Tbh its hard to tell. The east is stacked this year much more so than the west. Throughout history we saw 2 60 plus win teams blow it. We've seen 2 dominant Bruins teams blow it ( 70-71 & 13-14) and another presidents trophy winning side in the 89-90 team blow it.
I'm born in 88, so discounting the 94 Rangers in my lifetime watching the sport I've only seen 1 presidents trophy winner basically cruise to a cup in the 07-08 Red Wings, but if you look at the west that year they pretty much were far and ahead of everyone, hell the entire league pretty much. Besides them I've seen 4 others be favored and get it done but hit roadblocks along the way,
99 Stars ( Down 3-2 to Colorado in the wcf won 4-3 stacked west)
01 Avs (Blew a 3-1 lead vs LA but won in 7,down 3-2 to NJ in the finals won in 7 west was a stacked conference at the time)
02 Red Wings ( Down 0-2 to Vancouver won in 6, down 3-2 to Colorado won in 7, dominant team in the stacked west that had an off year, east was garbage)
13 Hawks (Down 3-1 to an old Red wings team won in 7, Down 2-1 to the Bruins, won in 6, 2 games won in ot that if the other way were sweeps, west was decent)
Point being look at the 4 who did win here hey all hit roadblocks and were doubted along the way. Can the Bruins win? Yes, but will it be easy? No If anything the remind me of the 99 Stars in a way where they are an older team in a stacked conference. But also of the 96 Red Wings where they are in a stacked division with 2 rivals looking to get at them. Remember that 96 62 win Red Wings team was 60 minutes away from losing to St.Louis in 6 and maybe it would have happened had Mike Keenan not alienated Gretzky
I'm born in 88, so discounting the 94 Rangers in my lifetime watching the sport I've only seen 1 presidents trophy winner basically cruise to a cup in the 07-08 Red Wings, but if you look at the west that year they pretty much were far and ahead of everyone, hell the entire league pretty much. Besides them I've seen 4 others be favored and get it done but hit roadblocks along the way,
99 Stars ( Down 3-2 to Colorado in the wcf won 4-3 stacked west)
01 Avs (Blew a 3-1 lead vs LA but won in 7,down 3-2 to NJ in the finals won in 7 west was a stacked conference at the time)
02 Red Wings ( Down 0-2 to Vancouver won in 6, down 3-2 to Colorado won in 7, dominant team in the stacked west that had an off year, east was garbage)
13 Hawks (Down 3-1 to an old Red wings team won in 7, Down 2-1 to the Bruins, won in 6, 2 games won in ot that if the other way were sweeps, west was decent)
Point being look at the 4 who did win here hey all hit roadblocks and were doubted along the way. Can the Bruins win? Yes, but will it be easy? No If anything the remind me of the 99 Stars in a way where they are an older team in a stacked conference. But also of the 96 Red Wings where they are in a stacked division with 2 rivals looking to get at them. Remember that 96 62 win Red Wings team was 60 minutes away from losing to St.Louis in 6 and maybe it would have happened had Mike Keenan not alienated Gretzky
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