This Original Six matchup hasn’t happened in the postseason in a long time; 57 years to be exact. The Bruins and Wings will clash in the playoffs for the first time since 1957 thanks to Detroit’s move to the Eastern Conference before the season.
Boston may have posted the best record in the NHL this season, but Detroit had their number. The Wings won three of four matchups against Boston this season and they’re an incredible 7-1 in their last eight games versus the Bruins.
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Detroit kept the longest playoff appearance streak alive this season despite injuries to Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Datsyuk returned at the end of the regular season, but Zetterberg remains sidelined. Keeping Detroit in contention while their big names were out was rookie Gustav Nyquist, who blew up after the Olympic break with 14 goals and 10 assists in 23 games.
The Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top team and not surprisingly allowed the fewest goals in the East, while also leading the conference in goals scored. With a pair of thirty-goal scorers, strong defensive forwards, a behemoth on the blue line and a Vezina favorite in nets the Bruins may be the deepest team in the NHL.
Not surprisingly the best team in the league during the regular season is the Bodog Cup favorite, with the Bruins the 7/2 chalk. The Red Wings are 20/1 underdogs to bring the Cup back to HockeyTown.