By: Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Blah.
That’s the best phrase to describe the Bruins’ effort last night. One game after clawing back to force overtime against the Blackhawks–one of the league’s best–they delivered an absolute stinker, losing 2-0 to the lowly Leafs.
That’s right, the same team that gave up 12 goals to the Bruins in their first two meetings this season. The same team that, heading into the game, had allowed the most goals in the NHL.
And as for the Bruins getting back into that “one of the league’s best” category–after a four-game losing streak, it’s starting to look like some of the early-season problems are reemerging. The night-and-day difference between the last two games sums up what has plagued the players and driven fans insane: flashes of last year’s brilliance–as demonstrated by Friday night’s impressive display of resilience–but no consistent finish, few timely plays and little sense of urgency.
The offense continues its torturous path of unpredictability. With Milan Lucic on the shelf, Marc Savard simply doesn’t have anyone to dish the puck to. His revolving door of wingers in the past few weeks, from Blake Wheeler and Byron Bitz to Marco Sturm and Michael Ryder, has produced virtually nothing; [...]

By: Scott Jackson, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
What a poor game for the Patriots.  If you look up the definition on blown-out, you’ll probably see Monday’s game as an example.  The team hadn’t played this bad in the bayou since Super Bowl XX, when the Bears downed the Pats 46-10.
Quarterbacks:
Tom Brady struggled mightily in this one.  Terrible Tom threw two interceptions.  The first was an excusable throw while being flushed from the pocket.  The second was a desperation heave with needing points badly.  On the plus side, Brian Hoyer didn’t look too bad.
My grade: D+

Runningbacks:
Sure. Laurence Maroney scored two touchdowns (clinching a victory in fantasy football for fellow columnist Dan Massar).  But he also coughed up the ball again (though in his defense he forced a fumble to take the ball back).  Sammy Morris was a near non-factor in his return.  Kevin Faulk made some plays in the passing game, as usual.
My grade: C-
Receivers/Tight Ends:
The Saints defensive back corp was whittled down for this one because of injuries.  You wouldn’t have known this watching the game, as Randy Moss and Wes Welker were both effectively covered all game.  It’s never good when Sam Aiken is your leading receiver.  The tight ends were [...]

By: Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Good as new after an offseason of shoulder surgery, extensive rehabilitation, and equally tedious contract negotiations, Phil Kessel will reportedly take the ice when his miserable Leafs host the Lightning tonight. Needless to say, should the Bruins’ offense continue to flounder against the Wings, Kessel’s performance will be closely monitored by a growing number of concerned Black ‘N’ Gold enthusiasts.
Kessel’s scoring touch has eluded his former teammates thus far, as the Bruins rank just 22nd in the NHL with 31 goals in 13 games. Last season, the Bruins finished second overall in scoring behind a well-balanced, consistent attack. They certainly haven’t been helped by the absences of Marc Savard and Milan Lucic–injuries that appear to finally be catching up to a beleaguered offensive unit. That being said, the upcoming weeks could serve as a strong determinant of just how much Kessel’s services are missed.
Boston’s struggles have been highlighted in the past three games, a span in which the Bruins have gone 1-2 while managing just three goals. They returned to the .500 mark after being shut out 1-0 by the Rangers on Sunday afternoon, continuing their bizarre, frustrating trend of alternating wins and losses each [...]

By: Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent
Down 3-1 to the Senators with under two minutes to play, the Bruins’ fifth loss of the season was inevitable. In fact–loyal fan that I am–I turned off the TV and chucked the remote, feeling I had better things to do on a Saturday night than watch the clock run out on yet another setback in a season marred with perplexing inconsistency. I whined to my sister via text that the Bruins, now a sub-.500 team, were nearly halfway to their loss total from all of last season. After all, they hadn’t shown much fight through their first nine games, so what was there to indicate the possibility of a last-minute comeback?
Of course, being a mercurial, pessimistic Boston sports fan, I disregarded the Bruins’ uncanny ability to claw back into games–a quality that carried this team through so many brilliant stretches last season, but seemed to be absent thus far in the 2009-10 campaign. Some of that magic must still be lingering, though, as I received a text barely a minute later: Mark Recchi goal, 3-2 Ottawa with a minute left. Feeling slightly ashamed, I tuned back in to see if there was a faint glimmer [...]