Bruins' Team Effort Trumps Canuck's Star Power in 4-0 Victory

Last night, the underdog Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in a sweeping 4-0 victory at Rogers Arena. The winning Game 7 secured the Bruin's first Stanley Cup Championship in 39 years, bringing the glory home to an elated Boston. The team started the season and entered the playoffs with low expectations: there weren't too many big-name superstars or Olympic athletes on the team; their previous records weren't promising; Game 7 was played in an extremely hostile Canucks environment. But the relentless Bruins charged into the playoffs with unwavering focus and flawless teamwork, unnerving the Canuck's star Robert Luongo and upsetting the heavily-favored Canuks to bring home the Cup.

This playoff series illustrated the importance of stressing teamwork in a championship series. Relying too much on a single star player either leaves gaping holes in other areas of the team's efforts, or places so much stress on that individual that they can't handle the pressure and carry their team to a championship. Instead, maintaining a sense of team unity challenges and strengthens each and every team member, encouraging continued focus and effort, an ideology exemplified by the Bruins. As Coach Claude Julien said, "We never, never quit, and that's what I'm proud of. They're so deserving of what has happened here. It's not a fluke. It's something they earned."

We can see the same trend in other sports: as unstoppable as Brian Urlacher may be, without a decent offense, the Bears will never win a Super Bowl; LeBron might be "King James", but ultimately, he and Wade couldn't trump the Mavericks. So congratulations to the Bruins for playing as a team, overcoming the odds, and winning the Stanley Cup!