Few things:

Andrew Shaw does not look like himself through three games. Much like Ben Smith was supposed to have been, he's a "premium" fourth-line winger who can give you what you need at that position better than most people around the league can. But that means keeping his game simple. And playing a guy at center when he was a winger who was a longshot to even make the NHL is not keeping his game simple. I understand that Jamal Mayers is old, and if we're going to use him, he needs to be used carefully. But Shaw is just so visibly outmatched with added responsibilities, the most obvious being at the dot (5/11 tonight, 1/5 in St. Louis's end is what really smarts) but really everything else as well. When he was limited to hustling and being opportunistic around the net, he shone. Put him back at wing.

This is going to sting for all the Stan Bowman skeptics and haters out there, but Marcus Kruger might end up being what the braintrust thought he'd be. He looks like a different player out there.

Brandon Saad looks like he's for real, too. He's not on the score sheet yet, but he's doing so many things right so far. I'm sad that he changed his number to #20 from what he felt was his low draft pick of #43. That was the kind of chip on one's shoulder you usually have to find on a Sox fan.

I'm so done with Brandon Bollig and his pointless fights. Yes, he has a good wrister. Yes, he had a decent scoring chance or two. But look at the box score. He played just 5:16. Next lowest is Frolik at 11:53. That stands out to me. There shouldn't be an almost seven-minute disparity between linemates, but that's what happens when you take yourself off the bench for five minutes so that you could twirl, flail, and grope, and call it a "fight." Why stress your bench like that? What was gained by that?

Stalberg is playing well so far after being a ghost in Los Angeles.

When Dave Bolland is merely the third-best player on a forward line, it's a beautiful thing.

CH.....I'm hearing the comparisons to the Cup winning team. How about it?

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

Trae Young will be a bust. Book It!

Many that is true, but an incomplete statement.

Jesus criminy joseph man... Frolik is way to derpy with the puck for me to have him on a 3rd line.

Trae Young will be a bust. Book It!

Notice how I changed my mind when I posted my lines 2 seconds later....I should go back and edit.

Many that is true, but an incomplete statement.

Jesus criminy joseph man... Frolik is way to derpy with the puck for me to have him on a 3rd line.

I don't like white rappers.

DERP!

Many that is true, but an incomplete statement.

I don't like white rappers.