By Joe Haggerty
CSNNE.com
BOSTONSince its an otherwise slow day in the Bruins neighborhood, here are a few numbers to toss out at you before the links.
Zdeno Chara leads the Bruins and is tied with Sidney Crosby for seventh in the NHL with a plus-20 this season. If Tuukka Rask qualified, hed be tied for fifth in the NHL in save percentage with a .926 mark thats equal to All-Star goalie Ondrej Pavelec and Semyon Varlamov. The Bruins are 15-0-1 when leading after one period of hockey this season, and everybody remembers where that one point in an overtime loss happened. The Bruins are 5-9-4 with 14 points banked in games when trailing after two periods of play this season. They lead the NHL in both categories. Tim Thomas leads the league in goals against average, save percentage, shutouts and is only one victory away from leading the NHL in wins as well. He is looking more and more like the runaway winner in the Vezina Trophy race again this season.On to the links: USA Todays Kevin Allen proposes the shootout be bumped up to five shooters in order to improve the concept. I say that you should be able to repeat the same shooters as often as youd like to. The New Jersey Devils' rookies still havent had to pick up the tab yet at a dinner with the veteransa time-honored tradition in the NHL. Perhaps its because there hasnt been much to have celebratory dinners about in New Jersey. The inside scoopfrom INCHon Hockey Baker favorites this season. A related question: when did college hockey get so out of hand with the names of their players? Carter Camper? Broc Little? Are these guys superheroes or hockey players? There is nobody better at rambling about the NHL and hockey than Scotty Bowman, and the Vancouver Province was lucky enough to catch up with him. Is Linus Omark ready to step up for the Oilers in more ways than simple spin-o-rama moves in the shootout? Jean-Sebastien Giguere returns to his old Anaheim stomping grounds, and it allows the former Ducks goaltender to reflect on his time in Anaheim and his current stretch with a brutal Maple Leafs bunch.
Joe Haggerty can be reached at jhaggerty@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Joe on Twitter at http:twitter.comHackswithHaggs