As far as reasons that Brian Boyle's return to practice is so encouraging are concerned, the fact that he is now healthy enough to do so is a clearcut first and there is no close second. I'm not sure it's possible to truly take a cancer diagnosis in stride, so to speak, but the newest New Jersey Devil at least tucked his concerns under the covers of his own confidence if he didn't put them to sleep entirely. The way he handled receiving the worst of news gave grounds to believe there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and the quickness with which he dominated his treatment and worked himself back into hockey shape already has him on the verge of the brighter days ahead. It's a losing proposition to make any assumptions about the direction of a debilitating disease that has proven - time and time again - that it's sick mind has no rhyme or reason. However, if there were hypothetically a blueprint that could give someone an edge in the unpredictable fight against cancer then it would belong to Brian Boyle. Round one went to the Devils' center, and here's to hoping that it was by way of knockout. Now, as it relates to hockey? This is great news for New Jersey. A guy who was likely signed to be a 4th liner shouldn't be expected to have a tangible impact on an offense that's managed to display an unexpected scoring prowess that's had the most blindly optimistic of fans pinching themselves between periods. Luckily for the Devils, Brian Boyle was mostly brought on board for his intangibles anyway. Considering that they have had to overcome some extremely lopsided performances in the dot, they'll certainly benefit from inserting a trusted face-off specialist into the lineup in the near future. But there's no calculable percentage that can represent the veteran savvy that can only stand to cure what has been a young team's laughable lack of discipline. His grit, toughness, and attitude will be a welcomed addition on the ice and off, because - to put it insanely lightly - Boyle is strong. Boyle Strong, indeed.
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