(Definitely make sure to read the Hockey Orphan by Evan from Stanley Cup of Chowder first. My take is meant to be the fattening dessert after Evan's main course.)
Evan covered the key pluses and minuses that come with being a Boston Bruins fan but there's a few other things to think about when considering the Killer Bees.
Zdeno Chara, mountain of a man
When talking to my sports-but-not-hockey-fan friends, Chara is one of the guys who achieves mythical status. After all, is there anything more terrifying than a guy who ends up being seven feet tall on skates?
My favorite Chara story came from last summer. During the off-season, it was rumored that Chara wanted to be completely awake during his shoulder surgery to make sure that it was completed properly. Can you imagine being the surgeon in that situation ... conducting a challenging, precise surgery while some Slovak monster stares you down?
That's just so freaking manly. The shoulder surgery story was brought you by The Campaign to Make Mike Milbury Cry.
Phil Kessel
When Kessel came into the NHL, it seemed like he was considered something of a punk (at least by NHL standards). That image changed quickly once the American sniper courageously battled testicular cancer during his rookie season.If you cannot root for Phil K just go ahead and jump off of a tall parking garage.
Fantasy hockey implications
Definitely cannot say that I saw the Bruins coming. Not to this extent.
But from a fantasy hockey standpoint, players such as Marc Savard, David Krejci and Tim Thomas are helping savvy (or lucky) owners get a leg up on the competition.
Wicked cool jerseys
The Original Six teams have the market cornered on cool jerseys and the Bruins are no exception. Great color scheme, the spoked wheel ... it all works so well.
The unmatchable quality of their classic jerseys probably explains why they've struggled to come up with a good third jersey. That being said, their solid current third unis definitely look a lot better than those yellow bear monstrosities from the Joe Thornton days.
The Jacobs FactorEvan touched on this, but the biggest mark against the team is its cheap ownership. Will the Bruins be able to lock up the red hot Kessel before he becomes a popular target for offer sheets? Can the team manage to either keep its two-headed goaltending monster (they are both free agents) or possibly make an upgrade in net?
If Jacobs is willing to pony up the cash, the Bruins could be the class of its division for years to come.
Grade: A-
Promising future, some very likable players (there is not one NHL fan who looks at Milan Lucic without a feeling of envy) and an awesome tradition. If only they mattered more to Boston fans with a slew of successful teams and to their polarizing owner.
There aren't many teams with a mix of promise and still a hint of pre-bandwagon sneakiness quite like the Bruins.
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