It's a common sports cliché (though not always accurate---hello 29th Super Bowl) that "to be the best you have to beat the best". Last night, THE story of Boston sports right now, your Boston Bruins, handily dispatched the reigning Stanley Cup champion and prohibitive pre-season favorite Dee-troit Red Wings 4-1 at the increasingly sold-out Fake Garden for the ninth straight "W" in the home barn. The win not only moved the team into a tie for the Wales lead (with two games in hand) with the Rangers; it was also a message to the rest to the rest of league and the doubters/haters. Right now the Bs are in Clarence the Barber from "Coming to America" mode---"Fuck you, fuck you, and fuck you! Who's next?"

Though consistently one of the best teams in the league, Detroit is also probably the least intense of Boston's Original Six rivalries (though it's always a treat when they're in town). But last night's game had a playoff buzz and hockey people thinking "rematch" in June. And the Bruins, after withstanding Detroit's early pressure, made it look easy, frankly. Emerging Calder Trophy candidate Blake Wheeler's textbook 2-on-1, one-timer from a perfect Michael Ryder pass on Boston's first shot 12 minutes into the game opened the scoring as well as put Wheeler #2 in rookie goal scorers with eight. Kessel 13th goal a few minutes later doubled their lead as well as put Kessel alongside the names "Crosby" and "Ovechkin" in a 3rd place tie for the league lead. The Bruins have found themselves that elusive bona fide sniper (maybe two). And Kess just became legal to drink. Chiarelli not dumping this kid last year could turn out to be like not dumping your Apple stock in the early 80s for a couple of Commodore 64s.

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