But with Saturday's 5-1 win over a reputable Dallas squad, followed by last night's squashing of the plucky Leafs with the estimable Vesa Toskala in net, the Bruins have shown the kind of offense rarely seen in the Hub of Hockey in recent years.
Consider: Wheeler's three-goal effort, which he completed with an empty-netter with 53 seconds to go, gave the Bruins a second hat trick in the same season for the first time since 2002-03. Once was the time when hats rained down almost on demand in the old Garden, celebrating the routine offensive heroics of Messrs. Rick Middleton and Cam Neely. But the good ol' days gave way to the trap-happy hockey of the '90s, and as offense dried up around the NHL, the Boston output grew parched.
"I think so; it's a different feeling," said Bruins goalie Tim Thomas when asked if he could see the Boston offense growing more confident. "At times the last two years . . . even if a guy had a clear shot, or a clear lane, the feeling was kind of that he wouldn't score. I think we've raised the overall talent level of the team's offense . . . with guys like [Michael Ryder] and Wheeler and [Patrice Bergeron] being back, we are more of a consistent offensive threat.
"So, a rising tide lifts all boats, I think."
Not to mention how good goaltending also can float a team's boat. Thomas continued his miserly ways last night, turning away 34 shots, backed by a 3-0 lead early in the second period that no doubt lightened his load. The win, in front of 15,391 on Causeway Street, was Boston's fourth in five outings, all with Thomas in the net. In those four wins, the hard-working backstop allowed a total of only three goals.
Dennis Wideman opened the scoring at 5:56 of the first, connecting on a slapper off the left point with Alexei Ponikarovsky in the penalty box for interference. Only 1:50 later, six seconds after Nik Antropov was whistled off for hooking, Wheeler scored his first of the night, providing a deflection to another Wideman shot, this one a long-range wrister. Two power plays. Two goals. Challenged last season just to get opportunities to go on the power play, the Bruins were hitting 1.000 on the PP right off the bat.
