In a way, these two are incredibly different. The Bruins were one of the best teams in hockey all year and were always considered a Cup favorite. The Blues were the worst team in the league in January (they're the first team ever to make the Stanley Cup Final after having the fewest points in the NHL at any point during the season). But they're here, once again proving that getting into the tournament is all that matters. Because anything can happen after that.
But the Bruins and Blues are also really similar. They might be the two deepest teams in the league. They've both consistently rolled, and gotten production from, all four lines, proving once again how it takes an entire roster to win the Cup, not just one or two superstars. They've also both gotten exceptional goaltending, the real key to playoff success. Tuukka Rask is probably the leading candidate for the Conn Smythe right now, and Jordan Binnington sure hasn't looked like a rookie.
St. Louis is a ridiculous 7-2 on the road in the playoffs, so the fact that they need at least one road win to have any chance of hoisting the Cup shouldn't faze them in the slightest. Although, Boston is 6-3 at home, so something's gotta give.
The Bruins have been on a roll since the middle of the Columbus series. They've won seven straight since trailing the Blue Jackets 2-1, including a sweep of Carolina in the Eastern Conference Final. Speaking of that, I don't think I've seen a crazier stat that what happened in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Islanders swept the Penguins, then got swept by the Hurricanes...who then got swept by the Bruins! So, if the trend continues, that means Boston will get swept by St. Louis, right?
It might just be a coincidence. It probably is. But you also have to consider the rest factor. Normally a short series is considered a good thing because you get more rest. But you also run the risk of getting too much rest. I think the Islanders and Hurricanes both had too much rest. It messed with their momentum. And for Boston, that could be a real fear. Because Game 1 will be the Bruins' first in 10 days. (Although, the Blues haven't played in six days, so there isn't too big a difference there.)
Frankly, I don't think the amount of rest really had any bearing on the Eastern Conference Final. The Bruins are a better team than the Hurricanes and they played like it. Plain and simple. Rask gave up just five goals in the entire series, completely overshadowing an offense that scored 17 times, with contributions from everyone. Boston is one of the most complete teams in hockey, which showed against Carolina.
Meanwhile, the Western Conference Final turned on San Jose's controversial overtime game-winner in Game 3. After that, Binnington decided that it would just be easier if he didn't let the Sharks score at all, holding them to just two goals over the final three games. And the Blues dominated San Jose in Games 5 & 6, outplaying the Sharks in every aspect of the game, most importantly on the scoreboard, where they outscored them 10-1. With contributions coming from, you guessed it, all four lines.
So, the Blues finally got past all their playoff demons. This might not have been the St. Louis team people expected to do it, but it became more and more believable as the season went on. And once the playoffs started and they got on this roll, it's no longer a surprise. In fact, their story is very similar to the three previous Western Conference Champions (San Jose, Nashville, Vegas). When the playoffs started, you didn't think much of them. Then, by the time they reach the Final, you find yourself rooting for them.
And now they've come full circle, as their first Stanley Cup Final game since 1970 will be against the same team as their last one. That 1970 Bruins-Blues series gave us perhaps THE most iconic image in hockey history, Bobby Orr flying thru the air after scoring the series-clinching goal in Game 4. That was actually the third straight Final appearance for the Blues, who went to the Final in their first three seasons of existence (partially because the NHL set it up so an expansion team was guaranteed to play for the Cup), only to get swept each time, twice by Montreal, then by Boston. This time they at least look poised to be competitive.
Another fun fact about those Blues teams that went to three straight Finals to start their existence: their 1967-68 team was the only first-year expansion team to play for the Cup until the Golden Knights' run last year.
Then there's this one, which isn't new, but is still cool: Boston and St. Louis are also the only cities to have played for the championship in all four major sports (which is even more impressive when you consider St. Louis doesn't even have an NBA or NFL team anymore). Speaking of the Rams, they provide a link between the three Boston championship series in the last nine months. The Red Sox played the Dodgers, who play in LA. The Rams moved to LA from St. Louis. And now the Bruins play St. Louis to complete the Boston trifecta.
Anyway, back to this series. Rest may not be a big factor, but experience very well could be. This isn't just the first Stanley Cup Final appearance for the St. Louis franchise in nearly half a century. It's also the first Stanley Cup Final for all but two players on the Blues' roster. The Bruins, meanwhile, still have those five core players (Chara, Rask, Bergeron, Krejci, Marchand) from their 2011 Cup winner, and three others who've played in the Final previously.
That Final experience may be the biggest difference between these two teams. They're both deep and talented offensively. They've both gotten great goaltending. But something's gotta separate them, and that experience factor may very well be it.
Boston was going to be the favorite either way. Then, when you throw in the veteran presence of Zdeno Chara and Co., it's definitely advantage Bruins. And, I know both goalies are hot. But Tuukka Rask's play has been otherworldly. He'll win a game or two all by himself. Which is enough for me to say Bruins in six.
Besides, if the past year has taught us anything, it's that Boston teams don't lose once they get this far. The Bruins are, however, the most tolerable of the three by far, so that makes this one a little easier to deal with. Regardless, Boston fans will be given yet another reason to be even more obnoxious than usual, as they attend their third championship parade in less than a year.
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