This column originally ran in The Standard-Times on Dec. 9, 2006.
Bruins starting to prove changes are for real
By Nick Tavares
Bruins center Wayne Primeau drops Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Darcy Tucker during the first period. Primeau scored one of Boston's three third-period goals in the Bruins victory. Charles Krupa/The Associated Press.
The turnaround became official last week.
In a shootout against the offensively-stacked Tampa Bay Lightning, goaltender Tim Thomas stood his ground and turned away seven shooters.
Thursday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs, sitting with a one-goal lead, felt the fury of a three-goal outburst in the third period.
Both stood as testaments to a new era for the Boston Bruins.
The Bruins, winners of 10 of their last 13 games, are squarely back in the thick of the playoff race, responding to coach Dave Lewis' system and to each other as teammates. And, under the surface, a groundswell of much-needed support is starting to rumble in the long-lambasted hub of hockey.
Go back to Thursday's game. Zdeno Chara laying out of Toronto forward Alex Steen in the second period provided the spark. From there, the Leafs, who have now dropped four straight to Boston, were toast. Quick goals by Brad Stuart, Patrice Bergeron and Wayne Primeau sunk Toronto and left the TD Banknorth Garden rocking.
And, not to be overlooked, they looked great doing it, in their snazzy '70s vintage jerseys that really should just replace the current black shirt as their main uniform. But that's another story for another day.
In the meantime, here are the Bruins, hitting hard, scoring seemingly at will, and running up wins across the Eastern Conference. It's a legitimate hot streak, and the Bruins are presenting themselves as a legitimate team.
In the past few seasons, the Bruins have gone on runs that have awakened the fan base, only to tumble later, taking any good will with them. But in the past few weeks, the evidence that this team really is playing with heart and grit have piled up. Take, to begin, Paul Mara's unexpected clobbering of Toronto's Darcy Tucker after he hit Chara from behind and tripped Marc Savard. Or Thomas' unbelievable third-period save off a Martin St. Louis shot against Tampa in the shootout win, where Thomas dove across his body and scooped the puck out of the crease centimeters before it crossed the line.
Lately, even the lower-tier players have woken up. Shean Donovan is noticably contributing for the first time since donning the spoked B. Primeau is starting to regain the form he displayed in spurts last season, while Phil Kessel looks comfortable anchoring the B's fourth line.
On defense, Brad Stuart earned first star honors in the NHL recently, while Andrew Alberts' development has markedly sped-up playing alongside Chara.
Each unit, each piece of the Bruins' puzzle right now, is fitting into the larger picture. While they're not the best team in the East and likely not yet Stanley Cup contenders, there's finally reason to be excited. They're getting better with each week, they're hanging in games, and they're winning most of them. They have a swagger they haven't possessed since Adam Oates and Cam Neely anchored their top line.
Of course, that team never won the Cup. But they did make noise in the playoffs, something that hasn't happened in Boston since Ray Bourque and company sent the Hurricanes packing in 1999.
This team has a fresh start, a new lease on life. They have a monster on the blue line, lots of talent up front, and a goalie who's playing light years over his head. It's not perfect, but it could spell disaster for some poor, unsuspecting high-seed in the playoffs.
And, at this stage, everyone would welcome that with open arms.
Nick Tavares is a columnist for The Standard-Times. Contact him at ntavares@s-t.com
Date of Publication December 09, 2006 on Page B01