Redemption: Bruins Sweep Away Flyers

I was in Section 325. High above ice level, I rejoiced with my fellow Bruins fans. A year after losing Game 4 in overtime and proceeding to choke away a 3-0 lead in the most epically awful manner, the Boston Bruins achieved redemption. They weren't about to let the Flyers even think about another historic comeback. With their second straight 5-1 victory, the B's swept away the Flyers in four games.

Bruins fans everywhere are asking the same question. Is it finally our year? It's the first time in a while that I've considered it a true possibility. Even if the B's hadn't choked up the lead against Philly last year, you knew that the way the team was playing, they wouldn't have had enough to win the Cup. Not the same feeling this season. This squad is clicking, getting exceptional goaltending, limiting their breakdowns and playing solid team defense. The first line is finally contributing, coming off a huge series against these Flyers. Everything looks very promising moving forward. Everything except for one thing.

Patrice Bergeron suffered a mild concussion last night in Game 4. Very bad news for Boston. Bergeron might be the most important forward on this team. His skates are impossible to fill -- from the leadership he brings, to his defensive prowess, to his offensive playmaking -- it simply cannot be done. It will likely be Tyler Seguin who gets a chance to fill that role, whether it be on that line or in a different spot in the lineup. Fans have wanted to see Seguin get a chance, and he finally has it. But I think everyone can agree that this is pretty much the last circumstance under which we would want the kid to see ice time.

The biggest concern for Bergy is that he has had concussions in the past, including a vicious one a few years ago. Concussions are a scary thing. We saw Marc Savard rush into a comeback, and that severely backfired on both his own health and this team's standing. You have to be careful treating a situation like this one, especially with a much younger Bergeron who is one of the primary leaders on this team. As much as you want the Cup this year, the smarter decision would be to treat this with every precaution in consideration -- rely on your depth and ensure that you don't lose this guy in the long term. Peter Chiarelli built a team that is structured to endure adversity like this. There are plenty of teams around the league that wish they had Tyler Seguin at their disposal to plug into the lineup in the case of an injury. Even without Bergy, the B's have a very formidable lineup and they have every capability of taking down Tampa. But they're going to need continued domination from their goaltender, continued power from their defensive core, and continued scoring from their top line. If those things don't happen, and if there is a rusty transition into new combos on lines 2 and 3, the Bruins will have a tough time getting past these skilled and experienced Bolts.

We'll see what happens with Bergeron and the Bruins lineup with Tyler Seguin sliding into the mix. Either way, the other leaders in that locker room will need to step up and make sure that whole squad can still smell the roses. Eight wins separate this city from something it has craved for 39 years.