Bruins – Penguins Series Preview

The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins will play in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals.  Two distinct styles of play will be on display in this match-up.  The Bruins, with their deep team and four lines, like to punish the opponent with forechecking and winning battles in the corners, eventually scoring the big goal.  The Pens just flat-out take it up the ice and score, and if they are on the power-play, become pretty much unstoppable.  Here is a series preview.

Why Boston will win:  Style of play.  The Bruins make it so uncomfortable for any opponent, no matter the style.  Boston is a great "adjustment" team and will look to neutralize Pittsburgh's stars with different line make-ups, winning battles and wearing the Pens down.  Ask the Rangers all about this.

Key Bruin:  Zdeno Chara.  Chara is so good at taking a superstar out of the game.  The problem for him is, the Pens have a plethora of them.  Boston head coach Claude Julien will have to select carefully who Chara tries to make life difficult for.

Why Pittsburgh will win:  Too much talent.  Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jarome Iginla, James Neal, Pascal Dupuis, Brenden Morrow, Chris Kunitz and offense-first defenseman Kris Letang.  These guys fly and score all the time.  Scary bunch.

Key Penguin:  Thomas Vokoun.  Since Vokoun took over between the pipes, the Pens have a re-newed sense of confidence.  Vokoun has averaged barely over two goals a game in the playoffs and is playing well.  Now, he must guard against a Boston team that crashes the net, screens heavily on shots from the point and scores big goals off of rebounds and peppering the cage.

Prediction:  Penguins in 7.  This series should go the distance.  It will come down to Pittsburgh's stars, namely Crosby, fighting through the Boston toughness and scoring big goals.

By:  Mike Lindsley, "Mid-Day with Mike," 1-4, Yankees pre/post game host on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.  Follow him on Twitter @MikeLSports.