With the success of the Boston Red Sox homegrown players who played a significant impact in the team's World Series Championship win this past Sunday, here's a comparison into who the Boston Bruins are looking at down in Providence with the hopes of putting together a squad that can compete for the Stanley Cup in the coming years.

The Untouchable – Jacoby Ellsbury

One name that Theo Epstein and the entire baseball operations staff refused to toss around in trade deadline talks this past season was centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. A rarity for Theo’s regime, Ellsbury’s talents and potential far exceeded any player they felt they would get in return and who would have known he would have been responsible for getting all of us a free taco from Taco Bell.

General Manager Peter Chiarelli’s equivalent to Ellsbury is Tuukka Rask. Rask, the goaltending phenom born in Savonlinna, Finland, is already making an impact with the Baby B’s this season. Like Ellsbury, Rask was sent to start the season in the minors to hone his skills. With the goaltending issues that plague the Bruin’s last season, many expected the Bruins to take a chance and keep Rask with the big club this season. After trading for Manny Fernandez, it was pretty clear the Bruins were going to take their time with this talent and let the young goalie get experience with Scott Gordon’s club.

So far, Rask has led his team to five of their six victories on the young season. His 2.17 goals-against-average is good for 16th in the league thus far. His best performance came in his first game with Providence where he stopped 27 of 28 shots. His only loss of the year came against Worcester on October 21st where he let four goals slip by on 26 shots.

Don’t expect Rask to be like Ellsbury and take over the starting job for the Stanley Cup finals this year (because no matter how good their start has been, let’s not jump the gun and say the Bruins are even a playoff team just yet) but if he keeps stopping pucks at the rate he is in Providence, and if Fernandez or Thomas stumbles a bit, he may force Chiarelli to take a chance on him. The only thing more rampant than coaching changes in Boston is goaltending changes. With Rask, we may finally see the netminder become a staple in the Bruins lineup for years to come.

The Surprise – Dustin Pedroia

After spending three years in the minors, Dustin Pedroia was called up to be the starting second baseman for the Red Sox. After struggling early on in the season, many fans questioned the feisty 5’9” rookie and wanted him out of the lineup. As Terry Francona decided to stick with him, Pedroia exploded to become a potential (probable front-runner) Rookie of the Year candidate. With his lead-off home run in the World Series against Colorado, Pedroia put an exclamation point on his season and gave Red Sox Nation something to look forward to for years to come.

Two months and a day Pedroia’s elder, Pascal Pelletier is in his third professional season with Providence. In his first season, Pelletier accumulated 46 points in 53 games. Last season, he struggled after a fast start, finishing out with 49 points in 80 games. So far, Pelletier is back on his game. Averaging a point per game so far, he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder. After the Bruins re-sign him, Pelletier wanted to prove that he could live up to his contract and perform. Seeing the gritty player skate, you immediately see the potential and the possibility that the NHL awaits. With two multiple point nights in seven games, Pelletier has shown that he has a feel for the offensive ability it takes to perform well in the American Hockey League. If he can continue his ways, he may very well get to see just how he fares versus the likes of NHL veterans.

The Breakout Player – Kevin Youkilis

After playing a good amount of games at first in 2006, Kevin Youkilis stepped up officially as the Red Sox full-time first baseman in 2007. Often known for his great defensive ability (at first, third, or even left field) Youkilis had an impressive year at the plate. At one point, he had a 23-game hitting streak. His presence in the postseason was unquestionable. His first playoff hit was a home run in Game 1 of the ALCS versus Cleveland. Speaking more toward his character, the player often referred to as Youk, had no problems being sat down in the World Series in favor of power hitting David Ortiz at first. Without Kevin Youkilis, it’s hard to say if the Duck Boats would have been traveling around the streets of Boston.

Tied for the lead in points for Providence is right wing Martins Karsums, who, in his second year with the Baby B’s, is an impressive +7 on the season so far. The 64th overall selection in the 2004 NHL entry draft has been a steady presence for Providence in each of his first two seasons. With the loss of David Krejci to the big club, Karsums will be looked upon to carry the offense a bit more. Boston paid close attention to him in training camp this season before sending him down to Providence. The Bruins put him alongside great players in their lineup to see how he meshed with the NHL players but in the end, it wasn’t enough for him to get a spot with the club. In Karsums case, it’s for the best. This season he will be the main attraction to supply the scoring touch and it will ultimately prove whether or not he can compete on the NHL level.

If these three talents can stay on pace and continue to improve, like their neighbors in Beantown, they too may get the chance to be the envy of a nation.