Jan. 18 BOSTON (on feeling good)

MAJOR BLOGS - www.majorblogs.com - BOSTON -- I love a feel-good story, certainly when there is a "career" minor leaguer involved. So I am really very happy longtime AHL defenseman Bobby Allen finally getting another shot in the NHL. With his hometown Boston Bruins, no less.

Allen was a promising second round selection out of Boston College by the Bruins way back in 1998. In the long seasons since then, Allen bounced around, managing to log a grand total of one big league appearance (of less than 3:00) with Edmonton back in 2002.

 This year he returned to the Bs, ostensibly to add some veteran leadership to the Baby Bruins down in Providence. The master plan didn't call for him to jump up to the big club. Not with No. 1 picks such as Mark Stuart and Matt Lashoff, plus the rapidly improving Jonathan Sigalet, all stacked ahead of him.

 Ah,yes. The plan. (What happened to that?)

 Short of blueline bodies and long on questions, the Bruins this week elevated Allen. Last night, he fulfilled a lifelong dream, playing for the Bruins in the town he cut his hockey teeth in.

  You couldn't help but be delighted for him.

  I know I was.

  Talking to him in the Gahden press room last night, I asked him whether, after all the bus rides, bad teams, and changes of organizations (three of them) that he doubted that such a day would ever come.

 "It did take a long time to get back here," he said. "But I never gave up hope. I knew if I came to the rink every day and worked hard, that somebody would like my game, and that somebody would give me a chance. I just feel fortunate that the Bruins gave me a chance. I'm finally back in the National Hockey League. I'm trying to take it day by day."

  At least he can now speak in the plural sense.

  So, how did it feel to finally step out there as an NHLer?

 "I had chills in warmups," he said. "Then coming out for the game, it was something I'll never forget. I tried to settle down and play hockey, but it wasn't easy. It was kind of surreal. I still live on the South Shore, and coming to this rink when I was a kid, watching Ray Bourque and Cam Neely. All those Bruins greats. To come out of that locker room and play is every kid's dream.
It sounds kind of corny, but it really is true, I take it to heart that I get to wear the "Spoked-B" and play here in Boston. It's really special to me"
  It's special to see it, too.

  Then there's the tale of 39-year old goalie Sean Burke, who is back in the NHL, Claimed on waivers by LA after not being able to crack Tampa's farm club in Springfield.

  By all accounts, Burke played the very good soldier in Springy, but was thought to be washed up.
  We'll see now, and it would be nice for Burke if he does have something left.

  However the joke around hockey lately is that the Kings have far better goaltending on their Manchester farm team in the person of Jason LaBarbera than they do in Los Angeles.

  Except it's not that funny.

  I saw LaBarbera shout out Portland the other night, racking up his 26th AHL shutout. He would have been in LA weeks ago if the Kings weren't scared silly that they would lose him on re-entry waivers, which they would have to expose LaBarbera to if they did try to bring him up.

  (Remember last year when Boston was able to sneak Tim Thomas up? That won't be happening again.)
  For his part, LaBarbera is handling the situation like the pro that he is. Admirably.
  He told me the other day that "There's nothing I can do about it, so I can't let it bother me. I just have to let things take their course."

  Hopefully, that course will lead back to the Show (where he's never really gotten a chance).

  Then there's Phil Kessel, Boston's improving young star. A very reluctant one at that. As the father of six, I know a bit about moody teenagers, but Kessel, who is still 19, strikes me as a very, very, very unhappy young man. I don't know why, and it's none of my business, but there seems to be no joy in him, not on his face, not in his words (which come out only with the help of a crow bar).

  Newly installed at wing, Kessel has, in the space of two games, notched his first-two goal effort (against Buffalo on Wednesday) and a game winning shoot out goal against Pittsburgh (upstaging the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, if such a thing were possible). Yet the two word answers and dour visage remain SOP with PK.

  He's got plenty to be thankful for --he just beat cancer for crying out loud.

  Maybe that's it.

  He's crying out loud.

  In silence.