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Bruins and Red Wings give hockey fans plenty to cheer about in first round matchup

Bruins and Red Wings give hockey fans plenty to cheer about in first round matchup

In many ways it is a shame that the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings will have to face each other in the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, because no matter what team wins, there will be a major feel good story that will come to an end at the earliest possible stage of this postseason.

Looming large is Jarome Iginla's quest to win the Stanley Cup for the first time in his 17 season career. The affable 36-year-old came close in 2004, captaining the upstart Calgary Flames to the final before losing by a goal in game seven to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Last season, he seemed to be destined to raise the Cup when he was acquired by the powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins from the Calgary Flames in a bizarre trade deadline deal. However, after getting into a groove over the course of the tail end of the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs - the dream was vanquished in a four game sweep in the Eastern Conference Final at the hands of the Bruins - the team he was initially thought to be heading to.

There were indications that Iginla was not entirely comfortable with his role on the Penguins.

"Iginla adopted a fit-in approach while ceding to coach Dan Bylsma and captain Sidney Crosby.

Iginla, playing at the unnatural left-wing position on the second line, joined the Penguins to win that elusive Cup.

He never even played for it before leaving as a free agent without an offer to return." (Pittsburgh Tribune Review - Oct. 29, 2013)

Iginla, who signed with the Bruins as a free agent in the off-season, says he feels at home in Boston but looks back on his time in Pittsburgh with a positive light.

"I do feel good this year, it is nice when everything is a bit more settled," said Iginla to Eh Game while in Toronto after facing the Maple Leafs earlier this month. "Last year was fun, I was very excited to be part of the playoffs but it was more of a whirlwind. Things went pretty well until the conference finals, that's what most people remember but up until then it was fine."

For the first time since 2008-2009, Iginla is entering the postseason playing with the same team for the entire season and he has thrived playing in his natural postion of right wing on the top line with David Krejci at centre and Milan Lucic on left wing. He was hot down the stretch which earned him the distinction of NHL player of the Month for March where he recorded six multi-point games and netted 13 goals including his 30th of the season. It was the 12th time in his career that Iginla had reached the 30 goal plateau.

While Iginla downplays the comparison of his situation heading into the playoffs this season versus last, Bruins head coach Claude Julien feels the familiarity Iginla has developed over the course of the season will have a major impact moving forward.

"Big time," Julien said. "Probably the first month to month and a half he had to adjust to a different system. His work ethic and commitment were there right from the get go but as he got more comfortable with his line and his linemates and the team concept he just got better so that makes a big difference."

Meanwhile the Red Wings have been a testament to resiliency this season under head coach Mike Babcock after going without key players for prolonged stretches as part of a whopping 417 man games lost to injury - the highest total in franchise history since teams began keeping track in 1985-86.

While the number is staggering in itself, it is the calibre of players that either still remain out of the lineup or have missed significant time over the course of the season that makes the fact they will make their 23rd consecutive postseason appearance all that more impressive.

The Red Wings have been behind the 8-ball without the likes of Henrik Zetterberg (back) who remains out since the Olympics, Pavel Datsyuk (knee) who missed 37 games and Johan Franzen (concussion) who missed 27 games and that just scratches the surface.

However, the Red Wings got it done under the leadership of Babcock who makes a strong case for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year after utilizing 37 different players this season, the highest total since in franchise history since 1990-91.

"Obviously injuries are a part of hockey, we have been devastated this year," Babcock said. "But we have found all these kids and we are better for it going ahead so that's a positive thing, we have had a lot of fun doing it. We have been in the grinder since day one, no question about it."

Two of "the kids" that Babcock is referring are forwards Gustav Nyquist, 24, and Tomas Tatar, 23, who highlight the Red Wings patient approach to drafting and developing talent. Nyquist led Detroit's youth troop with 28 goals and 20 assists in 57 games played after being promoted from their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

If perseverance isn't enough to sell people on Detroit then perhaps sentiment will. The Red Wings answer to Iginla in this department is Daniel Alfredsson.

Just like Iginla in Calgary, Alfredsson spent the majority of his career as the face of one franchise with the Ottawa Senators but was unable to win a cup, having a lone appearance in the 2007 Cup final.

"I played a long time in this League, played a lot of playoff games, but haven't won the Stanley Cup. That's what you dream about. That's the only reason I'm still playing, I guess." (NHL.COM, Apr. 13, 2014)

It can be said that playoffs in any sport are about amplification, the heightening of intensity and emotion. The Bruins and Red Wings first postseason meeting since 1957 is a compounded version of this notion - with much to root for on both sides.

Follow Neil Acharya on Twitter: @Neil_Acharya