Bruins Make Playoffs, Prepare For Goliath

At this point, it may not matter what the Bruins want. The only way they can avoid playing the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs is if Pittsburgh beats Philadelphia in overtime/shootout today. A Philly win drops the Bruins to 8th and secures 1st for the Habs, while a Pittsburgh win in regulation drops Montreal to 2nd and keeps the Bruins in 7th.

Now, playing the Penguins with Crosby, Malkin and Hossa isn't exactly a great matchup either, but at least the Bruins have beaten them once this year. Boston's 0-7-1 record against their French Canadian rivals has been the biggest black mark on their otherwise successful season. Could they beat Montreal? Sure. They played the Habs much tougher in the last two meetings, and got a point out of the final game when they needed it, and Tim Thomas could definitely be the kind of goalie that carries his team past a superior opponent. Unfortunately, I can't get past the thought that the chances of the Bruins getting four wins against them when they couldn't get one in the regular season are slim at best.

Of course, if we did reverse the nightmare of the 2004 playoffs on the Montreal motherfuckers, it would give me endless enjoyment.