Monday's Bruins...

[the mugs]

Getting buried with another 18"-24" of snow today...

BOSTON BRUINS at NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Monday, February 17, 2003
Gaylord Entertainment Center; Nashville TN
8:00 PM (ET) - Gametime
7:30 PM (ET) - Boston Globe Pre-Game Reprt
NESN

Tonight?s Game
The Bruins visit the Predators tonight in the second and final game between these clubs this season and the Bruins' only visit of the season to Gaylord Entertainment Center. The Bruins are 28-22-5-2 overall and are 11-13-2-1 on the road thus far this season. The Predators are 20-24-9-4 overall with a 13-13-3-0 record on home ice thus far this season. The Bruins are 2-2-0-1 vs. Central Division opponents this season and they are 8-4-1-2 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes. The Predators are 2-1-0-0 this season vs. Northeast Division opponents and they are 5-5-2-2 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins are 5-1-1-1 lifetime vs. the Predators with a 25-12 scoring edge in those eight games. On the road, the Bruins are 3-0-0-1 lifetime vs. Nashville with a 12-6 scoring advantage in those four contests. The Bruins have won the last two games between these teams, including a 2-1 victory in Boston on Jan. 28 in the first game of this season's series.

Recent Bruins Games
The Bruins are 1-2-0-0 on their current seven-game road trip following a 3-1 loss in Montreal on Feb. 11, a 6-5 overtime win in Florida on Feb. 14 and a 5-2 loss in Tampa Bay on Feb. 15. They have taken points out of eight of their last 12 games at 6-4-1-1.

Recent Predators Games
The Predators are 3-1-0-0 on their current six-game home stand with a 3-2 win over Columbus on Feb. 8, a 3-2 loss to Los Angeles on Feb. 11, a 2-0 win over NY Islanders on Feb. 13 and a 2-1 victory vs. Anaheim on Feb. 15. They are 7-6-2-0 in their last 15 games.

Upcoming Bruins Games
The Bruins play game four of their current seven-game road trip tonight (1-2-0-0 thus far), continuing the trip in Carolina (Feb. 19, 7:00 p.m.), New Jersey (Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m.) and NY Islanders (Feb. 23, 1:00 p.m.). They will return home to host Dallas on Feb. 25 (7:00 p.m.). All of these games will be broadcast on NESN and WBZ Radio.

Upcoming Predators Games
The Predators conclude their current six-game home stand hosting Calgary on Feb. 20. They will then face a two-game road trip to Ottawa on Feb. 22 and Toronto on Feb. 23.

Bruins Injuries
Richard Brennan: Right ankle bruise suffered Jan. 28 vs. Nashville; out indefinitely.
Hal Gill: Broken finger suffered Feb. 14 in Florida; out indefinitely.
Sean O'Donnell: Right knee sprain suffered Feb. 4 vs. Colorado; out indefinitely.
Sergei Samsonov: Dec. 24 right wrist surgery; out indefinitely.
Rob Zamuner: Right foot fracture suffered Jan. 7 in Toronto; day-to-day.

Bruins February Transactions
Feb. 5: Kris Vernarsky and Shaone Morrisonn recalled from Providence/AHL.
Feb. 10: Shaone Morrisonn returned to Providence/AHL.
Feb. 10: Zdenek Kutlak recalled from Providence/AHL.

 

[the mugs]

Injury bug...

Injury bug...

Boston Injuries
Krzysztof Oliwa LW Ankle Ques Mon
Hal Gill D Finger Out indefinitely
Sean O'Donnell D Knee Mid Mar
Rich Brennan D Ankle Late Feb
Rob Zamuner LW Foot Out Mon
Sergei Samsonov F Wrist Mid Mar


Nashville Injuries
Denis Pederson RW Concussion Out indefinitely
Domenic Pittis C Concussion Out indefinitely
Stu Grimson LW Concussion Out indefinitely

 

[the mugs]

Trends...

Trends...

Preds are playing well at home and the B's have been lousy on the road lately...

Recent Trends
BOS is 2-5 ATS in its last seven overall.
The over is 4-1 in BOS last five overall.
BOS is 5-2-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.
NAS is 4-1 ATS in its last five overall.
The last five meetings have played under.
The under is 16-7 when NAS is at home.

 

[the mugs]

All time history...

All time history...

Recent Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS
1/28/2003 Bos. 2 Nash. 1 -0.5,-170/5.5 Bos./U (02-03)

10/20/2001 Nash. 1 Bos. 2 0,-115/5 Bos./U (01-02)

1/19/2001 Nash. 1 Bos. 0 0,100/5.5 Nash./U (00-01)
11/11/2000 Bos. 2 Nash. 2 0,-120/5.5 P/U

12/21/1999 Bos. 1 Nash. 3 0,-240/5 Nash./U (99-00)
11/24/1999 Nash. 2 Bos. 5 0,130/5 Bos./O

1/18/1999 Bos. 8 Nash. 1 -1.5,110/5 Bos./O (98-99)
12/30/1998 Nash. 2 Bos. 5 0.5,100/5 Bos./O

 

[kickserv]

great write up..............

 

[the mugs]

Boston Globe 2-17-03

Boston Globe 2-17-03

Humbling experience for Knuble

NASHVILLE - After the Bruins' 5-2 loss in Tampa Saturday night, left wing Mike Knuble was feeling guilty for taking a penalty that led to the winning goal. After yesterday's optional practice, though, Knuble said he knew there were many other factors that contributed to the defeat. Still, it was hard to take.

''Some of them stick with you a little longer, especially when you look up at the scoreboard and see everybody who is beneath you or around you has won that night and then you lose and it makes it even harder,'' he said. ''This game humbles you. Just when you think you're doing something right and [are] bigger than you are, you get knocked right back down to size. It cuts you down.''

After racking up a 19-4-3-1 mark through its first 27 games, the club has gone 9-18-2-1 since. Some nights the Bruins are good, other nights they're not, and their intensity and execution can vary from shift to shift.

''It would be much easier on ourselves if we could find a consistent way to play,'' said Knuble. ''That's why you play 82, I guess. You get a different one every night. Our team can play different styles. I'm sure the coaching staff wants us to play theirs. Sometimes games get wild and you have to hope you come out on top. You might get into a shootout and it's not pretty and there are ugly goals and sometimes maybe they take a costly penalty and you get the break you need. We would definitely like to see some consistency in our winning pattern no matter what style we play.''

Last season, the club's losing streaks lasted no more than four games and that happened just twice. This season, they've had two five-game losing streaks since the middle of December. Heading into tonight's game against the Predators, the Bruins have lost five of their last seven.

''As a group, last year we were just so much more consistent,'' said Knuble. ''We obviously had a much smoother ride. This year we've been all over the map and even shift to shift at times. I don't know, that's just the way the year is going. I'd like to see all this adversity, the injuries and all, benefit us down the road. I'd love to look back in the spring and say, `Boy, all that stuff we went through sure helped in the playoffs.'

''You've got to just hope it's prepping you for something better down the line, that it's preparation for something bigger and better. That's the only way you can make sense out of it all.''

There are 25 games remaining and a lot can change during that time. One thing the Bruins know for sure is that without their great start, their circumstances would be far more grim.

''It's kept us in the race,'' said Knuble. ''If we hadn't had a start like that, we'd be in a lot more trouble than we are now. We'd be really climbing a hill. It seems like everyone is getting their game in shape and we're kind of wavering up and down. But I'm confident in the guys. I think we have what it takes. We'll get everybody going.''

Zamuner needs time

Forward Rob Zamuner had hoped tonight would mark his return from a broken right foot suffered Jan. 7 in Toronto. But after skating with his teammates for a second day, Zamuner said he's still in too much pain. ''It was getting better every day but I still have a fair amount of pain when I go full speed and make sharp turns, so we'll wait some more and see what it's like,'' said Zamuner. ''It kind of hurts when I walk. I feel a sharp pain when I turn [on skates] and then when I walk. It's something I have to monitor and see what it is. I want to make sure it heals properly. It's still a little tender. I'm going to see how it is [today] and then we'll kind of reevaluate. I don't think it's anything drastic. It's just going to take a little time. I thought I was playing [tonight]; it's really frustrating.'' ...

Forward Krzysztof Oliwa took a shot off the inside of his left ankle during the workout. It hit him just above the boot of his skate where there isn't any padding, but he said he expected it to be fine ...

The Bruins will practice here tomorrow morning before departing for Carolina, where they'll face the struggling Hurricanes Wednesday in the fifth game of their seven-game road swing.

 

[the mugs]

Ivan Huml is in the lineup tonight...

Oliwa is out...

Hackett looks like the B's starter

 

[the mugs]

It's Hackett vs. Vokoun

 

[the mugs]

Here comes Shields...I think someone needs to have a serious heart to heart with Jon Girard too.

 

[ND2002HORNS]

mugs,

The Bruins and the Flyers are tough to figure in the East and as always the NYR are the most baffling team. Preds should not beat a Bruins team by 4 goals.

HORNS:shrug: