Sharks vs. Bruins reaction

Okay so what makes both the Sharks and Bruins such good hockey clubs? I watched last night's game to see for myself, and here's what I observed.

-Everything the Sharks do, it's coming out of their defenseman. Dan Boyle, Rob Blake, Marc- Edouard Vlasic, and Christian Ehrhoff are all really, really good. I don't think I've ever seen a team break out of it's own zone as quickly as the Sharks do, and that's all coming off excellent passes off the defenseman's stick.

And they're active too. I saw Dan Boyle act as the first forechecker into the offensive zone, which is just so rare among defenseman. Coach Todd McLellan really trusts his defenseman because their pinching and all around aggresive play in the offensive zone rarely causes the Sharks to give up any odd man rushes.

-It's been well publicized how Coach McLellan came over from Detroit to San Jose. With him, he brought so the same puck possesion system the Red Wings have been using for going on about twenty years now. Well, the Sharks aren't there yet. Not that twenty years in one system versus half a season should garner equal results, though. The Sharks have alot of skill and are very well equipped to play that style, but I'm sure Todd McLellan also knows this team's bread and butter. The Sharks are big and rough and let you know it. A line with Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Ryan Clowe winning puck battles in the corner could absolutely punish opposing defensman come playoff time.

-With Boston first in the east and Montreal fifth, a Boston-Montreal playoff rematch in the second round could very well happen. These teams are so darn similar. Both teams love to trap in the neutral zone and gain speed the other way off of it. Forward and Defenseman depth are also as good as it gets in the league for both teams.

-Okay, Bruins fans. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Either David Krecji's the next Cam Neely or Milan Lucic is. They can't both be. Personally, I say Lucic is. Krecji's game is too European, too much puck possesion. Neely was about winning puck battles in the corner and being impossible to move in front of the net, along with possessing that great shot. The Neely comparisons are more appropriate for Lucic.

-You don't think Bruins Coach Claude Julien hasn't learned some tricks after stops in Montreal and New Jersey. This team is really well coached with about a million set plays that are more affective than you think. He gauges what his players can do as well as any coach in the league. He's done a particulurly good job in grooming Phil Kessel.