I adopted the Boston Bruins as my favorite playoff hockey team last year and what I came to see was inspiring. Fighting back from a 2-0 hole against the Montreal Canadiens in the first round to win, defeating the archrival Flyers in the second round in seven, defeating the upstart Tampa Bay Lightning in seven, and finally defeating the vile Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Finals, was unreal. Players came up huge and the fans of Boston got exactly what they were looking for. The festivities before the opening faceoff exceeded these emotions and then some.
To start off the ceremony there was a montage of the amazing run that the Bruins made through the playoffs. The fans oohed and aahed their way through the video and were especially amazed by the amazing feats of Brad Marchand and Tim Thomas. Next came the first time that the Stanley Cup was raised on home ice since they became the victors of the Cup. Next were the speeches of the owners, general manager, broadcaster, captain Zdeno Chara, and finally, the most emotional of all, the speech on the special jacket purchased by Andrew Ference. Ference purchased the Bruins jacket for $20 and would give the jacket to the star of the game throughout the year last year. Well, this was the final presentation of this, now priceless, jacket. Ference proceeded to the microphone and gave the jacket to veteran Mark Recchi. Recchi was 43 years old last year and played impeccably throughout the playoffs. He as well as Nathan Horton were the motivation for the Bruins players to win the Cup. They came through in the end. Recchi retired after last season but was still on the ice in full uniform for the ceremony. The 39 year wait was over. The Cup had returned to Boston.
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