BOSTON — The Bruins will get to play in front of the home folks at the Garden for the first time Saturday night against the Panthers, but on Sunday they'll be right back on the road.
They aren't traveling for more exhibition games this time, however. Instead, they're heading to Brattleboro, Vermont for two days of team-building exercises.
That's good news for at least one Bruin, as former University of Vermont netminder Tim Thomas always enjoys an excursion to the Green Mountain State, even if it's to an unfamiliar region of it.
"It'll be nice [going back to Vermont]," said Thomas. "But I don't know if I've ever been to Brattleboro or the area where we will be going. So it will be a new experience for me too."
Thomas is more familiar with the team-building exercises that will be taking place, and the benefits that can come from them. Last year's condensed schedule because of the Olympics forced the team to cancel their plans for such a getaway, but they did it each of the previous two seasons and the time together helped the Bruins forge the chemistry that was a key part of their success in those years.
"It all depends on what you put into it," said Thomas. "I'm sure it will be a good setup. I think it's been helpful to us in the past, which is why we're doing it again. Last year we didn't do it, but the two years we did it kind of gave us a jump start on getting to know each other and the team-bonding side of the game."
