Friday's Bruins...

[the mugs]

Joe Thornton admitted for overnight hospital stay
1/9/2003

Boston Bruins center Joe Thornton has been admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital to receive intravenous antibiotics to treat an infection in his left elbow, it was announced today by Bruins General Manager Mike O'Connell. Thornton is expected to be released from the hospital on Friday and will miss the Bruins' Friday night game in Buffalo (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio).

O'Connell also announced that left wing Rob Zamuner will be out of the lineup indefinitely after his broken right foot was placed in a cast. Zamuner suffered the injury in Tuesday's 5-2 loss in Toronto.

"Joe was examined by Dr. Bertram Zarins and Dr. Zarins determined that this was the best course of treatment," said O'Connell. "We expect Joe to be released from the hospital on Friday and his status for Saturday's game will depend on how the infection responds to the antibiotics. Rob suffered a broken bone on the top of his right foot in Tuesday's game and his foot was placed in a cast. He will remain in the cast for approximately four weeks and should return to the lineup shortly after that time."

The Bruins have recalled center/left wing Andy Hilbert from Providence/AHL and he has joined the team in Buffalo. Hilbert was the AHL Bruins' second leading scorer with 20 goals and 14 assists for 34 points and 44 penalty minutes in 33 games. His 20 goals leads Providence and ranks him third overall in the AHL in that category. Hilbert has been recalled to Boston on five previous occasions this season, recording one assist and five penalty minutes in six games during those Boston stints.

The Bruins will conclude their current two-game road trip in Buffalo on Friday night (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio). They will then return home to host the Toronto Maple Leafs at the FleetCenter on Saturday night (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio).

 

[the mugs]

BOSTON BRUINS vs. BUFFALO SABRES

Friday, January 10, 2003
HSBC Arena; Buffalo NY
7:00 PM (ET) - Gametime
6:30 PM (ET) - Boston Globe Pre-Game Report
NESN

Tonight?s Game
The Bruins visit the Sabres tonight in the fourth of five games between these clubs this season and the third and final game of this season's series at HSBC Arena. The Bruins are 21-14-4-1 overall and are 9-8-2-1 on the road thus far this season. The Sabres are 10-23-5-2 overall with a 7-10-3-1 record on home ice thus far this season. The Bruins are 5-6-1-0 vs. Northeast Division opponents this season and are 15-11-3-0 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes. The Sabres are 3-8-0-0 this season vs. Northeast Division opponents and they are 8-18-2-2 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins are 95-82-29-1 lifetime vs. the Sabres with a 693-676 scoring advantage in those 207 games. On the road, the Bruins are 37-51-15-1 lifetime vs. Buffalo with the Sabres holding a 378-310 scoring edge in those 104 games. The Bruins are 2-1-0-0 vs. Buffalo in the first three games of this season's series thus far with a 4-3 win in Buffalo on Nov. 12, a 4-1 victory in Boston on Nov. 23 and a 4-2 loss in Buffalo on Dec. 18.

Recent Bruins Games
The Bruins have lost their last four games with a 1-0 loss to New Jersey on Dec. 30, an 8-4 loss at NY Islanders on Jan. 3, a 4-2 setback to Carolina on Jan. 4 and a 5-2 loss in Toronto on Jan. 7. They are 2-5-1-0 in their last eight games and are 2-10-1-0 in their last 13 contests with their last win a 1-0 victory in Atlanta on Dec. 28.

Recent Sabres Games
The Sabres had their two-game win streak snapped with a 3-2 loss in Philadelphia on Jan. 7 following a 6-3 win over Carolina on Jan. 3 and a 2-1 overtime victory in Ottawa on Jan. 4. They are 2-7-0-1 in their last ten games and are 6-12-2-1 in their last 21 contests.

Upcoming Bruins Games
The Bruins next return home to host Toronto on Jan. 11 (7:00 p.m.) and Pittsburgh on Jan. 13 (7:00 p.m.). They will then face a two-game road trip to Florida on Jan. 15 (7:30 p.m.) and to Atlanta on Jan. 17 (7:30 p.m.). All games are broadcast on NESN and WBZ Radio.

Upcoming Sabres Games
The Sabres next face a four-game road trip, playing in Montreal on Jan. 11, in Minnesota on Jan. 14, in San Jose on Jan. 16 and in Phoenix on Jan. 18. They will return home to host Pittsburgh on Jan. 21.

Bruins Injuries
Sergei Samsonov: Dec. 24 right wrist surgery; out indefinitely.
Joe Thornton: Elbow infection; day-to-day.
Rob Zamuner: Broken right foot suffered Jan. 7 in Toronto; out indefinitely.

Bruins January Transactions
Jan. 6: Shaone Morrisonn returned to Providence/AHL.
Jan. 6: Ivan Huml assigned to Providence/AHL.
Jan. 6: Krzysztof Oliwa acquired from NY Rangers for 2004 ninth round draft pick.
Jan. 9: Andy Hilbert recalled from Providence/AHL.

 

[the mugs]

Game Preview
BOSTON BRUINS (21-14-4-1)
at BUFFALO SABRES (10-23-5-2)

Overview: The Bruins have lost four-straight games heading into Friday's tilt with the Sabres. Boston is 2-1-0-0 against Buffalo so far this season.

View from the bench: ?Buffalo is a team that hasn?t been winning, but has been playing very well,? said Ftorek. ?They have very skilled forwards, a lot of speed, great goaltending and experience.

"Their power play hasn?t had the efficiency that they would like, but they have great people on the power play. They just haven?t been able to put it all together yet.?


View from the ice: Bruins forward Mike Knuble says that the key to breaking out of the team?s current slump about playing smarter, not harder.

?It just comes down to winning the little battles,? said Knuble. ?The stuff that doesn?t show up on the scoresheet.?

?You can run into a brick wall all day, but until you realize, ?Hey, I can go around it,? you are working a lot harder by running into it and trying to knock it over than figuring out another way to go around it. That?s where we?re at. We need to find a way to get up-and-over that wall.?

 

[the mugs]

Injuries...

Injuries...

Boston Injuries
Rob Zamuner LW Foot Out indefinitely
Joe Thornton C Elbow Out Fri
Sergei Samsonov F Wrist Mid March
Kyle McLaren D Holdout Out indefinitely

Buffalo Injuries
Vaclav Varada F Knee Early Feb
Jochen Hecht LW Ear Out indefinitely
Maxim Afinogenov RW Concussion Out indefinitely

Buffalo injuries from the Sports Network...

Rhett Warrener (D) (groin) is day-to-day.
Vaclav Varada (RW) (sprained right knee) is expected to be sidelined until at least early February.
Maxim Afinogenov (RW) (concussion) is sidelined indefinitely
Jochen Hecht (LW) (concussion) is sidelined indefinitely.

 

[the mugs]

Recent Trends
The Bruins are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 away.
The over is 6-1 in Boston's last seven away.
Boston is 6-2-1 ATS in the past nine meetings.
The Sabres are 3-11 ATS in their last 14 overall.
The over is 3-1-1 in the past five meetings in BUF.
BUF is 28th in offense at 2.22 gls/gm for.

 

[the mugs]

Recent Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS

12/18/2002 Buf. 4 Bos. 2 0.5,-115/5.5 Buf./O (02-03)
11/23/2002 Bos. 4 Buf. 1 -0.5,-180/5.5 Bos./U
11/12/2002 Buf. 3 Bos. 4 0.5,-130/5.5 Bos./O

3/21/2002 Buf. 1 Bos. 2 0,-115/5 Bos./U (01-02)
3/1/2002 Buf. 4 Bos. 3 0,-125/5 Buf./O
2/5/2002 Bos. 2 Buf. 2 0,-185/5 P/U
12/8/2001 Bos. 4 Buf. 2 0,-160/5 Bos./O
11/17/2001 Bos. 3 Buf. 1 0,-165/5 Bos./U

4/4/2001 Buf. 2 Bos. 3 0,-200/5 Bos./P (00-01)
3/6/2001 Bos. 1 Buf. 3 0,-115/5 Buf./U

 

[the mugs]

Boston Globe 1-9-03

Boston Globe 1-9-03

BRUINS NOTEBOOK

Reversing tailspin the No. 1 priority

Frustrated Rolston issues a call to arms

TORONTO - The Bruins practiced at the Air Canada Centre yesterday, a day after being shellshocked by the Maple Leafs in a 5-2 loss in which the Bruins gave up three unanswered goals over a span of 2 minutes 24 seconds in the third period. They've lost four in a row and have won just two of their last 13, so it wasn't unexpected to see the club subdued after the workout.

''We came back and got a big goal to make it 2-2,'' said center Brian Rolston, referring to Glen Murray's goal that tied it at 3:31 of the third. ''You're feeling pretty good. Then, there might be the slightest mistake and it's in our net. That does bring you down as a team a little bit because we kept fighting. I thought we took it to them. I thought we had great opportunities. I thought [goalie Ed] Belfour was probably the difference in the game. We've got to bear down and keep going, even if we get down, 3-2.''

Rolston, who scored Boston's first goal, said there were opportunities to put it away before the Maple Leafs' barrage.

''A couple of shifts [after Murray's goal], we had a three-on-two [break]. [ P.J. Axelsson] had a great opportunity,'' he said. ''[Belfour] made a great save on Axy, which would've put us up, 3-2. It was through a screen and he placed it perfectly but it was just one of those things. Then, they get a goal and it hurts. We feel like we're playing well and we feel we're going to get that next goal to win the hockey game.''

With captain Joe Thornton sidelined because of an infected elbow, Rolston said it should be a wake-up call for everyone to take up the slack.

''Knowing that Joe is out, maybe that's going to bring our level up,'' Rolston said. ''It's been the whole year, [Thornton and Murray] have been so consistent. Now it's a matter of us playing a little desperate. It's not that we don't have the players in here to do it but we count on Joe to do it and that's not going to happen.''

Playing shorthanded

Rob Zamuner, who suffered a broken foot Tuesday night, returned to Boston yesterday. Coach Robbie Ftorek said more would be known once he consults with doctors, but the initial belief is that the forward will be sidelined 2-6 weeks. Because Zamuner and Thornton are out, the club will call up reinforcements from Providence for tomorrow's game against the Sabres. Whom they will bring up was not announced. No one is expected to join the club in time for today's practice in Buffalo. When asked how he plans to shuffle his lines now, Ftorek smiled ruefully. ''Just from one shift to the other,'' he said ... Workhorse defenseman Hal Gill didn't skate yesterday. ''I told him to stay away and get some rest,'' said Ftorek. ''He'd been a little under the weather. I think he just needs some rest. We can skate him [today] and he'll be fine to play [against Buffalo].''

 

[the mugs]

Boston Herald 1-10-03

Boston Herald 1-10-03

Lapointe, B's set goal

TORONTO - When the Bruins are done playing the Buffalo Sabres tonight, they will have officially reached the halfway point of the regular season.

Martin Lapointe would just as soon forget the first 41 games and concentrate on the second half.

In what has to be one of the most trying campaigns of his career, the 29-year-old B's winger suffered a broken foot in the fourth game, heard his name mentioned in trade rumors - something that still crops up on occasion - and, in 18 games since returning from the injury, has not been able to find the back of the net.

And, typical of Lapointe's luck this year, he was set to get the best chance yet to break out of his scoring slump when he was moved up to the top line alongside center Joe Thornton, but the captain was sent home with an infected elbow before they ever took the ice together.

Still, Lapointe is showing some signs of snapping out of the funk. While he's still in search of goal No. 2 on the season, Lapointe was more of a presence in the Bruins' 5-2 loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, setting the team's physical tone by outlasting Bryan McCabe in a first-period fight and driving hard to the net most of the game.

For Lapointe, whose lone goal came on Oct. 14 in the second game of the season, and the rest of the Bruins, who are just 2-10-1 in their last 13 contests, there needs to be a light at the end of what has been a dark tunnel.

``I felt good and I think it's just a matter of time,'' Lapointe said. ``We've got to relax and have fun out there and turn the page. We've got to look at it as one shift at a time. We can't be looking at the end of the season right now. We played hard (Tuesday) night. . . . I think after the game, the guys said, `Hey, if we play a game like that against Buffalo, we'll beat them.' I think that last game was a step forward.''

That's the only kind of step Lapointe wants to take. He hopes to get a chance to play with Thornton upon the center's return, but he's not obsessed with the notion.

With Thornton out, Lapointe hopes that some players, including himself, can pick up the slack in the leadership department.

``I think you sometimes gain more responsibility when you feel the need to have more responsibility on your shoulders and you can show the coaching staff that you belong there. I think it's an opportunity for everybody to step up,'' Lapointe said.

A few timely goals could help squash those trade rumors, which Lapointe admits are not always easy to ignore.

``It's always in the back of your mind, but you've got to not think about it and think of something else,'' Lapointe said. ``And every time you wear that jersey, you have to be proud of that big `B' on the front of the jersey.''

Bruins notes

As expected, Thornton was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital yesterday to receive intravenous antibiotic treatment.

Thornton is expected to be released from the hospital today, but won't play against the Sabres. His status for tomorrow's game at the FleetCenter against Toronto has yet to be determined. . . .

Rob Zamuner, who broke his right foot in Toronto, was fitted with a hard cast, which will remain on for four weeks. . . .

The B's recalled forward Andy Hilbert from Providence (AHL).

 

[heleanth]

good stuff, mugs. Thanks for taking the time....