NHL Playoff Preview - Can the Montreal Canadiens Eliminate the Boston Bruins Tonight?

If the Montreal Canadiens manage to win tonight and officially eliminate the Boston Bruins from the playoffs, many will say that Boston deserved a better fate. Those people would be right. Despite being down 3-1 in the series Boston has deserved to win every game except the first one. In that first game the Habs looked like a team that deserved to finish first in the Eastern conference, dominating all aspects of the game.

Since that first game it has been the Bruins who have dominated the series. Led by the hugely popular rookie, Milan Lucic, the Bruins have been physically punishing Les Canadiens since game two, and that physical dominance has led to a definite lopsidedness in offensive chances for the black and yellow squad. In fact, if not for the goaltending brilliance of another rookie in this series: namely Carey Price, the Canadiens could very well be the ones facing the 3-1 deficit.

So, unlike the hapless Ottawa Senators, the Bruins have nothing to hang their heads about. Still, in this sport, as in all others, winning is what counts, and in the end effort is not enough. You need to find a way to come through. Do the Bruins have the leadership in the dressing room that it will take to will this team back into the series. Likely not. They do not have that core of players that have "been there before". For that matter, the young Canadiens also have a dearth of such players. While Kovalev has a cup from his 1994 playoff run with the New York Rangers, and has been named the interim captain in Saku Koivu's absence, his leadership skills are still very much a question. But don't forget Guy Carbonneau, Bob Gainey, and Doug Jarvis. These gentlemen know just about everything there is to know about winning in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and it is their veteran leadership that will light the way for the Canadiens to close out this series. Don't forget the Habs are at home at the Bell Center tonight, and with Carey doing his best Patrick Roy/Ken Dryden impression the odds are very long against the hard-working Bruins extending this series.