Bruins begin 2009 as NHL's hottest team

Jan 2, 2009 - 8:00 PM By Bob Birge PA SportsTicker Staff Wtiter

Since 2002, the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and Boston Celtics have combined to win six championships during the Hub's sports "reign of terror."

With the most successful sports decade in Boston history coming to a close this year, could the Boston Bruins be the city's next team to join the championship party?

The Patriots won their first championship in 2002 in Super Bowl XXXVI (before adding two more titles), the Red Sox ended an 86-year championship drought in 2004 (then won again in 2007) and the Celtics captured their first crown in 22 seasons last year.

Maybe the Bruins feel left out as they are the only major Boston team not to claim a championship during the decade. Boston's last Stanley Cup title came in 1972, the NHL's second-longest current drought behind the Chicago Blackhawks, whose last championship came in 1961.

There is a long way to go, of course, but the B's enter the new calendar year as the league's hottest team. The Bruins, in fact, haven't been this hot since the halcyon days of Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr in the 1970s.

The Bruins rang in the new year Thursday by rallying from an early deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-2, for their 10th straight victory.

Boston matched its longest winning streak since March 9-28, 1973 and passed the San Jose Sharks for the league's highest point total with 62.

At 29-5-4, the Bruins are off to their best 38-game start since the 1929-30 season when they were 33-4-1 and won a franchise-record 14 straight games.

"The quality of play in front of me right now is just unbelievable," goaltender Manny Fernandez said. "Right now, we're going on a good note. Hopefully, we can keep those numbers out of our heads. That's how you keep streaks, you can't think about it too much."

The Bruins haven't merely been good, they've been scary good.

With three games remaining in the first half of the season, Boston is outscoring its opponents by an average of 1 1/2 goals per game, a staggering mark in a league where many games are decided by one or two goals.

The Bruins lead the NHL in goals-against, allowing just 2.11 per game. That is perhaps not surprising as Boston has stressed defense in recent seasons without a great deal of firepower.

More shocking, however, is that the Bruins also pace the NHL in scoring at 3.65 goals per outing.

The offense seemingly has come out of nowhere as Boston has improved its output by more than a goal a game. The Bruins were 24th in scoring last season, averaging 2.51 goals per game, when they snuck into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.

Even with center Patrice Bergeron back on the injured list, the Bruins continue to get scoring depth from all four lines.

In his third season, right wing Phil Kessel is developing into a star, leading the Bruins with 23 goals and ranking third on the team in scoring with 39 points.

Veteran center Marc Savard, Boston's leading scorer with 48 points, is on pace to approach 100 points for the first time. He registered a career-high 96 in 2006-07, his first season in Boston.

Third-year David Krejci, the Bruins' second-leading scorer with 41 points, could be on target for his first career 30-goal campaign. He has 14 goals through 38 games.

"Every night it is a different guy overall," said Fernandez, who is 13-2-1 and boasts the league's second-best goals-against average (2.02). "Guys are stepping up every night."

While the Bruins have been difficult to beat everywhere, they've been nearly invincible at home. Thursday's win was Boston's 14th straight victory at the TD Banknorth Garden, the Bruins' longest home winning streak since reeling off 16 in a row at the old Boston Garden from January 10-March 25, 1976.

Put everything together, and the Bruins may have a chance to make a legitimate run at the Cup.

At the very least, hockey matters again in what used to be a rabid hockey town, and that can never be a bad thing for the NHL.