Bruins Enter Final Stretch With 17-2 Odds to Win Stanley Cup, Likely to Face Senators in First Round
The B's have 17-2 odds to win the Stanley Cup, trailing just the Pittsburgh Penguins (7-2), Vancouver Canucks (5-1) and New York Rangers (6-1).
While the season has been far from a smooth ride, the Bruins have flexed their muscle at times and will be a difficult team to contend with come playoff time.
As it stands now, the Bruins are likely to face either the Ottawa Senators or the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs.
Reality suggests that it's more likely to be the Senators, but anything is possible. Neither matchup is bad for Boston, but given the choice, they may rather face the Senators.
The Capitals actually took three of four from Boston this season, but they're a different team in the playoffs, where production has dipped in recent years.
While Washington has talent, the Caps have been a perennial disappointment in the second season, and there's little reason to believe anything has changed. Once deemed a frontrunner to contend for the Stanley Cup (remember that 7-0-0 start?), Washington is now fighting for its playoff lives.
What's worse is that the Capitals are a veteran team that knows those expectations and knows that they simply don't have the mental fortitude to get there. With Boston having a huge edge in net thanks to Tim Thomas, this first-round series could be very quick — especially given how much the Capitals have struggled on the road this year.
Throw in the fact that lead goaltender Tomas Vokoun may be done for the season, and the Capitals, who desperately tried to avoid going into the playoffs with a young, inexperienced goaltender, may be doing exactly that yet again.
The Senators could provide the most favorable matchup for Boston.
Ottawa was supposed to be rebuilding, but that proved to be far from the truth. The Senators are just four points behind Boston for the division lead and have won four straight after Sunday's win against the New York Islanders.
But the Bruins have won four of their five meetings, and each time Ottawa has come close to taking the division lead, the Bruins have shown the Sens who's boss. The two teams will have one more meeting Thursday, but so far, Boston has had no problems with Ottawa while scoring 19 goals in their four wins.
Ottawa has never really threatened Boston, and that likely won't change in the playoffs, either. Boston has won 23 of the last 29 meetings overall. Given the B's significant edge in playoff experience, they shouldn't have to stress too much.
