Top 10 Things To Consider...

This is a list of the top 10 things to consider going into the final three games of the season. Without further adieu, I give you, THE list...

{Letterman Top 10 musical intro}

1. The Bruins head into the final week tied for 7th place with a team, in the Washington Capitals, chasing them like that chick from college who won't take no for an answer. "It was just a one night stand! Please leave me alone!" I digress. Anyhow, if there were ever a time to step up, it is now. They have to play in New Jersey, in Ottawa, and home for the final game against the Sabres (who will most likely be eliminated by then). The toughest test will be Tuesday against one of the great big gamers, Marty Brodeur. In my opinion, the Bruins need at least four points this week to lock down the 8th seed.

2. Please, take a moment and look at the CURRENT injury list on the side bar. If Mr. Owl told you these guys would all be injured during the final two weeks of the season you would tell the "wise" owl to shove his Tootsie Roll Pop where the sun only shines when you do a hand stand. This team has scored 15 goals in the last 4 games after averaging .00001 goals for during the season. Not too shabby.

3. Staying on the injury dune buggy, if you also add to the list names like Chara, Ward, Axe, Thornton, Thomas, and Lucic who all missed significant time at one point or another it is a shock that the final week actually matters. The depth with mostly youngsters has proved that Chiarelli has done his job (which certainly is not finished) in building a solid franchise, not just a decent NHL team. People need to remember that it takes more than two years to build success. As we speak, Providence is in first place in the Atlantic Division with a 50-16-3-4 record. That's good for best in the entire league. That's pretty good if you ask me (which you didn't).

4. Shawn Thornton has been awesome in sticking up for teammates along with playing well on the 4th line. Take Ottawa for example. He dropped the gloves after two dirty hits on Jeremy Reich and Mark Stuart. How can you not love having this guy and and his orange handle bar mustache in the line-up policing the idiots on the opposing bench?

5. David Krejci has stepped up big since Marc Savard's back injury. Krejci was picked as the NHL's 3rd star for this past week while he scored 3 goals and 5 assists after being point stricken for quite some time earlier in the year. The future is bright for him.

6. Speaking of a bright future, no one can be disappointed with the play of Milan Lucic. He can contribute in many facets of the game and it is hard to believe that the kid is 19. It's like bringing a girl home from a party only to find out two days later that she was another girl's 16 year old sister. "She said she was 18, and MAN ALIVE, she worked it like she was 21!...I'm in trouble...Yes, Lucic is playing beyond his years already.

7. Though I don't see Alex Auld playing this week (unless they have clinched and Buffalo is officially eliminated prior to the finale against Buffalo) everyone should commend the job he has done. He has kept the Bruins in so many low-scoring games that it is a total mind blow. He has had very little scoring help and many times he has got the team into extra sessions to salvage a point when the team had no business making it to overtime/shootout.

8. Tim Thomas is a classic metaphor. He's like the girl you call late at night when it's been "a slow night." She doesn't have the prettiest style but, every once in a while she does some ridiculous move that makes your jaw drop. Plus, 4 out of 5 times she gets the job done. Great season Timmy.

9. Claude Julien. Clooaud (love his pronunciation, Clawed is boring) has done a phenomenal job in creating a system that gives a team that struggles to score (like that kid in the front row of your IT class) a chance to win every night. Sure there was a few 10-2's tossed in there but hey, that wasn't the system, it was the players having a completely off night. It happens. We love Clooaud.

10. Finally, the moment you have all been waiting for, number 10. Remember wayyyy back when "experts" had the Bruins labeled for 14th place in the East? Ah, yes, a time where Toronto was picked at the top and now they are gazing at the buttocks of the Bruins, Capitals, etc. With all these injuries, who would have thought that the Bruins would be in a playoff spot going into the final week of the season? Take that Boston haters!

As you can see, this season has been an exciting one. A season that has surpassed expectations and one that showed what the youngsters can do. We can only hope this continues onward past April 5th. Let's have a big week here Bruins fans!