Bruins to move on to second round

Bruins in a March 2011 game- enjoiskate8-Flickr

The Boston Bruins, winners of the 2011 Stanley Cup Championship, may not be as lucky this year. They will defeat the Capitals and advance to the second round, though.

Goalie Tim Thomas, a Vezina Trophy winner, has played exceptionally throughout the playoffs. With 36 saves last game, a 2.18 GAA and 0.922 save percentage against Washington; Thomas has been key to the team’s success. After Game 6, Tim Thomas said to ESPN, "If you want to be the one that comes out on top in Game 7, you have to be the one who is willing to pay the price and be the one that is prepared to give everything you have from what's inside you". Surely Thomas' play will be vital to the Bruins' final game against Washington.

Other players have made outstanding plays throughout the series, like Tyler Seguin, who made the winning point in overtime in the sixth game. The team as a whole has excellent offensive ability and with an average of 3.2 points per game, the Bruins are ranked second in the league for points per game.

The Bruins have a good combination of offensive and defensive plays. Their third line, consisting of Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley and Michael Ryder, has made several important assists, goals, and defensive plays, greatly aiding the top forwards’ somewhat lacking performance. Peverley, current center for the team, is the series leaders in both goals and points, with three goals and five points.

Although the Bruins have a good chance of moving on to the quarterfinals, their performance is not enough to advance further. After a close win over the Capitals, the Bruins do not have much of a chance to defeat other, more competent teams.

Boston Bruins, winner of the second Stanley Cup in a row

Thomas (left) and Seidenberg (right) - clydeorama - Flickr

Without a doubt, the Boston Bruins will win the 2012 Stanley Cup, becoming the first team after the Detroit Red Wings in 1998 to win two Stanley Cups in a row. With the veteran goalie Tim Thomas and defenseman Zdeno Chara, opposing teams will have difficulty scoring. While their defense is exceptional, their offense will have to improve on finishing their chances, if the Bruins are to win.

The Bruins goalie Thomas was a big factor in the Bruins win of the Stanley Cup last year, and likewise he will be this year. Paired with Chara, it will be tough for opposing teams to score. But we shouldn’t forgot other defenseman Dennis Seidenberg who will also be a big factor. "Zdeno is as good as you'll get as a defenseman, but when it comes to playoff time, Seids isn't that far behind him, if at all," Bruins coach Claude Julien said to ESPN.com.

The offense had great difficulty scoring in the fourth game against the Washington Capitals. With an impressive 45-21 shot advantage over the Capitals, only one of the 45 shots went in, while the Capitals scored two goals out of their 21 shots. "We had so many chances, we just didn't bury them, I think that's the story of today's game. Like I said, we could've had five goals on our line, but we didn't. That's how it is," said David Krejci to Chicagotribune.com.

Center Tyler Seguin had some good opportunities to score in game five against the Capitals, but had difficulty finishing them. But then he turned that around in game six. The game was tied after the third period, but just 3:17 in OT he burst forward, received a pass from Milan Lucic and won the game. He and the others in offense have to keep on doing that. "We need to see a young player like that gain some confidence if we're going to become a better team down the stretch," Julien said to ESPN.com.

This year the Bruins will have a tough time, on account that all teams are after them, considering they won last year. The difference is, this year they have the experience of winning the Cup. "The confidence you get from having won will be important. You can never underestimate the value of the experience. ... Having said all that, it's real tough to repeat so it's going to be a challenge," Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said to Huffingtonpost.com.