For a change, they looked like winners

Well, for a night, all the changes looked pretty good. The Bruins got back to their winning ways, and as everyone in the Hub of Hockey knows, rarely have their ways been winning in recent years.

For the most part, their ways have been woeful, which was what led to the great ice-age reform around here that brought the cathartic shaking out of just about everything but the ice-making machine on Causeway Street in recent months. And last night, prior to the Bruins' 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames, owner Jeremy Jacobs hinted that more changes could be in store.

The way the owner sees it, more changes could come soon, if his club can't shake its early-season case of the willies.

``We've spent a lot on this team," said Jacobs, sitting in one of his arena's new oversized, cushy suites, the Boardroom, about 90 minutes prior to the opening faceoff. ``Now they have to skate. We've made a lot of changes, and let's face it, we wouldn't have had to make changes if these guys had skated."

Skated here, folks, is not really the verb that best portrays what the owner meant. The infinitive ``to skate" actually is meant as the infinitive ``to win." Had the 2005-06 Bruins skated to, say, 45 wins, then a whole lot of the Hub of Hockey would have been left intact, possibly including Joe Thornton remaining in his familiar No. 19 sweater and Mike O'Connell sporting the general manager's suit.

For all the changes, though, the first five games bordered on the abysmal, other than a 3-2 win in Tampa in Game 2. ``A disastrous road trip," said coach Dave Lewis. The Bruins arrived on Causeway Street with a 1-3-1 record. The NHL is a goaltending-power play-penalty killing league, especially after the rulebook makeover that followed the 2004-05 lockout. No surprise that the Bruins were only OK in goal, and considerably less than OK when it came to power plays and penalty killing.

According to Jacobs, his new GM, Peter Chiarelli, will be quick to make changes. He made it clear he feels this regime, as opposed to the one headed by Harry Sinden and O'Connell, won't wait to shuffle parts, change the roster, if that is what is necessary.

``And I don't know if it is necessary, yet," said Jacobs. ``But if it is, my sense is Peter will react quickly."

Chiarelli, watching from the customary GM perch on the ninth floor last night, was obviously encouraged after the opening period, in which the Bruins forged a 2-0 lead.

``Yes, I thought we looked much better," said a smiling Chiarelli, breaking into light laughter before adding, ``but check me after 40 minutes, will ya?" The Boston lead up to 3-1 after two periods, Chiarelli remained in good humor, and was still smiling after the full 60 upon exiting the Garden's press level.

Asked about his boss's comments regarding the potential for roster changes, Chiarelli didn't act the least bit surprised. In fact, he acknowledged feeling ``a little itchy" in light of the poor start, and added that trade talks around the league have picked up in the last few days.

``I'm patient by nature," said Chiarelli, ``and I understand that it takes time for a team with this many changes to come together. But by the same token, I am in the business of winning, and it's my mandate here to win, right? So at some point, yeah, I might have to do something."

Earlier this week, Glen Murray's name began sprouting up in trade rumors around the league -- this before the strapping right winger potted his pair against the Flames and was awarded the No. 1 star.

``Is his name out there? No, it's not," said Chiarelli. ``But people are making calls, and a lot of names are coming up. I'm receiving calls, and I'm making calls, too. Lots of names are coming up."

Read into that what you will, folks. Just remember this: A club in the midst of a 34-year Cup drought has to be willing to consider all possibilities. Remember, too, that Murray is from the old regime, and there isn't much of anything, or anyone, left from the nostalgic ``It's Called Bruins" era.

Murray's name moved to the forefront of trade speculation last season, within minutes of the Nov. 30 trade that jettisoned Thornton to San Jose. At his age (34 Nov. 1), and at his price ($4.1 million per season through 2008-09), the takers could be few. One obvious potential trade partner would be San Jose, where Jumbo Joe is now the league MVP in residence.

Thornton essentially forced the Bruins to sign Murray long term in the summer of '05, a key step in the former captain eventually agreeing to sign with Boston for three years. The Sharks, ever since the emergence of goalie Vesa Toskala in last spring's playoffs, have been rumored to be looking to wheel fellow netminder Evgeni Nabokov, on the books now for four seasons at an average $5.375 million.

Murray alone wouldn't bring Nabokov in return, but if packaged with a high draft pick or prospect, he could be tantalizing for the Sharks, especially if he has more two-goal nights like last night. Not only would Thornton have his favorite running mate wearing Teal 'n' White, but the Sharks would be some $1.275 million leaner against the salary cap. Murray now has four goals in six games, after connecting only 24 times in 64 games last year when his playing load was cut back by injury.

Both goals were standard-cut Murray strikes. He drilled home the 2-0 lead with a 25-footer from the slot with 8:49 gone in the first period. In the final seconds of period No. 2, he struck again on a power play, following up a Paul Mara rebound with a quick lift from the left faceoff dot. Murray had his feet moving against the Flames, and that's a key for the big winger. His shot makes him a threat. When he remembers to move those feet, he's a force.

``I'm not the fastest skater," Murray said after the win. ``I have to make sure not to stand still out there. I have to keep moving, especially with [Patrice Bergeron and Phil Kessel] on my line. They're pretty fast skaters."

For now, Murray remains on the roster. The Bruins are back in town, back to work, and with a home W factored into the standings.

Late in the third period, the sellout crowd chanted ``Let's Go, Bruins," and to hear that again on Causeway was to hear an echo from a long-forgotten past. For months, they were the Everything-Must-Go Bruins. More nights like last night, and they'll be the Worth-Watching-Again Bruins.

Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at dupont@globe.com.