The banner has been raised, the ceremonies have concluded, and the first game of the season is in the books. After dropping the season-opener to the new look Flyers, 2-1, on Thursday, the Stanley Cup champions can put all the hoopla behind them and focus on nothing but hockey. Finally.

"If you go to a party and you stay until four or for two, three days, after a while, you get tired of it, right?" Claude Julien said after Thursday's game. "The bottles of champagne are empty, so it’s time to go home. I think that’s how we feel right now."

The Bruins left the party in memorable fashion, as retired Bruins Mark Recchi and Shane Hnidy joined the rest of the returning Bruins in uniform to pass the Cup around after the championship banner was revealed at the conclusion of a highlights video. Joe Corvo, the only newcomer to play Thursday, was left in the dressing room twiddling his thumbs, but for the champions and the fans, it was a magnificent event that featured members of the 1972 team and ended with each of the Bruins helping raise the banner to the rafters.

Though it was unforgettable for those involved, the night would not be perfect for the Bruins. Two goals in the final minute of the first period gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish, so when the Bruins do play their next game, a meeting with the Lightning that will be free of Cup appearances, they will be looking for their first points of the season. The Flyers, who were swept by the B's in the second round last spring, were just happy to spoil Thursday.

"Coming to a game here, especially the first game of the season when they are raising the banner, it’s a slap in the face and its motivation for a little payback even though it’s the first game of the season," Claude Giroux, who scored the first of the Flyers' two goals said. "It’s good for our ego and everybody was ready to go tonight."

Here are four other things we learned on the day of the banner raising and season-opener:

MARCHAND SHOOTS, SCORES 

Collectively, the Bruins lacked energy on Thursday night, but Brad Marchand certainly lived up to the "Honey Badger" nickname Andrew Ference gave him last season. Marchand, who scored the Bruins' only goal, was relentless throughout the night. He led all Bruins' forwards with four shots on goal and, despite taking responsibility for not catching Giroux on the Flyers' first goal, was one of the best players on the ice.

The four shots on goal that Marchand registered don't necessarily jump off the page, but the second-year player said recently that one of his goals this season was to put more pucks on net. He did Thursday (he averaged right around two shots on goal last season), but he didn't have to lazily throw pucks on net upon entering the zone to do so. All four of his shots came from close range, with the farthest one out coming at around the hashmarks. That's a good sign for Marchand, who likes to drive to the net. 

"You want to shoot when you have the opportunities," he said after the game. "You don't just want to throw the pucks away. That's what I was trying to do. When I have the opportunity to shoot, I want to. Hopefully more will go in." 

POULIOT STARTS AS A SPARE PART

Last year, the healthy scratch forward for the season-opener ended up playing the next 19 games in a row. That healthy scratch was Jordan Caron, who took advantage of a disastrous performance from Daniel Paille and stuck in the lineup until he was eventually sent down.

This year, Caron was once again in the discussion to be a healthy scratch for the first game. Unlike last year, he was chosen to play in the season's first game, which meant bad news for Benoit Pouliot. The former Canadien was signed to a one-year, $1.1 million contract on the first day of free agency, and was looking forward to a fresh start in Boston after being made a healthy scratch in the last four games of the first round against the Bruins. 

Caron played just 10:20 on Tuesday, but his line looked good thanks to a strong performance from second-year forward Tyler Seguin. Whether Caron has a stranglehold on that other third-line wing remains to be seen, but Pouliot starting the season in a suit does make one wonder what his role will be on this team, and whether he was brought in to be a spare guy or a nightly contributor. At any rate, Caron, whose presence in the lineup surprised some, will have to sustain a high level of play to ensure Pouliot doesn't get that chance. 

FIRST LINE NEEDED TIME TO CLICK

The Bruins are fortunate to have their entire first line returning, but Thursday provided a reminder that the trio of Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton can deliver the occasional dud. 

It took two periods of nothingness to get the first line going Thursday, as the three members failed to get a shot on goal until Lucic was stopped by an Ilya Bryzgalov kick save early in the third period. From there, they had more opportunities, but failed to capitalize. Horton had the puck on his stick in front of an empty net in the third period, but took too long to put in what would have been the game-tying goal. By the time Horton had gotten rid of the puck, Kimmo Timonen was able to get a stick on it to block it and keep the Flyers' lead safe. 

Prior to that third period, the Bruins' first line simply looked out of synch. The three forwards were having difficulty connecting on passes, perhaps a sign of rust that went away by the time the third period rolled around. The three had the occasional dud last year, but the magic the three can create made all that worth it. Horton seems primed for a bigger season, while Lucic will try to repeat his 30-goal campaign of a season ago.

FERENCE A-OK

Thursday marked Andrew Ference's first game as an alternate captain for the Bruins. The veteran defenseman will wear the 'A' at home, for the first half of the season, with Chris Kelly wearing it on the road. The two will switch halfway through the season. 

Julien's decision to give it to the two ended months of speculation as to who might get it. Some though Shawn Thornton might get it, while others thought it could go to Milan Lucic. The list of potential candidates was long, and that's what Ference feels is the biggest thing to be taken from the letter being awarded. 

"It's definitely an honor to start with, but I think the symbolism is great of me and Kels sharing it," Ference said after the game. "Like we talked about all training camp, I mean, how do you pick? It's a room full of guys where you could probably put it on half of us and nobody would blink. It's just the way it is. We have a very good locker room. To have that and be selected to wear it, what do you say? I'll be honored."