Tuukka Rask

The Boston Bruins have been in a tear since their abysmal 4-7-0 record in October.

Since their game with the Florida Panthers on December 23rd, the Bruins' record is 23-9-1.  An improvement of 19-2-1 in November and so far in December.

Facing the likes of Jose Theodore, who had not lost to Boston in regulation since Tuukka Rask was a 17-year-old, the Bruins could have been forgiven for limiting their offerings to the 24-year-old stopper Friday night.

After all, while there has been a recent history of making Rask’s life a little tougher than colleague Tim Thomas’, another loss by a soccer score to Theodore would have been enough to mask that myth.

The Boston Bruins are on a tear as they add the hot Edmonton Oilers to their list of defeated teams, extending their win streak to four games.

After the Bruins had their 4-7-0 start in October, the Bruins were outscored 24-27.

November, on the other hand, looks like the Bruins turned on a switch.

Never mind Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask’s contrary track records against the Montreal Canadiens, for the differences have been rendered irrelevant the way the Boston Bruins have performed this October.

The past week saw the Bruins bookended with losses, but the win was critical.

Both losses were to Western Conference teams; one wasn't a horrible lose with a 2-0 shutout by the hands of the San Jose Shark, but the other was, well, an embarrassment.

The Bruins are playing well overall, but the Detroit Red Wings game played this past Friday at the Garden was nothing of Bruins hockey. The jump was simply not there.

The Philadelphia Flyers have have been plagued by inconsistent and mediocre goaltending since the days of the "Broad Street Bullies" and Bernie Parent. For nearly 40 years they have searched for "the man" between the pipes but to no avail. 

Now, they find themselves atop the Eastern Conference and ninth in the NHL with a 2.53 goals against average. However, they have still not found an elite goaltender. So, what gives?

On Thursday night the Bruins were back at the TD Garden taking on the Stars and it was an interesting opening two minutes of the game, with three fights and a goal.

Steve Ott and Greg Campbell got into it within the first few seconds of the 1st period, with Ott winning that one with Campbell bloodied after the bout.

Just a second later, Krys Barch and Shawn Thornton get into it with Thornton getting that one.

The All Start Weekend signifies the latter part of the season is upon us.

With that said, the Boston Bruins are going in the right direction and is currently in a good position.  To say it is a comfortable position would be a cautiously optimistic statement as they are holding at third place in the Eastern Conference and hold the lead in the Northeast Division with a four point advantage over the Montreal Canadiens.

After tasting the bitter taste of defeat at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens after leading 2-0 going into the final frame, only to lose in overtime thanks to two late third-period goals, the Boston Bruins looked to bounce back. And did they ever.

It’s amazing how quickly things can change. Following the 2008-2009 season, in which Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas took the league by storm and won the Vezina Trophy, Thomas was awarded with a healthy new contract and the support of an entire fanbase and organization.

But after an injury-riddled 2009-2010 season in which Thomas’s weaknesses were exposed and he was passed on the depth chart by Tuukka Rask, the Vezina Trophy winner was quickly forgotten.