Friday's Bruins...

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New coach trend continues tonight? Let's hope so...

BOSTON BRUINS at SAN JOSE SHARKS
Friday, March 21, 2003
HP Pavillion; San Jose CA
10:30 PM (ET) - Gametime

Tonight?s Game
The Bruins visit the Sharks tonight in the second of two games between these clubs this season and the Bruins' lone visit of the season to HP Pavillion. The Bruins are 33-28-8-4 overall and are 12-18-4-2 on the road thus far this season. The Sharks are 26-33-6-7 overall with a 15-14-4-2 record on home ice thus far this season. The Bruins are 1-2-1-0 vs. Pacific Division opponents this season and they are 8-8-2-2 overall vs. Western Conference foes. The Sharks are 2-2-2-0 this season vs. Northeast Division opponents and they are 8-6-3-3 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins are 12-3-4-0 lifetime vs. the Sharks with a 70-48 scoring advantage in those 19 games. On the road, the Bruins are 5-3-2-0 lifetime vs. San Jose with a 36-27 scoring edge in those ten contests. The Bruins won the first game of this season's series with a 5-2 victory in Boston on Dec. 23.

Recent Bruins Games
The Bruins had their two-game win streak snapped with a 2-1 loss in Phoenix on Mar. 18. That followed a 4-3 win over New Jersey on Mar. 13 and a 4-1 victory over Florida on Mar. 15. They have taken points out of six of their last eight games at 5-2-0-1 and they are 11-10-4-3 in their last 28 contests.

Recent Sharks Games
The Sharks are 1-4-0-2 in their last seven games with a 6-4 loss in Phoenix on Mar. 8, a 3-0 loss in Dallas on Mar. 9, a 4-2 loss to St. Louis on Mar. 11, a 3-2 overtime loss in Anaheim on Mar. 13, a 3-2 win over Calgary on Mar. 15, a 3-2 overtime loss to Chicago on Mar. 17, and a 2-0 loss to Colorado last night. They are 5-8-0-2 in their last 15 contests.

Upcoming Bruins Games
The Bruins conclude their three-game road trip in Los Angeles on Mar. 22 @10:30 p.m. ET. They will return home to host Toronto on Mar. 24 @ 7:00 p.m.

Upcoming Sharks Games
The Sharks open a five-game home stand tonight, continuing by hosting Anaheim on Mar. 22, Tampa Bay on Mar. 24, Detroit on Mar. 27 and Dallas on Mar. 29.

Bruins Injuries
Richard Brennan: Right ankle bruise and fractured foot suffered Jan. 28 vs. Nashville; day-to-day.
Jeff Hackett: Finger injury suffered Mar. 15 vs. Florida; day-to-day.
Sergei Samsonov: Dec. 24 right wrist surgery; out indefinitely.

Bruins March Transactions
Mar. 11: Ian Moran acquired from Pittsburgh for 2003 fourth round draft pick.
Mar. 11: Dan McGillis acquired from San Jose for 2003 second round draft pick.
Mar. 16: Andrew Raycroft recalled from Providence/AHL.

 

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Injuries

Injuries

Boston Injuries
Michal Grosek RW Knee day-to-day
Jeff Hackett G Finger day-to-day
Sergei Samsonov F Wrist Late Mar

San Jose Injuries
Miikka Kiprusoff G Knee day-to-day
Wayne Primeau C Back day-to-day
Evgeni Nabokov G Chest day-to-day
Matt Bradley RW Wrist out for season
Brad Stuart D Concussion day-to-day
Scott Thornton LW Head day-to-day

 

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Recent Trends

Recent Trends

BOS is 5-18 ATS in their last 23 road games.
The over is 4-2 in BOS's last six overall.
BOS is 5th overall on the PP at 19.31 %.
SJ is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 overall.
SJ's last three overall have played under.
The Sharks are 12-34 ATS on one days rest.

 

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Recent Meetings

Recent Meetings

Date Home Away Line ATS
12/23/2002 Bos. 5 SJ 2 -0.5,-115/5.5 Bos./O (02-03)

10/13/2001 SJ 3 Bos. 2 0,-200/5 SJ/P (01-02)

3/3/2001 Bos. 3 SJ 2 0,100/5.5 Bos./U (00-01)
10/14/2000 SJ 5 Bos. 2 0,-130/5.5 SJ/O

10/23/1999 SJ 1 Bos. 3 0,-185/5 Bos./U (99-00)

3/20/1999 Bos. 2 SJ 2 -0.5,-110/5 SJ/U (98-99)
10/18/1998 SJ 0 Bos. 3 0.5,-130/5 Bos./U

1/3/1998 Bos. 3 SJ 0 -0.5,-110/5 Bos./U (97-98)
10/11/1997 SJ 5 Bos. 2 -0.5,-115/6 SJ/O

11/18/1996 Bos. 4 SJ 2 -0.5,-130/6 Bos./P (96-97)

 

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Boston Globe 3-21-03

Boston Globe 3-21-03

BRUINS NOTEBOOK

Changing of the guardians

Berard, Brown back on defense

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- One significant change interim coach/general manager Mike O'Connell implemented during practice after firing coach Robbie Ftorek Wednesday was to return Bryan Berard and Sean Brown to defense.

Berard played one game at left wing Tuesday against the Coyotes after being scratched the previous two games. Brown, who had played on the fourth line most of the year, is one of 10 blue liners.

''I'm going to try to get them all some work but you can't play 10,'' said O'Connell. ''We're going to talk about it and make a decision. Everybody probably deserves to play but everybody can't play.''

O'Connell said he thought Brown would be a better fit at his natural position.

''He's a defenseman,'' said O'Connell. ''I'd like to try to keep him there. I just think he was raised as a defenseman and I'd like to make sure he stays a defenseman.''

Berard and Brown were enthusiastic about the move.

''I like it a lot better.'' said Berard. ''That's my position and that's the way I like to play the game. When you play something your whole life, you learn and understand it. Right now, it's my responsibility to get my confidence where it needs to be and perform at a level the team needs right now. I'm going to put some pressure on myself and hopefully I can do it.''

Berard said putting pressure on himself got him into trouble defensively in the last month when the team was struggling.

''I think it comes back to just the way I am,'' he said. ''Being down one or two goals, I press too much. I don't like to accept that and I don't want to lose the game, but sometimes it can cause too much trouble. I have to learn to pick my spots better and keep it simple. We've got talented forwards and my job is to get those guys the puck and let them do it.''

Brown said he hadn't talked to O'Connell about how long he'd remain on defense but he's hoping it is permanent.

''I'm more comfortable back there,'' he said. ''I feel like I'm more involved in the game. I feel like I can improve and get better. There are a lot of guys here and quality guys, too. You don't wish injuries on anyone but injuries do happen. If you're in, you play well and if you're not, you work hard until you get a chance and that's about it.''

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Moving on up

Mike Sullivan, who was promoted from head coach of the Bruins' top AHL affiliate in Providence to assistant under O'Connell, arrived just prior to the start of practice. Back on the farm, Scott Gordon, an assistant to Sullivan, will take over the head duties for the Baby B's. O'Connell said Sullivan and assistant Wayne Cashman, retained from Ftorek's staff, will be behind the Bruins' bench for the rest of the year.

''I'd like one of them to run the forwards and one of them to run the defense and make sure the attitude is right and the effort is right,'' said O'Connell. ''We'll talk about the matchups before the game and I'll make sure they get those and I'll basically worry about how we're playing and not be as concerned about the changes.''

O'Connell, who said he believes he knows how to fix what's ailing his team, said the message he was sending to his players during their 90-minute practice Wednesday and hour-plus workout yesterday was to ratchet up the intensity.

''Just get moving, get your feet moving, get to the man, get the puck in deep. Things coaches say to the team all the time,'' said O'Connell. ''We've just got to get them to do it.'' . . . O'Connell said goaltender Jeff Hackett, who didn't make the trip because of a bruised finger on his right hand, is improving. ''I think he skated [yesterday],'' said O'Connell. ''I don't know if he had a stick in his hand or not. But he was out there on the ice.''...

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Andrew Raycroft got a scare during practice when he took a hard Martin Lapointe slapper off the left side of his collarbone. Raycroft said he was fine...

Expect Steve Shields, who backed up Raycroft against the Coyotes, to get the start tonight against the Sharks...

The Bruins close out the three-game trip against the Kings in Los Angeles tomorrow night.

 

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Bruins take it from the top

Captain Thornton will miss coach in his corner

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When Pat Burns coached Joe Thornton, he brought the youngster along slowly, allowing him to learn what it was going to take to make it in the National Hockey League. When Mike Keenan replaced Burns, he challenged Thornton publicly, telling him he needed to expect more from himself. In the nearly two years Robbie Ftorek was behind the bench, Thornton's third coach in six years had more of a teacher-pupil relationship. He gave Thornton the bit and told him to run with it. That's part of the reason Ftorek's dismissal Wednesday with nine games remaining in the regular season was so painful for the 23-year-old captain. He was still smarting from the news yesterday morning on the way to practice.

He said there was still that question he kept replaying in his mind.

''Why?'' Thornton said. ''We've been playing a lot better. We really have. I thought, why do it out here? We're six hours away from home. If you knew a while ago that this was going to happen, why not tell him at home so he doesn't have to fly all the way home? The team's playing well, we'll get Sergei [Samsonov] back here shortly. Obviously, the team is going to make the playoffs. I think we're where we want to be right now.''

Ftorek and assistant Jim Hughes met the players at the bus before their workout Wednesday to bid them farewell and wish them luck. Thornton said that was very difficult to watch.

''He was upset,'' said Thornton. ''He obviously wanted to coach the Bruins, it's his hometown team. He took a lot of pride in coaching us. He did a lot for my career and a lot of guys on this team. He did a lot for me. He's an offensive coach. I think the guy probably knows more about hockey than anybody else in the world. He taught me so much about little things that you'd never think about. Hopefully, I'll be able to be coached by him again in the future. I really enjoyed him coaching me. We had a lot of fun together.''

Thornton, who has a career-high 90 points in 68 games, is second in the league in scoring. He credits Ftorek with helping him raise the bar by improving his fundamentals.

''Like faceoffs,'' said Thornton, ''and play behind the net. Just everything that's made me the kind of player I am now. I've learned two steps higher just from him coaching me and telling me, `Hey, you're a good player. Just go out there and play and you're going to do fine.' He put confidence in me. We enjoyed each other's company.

''I enjoyed being taught by him and he enjoyed teaching me so I think we just had a good relationship that way. I [play behind the net] a lot and I think I do that more since he's been here. He said, `Hey, that's your friend, go back there. Nobody can climb over it and get you.' He taught me that and a lot of things I'll use for the rest of my career. He said, `If you control the faceoff, you control the game.' I never really looked at a faceoff like that but he's totally right. He just knows so much about the game. He's an untapped resource and I just wish I could've gotten a lot more out of him.''

Thornton acknowledged the Bruins haven't played as well as they can. If they're not as good as they were in the first two months of the year, they're nowhere near as inept as they've shown since. The lapses -- with the Phoenix game being the final straw -- cost Ftorek his job.

''All of us feel guilty,'' said Thornton. ''It's our job to win. When we don't win, a lot of us aren't going to go anywhere. It's the coach who's going to go somewhere. I feel guilty that we couldn't keep a good coach like that around. He's going to get another job and coach that team to a ton of wins as well.''

Whether the Bruins finish sixth, seventh, or eighth, their captain said he knows they'll be measured by what they do in the playoffs.

''It doesn't matter what you do in the regular season, we found that out,'' he said, referring to last year's first-round ouster by Montreal. ''Last year, we just kind of coasted through the regular season at the end of the year. We knew we were going to be in that No. 1 spot. This year's a little different. We have to find a hot streak right now.''

Personally, Thornton said he thinks he's playing fine.

''I'm second in the league in scoring,'' he said. ''But I've just got to shoot more. That's the last thing Robbie said to me and I totally agree with him. Me and Glen [Murray] both have to shoot more.''

Thornton hasn't been able to get a handle on what the difference will be with general manager Mike O'Connell behind the bench.

''I have no idea,'' he said. ''I know Robbie was a very positive coach and I liked that. We'll have to wait and see how that works. It's a little weird. It's going to be strange. I'd like to say when Robbie was behind there, I played hard for him and when Mike Keenan was behind there, I played hard for him. It's not going to change my game. I hope we can go to the Cup. You've got to dream big. Look at Carolina last year. We just have to focus and why can't we win the Cup?''

That, in Thornton's eyes, will be the only justification for Ftorek's firing.

''If we win the Cup, I think this will pay off,'' he said. ''If we don't, in my mind I don't think it will pay off.''

 

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NHL.com

NHL.com

GAME: Boston Bruins (33-28-8-4) at San Jose Sharks (26-34-6-7).

TIME: Friday, 10:30 p.m. EST.

The Boston Bruins hope their gamble pays off as handsomely as a similar one did for the New Jersey Devils a few years ago.

The Bruins will play their first game under new coach Mike O'Connell when they take on the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion.

Back in 2000, New Jersey fired head coach Robbie Ftorek with eight games to go. Larry Robinson then led the Devils to their second Stanley Cup championship.

O'Connell, who also doubles as the Bruins' general manager, fired Ftorek on Wednesday with nine games to play.

Though the Bruins are currently a safe bet to make the playoffs, they started the season 19-4-3-1. They are 14-24-5-3 since and have slipped into a seventh-place tie with the New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference.

"I've taken a step here personally. No one can blame anyone but me right now," O'Connell said. "I've made myself very accountable, and expect the players to do the same." The 46-year-old O'Connell spent six seasons as Boston's assistant GM after a 15-year playing career with Chicago, Boston and Detroit. He coached Providence of the AHL from 1992-94 and went 74-71-15.

O'Connell intends to simplify the team's game plan, stressing fundamentals, checking and consistency.

O'Connell said he had discussed with Ftorek his desire to see more consistent play, and believed the Bruins made strides in that area. Earlier this month, he said Ftorek had "weathered the storm" and would finish out the season.

That was before the Bruins' 2-1 loss to Phoenix on Tuesday night.

"It started with the way we came out and played in a game I thought was critical, and for the life of me I couldn't understand why that is," O'Connell said. "I've seen it too many times, and regardless of what players we have in the lineup, I have to get this team back to working hard on a consistent basis." The Bruins cannot afford to come away without any points against the disappointing Sharks.

San Jose, which lost in seven games to Colorado in last season's Western Conference semifinals, fell to 2-6-0-2 in March with a 2-0 loss to the Avalanche on Thursday. The Sharks came into the game tied for 13th in the West, well behind eighth-place Edmonton.

STANDINGS:
Bruins - 78 points, 3rd place, 22 PB, Northeast Division.
Sharks - 65 points, 5th place, 32 PB, Pacific Division.

TEAM LEADERS:
Bruins - Glen Murray, 38 goals
Joe Thornton, 56 assists and 90 points
P.J. Stock, 158 PIM

Sharks - Teemu Selanne, 25 goals and 58 points
Vincent Damphousse, 34 assists
Todd Harvey, 72 PIM.

SPECIAL TEAMS (through March 19):
Bruins - Power play: 19.2 percent (56 for 292), 5th in NHL. Penalty killing: 82.5 percent (278 for 337), 21st

Sharks - Power play: 18.0 percent (60 for 334), 7th (tied)
Penalty killing: 80.8 percent (256 for 317), 29th (tied).

GOALTENDERS:
Bruins - Andrew Raycroft (1-3-0, 2.27 GAA)
Steve Shields (11-11-6, 2.86)

Sharks - Miikka Kiprusoff (5-14-0, 1 SO, 3.25)
Vesa Toskala (2-2-0, 2.52).

SEASON SERIES: Bruins, 1-0.

LAST MEETING: Dec. 23; Bruins, 5-2. At Boston, John Grahame made 25 saves and Thornton had a goal and an assist for the Bruins.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS:
Bruins - 12-18-4-2 on the road
Sharks - 15-14-4-2 at home

 

[Fan@tic]

Wow, it's almost as if Im reading sections of the bible. Nice write up! Thanks for your hard work! Bruins own tonight...?? -- Coach Fan@tic gives it the vigorous nod!!!

Good luck!

peace!