The start of the season has certainly been plagued by unexpected concerns--inconsistent scoring, sloppy puck control, inability to win physical battles, shaky goaltending and downright abysmal special teams play. I haven't seen much of the intensity and mental toughness that carried the Bruins to their best record in decades last year.

That being said, it would be ludicrous to say that the Bruins are screwed at this juncture of the season. True, they mustered just two wins out of a season-opening homestand in which they surrendered 19 goals in five games. True, one of those wins came against the Islanders in the shootout after erasing a three-goal, third-period deficit--one of the Bruins' few exhibitions of intensity and desperation this season, and all that stands between them and a 1-4 record.

But we must remember, as the season is in its infant stages, that there is plenty of time for the kinks to be worked out. In the long run, the first five games mean virtually nothing. There are too many experienced members of the organization--from the players on up--to allow mediocrity to set in for any length of time. Lest we forget, the Bruins have last season’s coach, goaltender, and defenseman of the year, and those honors were not unjustly awarded. But there's plenty of work to be done.

The power play is clicking at an anemic 4-for-29 rate so far. In fact, if you throw out the 7-2 romping of Carolina in their second game (which is a stupid concept but I still find the resulting fact interesting), the Bruins have actually allowed more goals while on the man advantage than they’ve scored, as the power play has gone 0-for-21 in the other four games while giving up two shorthanded goals. The penalty kill has sucked too, allowing 8 goals in 26 attempts--leaving me with a shocking feeling that I actually miss PJ.

The ineffectiveness on special teams is definitely an accurate reflection of the Bruins' struggles as a whole. Their power play has sputtered because of their inability to create traffic and get the puck to the net, something that has plagued them in their failed attempts to play a cohesive, 60-minute game. When I was at today's game, I was pulling my hair because the Bruins seemed unable to penetrate the shooting lanes, dancing around the perimeter until they either lost possession of the puck or took shots from the blueline that were blocked with ease and either cleared the zone or sailed out of play.

The Bruins are underperforming in their own zone as well. They've appeared overmatched in one-on-one battles, either getting outmuscled or losing races to the puck. The defensive corps has been burned multiple times by the speed of opponents’ top lines, particularly in the blowout losses to Washington and Anaheim. Neither Thomas nor Tuukka Rask has been overly impressive in net; then again, neither netminder has received great support from the five guys in front of him.

Despite all of these issues, the Bruins have the coaching and the talent to overcome their slow start. The fact that the offense has shown improved chemistry--at least in 5-on-5 situations--in the past few games is encouraging. The fourth line continues to be a silver lining with its gritty play, and Patrice Bergeron and Marco Sturm have shown that they are ready to make a difference this year.

For the rest of the team, much of the struggle seems to be mental. Thomas has been fighting the puck, looking oddly uncomfortable, and many of the skaters have been far too hesitant to get physical in the corners and take offensive risks. It's almost as if there's a hangover from last season--as if the players expect the success of 2008-09 to just present itself on a silver platter alongside a free playoff berth. Simply put, the Bruins need to prove that they are hungry, because they aren’t sneaking up on anyone this year.

So, my general advice is not to panic, but to exercise some patience--a rarity for Boston sports fans, myself included, who live in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of world. Look for the Bruins’ upcoming road trip to serve as a wakeup call--a chance to return home with a fresh look next week--and expect a strong performance from an angry Thomas in net on Friday night in Dallas. This team is too good to fumble away its high expectations, and we all know that, once they string together a few wins, the good vibrations will return to the TD Garden. It's just a matter of translating skill into effort, intensity and focus.