I don’t write much about the Bruins in this space, and believe me, that’s probably for the better.
While I obviously have nothing against the B’s, truth is I know next to nothing about hockey. I wasn’t brought up on the game; I never played. Between my 12th and 30th birthdays the B’s advanced passed the second round of the playoffs exactly zero times. Add it all up, and I just never caught the fever.
When the Bruins reached heights unseen last season, and that dominance carried into the 2011-2012 campaign, I was faced with a dilemma as a sports writer in this city. A) Start writing about the Bruins, and come across as a fraud to anyone interested enough to read, or B) Embrace my ignorance, respect the audience and leave the hockey writing to those who have a clue.
Again, be very happy I chose the latter. Bruins analysis on Standing Room Only would be about as beneficial as marriage counseling from the McCourts or babysitting tips from Casey Anthony. (However, it would still be more informative than listening to Tim McCarver talk about baseball.)
Still, as a living, breathing Bostonian — and, as a sports writer in this city — I’d be remiss not to step outside my comfort zone and drop two tons of respect on this current run of ridiculousness. It’d be irresponsible to not push aside any inbred bias and declare the Bruins to be, not only the best team in the NHL — that point is clear — but also, the best team in Boston.
By far.
They are who we wish every team could be. The perfect mix of young and old; steady experience and youthful exuberance. They have the best player at the most important position, they have the game’s next great star, they have a coach concerned with nothing — not publicity, legacy or ego — but the bare bones details and they have clear cut leadership at the top.
They have depth, character and swagger.
They have it all.
And I’m not just talking about this otherworldly winning streak. The title isn’t contingent on beating the J-E-T-S tonight, the Panthers on Thursday or the Blue Jackets this weekend (actually, if they lose to Jackets, I take it all back). This is set in stone, and will remain our reality for the foreseeable future:
The Bruins are Boston’s best.
You heard it here last.
Rich can be reached at rlevine@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Rich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/rich_levine
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