Michael Dwyer / AP

Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas won the Vezina Trophy last season.

Stanley Cups: 5

2008-'09 record: 53-19-10, 116 points (1st in Northeast, 1st in East)

2008-'09 playoffs: Defeated Montreal Canadiens 4-0; lost to Carolina Hurricanes 4-3

General manager: Peter Chiarelli (129-89-28, 4th NHL season, 1st team)

Coach: Claude Julien (215-134-21, 7th NHL season, 3rd team)

Captain: Zdeno Chara

Top returning scorer: C Marc Savard (25 goals, 63 assists, 88 points)

Top returning goalie: Tim Thomas (36-11-7, 2.10, .933)

Key additions: LW Steve Begin; C Trent Whitfield; D Derek Morris.

Key subtractions: C Stephane Yelle; D Aaron Ward; D Steve Montador; LW Peter Schaefer; D Shane Hnidy; LW P.J. Axelsson; RW Phil Kessel; G Manny Fernandez; C Martin St. Pierre.

Top line: LW Milan Lucic, C Marc Savard, RW Michael Ryder

Top defensive pairing: Zdeno Chara, Dennis Wideman

Goaltending: No longer the underappreciated journeyman, Thomas easily won the Vezina Trophy and First All-Star Team nod last season and is odds-on favorite to start for the U.S. at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Led NHL in save percentage and GAA and signed four-year, $20 million extension just prior to playoffs. Aggressive battler between the pipes has become a much better technician, refining his movements, but still tends to give up some juicy rebounds.

Player to watch: G Tuukka Rask. Opening is there for Bruins goalie-in-waiting to step up to the big club after finishing second in the AHL last season in victories, winning 33 times for Providence. Tall, quick butterfly goalie is the latest product of the Finnish goaltending factory looking to make his mark in NHL.

Icing: The awards were plentiful for the Bruins, who also had the top defenseman, Chara, and coach of the year in Julien. Despite jumping from the No. 8 seed in 2008 to No. 1 in 2009, the season ended in disappointing fashion with a Game 7 home loss to upstart Carolina in the second round. Chara helped the Bruins allow a league-low 2.29 goals per game last season. He was sixth in average ice time at just over 26 minutes per game and 12th among defensemen with 50 points — including 19 goals. Boston will need to find a way to replace the team-high 36 goals scored by Kessel, who was traded to Toronto after the Bruins failed to reach a contract agreement with the restricted free agent.

Outlook: A breakthrough regular season was followed by playoff heartbreak against Carolina, but the Bruins will benefit from a weak Northeast Division lineup to roll through the conference once more.

Prediction: 104 points, 1st in Northeast, 2nd seed in East.

NHL TEAM-BY-TEAM PREVIEWS Teams listed in predicted order of finish; x-playoff team ATLANTIC x-Penguins x-Flyers x-Devils x-Rangers Islanders Vote: Winner? CENTRAL x-Red Wings x-Blackhawks x-Blue Jackets x-Blues Predators Vote: Winner? NORTHEAST x-Bruins x-Canadiens Sabres Maple Leafs Senators Vote: Winner? NORTHWEST x-Flames x-Canucks Oilers Wild Avalanche Vote: Winner? SOUTHEAST x-Capitals x-Hurricanes Thrashers Panthers Lightning Vote: Winner? PACIFIC x-Sharks x-Ducks Stars Kings Coyotes Vote: Winner?

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