bruins general manager Don Sweeney also brushes off talk of Boston being among the Stanley Cup Final favorites, imploring the team to prove they deserve that status on a game-by-game basis.
Although injuries and the dreaded Stanley Cup Final “hangover” are among the biggest burning questions the Bruins face coming into the season, their chemistry, hunger and abundance of talent and depth likely will keep them closer to championship contention than epic disappointment.
Whatever gap between the Bruins’ expectations and their reality that exists will begin to reveal itself Thursday when they face the Dallas Stars in the season opener.