The month of November was sweet for the Boston Bruins. While I run the risk of sounding like a total valley dude (Boy, that last one didn't help) when I say that, it's just an indisputable fact. But it simply
had to be sweet. Anything less just wasn't an option given their perceived-as- heartless 3-7-0 start to the year.
Rebounding with a 12-0-1 month, the club's first (technically) undefeated month in forty-something years and first 25-point month since Dec. '09, the B's fittingly closed out November with a victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs to take on first place in the Northeast Division.
Yet, it's not enough. Boston's right back at it tomorrow against the Leafs -- with first on the line once again -- but it's beyond a seemingly ordinary Northeast Division rivalry match. The Bruins, shockingly, can't take their foot off the gas. A loss on Saturday night and it's back down to at best sixth. And a loss against the no longer sans
Sidney Crosby Penguins on Monday night could very well leave you teetering between seventh and tenth in the East.
Without question a testament to the talent of the East, which was considered the inferior half of the league for a good while, just how do the B's continue to rock this run of excellence? Well, like solving any mystery, it all starts with a lead. In 13 games last month, or 13 hours and 15 minutes worth of hockey for the Boston Bruins, they trailed for a mere two hours, 19 minutes, and 13 seconds. To put that in layman the nerd terms, add it up and you could watch a good chunk of Lord of the Rings Two Towers and not even get to the cool battle scene.
(Take away Helms Deep and you're a pretty pissed geek, right?)
Anything but coincidentally, the Bruins trailed the longest in their only one-point effort on the month, playing catch-up to the Detroit Red Wings for 38 minutes and 50 seconds. So, in short: Score first, establish your lead, and shut the other team down. In case this is new to you, other ways to win include scoring more goals than your opponent and stopping more pucks than the goaltender you're playing against.
But for Boston, establishing a lead hasn't been a job that's left up to just one line or pairing. It's been a solid team effort, in every sense of the term, as every skater with the exception of
Steve Kampfer finished with at least one point in the month.
"Well I think that's one of our strengths is we have four lines that are consistent, all can contribute offensively and all can play defense," Boston alternate captain
Chris Kelly said. "I think you can have every line out there if, last minute up by a goal
and all the guys are going to get the job done. I don't know any other team that can do that."
There's no doubting that November brought the best out of the Bruins, especially in B's goaltender
Tim Thomas' player of the month worthy figures by way of a 9-0-0 record and .941 save-percentage, but it's not going to be as easy in December.
Last month, Boston's 13 opponents averaged 25 points a team. A total that would collectively put them out of the playoff picture in both the East and West. However, in December, Boston's 12 foes will enter the month averaging 28 points a team, a significant increase given the nearly identical scheduling.
While November was nice, the harsh reality is that seizing 25 of a possible 26 points
still isn't enough to get the Bruins out of the danger zone. Not yet, anyways.
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