Kobasew, Bruins picking up pace

The Boston Bruins appear to have another offensive weapon, which is probably not what other teams in the Eastern Conference want to hear.

Boston (12-4-3) has the been the surprise team in the conference through the quarter mark of the season. The Bruins play in Montreal as part of Hockey Night in Canada's Original Six Saturday (CBC, CBCSports.ca 3:00 p.m. ET).

The exceptional play of Boston goalie Tim Thomas is a big reason, but so is the club's newfound offence.

Boston averaged 2.51 goals per game last season, 24th in the NHL. Through 19 games this season, they're at 3.21, good for sixth in the league.

Chuck Kobasew scored twice in a 7-4 win against Northeast Division rival Buffalo on Wednesday. He now has three goals and five assists in eight games, rebounding from a pair of tough injuries within the last six months.

"I'm just trying to get more and more comfortable on the ice and just get my timing back from every game, and start to feel better every game," Kobasew told CBCSports.ca.

Kobasew was second on the team in goals in March when teammate Zdeno Chara's slapshot broke his left tibia. The injury forced him to miss the team's playoff round against Montreal.

In this year's season opener, a Colorado shot bruised his right ankle and kept him out for 11 games.

Although his two absences only encompassed about 20 games, during that time younger forwards like Phil Kessel, David Krejci, Milan Lucic and Blake Wheeler have blossomed.

Kobasew, only 26, doesn't feel pressure to produce.

"We had a lot of injuries last year as a team and that gave our young guys a chance to come in do well, and we've got a lot of good young guys on our team and in the system, and that's always good for an organization," he said.

Although Andrew Ference is now out with an injury, the trade that sent the defenceman and Kobasew to Boston from Calgary for Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart is looking like of one of Peter Chiarelli's best moves since he took over as general manager in the summer of 2006.

Chiarelli opted not to tinker with the club too much the past summer. Michael Ryder was added, while Patrice Bergeron came back after missing nearly the entire season due to a concussion.

The Bruins made the playoffs in April for the first time in four years. Without Bergeron and Kobasew, the club still went the playoff round's full seven games against Montreal, a team that dominated them in the regular season.

Any kind of moral victory was not satisfying, said Kobasew. But it was a confidence boost that the front office left the core group roughly the same in the off-season, the Osoyoos, B.C., native added.

"The next step is having a consistent regular season and try and make those strides come playoff time," said Kobasew.

Winning a playoff round or two would help the Bruins do wonders to capitalize on interest that is growing for the team in the marketplace. The club had the misfortune of struggling badly just as baseball's Red Sox and NFL Patriots were becoming powerhouses. The Celtics joined the fray in June with an NBA championship.

Helping in that regard in a big way is sophomore forward Lucic. The six-foot-five bruiser is just around the 100-game mark in the NHL but his hits, fights and increasing offensive output have made him a darling of the fans.

T-shirts that say Lucic Crew — bold but not flashy, just like the player — can be seen around the TD Banknorth Garden and a dozen or so Facebook groups have sprouted in tribute.

"I've played with some 19- and 20-year-olds before and I haven't seen anyone as strong as him," said Kobasew. "It's exciting to watch him grow."

For the first time in a while, it's exciting to watch the Bruins grow.