Bruins-Penguins Eastern Conference Finals Preview and Prediction

            We’re busting out the “tale of the tape” method to determine who will win the right to face the Western Conference winner for the Stanley Cup.

 

Forwards

            Both teams are deep, but when you have the star power that Pittsburgh has, it’s no contest. Figuring out how to slow down both the Crosby and Malkin lines will be Boston’s toughest challenge.

Advantage = Penguins

 

Defenseman

            At first glance, you want to say Boston. They have Zdeno Chara, one of the few defenders on Earth that have a chance of slowing down Sidney Crosby, along with a cast of role players that play solid team defense. However, when you look at the other side, you have Kris Letang, arguably the top offensive defenseman in the game. If I were guaranteed that Wade Redden and Andrew Ference would be 100% for this series, it would be advantage Boston. With that not being the case, we’ll call it a draw.

Advantage = Push

Goaltending

            Tuuka Rask isn’t the second coming of Patrick Roy (his Game 4 against New York was so atrocious it had some New Englanders asking if Tim Thomas was available), but Pittsburgh’s goaltending is the Achilles heal of the team. Longtime starter Marc-Andre Fleury was benched after a lackluster performance in round 1 against the Islanders. While Tomas Vokoun has been solid in net since replacing him, one would have to wonder how long of a leash he has if the Bruins light him up in the first few games of the series.

Advantage = Bruins

Special Teams

            Barring a goalie collapse, here’s where the series gets decided. Pittsburgh was the second ranked team on the power play during the regular season, but only five other teams were worse than them at killing penalties. Boston was the fourth best team on the penalty kill, but only four teams were worse than them at scoring power play goals. The Bruins would be best served avoiding the penalty box, as Pittsburgh has already netted 13 power play goals in 11 playoff games. To put things in perspective, Brad Marchand leads the Bruins with 3 power play assists. Pittsburgh has five players who have at least three assists, with the Letang/Malkin/Crosby trio netting 7-6-5. When you trot sharpshooters like Jarome Iginla, James Neal, and Chris Kunitz around the quality of playmakers the Penguins have, it makes for a deadly attack.

Advantage = Penguins

Coaching

            I’m taking Claude “The Vacuum Cleaner Salesman” Julien over any coach not named Mike Babcock in the NHL. I love that guy.

Advantage = Bruins

Home Crowd

            Two great hockey towns here, but if I have to nitpick, I don’t like that all too often the Penguins go with the “white out” and dress all their fans in white t-shirts. That and the stirring rendition of the National Anthem just a day after the Boston Marathon bombing earns the Bruins an uncontested win in this category for the next three years against any city not named Toronto.

Advantage = Bruins

Local Announcers

            Jack Edwards is a fucking idiot, and an embarrassment to the city of Boston.

Advantage = Penguins

Prediction
            Boston is going to beat and batter the Penguins, but there’s just too much talent on the other side. Look for Pittsburgh’s juggernaut power play to be the difference in this series.
 
Penguins in 7 over Bruins