FanHouse MarcoSturm

A couple of weeks ago, TSN hockey analyst Gord Miller came to the conclusion that in order for the Pittsburgh Penguins to remain competitive in the NHL, they would have to deal the league's leading scorer, Evgeni Malkin, for a first-line winger, a No. 2 center, and "hopefully" a pick or a prospect. It was a laughable proposal.

On Sunday night, Rob Rossi, Penguins beat writer for the Tribune-Review, appeared on a weekly Pittsburgh talk show and suggested the team would be wise to put Sidney Crosby on the trade block this offseason. I guess this is what happens when you go from being two wins away from hoisting the Stanley Cup to being the No. 10 team in the Eastern Conference in a matter of one season.

The game of the night -- or so we thought -- was that monster matchup in Detroit, between the defending Stanley Cup champions, and the team that, thus far, has been the best team in the NHL this season. On paper, it looked like it was going to be an epic tilt. Possible Western Conference Finals preview, Mike Babcock vs. Todd Mclellan, teacher vs. student, etc. etc. etc. Of course, it was the second time they faced off this year, but, hey, it still looked like it was going to be awesome.

This, of course, is why the games aren't played on paper, as the Red Wings disposed of San Jose quite easily in a 6-0 romp at Joe Louis Arena. It's the Sharks' second straight loss, and the first game they've dropped in regulation in over a month.

Every Monday morning The Ice Sheet will take a close look at everything that's happened in the NHL since Friday night at 5:00 p.m. -- or if need be, anything else the author wants to bleat about. To read them all, click here.

No, that is not a misprint in today's edition of the NHL standings. Indeed, the Boston Bruins are alone on top of the Eastern Conference with 40 points, with preseason favorites like New York, Montreal and Washington all filling space in their rear view mirror.

All of this begs a question: Can this really be the same franchise that a little more than three years ago traded Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks, a man who would go on to win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP only a few months later?

The Boston Bruins entered Thursday night's game riding a 12-game losing streak against the Montreal Canadiens and, well, they simply had enough of it.

Boston jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first period thanks to goals by Shawn Thornton, Stephane Yelle, and Marco Sturm, as they rolled to a 6-1 victory in a battle of early-season Northeast Division heavyweights. Yelle and Sturm would each add another goal, while Milan Lucic added the other tally for Boston.

Saku Koivu, who is somehow one of 800 Canadiens leading the early All-Star voting, scored the only goal for Montreal.

Carey Price had his worst start of the season, stopping only 25 of the 31 shots Boston threw his way. In the process, the Bruins take over sole possession of first place in the Northeast, two points ahead of Buffalo, and three points ahead of the Canadiens.

Bruins blog HubHockey celebrates the end of the streak, while Montreal blog The Notwithstanding Clause offers the following: "I have a message for our defense: pylons are usually orange."

The NHL's free agency frenzy began today, and the biggest news pertains to a fellow who wasn't even a free agent this summer: Joe Thornton.

The Sharks, ever eager to lock down their MVP-caliber centerman, didn't waste any time wheelbarrowing in a whack of dough over to Joe's house. The terms are $7.2mil a season for 3 seasons.

"Joe Thornton is among the top group of elite players in the National Hockey League," said GM Doug Wilson in a statement.

"In addition to his play on the ice, Joe leads by example and has as much love for the game as anyone I have seen. Making sure Joe remained in San Jose was a top priority and he will be an integral part of our franchise as we march towards our goal of competing for the Stanley Cup next year and for years to come."

Just $7.2mil for the guy who has lead the NHL in scoring over the past two seasons combined? Hearing about the likes of Scott Gomez getting similar offers leaves me wondering how the Sharks managed Thornton to accept a potential 'discount'. Yeah, the $ figure is astounding, but certainly lower than I figured one of the very best could get on the open market.

Just how good is this trade looking for the Sharks, by the way?

To refresh your memory, Thornton was acquired by San Jose, from Boston, in exchange for LW Marco Sturm, D Brad Stuart and RW Wayne Primeau.

Stuart? After 100 mediocre games (in which he went -32), he was dealt to the Calgary Flames for pennies on the dollar.

Sturm? 87 points in 127 games for Boston. He's been pretty solid for the Bruins, but he's no Joe Thornton.

Primeau? An easily replaceable 4th line slug.