Sunday's Bruins - Playoff Edition...

[the mugs]

Frogy - If you're out there and want to add to this post, go right ahead.

MONTREAL CANADIENS at
BOSTON BRUINS
Sunday, April 21, 2002
FleetCenter; Boston, Massachusetts
7:00 pm (ET) - Gametime
UPN-38
Tonight's Game
The Bruins host the Canadiens tonight in the second game of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series. The Bruins are making their 60th post-season appearance in their 78-year history, while the Canadiens are making their 78th post-season appearance in their 85-year history. This marks a return to the playoffs for both the Bruins and Canadiens, as the Bruins' prior playoff appearance was in 1999 and the Canadiens' was in 1998.

2002 Eastern Conference Quarter-Final Series - Boston vs. Montreal
Game One: The Bruins dropped the first game of this series with a 5-2 loss to Montreal in Boston on Apr. 18. Joe Thornton and Bill Guerin scored the Boston goals, while Donald Audette (two), Saku Koivu, Doug Gilmour and Gino Odjick netted the Montreal scores. Byron Dafoe took the loss in goal for the Bruins with Jose Theodore recording the win in net for the Canadiens.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins and Canadiens have met more times in post-season play than any other two NHL opponents, as they are playing their 29th lifetime series. The Bruins are 7-21 in playoff series vs. the Canadiens as these teams split their first four series, Montreal won the next 18 series between these teams, and the Bruins have won five of the last six series including the last four straight. These teams have played 140 lifetime playoff games with Montreal holding an 88-52 advantage in those contests. The Bruins are 36-32-0 in games vs. the Canadiens on home playoff ice with a 188-184 scoring advantage in those 68 games.

The Bruins finished the regular season with a 3-2-0-0 record vs. Montreal in their season series. The Bruins won a 5-3 game in Boston on Nov. 13, a 5-0 win in Boston on Dec. 20 and a 4-3 overtime victory in Montreal on Jan. 30. The Canadiens won a 3-2 decision in Montreal on Nov. 20 and a 5-3 decision in Montreal on Mar. 6.

Bruins Regular Season
The Bruins finished their regular season with a 43-24-6-9 record, 23-11-2-5 at home and 20-13-4-4 on the road. The Bruins won 40+ games for the 22nd time in their history and the first time since they compiled a 40-31-11 record in 1995-96 and their 43 wins were their highest total since they went 51-26-7 in 1992-93. They won 20 road games for the 15th time in their history and finished with a winning record on the road for the first time since they compiled a 20-14-7 road mark in 1997-98. The Bruins hit the 100-point plateau for the 16th time in their history and the first time since a 109-point season in 1992-93. The Bruins finished first in their Division for the first time since the 1992-93 season when they won the Adams Division title with a 51-26-7 record. It was their 23rd Division title. The Bruins finished first in their Conference for the first time since the 1990-91 season when they took the Prince of Wales Conference crown with a 44-24-12 record and 100 points.

Canadiens Regular Season
The Canadiens finished their regular season with a 36-31-12-3 record, 21-13-6-1 at home and 15-18-6-2 on the road.

Upcoming Series Games
G3 - Tuesday, April 23 @ Montreal - 7:00 p.m. - UPN38/WBZ Radio
G4 - Thursday, April 25 @ Montreal - 7:00 p.m. - NESN/WBZ Radio
G5 - Saturday, April 27 @ Boston - 1:00 p.m. - ABC/WBZ Radio (If Necessary)
G6 - Monday, April 29 @ Montreal - 7:00 p.m. - UPN38/WBZ Radio (If Necessary)
G7 - Tuesday, April 30 @ Boston - 7:00 p.m. - NESN/WBZ Radio (If Necessary)

Bruins Injuries
Jarno Kultanen: April 1 knee surgery; out indefinitely.

Bruins Recent Transactions
Apr. 17: Ivan Huml, Jonathan Girard, Zdenek Kutlak, Chris Kelleher, Andrew Raycroft and Andy Hilbert recalled from Providence/AHL on standby for the playoffs.

Canadiens Injuries
Jeff Hackett: Shoulder injury; out indefinitely.

 

[the mugs]

This year's games...Trends...Records

This year's games...Trends...Records

The B's & Habs are 3-3 SU this year including Montreal's Game 1 win on Thursday night. All 6 games have pushed or played over the 5 goal total.

Recent Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS
4/18/2002 Bos. 2 Mtl. 5 0,-230/5 Mtl./O
3/6/2002 Mtl. 5 Bos. 3 0,110/5 Mtl./O
1/30/2002 Mtl. 3 Bos. 4 0,105/5 Bos./O
12/20/2001 Bos. 5 Mtl. 0 0,-200/5 Bos./P
11/20/2001 Mtl. 3 Bos. 2 0,100/5 Mtl./P
11/13/2001 Bos. 5 Mtl. 3 0,-200/5 Bos./O

Recent Trends
MTL is 8-2 ATS & SU in their last 10 overall.
MTL won the last two meetings ATS & SU.
The over is 3-1 in the Habs last four overall.
BOS is 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven overall.
BOS ranks 1st in Penalty Killing % at 87.07%.
The last three meetings played over.

Records
Montreal Road - 16-20-6
Boston Home - 23-17-2

 

[the mugs]

Bruins level off: Focus energy on Game 2

NORTH ANDOVER - When the Bruins take the ice at the FleetCenter tonight for Game 2 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the Montreal Canadiens, the players hope for nothing less than the energy level that filled the building for Game 1 on Thursday night.

How will the players channel that energy? Now that's a different story.

Will the B's channel that energy into a victory that allows them to tie the best-of-seven series at 1-1? Or will the energy translate into an outcome similar to their Game 1 loss?

The Bruins played their first playoff game in three years on Thursday night, and, despite some veteran presence, acted liked an inexperienced postseason team at times during the 5-2 series-opening loss to the Canadiens. The B's were scrambling around looking for hits, and as a result were often caught up ice and out of position.

``We played with excitement, but we didn't play simply,'' said coach Robbie Ftorek yesterday at Merrimack College, where the B's practiced in preparation for Game 2. ``You have to play with intensity, but you've got to simplify your game. We didn't simplify our game.''

For many regular-season games, the FleetCenter featured a late-arriving crowd. But on Thursday night the fans made a point of being there for the opening faceoff.

The crowd was revved up and so were the Bruins - a little too much.

``I didn't even need the crowd, personally,'' said defenseman Hal Gill. ``I found myself during the pregame skate shaking with the adrenaline rush. That's over now.

``We've played that first game. The excitement of it is still there, but we know what it's all about and we can handle it. Yeah, we're down one, but that's why they play seven. We've got to go out and prove we're a better team.''

Winger Martin Lapointe is a veteran of 87 playoff games and two Stanley Cups while a member of the Detroit Red Wings. He knows the difference between good energy and bad energy.

``There was a lot of fire in the air and the guys got caught up in it, and we paid the price for that,'' said Lapointe. ``I think it was a learning experience and we have to take the positive out of it. (Tonight) we have to play smarter.

``It's not a bad thing to be emotional, but sometimes you get penalties off that. And even if you kill penalties, the momentum changes. . . . We've got to do the little things. Stay disciplined. Win faceoffs. Don't go out of your way to make a big hit and take yourself out of the play, because they've got some small players who can really beat you one-on-one.''

Forward Brian Rolston concurred that emotion played a role in the way the Bruins played.

``That's one of the biggest things,'' said Rolston. ``We came out flying, but we were running around maybe a little too much and getting out of position. Maybe there was a little too much emotion. (Tonight) we have to come out ready to play, but with controlled emotion.''

Any playoff game can be termed a must-win, but if the Bruins can't pull off a victory tonight and leave for Montreal trailing 2-0 in the series, the outlook would be grim.

Instead, the B's would like to take advantage of the energy the hometown crowd can provide before it's gone and head into Game 3 tied at 1 in the series.

``We've just got to do the right thing with (the energy),'' said Gill.

 

[the mugs]

Something else to think about...

The FleetCenter had a concert on Friday night. An Ice Show yesterday and the Celtics just finished their game this afternoon.

The ice could be lousy tonight.

Just something else to think about.

Mugs

 

[ND2002HORNS]

mugs,

The ice info is something to consider on the total. It should slow down the Habs skating game. Maybe the over is the way to go.

GL

HORNS