Five Players That Have Fueled The Boston Bruins' Resurgence

Just when we thought we had satiated our sports fix with red (Sox), green (Celtics), and red, white, and blue (Patriots), a team that plays on a sheet of ice in the dead of winter is attempting to push some black and gold into the equation. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm going to take it very...very...slow. Here goes.

The Boston Bruins are...actually...pretty good. Whew! I said it!

For years, the Bruins were so very easy to dislike. Owned by Jeremy Jacobs, notorious  for being on the cheap side of the spending spectrum, and an equally cheap General Manager, Harry Sinden, the Bruins had plenty of good players to cheer for, but always seemed to trade them before their time was up.

Two such deals stand out to me: the Joe Thornton trade to San Jose in December 2005 and the much-ballyhooed Ray Bourque to Colorado deal that enabled the Hall of Fame defenseman to finally get a title.

I understand why Bourque requested the trade and I'm glad Boston did it. I just wish they didn't have to do so in order for one of their stars to win a ring. As far as Thornton, it signaled that the Bruins weren't ready to be a contender and were far away from putting together a club that really could utilize Thornton in the right way.

While Jacobs still owns the team, things have slowly started to change.

Hall of Famer and beloved son, Cam Neely, was brought back to be a public face and decision maker in the organization. Peter Chiarelli was hired in 2006 to be the club's new GM.

Finally, after years of lackluster play, lockouts, fan alienation and seeing every other major team in the city win a championship, this Bruins team might be okay after all. As I write on this Monday night, the B's are tied for the Northeast Division lead with the Buffalo Sabres and second overall in the conference. Here are a few reasons why:

Marc Savard

Savvy (I assume this is his hockey nickname, which are typically simple by nature) has scored six goals and netted 10 assists for a team leading 16 points. By comparison, the center (seen above) had 78 points on six goals and 63 helpers last year. One of the league's best? Hardly, but he's doing the job he's paid to do.

Phil Kessel

Sure, the farmhand (seen left) is tied with teammates Marco Sturm and David Krejci with nine points, but he always seems to score the big goal when it matters. The 2006 fifth overall pick is one of those guys who's going to be a difference maker for the Bruins this season.

Tim Thomas

For some reasons, fans have never fully warmed up to the goaltender, often saying the team should get a replacement for him in order to actually win some games. So far, Double-T has answered the critics, posting a 5-2 record and a 1.85 GAA, posting consecutive shutouts earlier this year which is extremely difficult to pull off.

He's 4-1 with a 1.19 GAA and .964 save percentage in his last five games, so perhaps there is reason to believe this could be his year. If not, Manny Fernandez (3-1, 2.57 GAA) has been doing well when given the chance.

Chuck Kobasew

The right wing has only played in two games this season due to a fractured leg, but in those two? One goal and three assists. I've always been a fan of his style of play and mark my words—if this team is going to do anything this season, he'll be a big reason why.

Milan Lucic

Four goals, four assists and he plays like he's "Stone Cold" Steve Austin on skates. Need proof? Check out this hit:

But let's take a step back here a minute. It's early. We're barely midway through November, so recognizing the Bruins as a force in the NHL might be a bit premature.

We forget the Bruins have posted winning records in five of their last seven seasons, including 41 wins last year when they took Montreal to seven games in the NHL Playoffs. But that's not good enough in this town where characters, competitiveness and championships are not just expected but demanded.

You're close to being back on the Boston sports radar, Bruins. We'll just hold off renting the Duck Boats for a few months, okay?

Josh Nason started Small White Ball in 2007 and is the main contributor of content for the site. A long-time writer, his work can also be read at sites like RopesRingandCage.com, EmailMarketingGuy.com and others. He also does radio appearances and was on TV once, albeit for a lame public television game show. He can be reached at [e-mail].