Monday's Bruins...

[the mugs]

BOSTON BRUINS at
COLORADO AVALANCHE
Monday, October 14, 2002
Pepsi Center; Denver, Colorado
9:00 pm (ET) - Gametime
8:30 pm (ET) - Boston Globe Pre-Game Report
NESN
Tonight's Game
The Bruins visit the Avalanche tonight in the first of two games between these clubs this season and the Bruins' lone visit of the season to the Pepsi Center. The Bruins are 0-1-0-0 thus far this season with a 0-1-0-0 record on the road. The Avalanche are 0-0-1-0 thus far this season with a 0-0-1-0 record on home ice. The Bruins are 0-1-0-0 vs. Northwest Division teams and are 0-1-0-0 overall vs. Western Conference opponents this season. The Avalanche are playing their first game of the season vs. both a Northeast Division opponent and an Eastern Conference foe tonight.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins are 65-45-15-0 lifetime vs. the Colorado franchise (includes Quebec) with a 503-421 scoring advantage in those 125 games. On the road, the Bruins are 34-24-6-0 lifetime vs. the Avalanche with a 265-232 scoring edge in those 64 games. The Bruins are winless in their last six meetings vs. Colorado at 0-5-1-0 with their last victory over the Avalanche a 3-0 victory in Colorado on Oct. 14, 1998. They have lost their last three games in Colorado.

Recent Bruins Games
The Bruins opened their 2002-03 regular season with a 5-1 loss in Minnesota on Oct. 11 in the first game of their current six-game road trip. The Bruins finished their 2002 pre-season schedule with a 2-5-1-1 record with wins over Washington (6-4 Sept. 20) and Pittsburgh (7-2 Oct. 1); losses to St. Louis (7-2 Sept. 19), Montreal (5-4 Sept. 23 and 4-2 Sept. 26), NY Islanders (4-3 Sept. 28) and NY Rangers (4-3/OT Sept. 29 and 4-3 Oct. 5); and a 0-0 tie with Florida on Oct. 2.

Recent Avalanche Games
The Avalanche opened their 2002-03 regular season with a 1-1 tie vs. Dallas on Oct. 9. The Avalanche finished their 2002 pre-season schedule with a 2-5-0-0 record.

Upcoming Bruins Games - All times local to that city
The Bruins continue their current six-game road trip in Vancouver on Oct. 16 (7:30 p.m.), in Calgary on Oct. 17 (7:00 p.m.), in Edmonton on Oct. 19 (8:00 p.m.) and in Toronto on Oct. 21 (7:30 p.m.). All games of this trip are broadcast on both NESN and WBZ Radio.

Upcoming Avalanche Games
The Avalanche will next face a three-game road trip, playing in Los Angeles on Oct. 17, in San Jose on Oct. 19 and in Anaheim on Oct. 20.

Bruins Injuries
None Reported.

 

[the mugs]

Bruins try to start over

Drubbing by Wild leaves a sour taste

DENVER - Game 2 of the how-in-the-world-are-the-Bruins-ever-going-to-win? 2002-03 season will be tonight, with the Hub's hockey heroes here to face the mighty Avalanche.

Eighty-one games to go, and it has all the earmarks of a very long campaign for last season's Eastern Conference champions. Witness: their 5-1 season-opening loss to the Wild Friday night.

''No excuses, we stunk the joint out,'' said right wing realist Glen Murray. ''We didn't create much [offensively] ... like I say, no excuses, we were bad.''

To be something more than the lackluster, passion-challenged product that took the ice in St. Paul, it isn't just the offense that has to crank up the volume a few notches. Defensively, the Bruins were, at best, spotty. John Grahame's goaltending also was something less than No. 1-worthy, which could lead to the debut tonight of ex-Duck Steve Shields.

''We had a decent amount of shots,'' said Murray, reflecting on the 27 shots the Bruins landed on Manny Fernandez. ''But out of those, I'd say we had only 7-8 good chances. That's OK, but we've got to create more than that.''

The start to everything on offense, of course, is shooting the puck. Not only did the Bruins lose 41 goals when Bill Guerin walked to Dallas, but they also lost his 355 shots on net - highest in the NHL last season, 22 more than No. 2 Peter Bondra and 24 more than No. 3, Brian Rolston.

To get back Guerin's four-plus shots per game - and ideally some of those 41 goals - coach Robbie Ftorek figures the likes of Martin Lapointe (141 last year), Jozef Stumpel (93), and rookie Ivan Huml will have to add significantly to the equation. Lapointe, Huml, and Stumpel totaled five shots in the opener.

Murray, who popped 212 shots on net after joining the Bruins with Stumpel via the Jason Allison deal, also has been asked to be more conscious about getting pucks on net.

''It's not just the goals that come from those shots,'' noted Ftorek. ''It's the rebounds, and deflections and follow-up chances - the mistakes that your shot can force the other side to make. Sergei [Samsonov, 192 shots last year] has to shoot some more, too. We've got some good shooters, and we've got to utilize that strength.''

For those who remember Murray when he arrived with the Bruins in the early '90s, it's obvious how dramatically his shooting style has changed. His most effective shot now is a hard, accurate slapper he delivers with minimal windup. He has a knack for finding open space between the circles, pulling back his stick so the blade barely reaches knee level, and unloading from 20- and 30-foot range.

''The guys who worked with me a lot on that were Cam Neely and Luc Robitaille [his former Kings teammate],'' said Murray. ''Cam was amazing at getting off his shot, just pulling it back slightly. We'd be at practice, and he'd tell me, `Those big windups don't work.' And Robitaille, you watch him, I bet he doesn't take more than five shots a season where he really pulls back on that stick and lets it go. Most of his goals come off those quick, short swings.

''My shot's much different now,'' added Murray, who connected for a career-high 41 goals last season, all but six scored after re-joining the Bruins. ''And when I first came up, I also couldn't find the holes out there. Your shot's important, obviously, but you have to learn where to be, get yourself in positions where your linemates can get you the puck and you can get off that good, quick shot.''

All the more important, noted Murray, to fire quickly against quality clubs like the Avalanche.

''Their defensemen are good,'' he said. ''If you're shooting, they're going to have [Adam] Foote, [Rob] Blake and [Derek] Morris all over you, in a flash. As soon as you find the hole, you'd better get rid of it.''

Ftorek, never one to tip his hand regarding roster changes or starting goalies, openly mused that he likely would suit up pint-sized pugilist P.J. Stock tonight. The Avalanche aren't considered one of the league's fighting squads - feisty yes, fighters no - but Ftorek obviously feels the excitable Stock can factor into his squad's energy level ... If Shields gets the nod in net, look for him to make his debut in his Gerry Cheevers faux-stitch helmet/facemask, and he worked out here with the Cheesie model. He broke out a new number for practice in Minnesota, one sporting a red-eyed growling bear caricature, but he shelved it after Friday's workout. ''The guys didn't like it,'' said Shields, making it difficult to tell if he found their objections objectionable. ''I can't have my own guys [bent out of shape].'' ... A new trio that skated in the practice had Stock teamed with Marty McInnis and Michal Grosek, the latter of whom also didn't suit up for the opener.

 

[the mugs]

FRom Saturday's paper...

FRom Saturday's paper...

No smiles for this camera

ST. PAUL - Don't blame Bruins defenseman Bryan Berard if he suddenly finds himself camera shy.

With 8:55 gone in the first period last night, and the game still scoreless, Berard cut open the back of his head when he barreled awkwardly into a still photographer's lens in a freak accident in the box that separates the two benches at Xcel Energy Center.

''That's a first,'' said a bruised but bemused Berard, who needed seven stitches to close the gash some 3-4 inches above his collar line. ''My helmet must have gotten shoved up a little, and the whole thing kind of dazed me. It took me a while to get my focus back.''

He didn't suffer a concussion, Berard reported, but he did miss the remainder of the period, returning to action after the first intermission.

''He hits the camera, and he's out for a while,'' said an irked Robbie Ftorek, Boston's head coach, replaying the incident. ''He [the photographer] shouldn't be there, either ... but that's the way it is.''

=====

Poker face

Goalie Steve Shields practiced with a new mask yesterday morning. At the start of training camp, he drew some media attention when he sported a mask reminiscent of the faux stitch model made popular by then Bruins goalie Gerry Cheevers in the late '60s and early '70s. He has that ''Cheesie'' model tucked away for now, likely for use in home games. The new mask, with a black base, sports a bear caricature with radiant red eyes. The small plate that covers the back of his head (occipital guard) shows five playing cards, a royal flush, in spades.

Asked the significance of the cards, and whether he were a gambler, Shields said, ''I'm a poker player, not a gambler. Poker's not gambling.''

OK, fine. But given the turnover rate for goalies in Boston, a royal flush could prove to be regrettably prophetic.

=====

Happy to be here

Rookie winger Ivan Huml made the trip, as expected, and was penciled in for first-night duty on a line with Jozef Stumpel and Marty McInnis, logging 13:31 of ice time and registering a shot. Huml, 21, didn't know his roster fate until after Tuesday's practice.

''The first thing I did was to call home,'' said Huml, who phoned his family in Kladno, Czech Republic, hometown to Capitals superstar Jaromir Jagr. ''Everyone there was very excited.''

Huml skated with the Bruins for one game last season, but returned immediately to continue his internship in Providence. He collected an exhibition season hat trick in Pittsburgh, all but guaranteeing him that he would start the season in the NHL.

''It's all kind of hard to believe,'' said Huml, whose stickhandling and touch around the net could help make up some of the 41 goals lost when Bill Guerin signed with the Stars. ''But also, I realize the toughest job now is in front of me - to play well, stay on the team, have a good season. The first part is over, but still the toughest part is in front of me.''

=====

Muscled out

The Bruins, traveling with a three-man taxi squad, bumped forwards P.J. Stock and Michal Grosek, along with defenseman Jarno Kultanen, to the press box ... Following the game, the Bruins took a charter flight to Denver, where they will face the Avalanche Monday night. No workout today. The team will travel en masse - field trip! - to a NORAD base in the Cheyenne mountain range. According to Mark Awdycki, the club's traveling media representative, the group hug is off-limits to print and electronic members ...

 

[the mugs]

Recent meetings...

Recent meetings...

Date Home Away Line ATS
2/11/2002 Colo. 5 Bos. 2 0,-170/5 Colo./O
3/24/2001 Bos. 2 Colo. 4 0,130/5.5 Colo./O
2/21/2001 Colo. 8 Bos. 2 0,-250/5.5 Colo./O
10/13/1999 Colo. 2 Bos. 1 0,-155/5 Colo./U
10/11/1999 Bos. 3 Colo. 3 0,-125/5 P/O
2/2/1999 Bos. 2 Colo. 3 0.5,-120/5 Colo./P
10/14/1998 Colo. 0 Bos. 3 -0.5,-130/5.5 Bos./U
3/30/1998 Bos. 4 Colo. 1 N,N/N -/-
10/7/1997 Colo. 3 Bos. 2 -1.5,-120/6 Bos./U
2/18/1997 Colo. 3 Bos. 2 -1.5,-145/6 Bos./U

***Colorado has won the last 4 SU/ATS