It takes just about every individual in an NHL locker room pulling on the same rope to earn the right to hoist the Stanley Cup, and the 2010-11 Bruins were no exception to the rule.
For as much as that 25-game, heart-pounding championship run was headlined by the heroics of Tim Thomas (.940 save percentage), Brad Marchand (11 playoff goals), David Krejci (23 postseason points) and Patrice Bergeron (two goals in Game 7 vs. Vancouver), the B's first title in 39 years was achieved off of a collective effort from a battle-hardened, veteran squad.
The highlights from that memorable spring in Boston are nearly impossible to compile into a succinct summary:
- Nathan Horton's Game 7 strike against the Habs.
- Andrew Ference giving Montreal the bird.
- A pulse-pounding, penalty-free Game 7 against Tampa Bay
- Marchand using Daniel Sedin's face as a speed bag.
- Michael Ryder's glove save.
- Thomas withstanding just about every salvo that the Canucks launched at him.
Dennis Seidenberg
Zdeno Chara
Chris Wagner
I just remember him and Zee were a pair. They were playing against top lines every night, just being a real physical presence out there. To do that for two months on that run and stay healthy, somewhat, it’s just a testament to him.”
Matt Grzelcyk
“I just remember how much of a warrior he was," Grzelcyk said. "Just getting to see him around the city and how he played so many big minutes for the team. Time on the kill and I think even a little bit on the power play as well. Just somebody who did it all and a lot of the guys in here still talk about him today.”
Claude Julien's
"Probably one of the more jacked guys I’ve ever seen," Wagner said. "Just so strong. He was a horse — kinda looked like how played. Just a heavy, heavy game. ... A heart and soul guy — just a really, really good guy."
"The guys in here know what he meant to the team," Grzelcyk said. "He did a lot of that behind-the-scenes work, took care of his body really well and really showed that work ethic for some of the other guys that were really young at the time. Now you look at them now and they’re hard workers today. I’m sure he had a lot to do with that.”