Hockey fans around North America can finally breathe easy again. After months of anxious anticipation, the NHL lockout has finally come to an end.
In New England, which is a hot spot for hockey, fans are extremely excited to watch the Boston Bruins. Although it is still early in the shortened season, the Bruins appear to be a championship caliber team thus far.
The announcement made during the offseason that goaltender Tim Thomas was not returning to the Bruins this season was a tremendous blow to the team. Thomas led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup Championship in 2011, and was named playoff Most Valuable Player for his outstanding play in net.
The elite goaltender shocked Bruins nation by choosing to take time off from the game for personal reasons. With Tim Thomas not present for the 2013 season, the Bruins will be relying heavily on young goaltender Tuukka Rask to become the starter.
At only twenty-five years of age, Rask is an extremely talented goaltender. Serving primarily as the backup to Tim Thomas in recent years, Tuukka has proven that he can play at the NHL level and win important games. However, playing an entire season will be a challenge for Rask, as he is not use to the workload of a starting goaltender.
The shortened season may prove to be an advantage for the Bruins, as it will help Rask become acclimated to the starting position without straining himself. So far, Rask has been impressive this season with a 3-0-1 record, 1.96 goals against average and a .925 save percentage.
A main reason that the Bruins have been successful in recent years has been their balance throughout their rosters. The Bruins feature finesse players who can score and elude defenders with speed, such as Tyler Seguin and David Krejci. Players such as Zdeno Chara and Dennis Sidenberg provide solid defense and limit the amount of shots that Tuukka Rask has to save each game.
An underrated aspect of the Bruins is the contributions from players such as Shawn Thornton and Gregory Campbell who set the tone by standing up for teammates and even fighting opposing players to protect star players.
During the NHL lockout, it felt as if something was missing from the everyday lives of New Englanders. Not having professional hockey is a very unnatural and foreign concept for Bruins fans in the winter time.
Although the season is shortened and long overdue, fans can still enjoy the season and be thankful that the players and the owners finally reached an agreement to settle the lockout. Fans can expect to gain the same feeling of excitement and enthusiasm they have felt in past years with the 2013 season finally under way.