Sunday's Bruins...

[the mugs]

Here's the deal. In the history of the Bruins, being down 0-2 in a 7 game series means it's all over. The B's are 0-30 when they blow the first two games. On the flip side, the Devils have never lost a playoff series when they start 2-0. I guess it's just a matter of time before the razor comes out.

Rumors are flying about Hackett playing today. If I can find something to back this up, I will post it...

BOSTON BRUINS vs. NEW JERSEY DEVILS

Sunday, April 13, 2003
FleetCenter; Boston MA
3:00 PM (ET) - Gametime

Tonight?s Game
The Bruins host the Devils tonight in the third game of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series. The Devils lead the series, two games to none.

2003 Eastern Conference Quarter-Final Series

Game One: Wednesday, April 9 at New Jersey
The Devils took game one of this series by a 2-1 score. Jamie Langenbrunner scored both New Jersey goals with one in each of the first two periods, while Bryan Berard tallied for Boston with a third period goal. Martin Brodeur took the win in net for New Jersey facing 27 shots and Steve Shields earned the loss in goal for Boston facing 28 shots.

Game Two: Friday, April 11 at New Jersey
The Devils won the second game of this series by a 4-2 score. The Bruins struck first on a Glen Murray goal and then the Devils scored the next two on goals by Jeff Friesen and Brian Rafalski. Boston evened the score with a Dan McGillis tally, but the Devils scored twice in the third period (Jamie Langenbrunner and Joe Nieuwendyk) for the 4-2 final. Martin Brodeur took the win in net for New Jersey facing 26 shots and Steve Shields earned the loss in goal for Boston facing 30 shots.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins and Devils are meeting for the fourth time in post-season play with the Devils holding a two-to-one series lead, a 13-7 edge in playoff games played and a 59-57 scoring edge in those 20 post-season games. The Bruins won the first series between these teams with a four games to three victory in the 1988 Prince of Wales Conference Championship series. The Devils won the next two series with a four games to two victory in the 1994 Eastern Conference Semi-Final series and a four games to one win in the 1995 Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series. The Devils currently lead this series, two games to none.

Bruins Regular Season Recap
The Bruins finished the regular season with a 36-31-11-4 record, 23-11-5-2 at home and 13-20-6-2 on the road. The Bruins were 9-9-1-1 vs. Northeast Division opponents and were 27-22-9-2 overall vs. Eastern Conference opponents. They outscored opponents by a 245-237 margin while outshooting opponents, 2636-2322, on the season. They finished the season taking points out of six of their last eight games (3-2-0-3) and 12 of their last 17 contests (8-5-3-1). The Bruins were 3-3-3-0 in the nine games since Mike O'Connell replaced Robbie Ftorek behind the bench on Mar. 21.

Recent Devils Games
The Devils finished the regular season with a 46-20-10-6 record, 25-11-3-2 at home and 21-9-7-4 on the road. The Devils were 13-2-5-0 vs. Atlantic Division opponents and were 33-15-10-2 overall vs. Eastern Conference opponents. They outscored opponents by a 216-166 margin on the season. They finished the season taking points out of their last 11 straight games at 6-0-4-1.

Upcoming Series Schedule
The Bruins and Devils play game four of this series in Boston on Tuesday, April 15 (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio). If necessary, game five will be in New Jersey on Thursday, April 17 (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio), game six in Boston on Saturday, April 19 (time and television TBA; WBZ Radio) with game seven in New Jersey on Monday, April 21 (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio).

Bruins Injuries
Sean O'Donnell: Foot injury suffered Apr. 3 in New Jersey; day-to-day.
Krzysztof Oliwa: Back strain suffered Apr. 1 in Ottawa; day-to-day.

Bruins April Transactions
Apr. 3: Andy Hilbert recalled from Providence/AHL.
Apr. 5: Andy Hilbert and Andrew Raycroft returned to Providence/AHL.


EDIT - B's are 0-30 per Boston Globe

 

[the mugs]

Injuries

Injuries

New Jersey Injuries
Sergei Brylin C Wrist Early May
Mike Danton F Suspension Out indefinitely

Boston Injuries
Richard Brennan D Ankle Out indefinitely
Sean O'Donnell D Foot Ques Sun

=====

O?Donnell progressing

Sean O?Donnell remains day-to-day with a lower body injury.

?It?s getting a little better,? said O?Donnell. ?I?m just going to wait. Maybe tomorrow or Monday I?ll try to skate with it.?

 

[the mugs]

Boston Globe 4-13-03

Boston Globe 4-13-03

Hackett hopes to lend hand

Injured goalie aching to return

WILMINGTON - Bruins general manager/coach Mike O'Connell didn't quite make it official after yesterday's practice at Ristuccia Center, but don't be surprised if goaltender Jeff Hackett, out for nearly a month with a broken right index finger, gets the start this afternoon at the FleetCenter against the New Jersey Devils in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

Down by two games after 2-1 and 4-2 losses in New Jersey and with a second consecutive early exit from the postseason looming, O'Connell said changes will be made but didn't specify what they would be.

''I have some ideas, but we'll see how everyone is and we'll go from there,'' said O'Connell. ''I can't complain how this team has played. We haven't won, but we've shown a lot of good signs and we've got to stay with what we're doing, catch some breaks and get some calls to go our way. Unfortunately, we're down two games, but we've got to stay upbeat and stay positive and try to win [today's] game and go from there.''

Asked if he would feel comfortable using Hackett in place of Steve Shields, O'Connell replied, ''We'll see how [Hackett] feels today. After practice.''

A few minutes after practice ended, Hackett said he hadn't heard definitive word, but added, ''There's a fair chance I might play. I wouldn't put myself in a situation if I didn't feel confident enough to do most of the things I've got to do. I wouldn't go out there if I felt I'd hurt the team.''

Hackett had hoped to put a history of injuries behind him when he left Montreal via the three-team trade that brought him to the Bruins Jan. 23. One of his best games, a 24-save outing March 15 in which he backstopped the Bruins to a 4-1 victory over the Panthers, was also the one in which he was injured.

''It's been a very tough situation. Obviously, I've been waiting for an opportunity for a long time and getting hurt in the last three weeks, well, I thought I had the injury bug pretty well beat and something fluky happens,'' he said. ''So now you just deal with whatever happens. Day by day.

''I try to stay as positive as I can, but at the same time knowing you don't have too many more chances to do something you've been trying to accomplish for a long time. I guess the good part is that if anyone knows how to come back from injuries, it's me.''

Indeed, injuries have plagued the 34-year-old netminder in the last few seasons. He missed 39 games last season with a dislocated shoulder, and sat out 55 games with a broken hand in 2000-01.

Hackett said that if he does get the call, ''I'll just have to go in there with the clearest head possible and try to enjoy the moment. I realize there's a lot more pressure situations going on in the world than just this hockey game. So I'll just try to enjoy it because you love to play and you love to compete. Of course, you'd love to win, too.''

Being sidelined for so long, said Hackett, means he'll have to get reacclimated to game conditions - trying to eye the puck through traffic, being bumped and jostled while maintaining his balance, and staying strong on his skates.

''You try to do as much in practice as you possibly can,'' he said, ''and I think I've done enough so that I'm confident and ready to go.''

Stopping pucks is one thing for the Bruins, but getting a few past Martin Brodeur - who has a .943 save percentage in the series compared with Shields's .897 - would do a lot to put them back in the series.

Defenseman Dan McGillis, who fired a shot through a maze of legs and past Brodeur to even the score at 2-2 in New Jersey Friday night, said the team must put as many shots through traffic on Brodeur as they possibly can.

''We have to do a better job of that,'' said McGillis. ''My shot goes in because he doesn't see it. That's the kind of shots we need to put on him. If we can get the puck down low and work down low and avoid turnovers in the neutral zone, that's our game, too. When we do that we can control the offensive zone.

''Obviously, the puck has to be dumped very wisely against this goaltender. He's a big help to their defense. Half the time he's making an outlet pass for them. He handles the puck very well. So we have to fire the puck in and get on it quickly.''

Or just as quickly, the Bruins - who have never won a playoff series after going down two games to none (0 for 30) - will be exchanging their sticks and pucks for golf clubs and a couple of dozen Titleists.

 

[the mugs]

Boston Herald 4-13-03

Boston Herald 4-13-03

Burns lights match: O'Connell to put out fire

WILMINGTON - In the first two games of the Bruins-Devils first-round playoff series, New Jersey coach Pat Burns put the benefit of the home team's right to make the last change before a faceoff to good use.

Burns did a good job of regularly getting his best defensive line (John Madden, Jay Pandolfo and Turner Stevenson) and his best blue line pairing (Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski) on the ice against the B's top line of Joe Thornton, Glen Murray and Mike Knuble.

In Game 3 today and Game 4 on Tuesday at the FleetCenter, Bruins coach Mike O'Connell will be able to make the final change. O'Connell will try to use the advantage to get his team, which trails in the series 2-0, the edge in matchups against Burns' Devils.

``It's definitely going to change what we're going to do,'' O'Connell said after the B's practice at Ristuccia Arena. ``We can watch and see what they do, then make the decision on what we want to do. We'll see how the game plays out. We have ideas. We'll see how it goes. You make changes for a few different reasons. One, to get certain people you want on the ice against certain players on the other team. You also make changes to keep certain of their players off the ice. So we'll see how the game plays out.''

There's been no question that the Thornton line, hard as it has tried, has not been the same dominant, down-low force it was in so many games during the regular season. The threesome has combined for just one goal and three assists. But Murray (eight), Thornton (three) and Knuble (four) have combined for 15 shots on Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, several of which were excellent scoring chances.

``It is tougher going,'' said Knuble. ``Things aren't coming as easily for us. You have to give credit to Rafalski and Stevens. They've been playing us pretty well.

``They're making us work for everything we get and not giving up much. You may only get 3-4 good chances a game, compared to 7-8-9 against another team. Ultimately, it's the team that puts them away that is going to win the game. . . . When you're battling guys like that, you want to show them that eventually you can get the upper hand.''

=====

O'Donnell remains out

Defenseman Sean O'Donnell, out the past 11 days with a bruised foot, hopes to try to skate tomorrow or the next day, and see if it's possible to return to the lineup - perhaps by Game 5 if the Bruins can force a fifth game.

``I really can't tell you much,'' said O'Donnell. ``I won't be going (today). It's not something where you can just block out the pain - it's not, you know, like the baby toe, that you don't really need and you could just freeze.''

=====

Stumpel, Samsonov sit

A troubling practice note: Both Jozef Stumpel and Sergei Samsonov sat out.

Both players stayed off the ice to nurse minor aches, but both will play today in Game 3. For Samsonov, it was some soreness and swelling in his wrist.

``A little bit of swelling, just the usual,'' said Samsonov. ``It was a little bit sore (yesterday) morning. But I'm playing (today).''

 

[the mugs]

Recent Meetings

Recent Meetings

Date Home Away Line ATS
4/11/2003 NJ 4 Bos. 2 -1.5,150/5 NJ/O GAME 2
4/9/2003 NJ 2 Bos. 1 -1.5,140/5 Bos./U GAME 1

4/3/2003 NJ 1 Bos. 1 -0.5,-200/5 Bos./U (02-03)
3/13/2003 Bos. 4 NJ 3 0.5,-145/5 Bos./O
2/21/2003 NJ 3 Bos. 2 -0.5,-150/5 NJ/P
12/30/2002 Bos. 0 NJ 1 -0.5,105/5 NJ/U

4/7/2002 NJ 3 Bos. 2 0,-155/5 NJ/P (01-02)
11/15/2001 Bos. 5 NJ 4 0,110/5 Bos./O
11/3/2001 NJ 1 Bos. 2 0,-230/5 Bos./U
10/30/2001 Bos. 3 NJ 4 0,110/5 NJ/O

 

[ddubs]

Mugsy, we need the B's to play their game of the yr for us. I have a huge bet on them today . Good luck to us!

 

[Chenker]

Mugsy- B's will win- Hackett will play

 

[rc conditioner]

go bruins