The hangover talk regarding the Boston Bruins may be officially on its way out. There's no denying that the reigning champions haven't gotten off to the start they had hoped for -- entering tonight's game tied for dead last in the Eastern Conference -- but as October turned to November, it appears that something's clicked with the boys on Causeway Street.

Steamrolling the Sens and Leafs last week, the B's wasted no time in continuing their November annihilation, dicing the Isles up to the tune of 6-2 tonight in the Hub.

Scoring their first goal on their first shot when Benoit Pouliot jammed a rebound home, good for his first goal and point as a Bruin, the Islanders would counter nearly five minutes later when Bruin-killer Matt Moulson tipped home his first goal in eight contests.

But it simply wouldn't last. Adding two goals separated by a mere 29 seconds when Nathan Horton's power-play tally was followed up with by a Tyler Seguin goal -- his fourth in two games -- Evgeni Nabokov's departure would pave the way for an Al Montoya sighting.

Slowing the bleeding down when Michael Grabner scored a late first period marker to bring the Islanders within one, Montoya's prowess in the cage would shine in a second period that was New York's for the taking thanks to two Boston minors that put the Isles' man-advantage to work.

"We got a couple penalties and they had some decent chances," goaltender Tuukka Rask said after earning his first win since April 2nd of last season. "We did a pretty good job clearing those rebounds."

And while Montoya shined for the first 20 he faced in Boston, the gates without opened up when a two-on-one led by Horton and Milan Lucic got the better of the 26-year-old netminder, giving the Bruins a 4-2 lead thanks to Lucic's 7th of the season. Adding their fifth goal less than a minute later with Horton's second -- this time on the doorstep -- and it was a done deal for the Boston Bruins.

With an insurance goal coming in the final moments thanks to David Krejci's empty net tally, giving him his second straight three-point night, this was a contest that was simply all Boston.

A familiar tale in the month of November. Through three games this month, the Bruins have outscored their opponents 18 to 5, and have failed to score less than five goals in a game. Menawhile, the defense and goaltender has returned to its stingy behavior, limiting opponents to one goal every 36 minutes.

"It's about playing our game and going hard on the forecheck," Boston's Patrice Bergeron added. "When we're moving our feet and putting the puck in deep we're playing our game. That's when we're having the most success."

With the win, the B's finally move out of the cellar of the Eastern Conference, improving to 14th.

Paille hit in face with puck, will see specialist

Boston's Danny Paille is no stranger to the defensive aspects of hockey. One of the Bruins' mainstays on the penalty-kill, the 27-year-old was the epicenter of a scary scene when an errant Steve Staios shot caught him right in the face.



Leaving the fourth liner down in a heap along the boards, Paille would eventually leave the ice under his own power, guided down the tunnel by the B's training staff.

He'll see a specialist later tonight, but it appears that he has undoubtedly suffered a broken nose.

"He'll have a nose like mine now," Lucic quipped after the game.

There's no further updates as to his status.

Marc Savard the Bruin, NHLer...the psychic?

It didn't long for me to get confirmation that the Marc Savard twitter account (@MSavvy91) was in fact real. Confirmed to me by the B's staff and then by the agency that represents Savard, it appears that the concussion riddled Bruin has a little bit of future predicting ability.

Earlier today he called for big games from both Horton and Lucic. And lo and behold, the duo finished with three goals and five points.

"I'm going to have to tell him to keep up the tweeting," a smiling Horton said after the win.

By the numbers

500 - NHL games in the career of Boston third-liner Chris Kelly. The always sturdy center skated 13:06 tonight and finished with a plus-1 rating.

32 - Games between goals for Pouliot.

9 - Takeaways credited to the Bruins on the night.

5 - Shots from Boston d-man Joe Corvo on the night, a team-high. Corvo, who had not scored in six games entering play, finished the night with one assist and has been urged to take more shots as of late.

20 - Straight games without a goal for New York's Kyle Okposo, dating back to March 22.

Ty's Take

Consider this the blueprint for success: The ability to roll four lines deep. After 13 Bruins found their way onto the score-sheet against Ottawa, and then 10 B's doing the same against Toronto, 11 Boston skaters finished the night with at least one point. And when you look at the success of the 2010-11 B's, it was their depth that put them above everyone else. They were able to throw their fourth line out there with just as much confidence as they had with their first line. That's an attribute that can and will separate them from the rest of the league if repeated every night.

Up next

The Bruins return to the ice on Thursday night for a match-up with the Northwest-leading Edmonton Oilers. It'll be the second part of a who-knows-long showdown between Tyler Seguin and Edmonton's Taylor Hall.

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