By: Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer

With just three games remaining and a likely playoff berth in the cards, it isn’t too early to assess a rollercoaster regular season for the Black and Gold. Here’s a look at some of the studs and duds of the 2009-10 season:

The Jack Bauer Award: Given to the player who best exemplifies mental toughness in the midst of crisis, standing out from the rest to deliver results in the clutch.
Recipient: Tuukka Rask
Runner-Up: Patrice Bergeron

Without a doubt the Bruins’ savior of the season, Tuukka has been cool as a cucumber while overtaking Tim Thomas as the #1 goaltender. Although the depths to which Thomas has sunk this season have been significantly overblown–he hasn’t been spectacular, but he certainly hasn’t deserved the magnitude of criticism he has received–Rask has clearly become the superior goaltender, leading the league in both goals against average (1.99) and save percentage (.930) despite having appeared in just 43 games. Often keeping the goal-starved Bruins in games with his calm aura and steady positioning, Rask has been positively Bauer-like in ensuring that this season isn’t bombed to pieces.

The Maurice Clarett Trophy: Because awarding something named the “Maurice Richard Trophy” to the highest-scoring Bruins player this season would be an insult to The Rocket’s legacy, it seemed appropriate to rename the trophy for a different –and rather less successful–Maurice.
Recipient: Marco Sturm (most likely)
Runner-Up: Patrice Bergeron (most likely)

Some interesting facts about Sturm’s 21 goals, which lead the Bruins thus far:
-None have come in the last 13 games.
-92 other NHL players have scored as many times or more.
-Steven Stamkos has 21 power-play goals.
-Alexander Ovechkin scored his 21st goal on December 12, and had already missed two weeks with injury.
-21 goals are the fewest by any team leader in the league.

The Hal Gill Award: Given to the player that, for some reason, logs tons of ice time while providing fans with an excess of gray hairs, ulcers, heart attacks, etc.
Recipient: Dennis Wideman
Runner-Up: Matt Hunwick

After a breakout 50-point season in which he finished 6th among all NHLers with a +32, Wideman has taken as big a 180-degree turn as any
player in recent history. In 73 games this year he has just 5 goals and 27 points, but his struggles have gone far beyond his offensive numbers–his -15 represents a ridiculous swing of almost 50 in the +/- department. Making mind-numbing mental errors on a seemingly nightly basis but never losing any ice time, Wideman has undoubtedly become the poster boy for this season’s disappointment and the biggest target of scorn and mockery for the home crowd.

The Patrik Stefan Award: One of the worst #1 draft picks in NHL history, Patrik Stefan’s name is really only remembered because of this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDbEX666G3Y). Needless to say, this award is given for the most boneheaded play of the season.
Recipient: Tim Thomas’ puck fumble in overtime against Pittsburgh
Runner-Up: Haven’t thought that much–just watch some tapes of Wideman
and decide for yourself.

In a November 14 contest against Pittsburgh, the Bruins put up a rare 5-spot but were forced into overtime when Bill Guerin beat Thomas with
just one second remaining in the third. The extra period offered an anticlimactic ending to a thrilling game, as Thomas skated behind the net to control a dump-in but misread the play in a miscommunication with–you guessed it–Dennis Wideman. Pittsburgh’s Jordan Staal stole the puck from a confused Thomas and passed it out front to a wide-open Pascal Dupuis, who deposited the puck in an empty net, robbing the Bruins of a point that, in hindsight, was very important.

The Jeanne Calment Trophy: Though she sounds like a forgotten fourth-liner from the Canadiens of the 1970s, Jeanne Calment is actually the oldest person ever to havplayer who has best displayed perseverance in the face of old age, playing at a high level despite his dinosaur-like appearance.
Recipient: Mark Recchi

Nicknamed “t-rex” for good reason, the 43-year old continues to add to his remarkable career totals while providing the Bruins with steady
leadership and the occasional scoring touch. Recchi is tied for third on the Bruins with 17 goals and 42 points, and recently moved into 13th on
the all-time scoring list with 1484 points. Should the Bruins qualify for the postseason, they’ll need to lean on Recchi’s experience and work
ethic if they hope to make any noise against the top teams in the East.

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