"Things are just working," said Kessel, whose goal, good for a 2-0 lead in the second period, stretched his point streak to 11 games (9-5 -14). "The shots are going in the net. For me, I think it's because our line has been together for a little while now. Savvy [Marc Savard] is great at getting people the puck, and Looch [Milan Lucic] opens up some room . . . they really help me out."
The win, against an improving Panther club (4-0-2 in the previous six games), was the fourth straight for the Bruins, who show no signs of yielding ground atop the Eastern Conference. They have 40 points and only one regulation loss since Nov. 1. They are a near-mesmerizing 16-2-1 since Oct. 25.
Florida, even though unable to score, kept the pressure up all night, but Fernandez was shot perfect in recording his 15th career shutout. He has posted seven straight wins, the first Boston goalie to do that since Jon Casey in 1994. He also has points in nine consecutive games, a feat not equaled since John Grahame went 8-0-1 in 2002.
"That's a good team stat," said Fernandez, reflecting on the shutout, only his second since joining the Bruins in a swap from Minnesota. "But for myself, I couldn't care less. It's just good to get the win, especially because [the Panthers] have been on a roll and their goalie [Craig Anderson] has been on a hot streak."
Kessel, blistering hot of late, popped in a pair of goals in the 3-1 win Thursday at Tampa. He is playing by far his best hockey since joining the Black and Gold for the 2006-07 season, the same season he had to move to the sidelines for 10 games to be treated for testicular cancer.
From the start this season, Kessel looked vastly improved, connecting for six goals in the club's first six games. But then came a three-week dry spell in which he went a meager 1-1 -2 over nine games, and it looked as though he might drift into the same maddening inconsistency that led coach Claude Julien to yank him from the lineup during the playoff series against Montreal in April.
