In the grand scheme of things, it’s quite uncommon for a city or state to see multiple teams with their major leagues in the same season cycle, but it does still happen. In 2021, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV in February, and the Tampa Bay Lightning followed up with the Stanley Cup in July.
The two teams celebrated the other’s success in the NFL and NHL, and the two Tampa Bay clubs could be cheering each other on in their respective playoffs in 2023. For now, however, two – and at a long shot, three – teams from Boston look to go deep into the postseason.
Boston Bruins enjoy blistering start
Most expected the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, or Toronto Maple Leafs to lay down the gauntlet early and make their playoff credentials crystal clear. Instead, it’s been the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils impressing on the ice.
Around the quarter-mark, 18 games in, the Bruins topped the overall standings with a near-impeccable 16-2-0 record, winning 11 of 11 on home ice. In making TD Garden a fortress, Boston tied the record for consecutive home wins. They did it in style, too, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1.
In the NHL playoffs, with its seven-game series format, finishing as high as possible to secure home-ice advantage can prove to be a huge advantage. Already this season, the Bruins are proving that if they remain atop the overall standings, they’ll punish any team that they meet in the postseason when they visit Boston.
Powering the .889 win percentage and league-conquering +38 goal difference after just 18 games were, in large part, the goaltenders. With Jeremy Swayman injured, tandem partner Linus Ullmark was called upon to take to the crease for a very heavy workload, but made it to 13 starts with 12 wins and a 1.89 goals against average.
The Swede’s play has been excellent, and with some additional rest coming up as Swayman gets back up to speed, Boston will only become more formidable in net. At the other end of the ice, David Pastrnak has been on fire, netting 11 goals and 28 points in his first 18 games.
It’s not all about the Czech winger, though, as by the 11th consecutive home win of the season, the Bruins had seven skaters on 12 or more points. While Pastrnak leads the team, two-way center Patrice Bergeron is on-pace for a great year in goals, scoring nine in twice as many games to start the campaign.
Even though Boston have, by some margin, outperformed every other team in the NHL bar the Devils, the reigning champions, Colorado, are the favorites as it stands. They’re 10-5-1 in a less competitive conference, have much of the same team that won it all last year, and so, they’re at +450 to repeat.
That said, those who enjoy the best NHL odds at Bodog will be eyeing up the Bruins at +550. The incredible start will likely wobble a bit in the coming months, but if most of Boston’s stars stay fit and enter the playoffs healthy, it’d be tough to go against them returning to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2019.
Celtics looking good for a run at the NBA crown
The Boston Celtics have been among the favourites to win the NBA Championship for a few years, particularly in the early stages of each season. From 2016/17 to 2021/22, the Celtics only finished outside of the Eastern Conference’s top four on one occasion (landing seventh in the shortened 2020/21 season).
Last year, they went all of the way to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2009/10, but lost in six games to the Golden State Warriors. The early showing of Boston – going 13-3 with a league-obliterating .813 win percentage – has them down as top contenders for the title already.
While a lot of the focus has, deservedly, been on Jayson Tatum’s MVP-calibre play, the sheer quality of the team’s depth looks set to carry the Celtics to glory. Even when they didn’t have Malcolm Brogdon and Marcus Smart against the Atlanta Hawks, Boston walked away as the 126-101 winners.
The Atlanta game in mid-November is the prime example of the strength in depth that Boston boasts. On the night, Jaylen Brown – who’s been having a career year – and Tatum had themselves a few struggles, but the Celtics managed to power to a convincing win regardless.
Boston are now the favourites to take the NBA Championship at +400, with the Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Phoenix Suns presently looking like their main competitors. Having come so close last year, and seeing the eagerness of this roster, it’ll be tough to bet against the Celtics if they remain atop the conference.
Both the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics have managed to give themselves a good chance to go all the way in 2023. As it stands, it’s not unbelievable to think that Boston could have two major league trophies by the summer.
