Two long-suffering franchises are on the brink of history. The Bruins, who have not won since 1972, are looking to bring a championship home to Boston. The Canucks are trying to win their first Stanley Cup ever. Both teams have endured failure in the form of unspeakable collapses and unmet expectations. People wondered if Boston would be able to come back from that heartbreaking series loss to Philadelphia last year, or if Vancouver would be able to overcome it's history of losing in a hockey- mad town. It is almost hard to believe that one of these teams will win it all.
Boston did not enter the season with huge expectations, and only came into the playoffs as a 3 seed. But, due to the amazing goaltending of Tim Thomas and an offense that keeps finding ways to score, the Bruins are champs of the Eastern Conference. Unlike the Bruins, Vancouver posted the best record in the NHL and came into the playoffs with mammoth expectations. They almost gave into the pressure in a 7-game dogfight with annual tormentor Chicago, but in the end, they were finally able to beat the Blackhawks. This seemed to propel them throughout the playoffs, as they beat the Predators and Sharks without big problems. The Canucks have the same fluid style of play as in years past: they score lots of points. But this year, they seem to have an edge which differentiates them from past teams.
The Bruins are a solid team. Riding the hot hand of Tim Thomas and some unlikely heroes, they have come far. But, as long as the Canucks play up to their potential as they have throughout the playoffs, they will be the ones hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Prediction: Canucks in 6
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