Matchups...
Rask vs. Howard - Rask wins this, but Howard is dependable. He won't win the series on his own but won't lose it on his own, either.
Defense - No Seidenberg makes this closer than it initially appears. Chara is a slower version of himself - still a top defenseman in the league, but is not the invincible force he once was. Kronwall is still Kronwall. It's again advantage Boston at the top, but the gap isn't what it was 2 years ago. As far as the supporting cast goes, it's tough to call a favourite. Adam McQuaid is out which hurts the Bruins' depth, and they'll have to rely on Krug and Hamilton somewhat.
Forwards - With Zetterberg, you can make the case that it's close. Datsyuk, since returning, has been an absolute force. Everyone knows what Nyquist has done. Tatar has been getting better as the season rolls along. If you can roll two lines featuring those four players, it's basically even in the top 6. And the supporting cast for the scorers isn't what Boston has (Loui Eriksson on the third line? F off) but it's reasonably strong. Without Zetterberg though, it's harder to spread the offensive talent around the lineup, and the depth for the Bruins is too much not to say that this category is easily Boston's.
Special Teams - Boston's PP is 3rd; Detroit's is 18th. Boston's PK is 8th, Detroit's is 12th. Nuff said. Although the parade of injuries throughout the season probably had something to do with that PP ranking; the talent wasn't there consistently to put a legit #1 unit on the ice for 1:20+ per penalty.
So yeah Boston wins literally every category... I still have some faith because it's the playoffs and who knows, but it's hard to see a clear way to beat these guys.
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