(This month, Puck Daddy asked bloggers for every NHL team to tell us The Essentials for their franchises — everything from the defining player and trade, to the indispensable fan traditions. First up: It's Greg and Jon from Days of Y'Orr, with an assist from friend Mike Miccoli from The Hockey Writers, giving us an admittedly post-1970s look at the Boston Bruins' essentials.)

By Days of Y'Orr



Player: Cam Neely

Whenever people say that a certain player would fit the Bruins' style of play, they're making a Cam Neely comparison. Neely broke the mold and defined the role of a true power forward: someone who could score, hit hard and carry the team on his back when they needed him the most. Perhaps his most impressive year came in the 1993-94 season when he scored 50 goals in 49 games played. Injuries may have hampered his career but when you can't think of the Bruins without Neely. (Mike)

Season

Greg: 2008-09 season. To me, that season was what started this whole Bruins run. Prior to that season, Boston had always been mediocre at best. There was always the lingering heartache that Boston pulled every single season and every single post season. They made ridiculous signings (hi, Marty LaPointe) and they blew huge leads (hola, 3-1 lead on the Montreal Canadiens in the 2003-2004 playoffs). Suddenly, the Bruins broke out in the 2008-2009 season, running all over opponents to the tune of 116 points and 1st in the Eastern Conference. From that point on, Boston has been good at playing hockey and without that season, I don't think we see a Cup in 2011.

Mike: 2010-11. This isn't fair, I know it's not. In the 88 years of the Boston Bruins franchise, there have definitely been more important seasons than this one but in my 26 years on this Earth, I can't think of a more essential season for the black and gold. Looking back, from the drop of the puck in Prague to Brad Marchand's final goal in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, everything clicked. The Cup rejuvenated the franchise, instilling faith where there once was despair and a new championship banner for the first time in 39 years in the rafters of the TD Garden.

Jon: 2009-10. This might not be a popular pick but I think the 2009-2010 season was at least the most definitive of my life time. You would think I'd put the 2011 Cup season here, but I believe the 2009-2010 season formed that team mentally. The Bruins had been teasing us for a number of season, leading fans to believe they were building towards the drought ending team. They entered the playoffs with such promise and were absolutely abusing the Flyers before their epic collapse. As painful as that Game 7 memory still is, without that soul crushing defeat I don't think the Bruins have the mental fortitude to come back from 0-2 deficits against the Canadiens and more importantly the Canucks in 2011.

Game

Greg: Game: 2011 playoffs, Game 7 against Montreal. People overlook this game because eventually Boston went on to win the Stanley Cup, but leading up to this there were so many questions and stories that I remember being nervous until the game was over. People started talking about the 2003-2004 playoff series, they noted that Zdeno Chara has never won a Game 7, they brought up the Philadelphia series the year before and the Carolina Hurricanes Game 7 the year before that.

If Boston loses that game they aren't Stanley Cup Champions (obvious statement is obvious), but it's deeper than that. If they lose that game, its possible that the team Peter Chiarelli put together doesn't exist because it would be three straight disappointing playoff exits in a row. Win that game, win a Cup. Lose that game and who knows who is on the roster in 2012.

Mike: Game 3 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. After losing Horton, one of their best forwards, the Bruins showed what the entire franchise is essentially about. They grouped together, overcame adversity and pulled off an incredible comeback to win the Stanley Cup. To me, that game is the definition of Bruins' hockey.

Jon: For the new breed of fans, I think it would have to be Game 6 of the 2011 Finals. The way the Bruins just man handled the Canucks and dictated everything that happened in that game, you just knew they weren't losing Game 7. The confidence and drive they gained from that game was incredible. As soon as the puck dropped for Game 7 and you saw that still burning hunger in their eyes from their Game 6 demolition of Vancouver, Boston fans didn't even need to wait that 60 minutes. We knew the drought was over.

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