2012-13 record: 28-14-6 (62 points)
Lost to Chicago in Stanley Cup Finals
Captain: Zdeno Chara
The Bruins were a minute away from forcing a game 7 in the Finals when goals seconds apart put an end to that dream and a chance to make it two Cups in three years. This year will look a little different. Sure, you have Zdeno Chara still leading the way on the blue line and Patrice Bergeron setting the tone up front and Tuukka Rask holding things down in goal. Gone, however, are Nathan Horton, Rich Peverley, Andrew Ference, and Tyler Seguin. Replacing them are Jarome Iginla, Reilly Smith, Torey Krug, and Loui Eriksson. That means chemistry amongst the lines will have to be found with at least three new players with significant roles will have to be fit in somewhere. The key player to watch is Eriksson, who will most likely provide a more consistent effort that had been lacking in Seguin.
Prospects: There's not much room for rookies to crack the roster here, though Krug did gain some vaulable experience in the playoffs, and is likely ticketed for a pairing with Dougie Hamilton, who himself will be looking to rebound from being a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs. The backup goalie is also a concern, as Niklas Svedberg is a possibility here, and if Rask goes down for any significant amount of time, all bets are off, as Svedberg and Chad Johnson are listed as his backups.
Prediction: 1st in the Atlantic Division
The sting from coming so close to a Stanley Cup should motivate the Bruins. However, there is that matter of a Stanley Cup hangover, in dating back to the 2007-08 season, only three teams have made the Conference Finals the following year from when they made the Finals (Detroit and Pittsburgh in 2009, and Los Angeles in 2013). The Bruins still have the core pieces intact, but how well the new guys jell will determine how far the Bruins go this year.
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