It’s been a little while since we posted Weekly 3 Stars here on Bruins Daily, but with the holidays, Winter Classic and their recent five-game road trip behind them, this is a good time to bring our weekly feature back into the fold. Without further adieu, here are this week’s honorees.

*** Ryan Spooner

During David Krejci’s absence, Ryan Spooner has been a bright spot for the Black and Gold. (Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily).

Amidst the Bruins struggles without David Krejci, who returned to practice on Monday and will travel with the team to Montreal, there’s one player who is making the most of his promotion to the second line.

Centering Matt Beleskey and Loui Eriksson, Ryan Spooner is showing that he belongs in the NHL over the last few weeks. Since Krejci was placed on IR with an upper body injury, Spooner has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in nine games that also includes a three-point performance last Friday in Buffalo. Spooner became the sixth Bruin to record at least 10 goals this year with his third period tally in their 4-1 win over the Sabres.

Not only is Spooner contributing offensively, but his defensive progress and improvement at the faceoff dot is giving Claude Julien a reason to use the 2010 second round pick in more situations, including the penalty kill. Spooner will resume his duties on the third line once Krejci returns, but his improvements over the past month and a half are paying off.

** Bruins Penalty Kill

Patrice Bergeron and the Bruins penalty kill went a perfect 5-for-5 against the Maple Leafs on Saturday night. (Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

Remember that time that the Bruins’ league-worst penalty kill gave up a pair of power play goals to the San Jose Sharks back in November? I don’t blame you if you can’t, because, two months later, the difference is night and day with the B’s shorthanded unit.

Since the loss to San Jose in the middle of November, the Bruins have killed 83 of their last 88 penalties and have allowed just two power play goals in their last 50 attempts over an 18-game span. With a success rate of exactly 84 percent, the Bruins PK has climbed all the way up to seventh in the NHL. That, along with their league-leading power play (27.7 percent) gives the Black and Gold a nice special teams arsenal.

With points coming at a premium, the Bruins are hoping to continue their success on the penalty kill and sustain their rhythm on the power play. Those two could come in handy with Krejci returning soon.

* Denna Laing

From her fellow peers on the Boston Pride to numerous players and teams, the support for Denna Laing’s recovery from a debilitating spinal injury continues to grow. This weekend, the Bruins announced that they are donating a minimum of $200,000 — via the Jacobs Family, the Bruins organization, TD Garden and the Boston Bruins Foundation — to support the Denna Laing fund.

For the first time since suffering her spinal injury during the Pride’s contest with Montreal Les Canadiennes of the CWHL on New Year’s Eve, Laing provided an update from her hospital bed. Since then, there have been a few more updates on social media platforms and dennalaing.org regarding Laing’s progress.

Some big news today! #talking #ppw pic.twitter.com/Dqe6JhOInw

— Denna Laing (@dlaing14) January 12, 2016

Fans who are interested in donating should click here for more information.

As Laing continues to inspire, the hockey community continues to support her every step of the way. From everyone at Bruins Daily, stay strong, Denna!