Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins: Giving Other Contenders Reason to Worry

I'm sure everyone knows why the Pittsburgh Penguins have people talking lately.  Whether you're a hockey fan, a sports fan or just read the newspaper, you're probably aware that Sidney Crosby is back in action.  

There was quite a lot of speculation that the Penguins would gradually insert Crosby back into the lineup as a safety precaution, and that his performance would not compare to that of last year before he was taken out.  

After about three minutes of ice time for Sidney, that speculation was shot down.  With four points in his first game back, and nine points in his first four games, it's safe to say that he's back and didn't lose a beat.

Last year, the Penguins had the second most points in the history of the club, and they did that without Crosby, Malkin and Staal for the greater part of the season.  With all three healthy and playing strong, there's no telling the damage they could do this year.  

They currently rank first in the NHL for points, and with all offensive forces firing and Marc-Andre Fleury performing at the top of his game, they're likely to stay there.  

In Massachusetts, the Bruins are also making waves.  Although they're no longer riding a win streak, they're still looking as dangerous as ever.  

Win streaks that make their way into the double digits aren't common, but they do happen.  What is especially impressive is winning each game in the fashion that they did.  During their 10-game win streak, the Bruins outscored their opponents 45-17, which is almost a 3:1 ratio.  The Detroit Red Wings put an end to the streak last Friday, but their unbeaten in regulation streak has now reached 12 games.

Boston currently sits at fourth in the East, with games in hand against the division leading Maple Leafs.  They rank second in G/G, and that's the stat that will worry opponents the most.  With Tim Thomas putting up incredible numbers across the board, and the offense producing at a higher level than their cup winning '10/11 campaign, a repeat suddenly seems much more possible.