The Bruins are officially off to their best start in franchise history.

With wins in eight of their first nine games this season, the B’s latest triumph came in Columbus, where the team chased Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins after just 40 minutes on the way to a 4-0 victory.

The Bruins, of course, did this without Brad Marchand and David Krejci, and on the back of another strong own-zone performance that snuffed out opportunities and survived any and all ‘dicey’ situations in their end.

Here are the 98.5 The Sports Hub (dot com) three stars of the evening from Nationwide Arena…

No. 3 Star: Jake DeBrusk

Oct 28, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) celebrates a goal during the second period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. (Russell LaBounty/USA TODAY Sports)

The third breakaway was the charm for Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk in this contest, as he went top shelf on the Jackets’ Elvis Merzlikins for the third goal of what was a four-goal barrage on the Columbus net.

DeBrusk’s had an excellent start to his season, with three goals and seven points through eight games, and his ability to use his speed and turn strong defense into tangible offense has been the reason.

No. 2 Star: Charlie Coyle

Oct 28, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) skates with the puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period at Nationwide Arena. (Russell LaBounty/USA TODAY Sports)

On the second leg of a back-to-back (and wrapping up a 3-in-4 stretch), the Bruins needed any in-game rest they could get, and Charlie Coyle provided exactly that with his shorthanded goal that made it 2-0 and basically buried the Blue Jackets for the evening just 4:30 into the second period.

Now, the Jackets could’ve made a push, of course, but reading the tea leaves of the momentum of this game, it was Coyle who buried them with that strike. The body language said it all.

And not only was Coyle’s performance necessary with the Bruins without David Krejci, but it also allowed the team to ease back on Patrice Bergeron’s minutes (Bergeron played a season-low 14:54 with this game essentially over in the second period). Huge.

Oh, and Coyle had a strong night at the faceoff dot, with wins in all but one of his nine battles at the dot.

No. 1 Star: Linus Ullmark

Oct 28, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark (35) makes a save against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Nationwide Arena. (Russell LaBounty/USA TODAY Sports)

I mean, what more can be said at this point?

It’s been an absolute perfect start to the season for B’s netminder Linus Ullmark. Now boasting a 6-0-0 record out of the gate, Ullmark’s 30-save shutout Friday night was his first of the season (and fifth of his career), and improved his save percentage up from .936 to .945 on the season.

Ullmark’s start is also good for the best October by any B’s goalie since Tim Thomas went 6-0-0 with a .984 save percentage back in October 2010. As you know, Thomas went on to win the Vezina Trophy that season, and the Bruins went on to win the 2011 Stanley Cup that year on the back of the veteran Thomas. Long, long, long way to go, and that pretty much goes without saying, but any time you’re putting yourself in the same statistical category as 2010-11 Tim Thomas, you’re doing something right.