Through five games and a 4-0-1 start, one thing is certain: the Bruins are playing some solid hockey.
There is a lot of buzz surrounding this team and most of it involves rookie sensation Dougie Hamilton. The 19-year-old from Toronto has looked consistently solid throughout Boston’s first five games.
The rookie has registered four points on the year, despite going against many of the top lines in the league. Hamilton’s passing ability and hockey knowledge have been front and center early on in 2013, and his most recent games have arguably been his best. Wednesday night in Raleigh, Hamilton sent a beautiful feed through the slot to David Krejci, setting up the go-ahead goal in a 5-3 Bruins victory. However, he’s far from the only recent Bruins player to burst onto the scene with a strong rookie debut.
Two years ago, the city of Boston fell in love with another rookie, Tyler Seguin. The No. 2 overall pick for the Bruins in 2010 made his impact very early. In just his second start for the eventual Stanley Cup champion Bruins, Seguin scored his first career goal. That goal also helped seal the first victory of the year for Boston — a 3-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. Seguin would continue his strong performance with assists in two of his next three games and eventually finish with 22 points during his rookie season. Seguin’s real presence was felt in the Eastern Conference Finals, when he netted three goals in the first two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Another Bruins player who got off to a fast start is current goaltender Tuukka Rask. Tuukka finally got a crack at a starting job during the 2009-2010 season when Tim Thomas was pestered with a hip injury. Rask got his first victory with a 4-3 shootout win over the New York Islanders. He would go on to start the season 3-1-1, including a shutout win over the Edmonton Oilers. Rask had an impressive .925 save percentage in his first five starts and stopped 28 shots in a win over the rival Buffalo Sabres. Rask would keep his job throughout the regular season, appearing in 45 games and finishing with an impressive 22-12-5 overall record with only a 1.97 GAA.
With Hamilton’s recent success it poses the question — which recent Boston rookie has been most impressive  through his first five games?
Photo via Facebook/Boston Bruins
