Thursday night brought a classic rivalry back to the Garden as the Bruins and Habs faced off in their 716th meeting of all time.  While the game itself played out in it's typical Bruins-Habs fashion, the spotlight of the evening was stolen by the Habs Mike Cammalleri.  Part way into the game the Habs winger was pulled from the game, told to go back to the hotel room and await further instructions, leading to a media and fan frenzy.  At this time it has been confirmed that the Habs winger has been moved to the Calgary Flames in a deal that will bring back Rene Bourque.  The deal is expected to be Cammalleri, Karri Ramo and a 5th rounder for Rene Bourque, Patrick Holland and a 2nd round pick in 2013.  For a team that is trying to find a way to win and support an interim head coach they believe in, this could be a great move or leave them further from finding the answers they seek.

The game itself was a defensive battle.  As always, the Montreal Canadiens came into Boston looking to do whatever it took to unseat their long time rival.  Scoring in this one was found early on as a bad bounce lead to Carey Price being out of position and freshly recalled Jordan Caron finding the back of an empty net.  While the Bruins would control the flow of the first and most of the game, they were sloppy in the first and gave the Habs a number of chances to come in with numbers on Tim Thomas.  Luckily the B's were able to keep plays to the outside, limit the number of rebounds and keep Montreal off the scoreboard even though they got off 16 shots.

Coming out in the second and third though the Bruins became a much crisper and physical team.  "We wanted to play a much tighter game, we wanted to win our battles, make cleaner passes and not be sloppy" said captain Zdeno Chara.  From the second on they did so as Milan Lucic, Adam McQuaid and Johnny Boychuk lead a campaign of big hits on the Canadiens.  The Bruins added to frustration of Montreal by locking down the neutral zone and forcing any plays in their end wide resulting in only 6 shots by the Habs in the 2nd.  

Frustration for Montreal carried into the 3rd as they picked up the pressure early on attempting to win the forechecking battle and swarming in their own end.  The play of Lucic-Krejci-Horton foiled this though as quick puck movement lead to Lucic being dominant in a 1 on 1 in a battle down low where he'd get a backhand shot off, beating Price.

Having been the brunt of some of the physical play brought on earlier in the game, defenseman PK Subban attempted to instill his own will on center David Krejci.  Subban targeted the Bruins forward twice with the second hit being a high elbow to Krejci as he attempted to gain the blue line.  The result was the unleashing of the pack mentality filling the Bruins news as of late.  Andrew Ference jumped in to let Subban know the play was unacceptable which lead to a familiar scene with Subban covering up on the ice.  With the refs calling a rather accurate game tonight, Subban was sent to the box for elbowing and Ference was given a double minor for roughing.  On the ensuing Habs power play, Yannick Weber would give Montreal it's only goal of the night beating a screened Tim Thomas short side.

Thoughts of the night:

Both teams played well and made this a game of blocked shots and strong defense.  It also show cased the different styles that both teams apply on the ice; Montreal's defensive, minimal puck control, ability to take small errors and turn them into big opportunities and Boston's puck possession, physically dominating, work the puck and find the opening or bang it home play.  With both teams playing with amazing goaltending behind them and being dedicated to play in their own end, this one ended up being rather conservative and closer than most of the games Boston has engaged in as of late.

With the All Star Game nominations freshly distributed, the play of Tyler Seguin has visibly been given a lift.  The 19 year old winger continued his rapid sophomore year development tonight by working his speed and skills to push the Montreal defense to the limit.  An early outside-inside move by Seguin said it all- he's finally feeling the confidence in himself to take on NHL defenders and make them play him with the puck, rather than putting it in just dumping or putting it in on net.  With the speed he's been developing at this year, this might just be the first of many All Star Games Seguin sees.

David Krejci's assist on Lucic's goal tonight gave him a 10 game point streak, the longest point streak in the NHL this season.  Krejci's work on the ice is noticeable as his line has shown to be dominant in the past 10 games, controlling the puck, getting to the net and scoring goals.  This line will need to keep up this effort over the next 2 weeks as the Bruins see one of their toughest stretches of the season.

Another win in the books for the home team last night.  After having the atrocious start they did, the B's are winners of 4 straight and the compete and drive many were waiting for is showing up once again.  Leading the way are the top two lines who appear adjusted and back in the healthy competition to see who's the #1 line.  While the bottom two lines are getting better, questions still exist about how to ensure the depth needed for this team to be a factor again in the playoffs.  Along with that, many wonder if the blue line needs help moving forward.  There's a chance this team waits for that help to come from their pipeline but as the season plays out, it is something to watch for.

Taylor vs Tyler

So we finally have the home game that Bruins fans have been looking for since last spring- pick 1 vs pick 2.  The hype of this game appeared in the home fan's new hero early as Seguin was seen anxiously jumping the play and working a bit faster than the speedy yet smooth forward has done to date.  As things moved along though he was able to get settled and closer to his normal game and results as he notched a goal and assist to make it 17 points on the year.

To his counterpart, the effects of this game seemed less significant.  Hall came into this one trailing in points and would leave in the same boat, but the ability he brought to the ice was exactly the reason many Bruins fans coveted him as strongly as they did.  Size, speed, hands and creativity all packaged into one of the rising stars of the game and showcased early when he came down on Rask and created space for Nugent Hopkins to walk in and net one.  Late in the game his compete showed as well as he appeared to want to carry his trailing team on his back and worked to drive by the Bruins defense and get shots on goal.  Overall a strong showing by both with the young guns on Boston bringing in the points and the victory.

RNH & Smyth: Leading Edmonton from Gutter to Division Lead
With the emergence of the youths, Ryan Smyth and company seem to have the right mix to put up W's this season.  The veteran forward has lead this team up front along with Captain Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky after the two suffered the down times in Edmonton.  Coming into this match up in Boston Smyth rode a 5 game point streak and by putting up 2 goals he made it 6 with 7 goals in the 6 games.

Helping Smyth bring these Oilers back to the tops of the west is none other than #1 overall pick and leading Calder candidate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.  RNH entered the game a point a game player and left it as one still.  His immediate chemistry with Hall and Eberle has been beneficial as for such a young line, they've accomplished much to date.  Creative rotations, puck control and creating space; all things this line does well already.  Defensive play, making the simple play and the '6th sense' that comes from playing with guys long enough; all things that still need to be developed with the three.  While it will come, it's likely to lead to some bumps in the road this season.

At the rate they're playing even with those bumps this Oilers team will be playoff bound.  The lack of experience and rounding out of skills will likely leaving them chalking this up to a growing season.  With the young talent that makes up both of these organizations, don't be surprised if the coming years find the two teams meeting each other for more than 1 yearly visit.

Zach Hamill: Ready for the Big Leagues?
The injuries to Paille and Peverley have left a gap in the Bruin's line up currently requiring an emergency call up in the form of Zach Hamill.  Hamill has been off to his best start in Providence this season after impressing many in the B's preseason camp.  Previously the work ethic and energy expected for a competing prospect was missing from his game.  So while he may have ended up on the score sheets in previous NHL contests, his overall body of work never lead to him sticking.

This season has shown a change though and the change was noticeable in this match up.  Hamill is moving, is playing in all 3 zones and is competing.  The effort paid off tonight as he connected with fellow prospect Jordan Caron for the Bruin's 2nd goal of the game.  Additionally, his compete helped the Bruins draw 2 penalties which have actually been useful for the team this season.  Compared to other prospect call ups seen in previous seasons, Hamill looked well adjusted, ready for the experience and not out of place.  

At this point the question is how long until Peverley and Paille return?  While Hamill played well, he still is only an emergency call up and has not performed so well that he's likely to upseat Caron or Pouliot after 1 game.  If he gets additional starts though against Buffalo and into next week, there's a chance that moves could be made there after to bring him up to stay.  His work on the wing in the AHL makes it much more likely but only time and his effort on the ice will lead us to any changes in this roster.

Questions of the Night

With Hamill's arrival in Boston the comfort of Jordan Caron appeared to increase significantly.  That said, is it time that Caron needs to fully become adjusted to this setting or is there something missing in his game (or that of his linemates)?  Do you also keep Hamill up with the team over Pouliot or someone else if it leads to chemistry with Caron (and of course results that the 3rd line have been lacking)?

Joe Corvo finished tonight as the Bruin's 2nd star and with a playmaker under his belt.  He has been shaky at times especially in his own end and in some decisions in the neutral zone this season.  Has the move to have him paired more with Seidenberg been the fix to his early season woes or is he finally just getting comfortable?  Do you feel comfortable with him being the puck mover and power play QB of this team for the potential post season?

Krejci's reemergence over the past few outings has been noticeable.  Being healthy and paired again with Lucic has seemed to work wonders.  What else is needed though for Horton to start putting numbers up in the goal column for that line?

If Tim Thomas were to (heaven forbid) go down tomorrow, would you feel comfortable with Tuukka Rask as the B's #1 goaltender?

With the power play clicking, the PK performing fairly well and wins finally coming, the Bruins seem to be on the rise.  The only thing that doesn't seem completely there is the contribution from the 3rd and 4th lines.  Can the Bruins continue to play at the pace they are with it's top 2 lines playing 17-20 minutes a night or is a change or trade needed to get the depth and prevent burn out?

Extra Credit: Which draft over the past 4 years represents the best group of NHL forwards from the 1st round at it's upper echelon?  Watching this season, the past 2 seem to be making great cases with Seguin/Hall/Skinner along with RNH/Landeskog/Couturier.

The Bruins got back on the right foot last night by knocking off the division rival Ottawa Senators.  While the game didnt take the initial turn they hoped for, the B's were persistent tonight and left with the 5 - 3 victory after Patrice Bergeron and Chris Kelly tied and took the lead for them respectively.  The third period found the Bruins pushing away with Johnny Boychuk scoring the game winner and then Daniel Paille netting the insurance goal just get a minute apart. 

The game from the Ottawa side was a rather Hockey East showcase with UNH alum Bobby Butler notching an assist on the first goal of the night and Merrimack alum Matt Da Costa netting the second goal of the game. The third period would also give former first round pick Jared Cowen his first goal of the season as his point shot had eyes for the back of the net and snuck by a screened Tim Thomas. Cowen showed an overall strong game for the Sens and is most likely the future core of this young club.  

Last night's win appeared to be the product of continual pressure and mounting chances. While Craig Anderson played well, the 40 shots by the Bruins along with their grinding play and net front presence eventually created the cracks needed to win. Ottawa ended the night worn out and the earl lead they acquired they were never able to recapture. In the future though don't expect Boston or other teams to be as lucky. As this Ottawa team develops and matures they will get better in late game scenarios and have the stamina to leave with the win. 

Even with the win tonight the Bruins still have a number of questions to answer.  The effort to win last night came with a roller coaster of emotions driven by fights from Shawn Thornton and Greg Campbell.  40 shots were needed to get enough points on the board to overcome an Ottawa team that seemed to fall into chances at times.  Are the Bruins out of the woods? Not exactly.  There's a chance but there's still a lot of work to be done.  With that, here are our 5 questions for this Wednesday morning: 

1. David Krejci played a faster game last night and seemed more comfortable on his skates as well as while playing a north-south game once more.  Even so, is he capable of being a #1 center on this team?  Can he remain healthy enough and consistent enough to make his line a threat night in, night out? 

2. One of our biggest concerns with the team at this point is the lack of internal competition that has been extracted due to the team deciding not to carrying prospects through the first 9 games and by guaranteeing roster spots to certain guys early on.  Are the changes that Julien has made so that Lucic-Krejci-Horton are back together and fighting to be the top line with Marchand-Bergeron-Lucic and the third line of Caron-Kelly-Peverley fighting for ice time enough to make guys hungry and motivated? 

3.  If a trade is deemed necessary to make this team successful, is there someone more likely on the block than David Krejci? Would trading Paille, picks or making a free agent signing be enough of a shake up to make this team move forward? 

4.  At what point do the defensive holes in Corvo's game lead to heat being placed on the off season blue line addition?  For even money would you still prefer Kaberle here or Corvo?

5. While many thought that Chris Kelly's skill set would be redundant in this roster with similar players offering the same capabilities for a lower hit, his play to this point has been one of the few high points of this Bruin's season.  With Peverley already resigned and a number of kids hoping to make the jump next season, would you be willing to offer a new contract to Kelly at this point based on his performance or is it going to be time soon enough to make room and move on?

The first match up of the season with Northeast rival Montreal left the Bruins with another sour taste in their mouths and again lacking 2 points in the standings.  While they were able to out play the Habs physically for most of the contest and dictate play, they were unable to convert more chances in this one and come away with the W.  Give credit to Tim Thomas for his play tonight as he performed excellently.  Give more credit though to his counterpart from Montreal who was the difference maker in this one with 34 saves.

It's hard to say what the Bruins didn't do other than convert in this one- the physical play was there, the pressure down low, the speed up the middle and the work on the boards.  If there was one aspect to point to it would be the dismal power play efforts.  Outside of the fluke goal by Bergeron to start their 2nd power play, the B's extra man effort was disappointing.  Montreal was able to force the dump in at the blue line in most instances and then win races and battles for the puck.  A 3 man puck pressure attack with the extra hanging out on top of the crease defending warded off the Bruins hope of pushing themselves ahead in this contest.  

If this team is going to succeed then they need to show the same effort and ability on the man advantage as they were in earlier games.  More puck movement, more skating, more creativity.  They seemed too focused on maintaining a net front presence against Price which isn't a bad strategy except when it hinders your ability to keep a flow going.  If you can credit the B's with anything specifically wrong in planning for this one it may be that they overplanned for this one.


Highlights of the night:
-Brad Marchand showed that he's not going to back down to anyone and will do what it takes to lead this team.  From being a question mark on a Bruins roster ever  at the start of last season to the first line 2 way wing he's become, the progression of Marchand's game has been impressive and enjoyed by Bruins fans.

-Shawn Thornton and Benoit Pouliot both deserve recognition in this one.  When the team was at it's lowest both stepped on the ice with the aim of bringing them back and raising the energy.  Thornton's skating possessed and hitting of Subban gave life to the crowd and the team and helped turn the flow of the game after Montreal goals.  This could have been a much uglier affair without their effort on the ice.

Lowlights: 
-David Krejci was rough to watch tonight.  It seems as though he's not comfortable on the ice yet after coming back from injury.  His play at this point is hesitant, it's a bit lost and is hurting his line.  A number of shifts by his line lead to extended stays in the Bruins own end as moving the puck forward appeared to be impossible.  What he needs in order to get back to his puck possession, offensive, matrix like self is uncertain.  It is certain though that this team is hurting without him being a factor on every shift.

Friday 5 Questions:
-What does Julien need to do in order to make sure this team plays a complete game and gets the most out of all his players?

-How important is the Bergeron line really to this team? How else can the team build around that unit to succeed?

-Would anyone dare to split up Lucic and Seguin at this point in order to make Seguin a center again?

-How will this Bruins team respond Saturday night as the home and home heads to Montreal?

-Finally, would you be willing to make a call up from Providence to shake things up and try to make a difference or build chemistry?

Take all the questions that came pregame and throw them out the window.  The rivalry is alive and thriving and this 2nd period showed it.  

The highlight of the fiasco: PK Subban throwing down in his first fight in Boston against none other than Brad Marchand.  The fight took 3 attempts to actually happen as refs interrupted it with "holding" calls and "delay of games".  When it did happen though both proved it was worth the waiting.  Coming directly out of the box to square off both took the helmets off, loosened up and went for it.  Subbans first swing put him almost on the ice and then the two engaged.  While Subban may have gotten more shots in, his inability to handle the much smaller Marchand made the Garden explode.  

So while the energy of the second did favor the Bruins, the scoreboard did shift slightly back into tie game as a a point shot, a tip and a screen lead to the puck finding it's way behind Thomas on Erik Cole's 2nd of the year.  Even though the score ended at 1-1, the chances of the period were plentiful.  A breakaway by Cole almost gave him 2 in the period but a pad stacking Tim Thomas was there with the save of the year.  At the other end, the Bruins continued with the shoot and pressure down low with Milan Lucic setting up for what could be called #OccupyCarey.  
The 3rd will be a battle.  Both teams will pressure down low and go for the hardworking goals that are needed to beat either of these goalies.  Look for both to be willing to spread the ice when the chance apears though.  It's going to come down to who wants it more.

Old friends and a new season.  While there were enough compelling stories heading into tonight's game, the question still remained; would the drama from last year carry over into this new season?  Would PK Subban renew his hate affair with Bruins fans and closer to his heart, Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton?  Would Pouliot come out and show his old team that it was a mistake to let him go this off season?  Which goalie would lead their team and set the tone for the series, the Northeast and potentially the league? Oh and would there be any additional drama from that little thing that happened between Zdeno Chara and Max Pacioretty (our sources say that just in case something did happen, 911 doubled their call center capacities for the evening).

With that series of questions we went into the first and from it we found a few answers: No there wouldn't be immediate drama between Chara and Pacioretty.  Yes the fans in Boston would still bring their dislike for Subban to the Garden and more importantly, so would Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton.  Pouliot would come out looking to deliver against his old teams (along side past fight night dance partner David Krejci) but the question is still out on if he will deliver.  And the battle between Thomas and Price while intense and showcasing a high level of talent (especially from Price who saw the majority of the pressure in the period) did leave Thomas ahead as the 1 - 0 lead the Bruins obtained could only be put at the feat of the Montreal goaltender.

The only goal of the period came from the Bruins to start their 2nd of 3 power plays of the 1st.  On a fluke play, Patrice Bergeron lost a draw to Plekanec while breaking his stick.  He did manage to deflect it slightly though and as the draw came directly at Price, Carey was unable to sweep it away properly and the puck slide between his legs, off his skate and in the net.  Compared to the chances put on him during the period, the goal was shocking.  After fending off the Bruins down low for fourteen minutes, the one goal that snuck through was a routine play.  Coaches put this one in your back pocket as it exemplifies why you always put the puck on net.

At the other end of the ice Montreal was able to create a few opportunities.  Their ability to get onto the rush, create space and find opportunities was apparent.  If not for alert wings and defensemen down low the outcome of the period could have been much different.  While Thomas played well, the odd angle of plays left room for Montreal to potentially put one in three times.

Going into the second expect Montreal to come out and attempt to take over play.  Higher risk, higher reward plays as well as more effort in attempting to draw calls.  From Boston there will be more of the same from the first; pressure, hitting and work down low.

Stat of the period: with Bergeron's power play goal the Bruins are now 5 for 34 on the power play this season (14.7%)

After a rough few minutes to open the game the Bruins did what they needed to tonight and cleaned up.  In a game against a division rival, one that was an early season must win, the Bruins pulled together, focused their energy and played a complete game at both ends of the ice; the exact opposite of the routing handed to them on Tuesday by Carolina.

So what did we learn tonight (or at least get reminded of)?

1. Tyler Seguin is breaking out.

Oh hi Tyler, didn't see you there.  You're ready for the spotlight? Great!

While many said Stamkos was an aberration, it appears as if Seguin could follow the same sophomore path to success.  In 7 games now Seguin has racked up a team leading 8 points.  He's shown the willingness to shoot, an increased understanding of the game leading to better decisions, a dedication to solid play in his own end, and the size and effort required for one to engage in the dirty areas and make plays happen.  Tonight his play with Lucic brought back memories of when a different fast young winger lead scoring opposite Lucic.  The only difference in this case appears to be the dedication to a well rounded game and a vision opening up passes that not many others in the league could make.

If things continue in this fashion, expect to see the Lucic-Krejci-Seguin line to come soon and to become a fixture on this team.  Especially when we consider that….

2. Horton is a natural fit on the Bergeron line.

What appears to have been the test tonight worked well for the Bruins.  Nathan Horton after the first few shifts fell into sync along side Marchand and Bergeron, both of whom brought their A games like every night.  Horton's size, speed and ability to play all areas of the offensive zone make him an ideal fit here.  The line brings constant pressure, wins battles and has 3 guys who can share the puck and each have the ability score with the hard shot or the hard work down low as shown by Bergeron and Horton respectively tonight.  If this line can continue to gel it can become a highly effective trio and balance the Bruins attack (while still being strong in the other 2 zones).

3. Pouliot may be one of the best steals of this off season

While the jury is still out on this one, Benoit Pouliot continues to progress in the black and gold and is doing what he needs to do to make fans forget he ever wore those other 3 dreaded colors.  The effort is there, the intensity and the dedication to playing a game at each end is there.  He didn't end up on the score sheet tonight but he created chances and after taking a penalty, went right back out and gave 110%, drawing a tripping call and putting the Bruins on the power play where Chara made the score 2-1.  For what the Bruins had to give up (nothing) and dedicate to him (1 year, < 1mil), we might end up with one of the steals of this past off season.

4. The power play changes are creating the additional movement and space up high needed to make it a force once more

Biggest difference from last year; the power play.  While it still hasn't been extremely productive (but where have we been productive offensively outside of select instances), it has been generating chances and passes the eye test.  An increase in high to low movement added to both a down low cycle and high cycle (pending on where the puck play is) is creating space for the unit to operate.  Tonight, that space early on was found up high and lead to the Chara goal (Seguin drives the slot, forces the defense to collapse, feeds Ference who has too many options with the added space and can easily feed Chara for the 1 timer that I haven't seen stopped before).  Toronto did adapt in the second and brought an increased pressure high and on the puck but that almost lead to goals down low.  Moral of the story, if you keep the cycles going, get in front of the net all while moving the puck high to low, good things will happen.

5. This team is like a shark, once it smells blood it goes into a frenzy.

There isn't another way of describing this; when this team gets going and they get emotionally involved, they boil over and appear to be unstoppable.  Tonight was one of those instances as every additional goal, close play, big hit put them up another notch.  Tyler Seguin's shifts personally could be looked at in this manner as the assists drove better play and eventually lead to him netting one of this own before coming out looking to put a few more behind Gustavsson

What we saw Tuesday, while I believe was helpful for this team in the long run, is not the type of game that will help this team make the playoffs and succeed. The game they brought tonight, the refined and focused game driven by that energy and frenzy of emotion, that game will get this group wins and lead them far in their quest to repeat.  This group will look to keep it under control but will never get rid of that emotional attachment to their play.  As long as they continue to harness it, good things will happen.

Looking Forward

Saturday brings the San Jose Sharks to town.  This will be quite the challenge for the Bruins as the Sharks continue to be one of the forces in the west.  Tomorrow will likely show what the lines will be for this contest so keep an eye out for what happens in practice.

Even further down the line, next Thursday and Saturday have us playing a home and home series against the Montreal Canadiens and the newly returned Max Pacioretty.  While I have a hard time believing he'll go after Chara to drop them, these are likely to be highly emotional affairs.  To be successful, the Bruins will need to bring that frenzy play while staying away from the distractions that land them in the box and disrupt their flow.  The more 5 on 5 play they have, the better the chance they have at achieving a rhythm in the game.  Bring that type of rhythm against Montreal and unless Carey Price can call upon the spirits of Roy and Dryden, the Bruins could look to deal loses to 2 division rivals in a week.  With that, they'd be right back on track and driving into November

While the 2nd period wasn't bad for the Bruins, it certainly wasn't the first.  As the old adage goes though, no harm no foul.
Harm was close though as the 2nd began to resemble Tuesday night's affair with referees becoming heavily involved.  A 4 on 3 for the Leafs gave them a few chances but a mixture of Tim Thomas and the post kept the score at 3 to 1.  

At the other end of the ice the Bruins were able to create a few chances of their own but not as many as the first.  Brad Marchand short handed was able to pull off a play from NHL 12 lifting the puck over the defenders stick and going through him to the net for a quality chance.  Tyler Seguin working in front of the net almost added a goal to his earlier power play assist.  Then a strange play by Gustavsson on a dumped in puck almost gave the Bruins an empty net with Kelly feeding it out front to Peverley.  Still, the score ended at 3 to 1.

Biggest difference from period 1 to 2 was the Bruins power play or rather, the Toronto penalty kill.  The first period found the Bruins creating space up high with a good rotation and movement high to low.  The result was time for defensemen to make plays, take shots and create chances.  The second found the Leafs adjusting, sticking on the puck more, playing high in the zone and creating more trouble for the Bruins on the power play.

In the 3rd expect both teams to continue to adjust.  Toronto will not go down easy but the Bruins know that by now.  Expect Chara and Seidenberg to get significant ice time against Toronto's top line and top threat Phill Kessel.  Also, don't be surprised if Krejci does take shifts with future line mates Tyler Seguin and Milan Lucic

Tonight's game brings changes to the home team.  Earlier today defenseman Matt Bartkowski was sent back down to Providence after filling in as the 7th defenseman and the 6th when Adam McQuaid went down.  With Steven Kampfer returning to the line up tonight and Adam McQuaid being close to returning, Bartkowski's return to Providence was not much of a surprise.  The young puck mover has had sprints of high play but for the majority of his time on ice has shown the need for additional grooming in the AHL.

The bigger change that has gained attention this week though has been in the Bruins' offensive lines as Nathan Horton has be moved to Bergeron's right wing and Chris Kelly has been put between Milan Lucic and Tyler Seguin.  This much more significant change seems to have caught many off guard.  While many expected a change to come, this was a more significant change than many expected.  In truth though, the move aligns with where many predicted the team to head this season.

Before the season began, many wondered when Tyler Seguin would have his breakout, expecting him to follow the exact same path to NHL stardom as Steven Stamkos.  While experts were hesitant to buy in to the idea this early on, the start of the season has shown that what fans expect, Tyler expects of himself.  The additional weight put on in the off season, the work with Gary Roberts and the desire to go for the cup again all have him taking off strong, playing a well rounded game and creating more chances some nights than the rest of the offense.

With Seguin looking closer to ready for NHL prime time, the question has thus been, where does he go?  Do the Bruins play the 3 strong center game displayed in seasons past?  Do they make the switch with Peverley and allow Bergeron to center the two young breakout wings (while reuniting Peverley and Kelly)? Or do they make a bigger move and attempt to recreate the style of Lucic-Savard-Kessel with the combination of Lucic-Krejci-Seguin?

This week's moves hint towards a strong possibility of the latter.  By sliding Kelly in between Lucic and Seguin the Bruins have effectively made a placeholder who can bring additional speed to the mix and the defensive coverage that is needed to let the wingers focus on the other end of the ice.  It also begins the experiment of Marchand-Bergeron-Horton a bit earlier and during a time where change is needed.

Horton should prove to be an effective wing on this line.  His style of play, work on the boards and shot enhance what this line can do in the offensive zone.  Three players who can go to the net, work the boards and play tough grind it out hockey while constantly threatening to score.  If the line is able to catch on and Krejci's appearance between Lucic and Seguin comes sooner than later, the top two lines of the Bruins have the potential of being more effective than the top of the league even strength lines of last season.  They also give the Bruins additional depth on the 3rd line and keep in tact the grinding fourth.

Watch for tonight to be a high energy game where the Bruins with their new lines show more focus and thought.  This could be a breakout game especially against Toronto as Gustavsson is only appearing in his first game of the season.  It is likely though to be one where mistakes show up and hopefully not in the defensive end as guys get used to playing with each other.  If they can get past those mistakes and start a rhythm, it may be something they can carry into the weekend where they may see the return of David Krejci and the new lines going forward.

Tonight's Bruins game was attended by none other than GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brian Burke.  When asked if he expected Thursday night's game to be any different than tonight he simply responded, "no, I expect that this is how they'll be playing for awhile now".  The Bruins that appeared tonight, while they left with another loss under their belts, played the type of game fans expect of them and the type of game that gives them an edge- a strong, physical and emotional game.  The type of game that has been missing since the end of last year's playoff run.

While tonight's game lead the Bruins down a path that pushed them further from a win, it might be exactly what helps them in the long run.  Until this point, the Bruins have been tamed, unemotional and in a state that many have described as the "Stanley Cup Hangover".  Going down for a 2nd time in a week to Carolina did something though- it made the team angry, it made them involved and it made them actually take on accountability.  Before tonight, the team was on a hall pass- the excuses were given; they ran up against good goal tending, they're being gunned for, guys were hurt.  But tonight- the team decided they needed to become involved and it started with their leader, Zdeno Chara.

Chara's jumping into the fight with Harrison set the tone- not only were they going to fight, they were going to pull up whoever they were fighting and make sure they got their shots in.  Up and down the line up guys were involved, going to bat for each other and asking whoever they could if they wanted to go.  While some fans might complain about this, this type of play is what drove them last season.  The games that they were involved in emotionally, they dedicated their game to. Dallas, Vancouver- these games the team came out fired up, and became hardened and sharp- willing to exchange blows as needed but focused to a point on getting the win.  The emotion also carried over often and helped them get through streaks of games.

It seems to work and is needed this season because the physical and emotional game help them create havoc, force turnovers and frustrate opponents.  While the Bruins can play a strong puck possession game and dictate play, it doesn't always seem as though they can generate the right chances like a team such as the Red Wings are able to in a similar style.  Blame it on them not being a Euro-style team or what you will, it just doens't work out often.  When that possession game collides though with that physical and attacking style it leads to a flow that isn't seen really elsewhere in the league currently.  What comes out is a crash the net, force guys out of position, get rebounds and force goals type of game.  Exploited defenses, frustrated opponents, and a home crowd making the Garden feel like, the Garden.

So where does tonight's game leave us?  It leaves us with a disappointment in another loss but with the hope that we might actually see the team that carried our emotions on a rollercoaster high last season back again on the ice.  It opens the door for a group of guys to come out Thursday night against a hot division rival and be a force for a full 90 minutes.  And it leaves the Bruins at a fork in the road with one leading to a hot streak digging the Black and Gold out of a rut and the other to more suffering and a range of questions to ask about the state of this team.  Which path they'll take we'll find out Thursday night.