Bruins about to get their Savy back

By Chris Maza
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Fans saw the best sight they had seen in a while this week when they saw reports from Bruins practice of Marc Savard on skates.

Now, they have another reason to have hope.

Marc Savard got on the plane headed for Atlanta as the Bruins head on the road for two big road games against the Thrashers and Sabers.

Savard has not actually practiced with the team, so it's not likely he'll play in either of these games, but the fact that he's making the trip, presumably to skate with the team and get caught up, is a more than encouraging sign.

Savard is one of the most underrated playmakers in the National Hockey League and was the team leader in assists, points and power play points. The Bruins have been absolutely punchless since the injuries to Savard and fellow top liner Milan Lucic. In the month of November thus far, the Bruins have a 2-6 record, posting a paltry 1.75 goals per game average. They were shut out for back-to-back games and three times this month.

Probably the worst part of the Bruins' game has been the power play. They rank dead last in the league in goals on the man advantage, despite being in the top 5 in the league in shots taken on the power play. At no time was did the unit look more disfunctional than when it failed to convert a 5-on-3 advantage that they held for almost a full two minutes against the Islanders on Monday.

Savard has been the quarterback of that unit and his uncanny abilities on the man advantage helped lead the Bruins to the fourth-best power play in the league, which makes the struggles this year look that much worse.

To have the biggest catalyst the team has return later this month will be a huge boost. But it's not all roses for the Bruins. Lucic was actually expected to return from his finger injury and play either Thursday or Friday, but he didn't even make the trip.

The loss of Lucic put a major hurting on the Bruins' style of hockey, which is to put a hurting on it's opponents. His return is also vital to the success of the Bruins, but not to the same extent that Savard's is. He's skating, he's traveling, he's probably going to practice. So when exactly can we expect to see Savard playing savior? Hopefully soon.