They then gave them an unforgettable parade in front of an adoring city. The Bruins spent part of their summer celebrating in and around the city (some more than others), becoming one with all the fans that had waited so long for the Cup to come back to the Hub.
And now, the Bruins are playing arguably their best hockey of 2011, sprinting to the finish line and steamrolling anyone who dares get in their way.
Here's the thing: The good times may not stop any time soon.
Black and Gold fever has once again gripped New England, like it hasn't since the days of Orr. Bruins fans can once again call Boston a hockey town. It's not like it never wasn't a hockey town, however, but you could argue that the Bruins are the city's top ticket right now. That may rub the diehards who have been there all along the wrong way, but it's tough to argue it at this point.
Can you blame those who are jumping on the bandwagon for the first time, either? What is there not to like about this Bruins team?
Taking away the fact that they're a tremendous hockey team, all someone has to do is watch a game or two to realize that their style of play of is infectious.
The B's play a hard-nosed, physical brand of hockey, a style of play that is endeared in a city like Boston. They play the game that Bostonians and New Englanders feel the game should be played. It's a rough style, a style that toes the line, but rarely crosses that line, regardless of what someone in Montreal may tell you.
Perhaps most endearingly, the Bruins are a tight-knit group who play for each other. Over the last year and a half -– since the Matt Cooke incident perhaps -– Bruins players has shown no hesitation to stick up for one another. There are examples of that everywhere you look.
About a month ago, Florida's Krys Barch delivered a hit on Daniel Paille that was something of a high hit. It wasn't necessarily a dirty hit, but Paille's linemates saw the forward on the ice and realized something must be done. Gregory Campbell went right after Barch, dropping the gloves to get some retribution. Campbell wouldn't be able to do that, though. Shawn Thornton literally beat him to the punch¸squaring off with Barch in defense of Paille.
"I just saw Piesy laying there and obviously the type of team we are, I err on the side of sticking up for him," Thornton said later that night. "If it was a clean hit then it was a clean hit, but if it wasn't then I'm glad we got in there. Guys like me and Soupy are definitely going to step in there if one of our teammates is laying there.
"That's the type of players we are," Thornton added. "We're not going to let liberties be taken, that's for sure."
The Bruins' style of play is a throwback to teams of yesteryear, teams that were not only wildly popular for the way they played, but they were popular because they won a lot more hockey games than they lost.
As likable as the Bruins are on the ice, it's tough not to notice their impact away from TD Garden. The B's have assumed an active presence in the community. Whether it's dressing as the world's largest pink bunny, saving a child from the perceived evils of Santa Claus or just taking the time to chat with young fans, the Bruins seem to do it all. Perhaps just as impressive, they tend to do so with a smile on their faces. Those smiles always at least seem to be genuine, too.
Far too often these days, sports fans are left rooting essentially for a jersey. Because a team wears a certain jersey, fans will root for them no matter what. It sure seems like B's fans can root for their team because they genuinely want to see them succeed as people. You can't take for granted how rare that has become in the world of professional sports.
There's plenty to like about the Bruins right now, both on and off the ice. And if that's not enough for B's fans to be excited about, all they need to do is look down the road a little bit. Peter Chiarelli has done a terrific job of assembling a championship roster while keeping an eye on the future. The Bruins have many of their key players under their control for the next few years, and Chiarelli has shown a willingness to continue to make those commitments to the future.
Boston has also assembled a promising corps of prospects that could be factors in Boston for a long time. They have a pretty impressive depth of young forwards, as guys like Zach Hamill and Jordan Caron have already chipped in when needed this year. Top-10 draft pick Dougie Hamilton is, by all accounts, the defenseman of the future, likely to be a stalwart in a defensive-minded system.
However, looking too far into the future –- as bright as it may be –- will only serve to distract Bruins fans from what they have in front of them right now. It doesn't get much better than this for Bruins fans, and judging by the way the city and region has reacted, fans of the Black and Gold are reveling in that.
Boston is the Bruins' city right now. And for how long that remains true is ultimately up to them. It has become increasingly clear, however, that it's probably going to remain that way for the foreseeable future.
