Penguins-Bruins Eastern Conference final comes down to stars, styles

March 17, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) skates with the puck ahead of Boston Bruins left wing Milan Lucic (17) during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Hockey can be an extremely difficult sport to project, with its wild back-and-forth action and games often decided by how a tiny piece of frozen rubber bounces off a stick, post or body part.

That variability becomes even more unpredictable when two good teams collide with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final at stake, as is the case in the upcoming Eastern Conference final pitting the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Boston Bruins. In a matchup like this, it’s natural to dig into the tiny details to try to uncover previously hidden factors that might tilt the outcome.

The Xs and Os are certainly worth exploring in this – or any – playoff series, and astute analysts like Mike Colligan do that quite well. However, my tendency is to zoom out and take a wide view of the situation, since perspective can often reveal overarching themes better than taking a microscopic approach.

For me, Penguins-Bruins comes down to two decisive aspects: stars and styles.

From the “stars” angle, Pittsburgh has plenty. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the two most dynamic centers in hockey, and both seem to be playing better as the postseason continues. For Crosby, it’s been a matter of getting back into game condition after missing a month due to a broken jaw.

Four weeks after returning for Game 2 of the first round against the New York Islanders, Crosby has removed the lower-jaw protector, which will further open up his vision and awareness. Even while employing the unwieldy shield, No. 87 is tied for the playoff lead in goals (seven) and has accumulated the fourth-most points (15) through 10 games.

March 12, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) clears the puck from in front of the Boston net before Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz (14) can find the rebound during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

For Malkin, his progression during May has been about refining his mental approach and taking better care of the puck. After some egregious turnovers and questionable decisions in Round 1, No. 71 largely played a smarter game in the Penguins’ five-game ouster of the Ottawa Senators. He’s been an expert set-up man for linemate James Neal and others, racking up 12 assists among his 16 points, second-most in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Boston center David Krejci is the only active player ahead of Malkin in the postseason scoring race, joining Nathan Horton, Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand as Bruins forwards who can alter a game with a spectacular play or two. Still, the B’s don’t have anyone who can match the explosiveness of Crosby and Malkin, with James Neal, Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis and Kris Letang ready to step into the void if the opposition focuses on stopping the Penguins’ top two centermen.

Comparing the teams’ defense and goaltending is also intriguing, but I see style of play as being more relevant to the ultimate result. The Islanders’ speed and chaos-inducing approach lured the Penguins into a helter-skelter game in the first round, turning what appeared to be a mismatch into a six-game struggle decided by a two Pittsburgh overtime wins.

By contrast, the Senators thought they would limit the Penguins’ chances with a more controlled style, but Pittsburgh thrived in a more predictable environment, coming within a last-minute Game 3 lapse of sweeping the series.

While the Bruins have more offensive ability than the Senators, they also attempt to “manage” the game with a deliberate mentality. The Penguins should be able to push the pace beyond what Boston is comfortable with, opening up the ice like they did in Games 4 and 5 against Ottawa, when they scored 13 goals against one of the NHL’s top defensive clubs.

Boston is better and more experienced than Ottawa, so I think the Bruins grab at least one game. Still, Pittsburgh’s combination of talent and pace of play will dictate the series. Penguins win in five games.

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For more on this series, listen to this week’s Gospel of Hockey podcast, featuring myself and City of Champions contributor Larry Snyder. We talked with Wheeling Nailers play-by-play man D.J. Abisalih, a native New Englander and lifelong Bruins fan.

After we break down the East final, Larry and I also update you on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ AHL playoff run and how Pittsburgh natives Matt Bartkowski and Brandon Saad are faring in the Stanley Cup playoffs:

Listen to internet radio with Matt Gajtka on BlogTalkRadio