Boston Bruins: Latest News Before Challenging West Coast Road Trip

After sweeping the season series against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an emphatic 8-0 win at TD Garden on Monday, the Boston Bruins will head to California for a three-game west coast road trip with matchups against the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks.

Let's recap the latest news surrounding the Bruins and look forward to the road trip as the regular season winds down.

All quotes obtained first hand.

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Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.

Shawn Thornton Signs Two-Year Extension

The Bruins made it official on Monday that forward Shawn Thornton had been signed to a two-year contract extension worth $1.1 million per season.

Thornton's offensive abilities and fourth-line skills are a huge part of the Bruins' success. He energizes the team and sets a physical tone for his teammates each night.

His leadership on and off the ice is also a tremendous help to the Bruins.

Bruins head coach Claude Julien is happy to have Thornton in Boston for a few more years.

"When it’s time to get ready for a game, he’s making sure that he’s ready, he’s making sure people around him are ready," Julien said. "Like I said, he’s got a job that’s not an easy job, and anyone who’s played this sport, who’s watched the sport close enough, knows how tough it is to go and do the job that he does every night, and that’s whenever we get pushed around or we’re behind and we need a wake-up call, and all of a sudden, he goes and he takes charge.

"He’s never told to do it; he just does it on his own. He knows his role extremely well, and for him to be rewarded with a new contract is worthy of his work. I’m glad to see that he’s here for a couple more years at least."

Thornton said after the Leafs win that the decision to re-sign in Boston was certainly an easy one for him to make.

"Yeah, definitely," said Thornton. "Everyone knows when the first offer was made, I guess it was in the media so it took a little time, but I’ve always said I wanted to stay here in Boston—it’s home now. I’m very, very happy to get this done and be around for a couple more years."

Joe Corvo Has Been a Healthy Scratch 2 Straight Games

Struggling Bruins defenseman Joe Corvo was a healthy scratch for Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers and Monday's battle with the Leafs, both of which were Boston wins.

Should the Bruins keep scratching Joe Corvo? Well, Greg Zanon has done well while he's been in the lineup of late, and is not as much of a defensive liability as Corvo.

Corvo was acquired in the offseason to help the team's offense and power play, and has done neither thus far. 

There is no reason for Claude Julien to play him when the team is doing well without him and Zanon looks good on defense.

Dougie Hamilton Dominating the OHL

The Bruins' top prospect, and one player they refused to deal at the trade deadline, is having a phenomenal season in the OHL.

Defenseman Dougie Hamilton, 18, leads the OHL in points among defensemen with 72 on 17 goals and 55 assists. In 50 games played for the Niagara IceDogs this season, Hamilton is averaging 1.44 points per game.

Expect the blueliner to be with the Bruins next season. 

Milan Lucic Pummels Mike Komisarek Again

Leafs defenseman Mike Komisarek pushed the linesman out of the way so he could go after Bruins forward Milan Lucic during Monday night's game. 

It was the first time the two had fought since the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, when the Bruins swept Komisarek's Montreal Canadiens in four games.

"...It seems like so long ago. But he’s a guy whose definitely gonna compete and he’s just trying to show some emotion in a time like that," said Lucic.

"Obviously, you don’t ever like to be on the other end of things and whatever happened happened there. Fortunately for me I came out on top."

Johnny Boychuk Is Bruins Nominee for Bill Masterton Award

Boston Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk is the team's nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy, an award given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. 

Boychuk spent six years in the AHL before joining the Bruins on a full-time basis during the 2009-10 season. He was signed to a three-year contract extension earlier this season.

Bruins Must Win 1st Periods on Road Trip

Before wins against the Flyers on Saturday and the Leafs on Monday, the Bruins were having a very difficult time scoring first.

On their upcoming three-game west coast road trip that starts Thursday in San Jose, the Bruins have to match the energy of the Sharks because they are fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

In fact, the Kings, who Boston will play on Saturday, are also in a fierce battle for the playoffs. Both the Kings and Sharks are trying to make the playoffs by either winning the Pacific Division, or by clinching the No. 7 or 8 seed.

The Sharks and Kings have strong offenses and several talented goal scorers, so the Bruins must play well defensively on this trip and that starts with goaltender Tim Thomas.

The Bruins' last two wins saw them getting back to some good habits and making sure that defense is their first priority. Forward Chris Kelly is hoping that the team can build on these wins.

"These two games were important games," said Kelly. "You know, obviously going out west is no easy feat. And I thought we handled ourselves well against Philly and again tonight so hopefully it’s a stepping stone in the right direction and we can have a good practice tomorrow and build on those two games."