Bruins Weekly Recap
 

The Bruins earned 4 out of a possible 8 points. Boston is currently in 8th place in the Eastern Confernece and 3rd in the Northeast Division. Here are the results from this weeks games.

Three Up

Milan Lucic-

Milan Lucic not only found the net, he’s seeing the ice better, too. Lucic, playing his second straight game wearing contacts, earned his first career hat trick  in the win over the Thrashers on Saturday night. “It’s like going from ordinary TV to high-definition TV,” Lucic joked. “It’s good to be out there when your vision’s clear.” Lucic has also taken full advantage of PJ Axelsson’s early injury and has planted himself on the top line with Marc Savard and power play time on the second unit. This week Lucic has post 3 goals, two assist, and a classic hit. Lucic put Toronto’s Mike Van Ryn through the glass 20 seconds into the second period, sending shards of glass flying into the crowd and raining down on the Leafs defenseman’s neck
 

Power play 2-

Currently ranked 8 in the NHL, Boston’s power play units are running on all cylinders. However it’s the second unit that is out performing the first unit that includes Savard, Zdeno Chara, and Patrice Bergeron. It seems that Julien has growing confidence in the kid line of Lucic, David  Krejci and Phil Kessel. These three have a combined four power play goals and three assist this week alone.  
 

Patrice Bergeron

Bergeron scored his first goal of the season - and first in more than a year. The center’s last goal occurred in a win at San Jose on Oct. 13, 2007. "It was great to just get back at it, play hockey, have fun," said Bergeron, who missed the last 72 games and the playoffs last season with a severe concussion. "It’s my passion, and obviously scoring goals is a part of it." In his limited action in 2007-08, he scored three goals and four assists. He has 73 goals and 122 assists for 195 career points in 246 games. Bergeron received the loudest and longest ovation in the pre-game introductions for the home opener. "It meant a lot," he said. "It’s great to be back in Boston (with) the fans." Bergeron’s goal gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the first period against the Maple Leafs.

Three Down

Penalty Killing-

Not a good start to the ’08-09 seasons for this unit. Bringing in Stephan Yelle and the return of Bergeron, you would figure that would improve a weak area for the B’ a season ago. The results; dead last in the NHL is PK percentage at 68.6%. They have given five power play goals this week including three to Atlanta on Saturday. The Bruins have given up 10 power play goals this season.

Goaltending-

It’s been a tough go for the Tim Thomas Manny Fernandez show. Playing well at times, the B’s can’t seem to get them regulation wins. Both Thomas and Fernandez lost close games in a shootout fashion on Monday and Tuesday. Thomas then made 33 stops against Toronto but lost on Thursday. Fernandez backed that up with a win on Saturday but allowed four goals. The woes on the penalty kill have hurt these two net minders. 5 on 5, only New Jersey and Montreal have better goals for/against ratio than the B’s 1.50. Only Florida has surrendered as many power play goals as Boston’s 10 thus far.

Mark Stuart-

This bares no reflection of Mark Stuart’s play this past week. He actually played a solid plus 1 defensively. However in the B’s home opener against Pittsburgh Monday night at the Garden, Stuart’s name was not announced. PA announcer introduced the entire team numerically. The fans could see Stuart in the tunnel ready to hear his name called. “Number 44 Aaron Ward, Number 46 David Krejci”, the PA announcer read.  In case your wonder Stuart wears the number 45 sweater. Stuart waited in the tunnel until every player was named then lightheartedly skated to the blue line to join his teammates. Marc Savard was noticeably enjoying the moment at the expense of Stuart.