NEW YORK -- The Bruins grinded out a tough win over the Rangers on Wednesday, edging them in yet another one-goal game, 3-2.

Tim Thomas made 34 saves on the night, really turning it on late as the Bruins were forced to kill off a 5-on-3 in a one-goal game late in the third period. 

"He was the difference," Rangers coach John Tortorella said of Thomas following the game. "We had a chance at the end on the 5-on-3 three and we don't get it done, but he certainly was the difference."

With the victory, Thomas improved to 10-1-0 in 12 starts this season. The guy at the other end of the ice, Henrik Lundqvist, didn't fare quite as well. Lundqvist allowed three goals on only 20 shots, getting schooled by the kid (Tyler Seguin) and giving up a wicked softy to Mark Recchi. Milan Lucic also scored for the B's, his seventh goal of the season.   

The Bruins are now 10-5-1 on the season, good for 21 points. Through 16 games last season, the B's were 7-7-2. Here is the Hat Trick of lessons learned in a Bruins victory:

SKILL WILL EVENTUALLY TRUMP A SLUMP 

Tyler Seguin wasn't exactly on fire prior to Wednesday's game. In fact, it was clear as day that he had cooled off, which wasn't earth-shattering given his age. 

The second overall pick in last year's draft had just one point over his last seven games, as well as a minus-1 rating. He hadn't scored since Oct. 30th and on Wednesday got just 11:15 of ice time, tied for his second-lowest total of the season. 

"I actually felt like I'd kind of been in a little bit of a slump," Seguin said of how he felt he'd been playing. "This is my first year in NHL, so some people wouldn't call it a slump I guess -- that's what the boys are telling me, anyways -- but myself, I looked at it like that."

Seguin had just one shot on goal Wednesday, but he made it count. The 18-year-old took a puck from Matt Gilroy at his blue line and exploded through the neutral zone, taking it in on Lundqvist and scoring top shelf on a play reminiscent of his junior days. 

And that, in a nutshell, is what will have to be Seguin's best friend as he looks to avoid prolonged stretches of limited production. He might not have the hockey sense that comes with age, or the wherewithal that accompanies experience, but he has the talent. That much is unquestioned. 

"That's what we talk about when we talk about Tyler Seguin," Claude Julien said after the game. "He's an explosive player who can make things happen. He's a young fellow, and you can see the upside. Tonight was one of his better games now in a while -- not because he scored -- just the way he competed, and he was on the puck, and skated with more confidence, so we hope to see a little bit more of that." 

Seguin isn't really used to scoring droughts, though that isn't to say he hasn't seen them. Just two seasons ago, his first in the Ontario Hockey League, Seguin had only one goal through his first 17 games. Though much of his inability to produce was the result of him getting limited time as a fourth-liner, it was a drought nonetheless that Seguin broke his way out of. Just like he got used to things in the OHL, he's still getting acclimated with the boys. 

"I wouldn't say he was in a slump. He said that, but just the grind of the schedule is all new to him. He's not the only one of the young guys whose play had slipped a little bit, and that's why I wouldn't call it a slump," Julien said, "I would just call it a learning curve. 

"To be able to bounce back like he did tonight shows great character, and that's what is encouraging for us. We knew he was going to have his ups and downs in his first year, and it will be an uphill battle at times, but just the way he battled back tonight to give us a real strong effort is a good sign." 

A HEAVY SCHEDULE ISN'T BAD WHEN THEY'RE WINNING

The B's have found themselves fatigued at points of the young season, with Julien noting in particular following the team's loss to the Canadiens last Thursday that the Bruins simply "ran out of legs" after playing back-to-back games. 

The Bruins have had back-to-back game days twice already this month, and haven't been able to grab a pair of wins in either of them, that doesn't mean there aren't perks to a heavy schedule.

The B's are currently in a stretch in which they have three games on four nights. They have won the first two, shutting out the Devils on Monday and beating the Rangers on Wednesday. Now that they have picked up some momentum, the players feel that getting more games helps the team hit its stride and really get into mid-season form. 

"It does," Patrice Bergeron said. "It's a lot of games, but we've got to make sure we're getting our rest while we can. I think when you get on a roll and win some games, you just want to keep going."

The Bruins will return to Boston to face the Panthers on Thursday, making it three times in November that they've followed an away game with a home game the next day. 

THE ROAD TO VICTORY

One can't simply throw out stat after stat regarding the B's home struggles without pointing out that they just so happen to be the best team to grace the visitor's bench in the NHL, so here's the ode to the road. 

With their win at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, the Bruins improved to a league-best 7-1-0 on the road, with the one loss coming in a game in which they came back from a three-goal deficit in the third period against the Capitals. Many of the little things that seem to get to them at TD Garden (3-3-1) just don't appear to apply to them outside of Boston. 

It will be interesting to see how the next week and a half play out, as their road schedule doesn't appear to be overwhelmingly tough. The Bruins away games for the rest of the November are against a few Southeast teams, with the Lightning (9-7-2, 4-2-1 at home) presenting the biggest challenge. The Bruins will also travel to Atlanta (7-9-3, 3-5-1) and Florida, where the 8-8-0 Panthers have been surprisingly good at home (5-2-0).