It seems like everyone around Boston had the same two thoughts when Gary Bettman announced a return-to-play plan that stated the top four teams in each division would play a round robin to determine their seeding:
1. The Bruins are getting screwed here ...
2. ... but whatever. Just give me sports.
Hard agree on the second one. I watched Phil Mickelson babysit Tom Brady's incompetent ass on the golf course all day Sunday. I'll take anything.
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I can't really get too worked up about No. 1, though. Yes, the Bruins had a lead of six points for the Presidents' Trophy with 12 games to play, so while this is of course a disadvantage, I can't feel that badly for them.
For starters, they can still get the No. 1 seed by finishing with at least a tie for the best record during the round robin against Tompa Bay, Washington and Philly.
Boston Bruins
Here's the other reason: The Bruins are not allowed to complain about playoff logistics ever again after last year.
Do we not remember all that was handed to them last postseason? They avoided the best team in the second round thanks to the Blue Jackets giving the Lightning one drop of adversity. Then they got to face a team that didn't know its own goaltending situation in the Eastern Conference Final before getting the freaking Blues in the Cup Final.
That they lost was of course an upset/choke/whatever you want to call it, but that they got there? That seemed like a mere formality with the breaks they got.
So while I'm pulling for the Bruins to atone for last postseason, we shouldn't exactly be shedding tears. The road was never going to be as easy as they just had it. It was going to be harder this time no matter what. No matter how they fare in the round robin, they're going to face stiffer competition than they did a year ago, because even with this wacky layoff, no one can possibly expect top teams to fall off immediately the way they did last postseason.
Remember, three of the four first-round matchups in the West last year were upsets, meaning the No. 1, 3 and 4 point-getters in the West were also bounced in the first round. By the time the Bruins got past the Leafs in the first round, they had home ice and lesser opponents the rest of the way.
But back to this year and the now. The Bruins are 3-3-4 combined this season against Tompa, Washington and Philly, netting out to an even 10 points in 10 games. That's the worst record any of these four teams has against the other three. The Lightning are 4-2-2 (1.25 points a game), the Flyers are 5-3-1 (1.22 points a game) and the Capitals are 6-4-0 (1.2 points a game).
So the round robin for seeding will be an extra test that I don't think anyone wanted for the Bruins, but one we'll tolerate because we want hockey back.
And really, it's probably not like anyone thinks they're going to get the No. 4 seed and lose in the following round. It's really just an additional variable that's feared because the Stanley Cup Playoffs are already the ultimate anything-can-happen tournament.
But I'll take it. Hockey's trying to come back. We'll all take that.