from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,

The division-centric NHL season of 2020-21, particularly with the seven Canadian teams tucked away up there in the Great White North, has made it a greater challenge to take in what’s happening across the full 31-team landscape.

One month into last season’s schedule, for instance, the Bruins had played 13 games, against 12 opponents, and only four were division brethren.

On Friday night at Madison Square Garden, the Bruins played their 13th game, the Rangers one of but six teams they’ve faced. They’ll have to win two playoff rounds to get a chance to face their first non-division opponent of the season. As is true throughout the league, it’s possible they’ll play 70 division games before reaching the conference finals (Stanley Cup semis).

When it’s all over, and the movie “NHL Groundhog Day” is made, Bill Murray is destined to be cast in the Gary Bettman role.

For those who’ve been lost in their Bruins/East groundhog hole, here’s a handful of story lines that have emerged over the first month:

- Minnesota left wing Kirill Kaprizov, and not No. 1 draft pick Alexis Lafreniere, has a foot up on Rookie of the Year (Calder Trophy) honors. Headed into weekend play, the Siberian-born 23-year-old led all freshmen in scoring (11 games, 3-6—9), which included his overtime winner in his debut at Los Angeles.

Kaprizov is a joy to watch. Fast. Extremely clever hands. Exhibit A: his scoring bid Jan. 22 vs. the Sharks, in which he used one arm to fend off a backchecking Marcus Sorensen on a rush to the net, then squeezed off a dazzling one-handed, between-the-legs attempt on Devan Dubnyk that was labeled for the back of the net.

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