Thursday's Bruins...

[the mugs]

My opinion.

Let's face it. Never mind the fact that the B's have taken points out 4 out of the last 5 games...They are slumping. Overall record of 1-5-0 (never mind that stupid OT losses - it's just a cheap way for the NHL to make teams look better than they really are)

Their PP stinks right now. Can't come up with any good words at all. Going back to the LA Kings game on 1/10 (their last solid win) the B's are a mighty 2-35 (5.71%) on the PP

The PK isn't good either. Again, since the LA Kings game...The PK has killed 23-30 (76.66%) in that span.

Tonight in Ottawa...GULP. The only thing I can say is that I hope that Ottawa doesn't buy or borrow the shed that's behind Madison Square Garden. The Rangers took the B's out back behind that shed last night and beat them 8-4

It could be a good time to go against the B's right now. Tonight will be their 3rd game in 4 days...4th game in 6 days. Maybe an "OVER" look tonight?

Their "Goals For" since the Kings game is at 3.14 and the "Goals Against" is the same 3.14 having scored and given up 22 goals since 1/10

They have killed me personally - both watching and betting - over the last week in particular.

I hope Robbie and the boys can put something together tonight but I wouldn't bet on it right now.

Good luck tonight.

Jim

 

[the mugs]

BOSTON BRUINS at
OTTAWA SENATORS
Thursday, January 24, 2002
Corel Centre; Kanata, Ontario
7:00 pm (ET) - Gametime
6:30 pm (ET) - Bruins Digest
NESN
Tonight's Game
The Bruins visit the Senators tonight in the fourth of five games between these teams this season and the second of three games of this season's series at Corel Centre. The Bruins are 26-14-3-7 overall this season with a 10-8-7-3 record on the road. The Senators are 25-17-5-3 overall this season with a 13-7-3-1 record on home ice. The Bruins are 7-4-0-1 vs. Northeast Division opponents thus far this season and are 21-9-0-5 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes. The Senators are 5-5-0-0 vs. Northeast Division opponents thus far this season and are 18-13-4-1 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins are 31-11-6-3 lifetime vs. the Senators with a 186-131 scoring advantage in those 51 games. On the road, the Bruins are 14-4-3-3 lifetime vs. Ottawa with a 80-54 scoring edge in those 24 games. The Bruins are 2-0-0-1 vs. Ottawa in this season's series thus far with a 2-1 overtime loss in Ottawa on Dec. 1, a 3-2 win in Boston on Dec. 26 and a 5-2 victory in Boston on Jan. 17. The Bruins are winless in their last six games in Ottawa at 0-2-1-3 with their last win in Ottawa a 3-0 victory on Mar. 24, 1999.

Recent Bruins Games
The Bruins have lost their last three games with a 2-1 overtime loss in St. Louis on Jan. 19, 4-3 overtime loss to St. Louis on Jan. 21 and 8-4 loss at NY Rangers on Jan. 23. They have taken points out of seven of their last nine games at 4-2-0-3, are 10-4-0-3 in their last 17 games, including their longest win streak of the season with a five-game win streak from Dec. 20-29, are 12-6-0-4 in their last 22 games, and have taken points out of 20 of their last 27 games at 15-7-0-5.

The Bruins are 11-4-0-2 in their last 17 home games and are 8-3-0-3 in their last 14 road games.

Recent Senators Games
The Senators have taken points out of their last three straight games at 1-0-1-1 with a 4-1 win over Minnesota on Jan. 19, a 3-2 overtime loss in Detroit on Jan. 20 and a 1-1 tie in Philadelphia on Jan. 22. That followed a 5-2 loss in Boston on Jan. 17. The Senators are 5-3-1-3 in their last 12 games overall.

Upcoming Bruins Games
The Bruins will next return home to host Florida on Jan. 26 (7:00 p.m.; UPN38 & WBZ Radio) and Chicago on Jan. 29 (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio). They will then face the Canadiens in Montreal on Jan. 30 (7:30 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio).

Upcoming Senators Games
The Senators next face the Canadiens in Montreal on Jan. 26 and will then return home to host Philadelphia on Jan. 30.

Bruins Injuries
Kyle McLaren: Dec. 28 surgery to repair a torn right wrist ligament; out indefinitely. Total Man-Games Lost: 103

Bruins January Transactions
Jan. 12: Scott Pellerin claimed on waivers by Dallas. Jan. 12: Acquired Benoit Hogue from Dallas for future considerations. Jan. 14: Recalled Dennis Bonvie from Providence/AHL and returned him to Providence/AHL after the game. Jan. 15: Gord Murphy invited to practice with team on a try-out basis.

Senators Injuries
Petr Schastlivy: Torn ACL right knee; out for season.

 

[the mugs]

DaFoe cries...

DaFoe cries...

Dafoe hot after being left out in the cold

EW YORK - Things haven't been going Byron Dafoe's way lately. After back-to-back overtime losses to the St. Louis Blues, which count as regular losses for goalies, Dafoe and the Bruins surrendered a season-worst eight goals to the Rangers last night in an 8-4 defeat.

Dafoe was clearly upset after the game. Reading between the lines, it was obvious he would have liked to have been pulled - and expected to be - given the awful way the Bruins were playing, if for no other reason than to change up things, or later in the game just to show the goalie some mercy. But when asked about making a change to John Grahame when it was clear the game was out of reach, coach Robbie Ftorek said he never considered it. By no means was it on a scale of Patrick Roy storming off the Montreal bench to say he never wanted to play for the Canadiens again after being hung out to dry during a one-sided game against Detroit in 1995, but Dafoe's frustration was palpable.

''It's pretty tough to dismiss as a goaltender,'' he said of the brutal result. ''I don't know what [Ftorek] said, but in my 10 years of [pro] hockey, I've never been humiliated like that before. I don't know what his game plan behind that was.''

When told Ftorek said he had never considered making a change, Dafoe seemed flummoxed.

''That's great,'' he said, ''but I'll tell you, it's tough to take as a goaltender when things just aren't going well and you're the guy, you're the only one there. But that's his prerogative, that's his decision.''

The only possible explanation is Ftorek is planning to use Grahame against the Senators tonight in Ottawa. Dafoe said he didn't know if that was true, but he plans to meet with the coach to get an explanation.

Ice is nice

Surprisingly, Jarno Kultanen got the most ice time against the Rangers. Kultanen, who was a healthy scratch in seven of the last 19 contests, played 28 shifts over 21 minutes 53 seconds. Sean O'Donnell and Hal Gill, normally the top two blue liners in terms of ice time, played 16:15 and 17:20, respectively. Kultanen's ice time has increased gradually over the last four games. After playing only 6:49 against the Islanders Jan. 12, he didn't dress against Washington two nights later. But he played 13:13 against Ottawa last Thursday, 17:56 against the Blues in St. Louis last Saturday, and 19:54 against the Blues in Boston Monday.

=====

Ranger Theo Fleury, who played in his 1,000th career game last night, was fined $1,000 for an obscene gesture toward fans at the end of a game against the Islanders Tuesday in Uniondale, N.Y. Fleury was offended by the tasteless ''crackhead'' chants. Fleury had one goal and three assists last night.