Why the Penguins are the ultimate threat to the Bruins

With the Penguins 2-1 victory over the Bruins on Sunday, the team is 7-1 in its last eight meetings against the B’s and 10-3 in their last 13.

Pittsburgh is a huge threat to Boston and here’s why:

• The Pens now have sole possession of the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 44 points and extended their winning streak to nine games.
• Pittsburgh’s team depth: Joe Vitale, Pittsburgh’s fourth-line center, scored the game-winning goal. His goal is only one example of how, even with Evgeni Malkin out with an injury, the Penguins’ depth is superior to the Bruins’. Pittsburgh also lost its top puck-moving defenseman and a Norris Trophy candidate, Kris Letang, to injury before the second period and didn’t miss a beat.
• B’s lack of team depth: The Bruins, on the other hand, have Patrice Bergeron’s line mostly firing on all cylinders, David Krejci’s line showing up about 50 percent of the time, and then two lines that amount to average fourth lines right now. Also take into account Krejci’s injury.
• Although the Bruins outshot Pittsburgh, 32-18, and Tomas Vokoun did well to stop all but one of those Boston offerings, the total shots from threatening areas definitely favored the Penguins. The Bruins weren’t able to establish a forecheck and weren’t able to create much traffic.

If the Bruins’ two losses to Pittsburgh taught us one lesson, it’s that the Bruins still have to close the depth gap if they’re going to beat the Penguins in the postseason.

The Bruins will get one more chance when they finally host the Penguins at home on April 19. After that Eastern Conference clash, there will only be four games left on the schedule for the rest of Boston’s regular season.