Under new coach Claude Julien, the Boston Bruins are playing better hockey than they have at any time since the lockout ended, largely because his well-structured defensive system--anchored by captain Zdeno Chara--is helping to make life far easier for starting goaltender Tim Thomas and back-up Alex Auld. Tonight in Atlanta, however, the Bruins will have their hands full when they attempt to neutralize two of the NHL's most dynamic offensive players, Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa. Check out this intriguing match-up in brilliant 1080i on HDNet, live at 7:00 pm ET.

Bruins to Watch

At 6'9" and 260 pounds, Slovakian defenseman Zdeno Chara may well be the NHL's most imposing player. He possesses uncommon speed and agility for a player of his size, and his slapshot from the point on the Bruins' power play is one of the game's most feared weapons. In his first season in Boston, Chara tried to do too much, and he struggled mightily. But this year, he's focusing more on being a physical presence in the defensive zone--and less on being a puck-carrier--and the results have been excellent. Curiously, Chara is far more effective on the road (15 points in 20 games, plus-11 rating) than he is in the supposedly friendly confines of the TD BankNorth Garden in Boston (six points, minus-10 rating).

The Bruins' leading scorer, Marc Savard, is a former Thrasher, and prior to his joining the Bruins, his finest NHL moments came while he played for Atlanta. Savard signed with Boston prior to last season, and has maintained his plus-point-per-game pace since arriving in Beantown. One of the NHL's most dynamic playmakers, Savard is crafty and quick, able to create high-quality scoring chances in the blink of an eye. Look for the freewheeling pivot to be at his best against his former team.

Acquired in the infamous Joe Thornton trade, Marco Sturm is the only player remaining from that deal, and though it's thoroughly unfair to compare him to the Sharks' superstar, it is quite fair to say that Sturm is one of the most under-appreciated talents in the league. He is second on the Bruins in scoring with 23 points in 35 games, leads the team with five power play goals, and has posted a very impressive plus-six rating through 35 games.

Another player added via controversial trade, Dennis Wideman, is quickly coming into his own on the Bruins' blue line. Because the player he was dealt for, the St. Louis Blues' Brad Boyes, is amongst the league's leading goal-scorers, the trade has been panned by most NHL pundits. But defensemen take longer to develop than forwards, and if Wideman's progress this season is any indication, he will soon be a more valuable asset to the Bruins than Boyes is to the Blues. Talented puckmoving defensemen who shoot from the right side are far rarer than skilled forwards who excel playing alongside perennial All-Stars (in Boyes' case, Paul Kariya and Keith Tkachuk).

Perhaps the most inspirational story on the Bruins is that of netminder Tim Thomas, who consistently shatters all expectations. After playing four seasons for the University of Vermont (NCAA), Thomas's career took him back and forth between Europe (Finland and Sweden) and three different North American minor leagues (ECHL, IHL, and AHL) before he finally got a shot to play full-time for the Bruins in 2005-06, when both Boston goaltenders (Andrew Raycroft and Hannu Toivonen) went down with injuries. Last season, Toivonen was expected to take over the starting role, but Thomas ended up playing 66 games and kept the Bruins in the playoff hunt until the season's final month. And this year, the Bruins traded for Manny Fernandez, but injuries and shoddy play by the former Wild goaltender paved the way for Thomas to once again ascend to the starter's role.

Thrashers to Watch

With 31 goals in 38 games, Ilya Kovalchuk is the NHL's hottest goal-scorer, and if he maintains this torrid pace, he'll become the first NHL player to score 60+ goals since Mario Lemieux did it during the 1995-96 season. Kovalchuk is a tremendous skater, one of the fastest in the league, and his laser-like shot is incredibly accurate even from as far away as the blue line. The one knock against Kovalchuk is his inconsistent play away from the puck, but that's to be expected from a player who takes as many risks as he does.

One player who's not typically criticized for his play away from the puck is Slovakian forward Marian Hossa, typically considered one of the NHL's finest two-way forwards. But this season, Hossa has struggled mightily, no doubt somewhat distracted by his pending unrestricted free agency. With 35 points in 35 games, Hossa remains a very dynamic scoring threat, but it's worth noting that 22 of his 35 points came during a 15-game stretch from early-November to early-December. But for that run, he's been surprisingly pedestrian, and it's quite possible that GM Don Waddell will shop him as the trade deadline approaches.

The biggest concern for the Thrashers is in goal, where Kari Lehtonen was expected to be the team's franchise player. Unfortunately, the talented Finnish netminder has struggled mightily with groin problems throughout his still-young career, and when he has been healthy enough to suit up, his performances have been surprisingly inconsistent. But it's a good sign for Atlanta that he appears to be heating up. He's won four of his last six games, stopping over 92% of the shots he's faced, and perhaps most importantly, has been able to suit up consistently since he returned to the lineup on December 1st after a six-week absence.

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