In four seasons under Bob Davie, the Irish have never had fewer than three losses. The last time they did better was in 1993, when they were 11-1 and finished in the Top 10 for the last time. With captain Jason Allison mired in a contract dispute, there are several players fighting for ice time in the pivot. It's expected that Joe Thornton will take over the No. 1 job. After that, there's a good contest going on.
Most cities have a superstar or two in their history.
The numbers, by themselves, are Herculean. Vaclav Nedorost had a goal and an assist in his first NHL game and Patrick Roy, as dominating at the start of a new season as he was at the end of last season for the reigning Stanley Cup champions, shut down the Penguins in the Colorado Avalanche's 3-1 victory last night in Pittsburgh. When training camp began, defenseman Nick Boynton knew it wasn't going to be easy to land a spot in Boston. However, he was determined that after two years as a pro, he was ready to make the next step. He had worked on his game in the minors in Providence, focusing on his own end, which had been his weakness, and he performed well in the preseason with the Bruins.