Bruins Jerk Hurricanes Right Outta the Playoffs

Among other things in their march to the Stanley Cup finals, the Boston Bruins are getting more efficient by the round:

• It took them seven games to dispatch Toronto,
• They needed six games to eliminate Columbus, and now
• Dudes dumped insurgent Carolina in four.

In short, they're firing on all cylinders at the right time.

 

As usual, a playoff run like this starts between the pipes, and Tukka Rask has been performing outta his mind:

• The Finnish Wall has a 12-5 record this spring,
• the result of a stingy 1.84 GAA, and
• a sterling .943 save percentage.

 

Boston's clincher in Raleigh showcased every aspect of their game.

• Besides Rask being damn near impenetrable,
• the defensive corps has yielded virtually no space where the 'Canes' offense can even breathe, and
• the top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and Dave Pastrňák has sniped 22 goals so far this spring, but even more impressively,
• a grand total of 19 players have put the biscuit in the basket this spring.

 

In their 4-0 clincher against Carolina in Game 4:

• Bergeron finished the game with 2 goals,
• Marchand recorded 1 goal and 1 assist, and
• Pastrňák logged 1 goal and 2 assists.

What's more, believe it or not, Pastrňák now has 39 points in his post-season career. That stands as the third-highest point total since 2006 through 35 career playoff games. 

 

For real. Who knew?

Odds are the 'Canes had an idea.

 

The way things are unfolding in the West, looks like Boston could have a bit of a wait before the Stanley Cup finals get under way.

This should give the ancient-but-still-effective Zdeno Chara more time to heal from whatever ails him. If so, the strong get stronger.

 

That's pretty damn strong.