Once in St. Louis, a bunch of us popped into a sports bar to catch the second half of the Saturday night NFL game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys.  From my vantage point, we could see several different television screens (4 or 5?) and most of them were tuned into the football game, with one on a college football game.  But where was the hockey game?  The Blues were playing the Wild that night and it was nowhere to be seen (I found out later that it was on one screen on the other side of the bar, not visible to us).  I was shocked because you would think there would be enough of an interest in a local team to warrant the game being on one of the many TV’s in a sports bar.

“It’s not unusual,” Dennis Wideman later told me.

Wideman played for the Blues before the Bruins, so he’s familiar with St. Louis, and even helped out the cabbie in getting to the rink. 

We continue to get word on Patrice Bergeron’s recovery.  The good news came when we were told that he has been released from the hospital after one night, that he was doing well, tests came back normal, and he was in good spirits.  His family has joined him in Boston.

I think many people – teammates, fans, and media alike—are particularly sensitive toward the injury because of what had happened last year.  It was as though the image of that moment from a year ago became fresh in our minds again.  Our thoughts are with Bergeron as he battles through this.

“Who’s hotter than Phil Kessel?” is one of the recent quotable Jack Edwards phrases. 

Kessel’s point streak is at 18 as I write this, and maybe even 19 by the time the day is done.  This next excerpt is for hockey players aspiring to learn from his game, as taught to me, by great hockey minds: Kessel’s offensive output is directly related to his increased defensive efforts.  By coming deeper into the defensive zone, he’s shortening the distance between himself and the eventual puck carrier, so that when the Bruins regain possession in their d-zone, Kessel is in better position to connect in the transition play.  The extra distance he’s now created between himself and the offensive zone also gives him more room to use his speed, and the result is a more effective use of his speed. 

We’re in New Jersey for the Devils game now.  Not sure what to expect out of the crowd here tonight, but NJ defenseman Jay Leach tells us the place has their share of sell-outs.  The Prudential Center is a very, very, very nice facility, complete with a practice rink, and comfortable, cushy seats for fans.  There are also windows at the mid-concourse level, which lets in natural light and gives the rink a different feel.
 
We had an extra day here, so a good portion of the team was out doing their last minute holiday shopping at a nearby mall.  Not sure which is more work, practice or shopping.  After the game against the Devils, the Bruins get a two-day Christmas break. 

Cheers, and hope everyone has a happy, healthy holiday season.

The Bruins are “legit.” They won 11 games in November with just one regulation loss (to a desperate Buffalo team that probably would’ve shocked most opponents) and one shootout loss (to the top team in the East, the New York Rangers). 

The Bruins are a popular bunch these days, and the media attention is increasing each week. I personally like the crowded locker room, full of cameras and writers, because it’s great for hockey.

All of us journalists have some side conversations with the players once in a while. Sometimes, they explain certain things about the game and about their experiences that don’t necessarily make it into stories or broadcasts, but give us a feel for the team vibe. For me, some of it is for my own interest in the strategic element of hockey, and some is for the human element.

Take Matt Hunwick’s black eye, for example. He said it was the longest it’s ever taken for a black eye to heal. He still has a little redness on the bottom part, but it’s pretty much healed now. I thought it took a long time because he had been checked into the glass and struck the same eye again, but he told me that was the other eye.

I sometimes still ask Zdeno Chara how his shoulder is, because I can’t imagine it’s easy to come off surgery, log 25-plus minutes a game, and feel completely back to normal. 

Have you ever had surgery? I haven’t, but I’ve worked with plenty of photographers who’ve had rotator cuff surgeries, go through physical therapy and still ache constantly.

A simple “how are you?” question to Marco Sturm after practice Monday got this response -- a big smile of relief between quick breaths, sweat streaming down his face, as he sat down on the bench (still smiling) with a barely audible "one sec." 

When an athlete is unable to do any strenuous physical activity for even a couple of days, they start to go insane. If I had to describe Sturm's demeanor, I’d say he was "happily exhausted." It’s the first time his heart rate has been up since the Toronto game.

A little while ago, when I ran into Andrew Ference, he said they have a bike designed for players who have leg injuries. It can be ridden with just one leg. He’s working out on it some, just like he did last year.

There were only three defensemen on the ice at practice Monday, so Shawn Thornton was sort of a substitute defenseman on this one drill. I joked with him, asking if he’s going to be the sixth defenseman now that Aaron Ward is out for the week. He said, "Hey, I’ve played 180 games at defense."

Speaking of defense, Tim Thomas explained to me that having new defensemen in front of him doesn’t affect the way he plays. He said in the AHL, for example, the roster changed constantly, so he’s used to it. Even if they bring a younger, less experienced player, you (as the goaltender) don’t really change your game. 

But say Ward, who plays on the right side with a right-handed shot, gets replaced with a lefty. How does that affect Thomas? He explained that it changes the way you play the puck.

One more question for Thomas, on something that makes the media giggle from time to time. It was killing my curiosity, so I finally had to ask him why there’s a distinct squeaking noise when he walks in his equipment. He pointed to the toe part of the skate and said it makes contact with the inside of the goalie pad when he’s walking. 

Then, he paused and took back the answer: “Actually?" It’s my bones.”

What's in a number? There are many distinct ones in hockey and Boston sports. Here's a quick rundown:

No. 3, Chicago
It’s the number worn by Blackhawks greats Pierre Pilote and the late Keith Magnuson, retired on the night of the Bruins-Blackhawks game. Johnny Bucyk was interviewed for the ceremony’s jumbotron presentation about the two players. He remembered that Pilote once checked him clean and hard, and dislocated his shoulder -- wow, because Bucyk was known as one of the strongest and heaviest players at 224 pounds (similar size to Milan Lucic). As for Magnuson, he apparently used to come out charging like a bull onto the ice for the warm-up skate to try and intimidate them. It never worked, which is the word from the Bruins' side. Since we are talking about Johnny Bucyk …

No. 9, Boston
Bucyk carries Bruins pins in his pocket to give to kids at times, and he decided that my coat lapel needed one. (I get to fall into the "kid" category, because he won Stanley Cups before I was born). So he reached into his pocket, and happened to pull out a different kind of pin. He jokingly asked if I wanted that one, but I seriously responded "yes." It was the No. 9. Of course, I'm going to say yes. Some of the greatest players wear the 9 in hockey. Bucyk to start, as well as Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, Bobby Hull, and Wayne Gretzky’s double-9, just to name a few. So that's why you’ll see me wear the 9 on my coat (fitting, because I came from WMUR-TV, Channel 9), which brings us to …

No. 9, New York
In looking up at the rafters of Madison Square Garden, I wondered about the magic of the Rangers' 9, to be retired this season. It belongs to Andy Bathgate, but more recently, to Adam Graves. Graves is one of the most beloved hockey players, and one of the most giving athletes ever in the Big Apple. He was an undeniably significant part of the 54-year-championship-drought-ending team that delivered the Stanley Cup to New York in 1994. To think he was basically a swap for Troy Mallette. I think people might have been crying when Graves eventually got traded to San Jose (which equally adored him, as I remember Dean Lombardi once saying), but then re-celebrated when he was brought back to work with the Rangers after retirement. It got us thinking …

No. 12, Foxborough
In killing time on our bus ride to and from hotel/rink/airports, my videographer Chris and I started going through the numbers of other players we could see being retired among the Boston teams. Tom Brady’s No. 12 came to mind immediately, followed by David Ortiz’s No. 34. We then wondered about No. 33 Jason Varitek, No. 54 Tedy Bruschi, No. 4 Adam Vinatieri … the list went on and on. Thoughts, anyone? 

No. 1, Toronto
Let's bring this back to hockey. It is my first time ever in the city of Toronto, and the first chance to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame. We shot our entire "Buzz" show from there this week, so you can check out the enshrined Bruins memorabilia we found, and some of the interactive hockey elements that get us in on the fun. John Bishop of BostonBruins.com and I square off in the shootout section, and you’ll just have to watch the show to see who won.

Nicknames are the coolest phenomenon. Cool in the sense that there's something special about having an identity re-created for you by friends, family, teammates or any other social groups. It often shows adoration and acceptance, and gives some people with very common names a chance to flash a unique label.

In hockey, the standard seems to be the "y" sounding nicknames, like "Savvy," "Thorny," "Sturmy," "Axey," "Stuey" (I’m probably getting the spelling wrong on some of these, sorry). You also get the occasional "s" names, like "Wides" and "Rydes," and some shortened versions like "Kess" and "Looch."

Here's where it gets a little confusing. There are actually two Z's and two Bergys on our travelling Bruins crew. Our producer Brian Zechello is known to us as "Z," as is Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. Brant Berglund is the video analyst for the Bruins, and many call both him and Patrice Bergeron "Bergy." The g's in their names are pronounced differently, so one could conceivably make Berglund into Ber-GHEE, and Bergeron into Ber-JEE, but the latter apparently didn't quite catch on, so both are Ber-GHEEs. That is, "Bergy" with a hard "g" sound.

Nicknames even progress to become so ingrained that the person sometimes stops responding to their real name. Take our associate producer, Patrick White, for example.  "Patrick" rarely gets his attention, "Pat" maybe gets a glance. "P-Dubs" is what everyone calls him, and is the fastest way to get a response. The other day, I called BostonBruins.com writer John Bishop "John," and he turned to answer quizzically: "Did you just call me John?"  That's because everyone calls him "Bish." Our videographer John Martin, on the other hand, only prefers "John." "Marty" is the biggest no-no in his case. 

Nicknames have rules?

Yes. 

I admit that the art of calling people by their nicknames has to be earned. Maybe Tim Thomas doesn't mind being called "Timmy," but wouldn't you think there is a level of familiarity, if not friendship, that has to be achieved before someone calls him by his nickname? 

My old videographer Jim once said, "You have to be a really close friend to call me 'Jimmy.' Not everyone gets to call me 'Jimmy.' " 

But when do you get that privilege? Whenever it is, you know you're on the inner circle of that person's self-defined clique. And that's what makes it cool. 

Right, Jimmy?

There was a lot going on last week for the Bruins. Three home openers as the visitors, meaning multiple ceremonies to celebrate the start of the season. The 100th anniversary of the Habs. A couple of Shawn Thornton fights. Phil Kessel keeps scoring. Marc Savard does a “corkscrew." A record 700th game for Aaron Ward. Patrice Bergeron returns to the Garden. And Buffalo.

Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe and Steve Harris of the Boston Herald, along with John Bishop of bruins.com have become my pillars of knowledge in the land of journalistic scrums and travelogging treks across the United States and Canada. They share everything from histories of the cities we visit to lesser-known restaurant finds, and even (believe it or not) grooving dance moves. So, naturally, when it was time to honor the Montreal Canadiens' 100th anniversary, I stood right beside them for the festivities at the Bell Centre.

“Turn around,” Fluto said.

I turned to see an unusual sight. Normally in a press box, you face the rink, and behind you is a wall. Not at the Bell Centre. Because the press box is a separate ring elevated as a different section, behind us were rows of fans. Then, behind the fans was a wall which lit up to reveal the “Ring of Honour,” the 54-portrait spectacle that showcased the 44 players and 10 builders from Montreal that are in the Hall of Fame. Hockey legends gathered here, both in spirit and some in person. Amazing.

There’s been a lot of talk about Phil Kessel’s maturing game. Kessel came out for a post-game interview in Ottawa with NESN, and as soon as I told him “we have a sec, catch your breath,” he put one hand on the wall, and hunched over. You can’t capture these moments in post-game analysis or next-day articles. He was spent, having left it all out on the ice.

Patrice Bergeron returned to the Garden to many, many cheers. Marco Sturm said before the game that Bergeron “is pretty jacked up.” No win for the B’s this night, but the fans went wild over his return.

Savard had a nifty move and pass in Ottawa that set up Michael Ryder’s goal. Jack Edwards used the term “corkscrew” to describe how he turned off the wall to get the feed out to Ryder. Jack’s descriptions are always so vivid.

I was actually a bit nervous before the Montreal game, knowing the big fight was coming between Shawn Thornton and Georges Laraque. Thornton is so matter-of-fact about it. He knows it’s his role on the team, but he definitely enters a different mental zone when he’s getting ready. For me, the thought of a Laraque punch landing is downright scary. The guy is monstrous. I would probably physically get tossed up to the press box with one hook.

I must give some recognition for Ward’s 700th game played. I think I may have played 700 games of NHL 2000-2008, of the EA Sports kind. It's hardly comparable, but requires just as much love for the sport.

Now we’re in Buffalo. Fluto says the Anchor Bar is the place to get the famous local wings. We’ll try it out.

He winced in a way that you wished was captured on video, for it was impossible to relay in print. It's the same kind of wincing you do when you feel a bit badly for someone -- tilt your head, squint one eye, then shut them both and sigh, only to half-nod in helplessness.  When the writers posted his quote, the words could not relay the complete emotion.

“Tuuka was disappointed,” Peter Chiarelli said.  “He did everything we asked him to do.”

But if you had seen the way he said it, you knew it was with conflicting feelings that the Bruins general manager sent the young goaltender back down to the minors. The youngster statistically outplayed his veteran counterparts this preseason with a 1.48 GAA and a .952 save percentage. Ten pounds heavier, quicker, stronger, better focused and more confident, Rask had to know he was contending for a role on the big team. 

Chiarelli’s reaction told much more than his words, and only those of us huddled in the small circle around him saw his raw reply. Like a school coach who sends a stud junior back to JV because it's just too crowded up top, Chiarelli seemed honestly torn about it. I know, I know, the analogy is very far-fetched. This is no high school roster, and the consequences hold career implications. 

The irony is, it was probably the easiest part in Chiarelli’s decision-making this week.  Chiarelli and his staff have been evaluating the players, crunching the numbers and fiddling with the puzzle pieces in hopes of coming up with a solution for the best roster within the limitations of the salary cap. 

I think last week he said something like, “Unfortunately, it’s not always about the hockey. It’s about the numbers." 

It becomes an ultimate mindbender, a mathematical/logistical quandary that faces an organization laden with talent but tipping that cap scale. Add to it the pressure of great expectations. Should the team fail to be better than they were last year, they can always come back to this moment and say, what if ...

It’s silly to speculate.

Consider it as work in a chemistry lab. You create these formulas based on what you know, what you expect, what things look like on paper and what you’ve seen in the trials. Sometimes, you come up with something so great it wins awards. But most often, the formula still needs work, and as a result, your work -- or Mr. Chiarelli’s work -- is never-ending.  

The coaches and players say it’s just part of the business. But you’ve got to think it’s not so cool when the locker next to you suddenly empties out. That guy engaged in the same workloads, participated in the same team-building drills, travelled miles sitting next to you, and high-fived you when you scored.  No matter what, it kind of bites when he’s gone. 

And maybe that’s what Chiarelli’s reaction really showed.

My friend JK constantly asks me, “Are you just all hockey, all the time? Can you ever turn it off?”

"Not really," I say. 

Hockey, hockey, hockey. And when you’re a rink rat like me, life can’t possibly be any better than this.

It’s my first season as the television version of a beat reporter for the Boston Bruins. I came from New Hampshire, where hockey roots run deep, and the love for the sport is ever-present. I'll miss those nights, getting chills watching the game-opening presentation at the Whit, or seeing fantastic upsets by the Dartmouth Big Green (Mike Devine!) and witnessing stars made out of the Monarchs' AHLers like Teddy Purcell. But call this my graduation to the NHL, and it's awesome.

Hockey is by far the most formal sport I've ever covered. The team and the media are all dressed impeccably in suits, and very proper and well-behaved during travels. It's also an incredibly friendly sport. Players will wave hello and are good-natured about giving interviews. You’ll hear many seasoned journalists say, “Hockey players are different.”

You’ve got to think it’s because the sport is humbling. The sheer effort they have to put into every skate, practice or game, drill or shift can be wearing. It’s the one sport where physical output, player-to-player chemistry, mental sharpness and skill all have to always be peaking. If you let up, you’re left out.

Stop number one on our preseason journey: Halifax, Nova Scotia.It's an absolutely gorgeous area. It’s a port town northeast of Maine, and in a different time zone (one hour ahead of New England). The air is so clean and the people are extremely friendly and happy.

Our cabbie gave us the lowdown. He said at 6 p.m., the town practically shuts down -- it's deserted. But it’s considered a weekend getaway, and when the tourists are around, it’s ever so slightly more alive. There’s a large grassy area, high on a hill near the center of town called the Citadel where you can see Halifax, Dartmouth and the waters and bridges that connect them.

After getting the inside scoop from the cabbie, he then refused to take the gratuity because he felt bad about talking so much. (Seriously? Take the tip! This is what I mean about how the people are so nice.) We also found a quaint local hotspot of a café called the Wired Monk. Since we're lucky enough to travel to different corners of North America, I figure I’ll put in a paragraph about the destinations, in case hockey fans want to take the trip.

The best memory from the first preseason game against Montreal? Patrice Bergeron. He has answered a gazillion questions about returning to the game from his Grade III concussion last year, but the moment he stepped onto the ice, and the moment he scored his goal was a mark of victory words can’t describe. The place lit up, and even the press box was full of smiles. You can’t help but cheer for a guy who loves the game that much, so much that he defied the odds and came back the way he left: an inspiration.