The Boston Bruins are always an interesting team to watch and this year was no exception. They finished the season in the playoffs facing the mighty Montreal Canadiens who finished first overall in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins eventually lost the series but forced an game seven that showed every flaw in an embarrassing 5-0 defeat. The Bruins profile consists of hard working players and very few big names.

Boston doesn't have a lot of spectacular players. The most notable are Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard. While great on the Bruins they don't quite qualify as superstars. Phil Kessel provides for some great moments but is too streaky to be reliable. Fan favorite Milan Lucic probably best defines this team. Lucic comes to play every night and will mix it up with other tough guys in the league as well as put points on the board. The Bruins need every player to bring heart to the game, especially considering Marc Savard led the team in scoring with 78 points (a cool 34 points behind Alexander Ovechkin).

How did the Bruins manage to sneak into the playoffs leaving teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres hitting the golf courses earlier than usual? This team isn't geared towards high offensive numbers or great defensive plays. There are two main reasons why the Bruins got to the playoffs and forced a game seven with the number one Eastern Conference team. The first is the great goaltending of Tim Thomas. The second is this teams greatest asset, grit.

Tim Thomas has been spectacular in net and gives the Boston Bruins a genuine chance to win every night. He finished in the top five for save percentage during the regular season and has been better than average during the playoffs. Boston has a knack for ending goalies careers (Jim Carrey, Byron Dafoe anyone?), so only time will tell if he becomes a year-in-year-out goalie.

While the Boston Bruins are a scrappy team, they won't be able to continue their success without a major addition to their team. Look for Boston to be active in the offseason and add an offensive weapon or two. There is nothing wrong with Boston's core of players. If they want playoff success the Bruins will make some changes. There will be no playoffs next year if the Bruins remain idle.

Learn more about this author, Erik M. Dell.
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