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 [...]

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 [...]