Top 10 Keys to Bruins’ Eastern Conference Final Showdown With Tampa Bay

The Bruins are back in the conference finals, which will finally open up on Saturday at the Garden. That’s eight days after Boston swept the Flyers in the second round, but that delay shouldn’t be too tough to take. After all, the Bruins have waited 19 years to get to another conference final since their last appearance in 1992.

It’s been 21 years since they last made the Stanley Cup Finals and 39 years since they won the Cup. They can take another step toward ending that drought by beating Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference final, but that won’t be easy.

The Lightning might be the only team hotter than the Bruins right now. Boston rallied after losing the first two games of their opening-round series against Montreal and has won eight of its last nine games. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, dug out a 3-1 hole in its first-round series with Pittsburgh and has won seven straight games after sweeping top-seeded Washington.

Someone’s streak is going to come to an end. What can Boston do to make sure its most impressive postseason run in two decades continues for another round?

Click here to see the top 10 keys to the Bruins’ Eastern Conference final against Tampa Bay >>