Boston Bruins Face Tough Schedule after All-Star Break

The Bruins entered the midseason break tied as the best team in the NHL with 73 points (34-8-5).

Their individual efforts this past weekend at the All-Star festivities were just simply amazing. While their performances were great, this week it's time for the black and gold to bear down with a tough home schedule.

Rookie forward Blake Wheeler was named the 2009 YoungStars MVP. Wheeler notched a hat trick and one assist during the game.

Zdendo Chara wowed the crowd during the Hardest Shot competition by winning his third straight title. He registered a 103.3 mph slapshot in the first round.

Round two saw Chara blasting a 105.4 mph bomb—surpassing Al Iafrate's longtime record of 105.2 mph.

Center Marc Savard made it to the sixth round of the Elimination Shootout competition, only to be outdone by the Phoenix Coyotes' Shane Doan.

Finally, let's talk about Tim Thomas' performance during the All-Star Game. If the unrestricted free agent didn't solidify his starting role in net for the next two years in Boston after this past weekend, I don't know what could.

The Boston netminder played the entire third period in the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, including five minutes of overtime, and faced two shootout attempts. Thomas made 19 saves in the Eastern Conference's 12-11 win.

Having been plagued with injuries this season, Boston hopes to have a few key players back in their lineup this week.

Forwards Patrice Bergeron and Milan Lucic as well as defenseman Andrew Ference are hopefuls to come back. The Bruins assigned three players to their AHL affiliate Providence Bruins before this weekend in hopes of clearing some roster slots for these returning players.

Tonight, the Bruins will host the Southeast Division leader, the Washington Capitals. The Caps are 6-4-0 in January, and are always a tough matchup, led by the ever-so-dangerous Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.

The competition doesn't get any easier on Thursday night, when the New Jersey Devils invade the TD Banknorth Garden.

2009 All-Star Zach Parise and company are 8-3-0 in the month of January, and stand alone on top of the Atlantic Division with 61 points. Newly acquired veteran forward Brendan Shanahan will make his third appearance with the Devils.

To end the week—and the month—the Bruins host Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers in a Saturday matinee. The Rangers are just one point behind the Devils in the Atlantic Conference with 60 points, and look to add to their 5-3-1 month.

Hopefully the All-Star break was enough time for the Bruins to get a little "R&R" in, and more importantly, to get a healthy lineup back.

They are going to need everyone back and up to par to finish this month off in winning fashion.

This article was originally published on the Boston Bruins Examiner page on examiner.com. To check out more of Mark's stuff, click this right here.