Last night was our greatest nights as sports fans in our lives.
Last time the Bruins won the Stanley Cup, none of us were born. We weren’t even sperm in our daddy’s sack. Last time they were in the Finals, we were old enough to understand our favorite team was close but not nearly old enough to understand the hard work and sacrifice it takes a team to get where the Bruins are now.
Most of the Days of Y’Orr staff doesn’t give a crap about the Red Sox and we barely pay attention to the Celtics. We like the Patriots, but would trade those three Lombardi trophies for one Stanley Cup in a heart beat.
Sitting in the TD Garden Friday night when Horton scored, when the final buzzer sounded and when Zdeno Chara gathered his teammates to pose with the Prince of Wales Trophy was such an unbelievable feeling. Easily the best memory of your sports fan lives.
It still hasn’t really sunk in. The Boston Bruins are in the Stanley Cup Finals. You all know how unbelievably good it feels to say that. The Boston Bruins are in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Pick up any Boston newspaper and it is staring you in the face. Everyone’s picture on Facebook is the picture of the team gathered around the Prince of Wales Trophy. Every Bruins fan you know is still delirious. There’s a noticeable jump in your step today.
The Bruins haven’t always played their best these playoffs but they’ve found a way to win. There are no “superstars” on this team according to experts and that is just fine by them. And that is just fine by us. This is TEAM. Not individuals. A team. They showed that when Chara refused to get his picture taken alone.
Unlike past years, you really feel this is a team that is living and dying for each other with every play. A team that believes they have what it takes.
Vancouver stands in the way. They are a machine. They rolled through the regular season and just embarrassed the San Jose Sharks. No one outside of Boston is giving the Bruins a fighting chance in this series. Not a soul.
But you’re like us. You’ve seen what this team can do when they are at their best. You’ve seen what Tim Thomas does when everything is on the line. You’ve seen how hard this team battles when their backs are against the wall.
Down 2-0 against Montreal. They stormed back. They won Game 7 in overtime. Then finished what they couldn’t last year when they swept Philly. Against the Lightning, they faltered for a bit and needed a reminder of what it takes to win. Then they went out in another Game 7 and put everything on the line for a full sixty minutes.
“Their power play isn’t good enough to win.”
“Their penalty kill isn’t good enough to win.”
“They don’t have the offense to compete with the teams in the West.”
You know what the Bruins do have?
They have Tim Thomas FINALLY getting his first Stanley Cup Finals appearance. If you think he is not going to be at his all time best for this we already know you’re wrong.
They have a full roster of players who are FINALLY buying into what it takes to win at the highest level.
And they did it all for each other. Not for individual glory or accolades. They are a team united in one common goal. To win a championship for themselves and end a drought for a city they know has given them so much.
That is why we all believe they can win. That is why we all believe they WILL win.
The Redemption Tour rolls on as we all sit back and continue to Believe in OUR team.
And as good as last night felt, we know it can be better. Boston has been 35 pounds too light for too long. If we all continue to Believe, the Bruins will do their part.
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