In response to MeanE's comment:

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Rask - he was awesome in the first period of last night's game.  AWESOME.

Lucic  - didnt expect him to hit the ground running like he did.  Thought he would need to get into shape.

Marchand - was streaky last year.  Ive thought for years that he is more of a 3rd line player.  He has continued to make me look foolish.

Horton - 1+ yr off, I just wasnt expecting much.

Krejci - This line is looking like a #1 line.  Even during our cup run , it seemed like we had a 1A, 1B, and 1C line.   It seemed like we had offensive depth , but not a true top line.  This year, it looks like we have a true top line

Hamilton - goes without saying

I'm not implying anything.  I'm saying that the Bruins had a very successful stretch last year where they had similar success and then they almost missed the playoffs with a terrible stretch.  Quality of opposition contributed more to the first one than the second - they outclassed a lot of the teams they played, and it made them think they were better than they really were (made many of us think it too).  I don't think this makes them paper tigers, but I do think there's a risk that they muddle along at this level of play beating teams they should beat but relying on turning it on in the third until they a) dry up in the third or b) run into teams that can shut them down when they have a lead.  then we'll hear the same refrain about "playing the full 60" and "not taking periods off" that we heard last year.

At least, that's what concerns me about the way they're playing right now.

In response to Drewski5's comment:

Lucic  - didnt expect him to hit the ground running like he did.  Thought he would need to get into shape.

Marchand - was streaky last year.  Ive thought for years that he is more of a 3rd line player.  He has continued to make me look foolish.

Horton - 1+ yr off, I just wasnt expecting much.

Krejci - This line is looking like a #1 line.  Even during our cup run , it seemed like we had a 1A, 1B, and 1C line.   It seemed like we had offensive depth , but not a true top line.  This year, it looks like we have a true top line

Hamilton - goes without saying

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Good list. I completely agree. also, it looks like Chara is coming around too which is good to see.

In response to Drewski5's comment:

Lucic  - didnt expect him to hit the ground running like he did.  Thought he would need to get into shape.

Marchand - was streaky last year.  Ive thought for years that he is more of a 3rd line player.  He has continued to make me look foolish.

Horton - 1+ yr off, I just wasnt expecting much.

Krejci - This line is looking like a #1 line.  Even during our cup run , it seemed like we had a 1A, 1B, and 1C line.   It seemed like we had offensive depth , but not a true top line.  This year, it looks like we have a true top line

Hamilton - goes without saying

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Agreed Drewski, I said to my wife last night that they won because of Rask in the first period and the fact that the devils werent interested in trying for a second goal. Love to see the Devils lose when they do nothing but sit on a 1 goal lead.

In response to Bookboy007's comment:

Legit concerns with no offense coming from the 3rd line for sure.

Drewski, a good list indeed.  So I will be a contrarian ala NAS.  The team is in need of improving despite the record as the other teams perfect their position play down the road:

Kelly/Peverly/Bourque:  Chemistry lesson is lacking at this point.  Bourque is the weak link but Peverly is not driving to the net per par excellance circa two years ago, Kelly is what he is, a solid defensive forward on the third line, and Bourque, working hard but the results are not worthy of a shoot out experience and a healthy return of Caron.  

Thornton, Ok I do not understand the love affair so admiringly spoken of by the likes of Brickley, and post game banter by the teamates.  He is a 4th liner, so what do we care but can there be a better player? Me thinks so. Thornotn does a good interview like LB so I should shut up.  

Ference:  I think he has been bashed quite a bit in the past few years.  I like his game over the years despite that banter.  Yet, his play is not stellar.  He has no help.  Johnson was continually caught passing the puck around the horn ala the Julien system, but he is not a 7th defenseman.  McQuaid although not perfect is just more intimidating.  The pairings are off target and the system is dead on.  Love Hamilton's game, wow, I won't say what I am thinking now... superstition abounds.  

Seguin, ahhh, he is a flash but gets knocked off of the puck more than I care to like.  He will never be a corner guy, neither is Krejci.  My point is he is not a winger!

Random thought on the game:  The officials were not even with their judgements. I saw Rask get hit a couple times without a penalty, yet on the other side of the ice, hmmmm.  Phantom calls should go both ways.  

There is the negative of a solid positive start to the shorten season.  The hockey I am watching now is top shelve.  Love the game, and the Bs type of play overall.  So don't perceive the negative as a slant but as a move to perfection imo.  

Isla, the thing that bothered me with the Paille goalie interference call was that Salvador was between the two of them..

The league directive to clean up goalie interference is spot on.  But if a ref does not clearly see the interference only the goalie reaction then there is a problem.  Now that is a time to consult the other refs and linesmen.  Those calls last night were not interference as you stated Kel.  More like my teamate pushed the offensive player into me!  Goalie interference, not a shot! Was it the high sticking penalty on Horton where he an the NJ player were both jousting?  Ah both should have been gone in that instance.  Kinda lopsided on the calls last night when both teams were very aggressive.  

In response to Bookboy007's comment:

It sure sounds to me like you were implying that the Bruins haven't played anybody yet.  I understand your theory from last season.  However, the Islanders have wins over Tampa, Toronto, and Pittsburgh and have been in every game this year.  The Jets have wins over the Caps, Pens, & Isles.  My question is who is murderes row right now in the eastern conference when 13 Philly, 14 Washington, and 15 Florida were all playoff teams last year.

A win is a win.  I don't care if they all take extra time.

(Not an endorsement of the stupid shootout)

In response to Not-A-Shot's comment:

MeanE - I think the point I'm making is that I'm not putting a lot of stock in their wins so far - as you point out, the Isles are playing well but they're pretty much the same team that missed the playoffs last year.  Did they look significantly better against the Bruins?  I didn't think so.  Winnipeg looked pretty much the same, and the Bruins looked offensively listless in surviving to win in the shootout.  The OT loss to the Rangers, the Rangers showed part of what I mean - the Bruins got some bad bounces, and if the Rangers were playing anywhere near as responsibly as last year, they'd have coasted to a win.  It's not so much that the Bruins haven't played anybody, it's that who they've played are either learning to win or struggling out of the gate, so the wins haven't been convincing in the sense that they predict success when the Bruins face the Shabs (who always overachieve against the Bruins) or the Penguins or the Tampons who everyone knew were a goalie away from righting that ship given the talent they have.  I mean, obviously any team with undrafted Canisius College and three year AHL vet Cory Conacher has a talent advantage....

Still...I'll take the wins just so long as they don't lead to a similar string of losses by a sleepwalking team.

In response to Not-A-Shot's comment: