Thursday's Bruins...

[the mugs]

CAROLINA HURRICANES at
BOSTON BRUINS
Thursday, February 28, 2002
FleetCenter; Boston, Massachusetts
7:00 pm (ET) - Gametime
6:30 pm (ET) - Bruins Digest
NESN
Tonight's Game
The Bruins host the Hurricanes tonight in the second of four games between these teams this season and the first of two games of this season's series at FleetCenter. The Bruins are 32-16-5-7 overall this season with a 19-6-1-4 record on home ice. The Hurricanes are 24-22-11-5 overall this season with a 12-11-5-3 record on the road. The Bruins are 10-1-0-2 vs. Southeast Division opponents thus far this season and are 24-10-2-5 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes. The Hurricanes are 3-6-3-1 vs. Northeast Division opponents thus far this season and are 15-14-8-5 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins are 78-51-14-0 lifetime vs. the Hurricanes franchise (includes Hartford) with a 515-432 scoring edge in those 143 games. On home ice, the Bruins are 45-20-7-0 lifetime vs. the Carolina franchise with a 266-190 scoring advantage in those 72 contests. The Bruins won the first game of this season's series with a 6-3 victory in Carolina on Jan. 2.

Recent Bruins Games
The Bruins have lost just once in their last nine games at 6-1-2-0 with a 4-2 win over Florida on Jan. 26, a 2-1 victory over Chicago on Jan. 28, a 4-3 overtime win in Montreal on Jan. 30, an 8-0 win at Columbus on Feb. 4, a 2-2 tie with Buffalo on Feb. 5, a 4-1 win over Florida on Feb. 9, a 5-2 loss in Colorado on Feb. 11, a 2-1 overtime victory in Vancouver on Feb. 12 and a 3-3 tie at NY Islanders on Feb. 26.

All these games except the NY Islander game are prior to the Olympic break. This is the first home game since a 2/9 win against Florida.

They have taken points out of 15 of their last 19 games at 10-4-2-3, are 16-6-2-3 in their last 27 games, including their longest win streak of the season with a five-game win streak from Dec. 20-29, are 18-8-2-4 in their last 31 games, and have taken points out of 28 of their last 37 games at 21-9-2-5.

The Bruins are 6-1-1-1 in their last nine home games and are 14-4-1-2 in their last 21 home contests. They are 3-1-1-0 in their last five road games and are 8-4-1-2 in their last 15 road contests.

Recent Hurricanes Games
The Hurricanes have lost their last two games and are 2-3-2-0 in their last seven games with a 2-2 tie with Buffalo on Jan. 29, 3-1 win in Tampa Bay on Jan. 30, 3-3 tie vs. Pittsburgh on Feb. 5, 2-1 loss in Los Angeles on Feb. 7, 4-1 victory at Anaheim on Feb. 8, 4-0 loss at San Jose on Feb. 10 and 4-1 loss in Toronto on Feb. 26. They are 2-5-6-0 in their last 13 games overall.

Upcoming Bruins Games
The Bruins will next face the Sabres in Buffalo on Mar. 1 (7:00 p.m.; UPN38 & WBZ Radio). They will then return home to host Philadelphia on Mar. 4 (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio).

Upcoming Hurricanes Games
The Hurricanes are playing tonight their fifth of eight straight road games. They continue that stretch at Montreal on Mar. 2, in Chicago on Mar. 5 and at Pittsburgh on Mar. 7. They next return home to host Washington on Mar. 8.

Bruins Injuries
Martin Lapointe: Hamstring strain; day-to-day.
Kyle McLaren: Dec. 28 surgery to repair a torn right wrist ligament; out indefinitely.
P. J. Stock: Feb. 7 facial surgery; day-to-day.
Total Man-Games Lost: 122

Bruins RECENT February Transactions
Feb. 25: Gord Murphy and Dennis Bonvie recalled from Providence/AHL.
Feb. 26: Andrew Raycroft recalled from Providence/AHL and returned to Providence/AHL after game.

Hurricanes Injuries
Tommy Westlund: Back injury; out indefinitely.
Craig Adams RW League Suspension Elig. Mar 23

 

[the mugs]

This year's games & trends

This year's games & trends

Teams have only met once so far this season...

Recent Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS
1/2/2002 Car. 3 Bos. 6 0,-130/5.5 Bos./O


Recent Trends
The over is 16-7 when Carolina is away.
The over is 5-2 in the past seven meetings.
The Canes are 11-17-8 ATS on one day of rest.
The Bruins are 6-1-2 ATS in their last nine overall.
The over is 8-4 in the Bruins last 12 overall.
Boston is fourth (tie) in offense at 2.98 goals/game.

 

[the mugs]

Stumpel, Grahame, Tired Olympians & DaFoe

Stumpel, Grahame, Tired Olympians & DaFoe

Stumpel passing muster in return
By Jim Greenidge, Globe Staff, 2/28/2002

WILMINGTON - The two-week Olympic break wasn't a time of total rest for Jozef Stumpel, who played in Salt Lake City for Slovakia.

And while teammates Brian Rolston and Bill Guerin returned from the Olympics with a silver medal as members of Team USA, Stumpel wasn't as fortunate because Slovakia didn't reach the medal round.

But that's history. And after a slow start for the Bruins after being reacquired from Los Angeles along with Glen Murray, Stumpel has eight goals and 36 assists for 44 points in 60 games.

''We've been applying pressure on him and he's been productive for us,'' said assistant coach Jim Hughes. ''He does a good job in his own zone and he's a playmaker in the offensive zone. There's just some work that has to take place in the neutral zone while moving the puck forward.''

Stumpel's best season came in 1997-98, when he had 21 goals and 58 assists for the Kings.

''I've been playing with lots of goal scorers and so I've been responding, giving them the puck,'' said Stumpel. ''I like to shoot, too, but if I see somebody open or in a better spot, I'll pass. It doesn't matter to me if I score or I pass as long as we get the goal.

''I'm pretty happy, especially lately. Things are going pretty well for our team and we've been getting lots of points, so the team's doing very good.''

When he's in an offensive slump, Stumpel tries to do other things. ''I try to do something extra, always trying to bring my game back,'' he said.

=====

Nod to Grahame

It appears John Grahame will get the start in net tonight against Carolina, after serving as Andrew Raycroft's backup Tuesday night against the Islanders.

Grahame and coach Robbie Ftorek had a short conversation prior to the New York game about Raycroft getting the nod in place of Byron Dafoe.

Dafoe was home with his wife, Kim, for the birth of his son.

Grahame's last start was at Colorado in a 5-2 loss Feb. 11. His last win was an 8-0 blanking at Columbus Feb. 4.

''His mind-set is in the right place and he'll be ready to go,'' said Hughes.

Grahame spoke to Ftorek ''for about 10 seconds. I try not to be surprised by anything. It's just the way things were.''

=====

Rest for weary

Guerin and Rolston took yesterday off from practice, as did Sergei Samsonov, who played for Russia in the Olympics. Ftorek, nursing the flu, stopped by practice for a short time and then went home...

=====

Dafoe was still beaming yesterday. ''I'm definitely on a natural high, after having missed my first son [ Eric] being born, so this was a special treat to be there and see what happened.'' ...

=====

Down on the farm, Joe Hulbig, released by the Providence Bruins Sunday, was signed to a tryout contract with the Worcester IceCats yesterday. The 28-year-old Hulbig was Edmonton's first-round draft pick (13th overall) in 1992, and had played in the Bruins organization since 1999-2000. This season with the Baby Bruins, Hulbig scored eight goals and had 10 assists in 54 games.

 

[the mugs]

B's have a goal in mind

by Joe Gordon
Thursday, February 28, 2002

WILMINGTON - Andrew Raycroft made the most of his chance with the Bruins on Tuesday night. Now, John Grahame gets a turn.

Such is life in the NHL, especially when the trading deadline is just 19 days away and one of the B's two big potential unrestricted free agents is goaltender Byron Dafoe, who missed Tuesday's game against the Islanders after his wife gave birth to a boy, Chase, on Monday.

Raycroft, called up from Providence of the AHL presumably to back up Grahame (6-4-2, .901 save percentage, 2.77 goals-against average), was a surprise starter as the Bruins began their post-Olympic schedule against the Islanders. Raycroft played well in a 3-3 tie in Uniondale, N.Y., but he was then returned to Providence.

Dafoe and Grahame practiced with the B's yesterday at Ristuccia Arena in preparation for tonight's game at the FleetCenter against the Carolina Hurricanes.

``You'll see (Grahame) play one of the next two games,'' said Bruins assistant coach Jim Hughes, who, along with fellow assistant Wayne Cashman, ran practice as Robbie Ftorek was sidelined by the flu. ``Byron will (also) play one of those games.

``(Grahame) came out and he's focused and knows he's got to come up with a big effort and I'm sure he will. I believe that his mindset is in the right place and he'll be ready to go.''

Ftorek explained to Grahame on Tuesday that he was taking the opportunity to get a look at Raycroft. It was a quick conversation.

``We just spoke for about 10 seconds,'' said Grahame after practice. ``It's just a situation that came up. I mean, I try not to get surprised at anything. That's just the way things were. That's what they said, so I'm sure that's what they were trying to do.''

Hughes was impressed with Raycroft.

``Andrew played very well,'' said Hughes. ``He made some big saves. It was a real good building block for him. It was a positive night for him. It was good to see.''

=====

Bruins notes

Tough guy Dennis Bonvie, who remains with the B's as P.J. Stock (facial fracture) and Martin Lapointe (hamstring) recover from injuries, scored his first NHL goal in the tie on Long Island.

``Bonvie has been effective because he's an agitator-type player and obviously it was nice to see him score,'' said Hughes. ``He's playing intelligently and not taking any unnecessary penalties.''

Bonvie understands his role as an aggressor, but is also intent on proving that he can play the game.

``When I first got called up, that's what I wanted to do, come up and prove I can go up and down my wing, play and be an asset,'' said Bonvie. ``That's what I tried to do. I'm glad the coaches are happy with what I'm doing.

``I'll continue to do my job, going up and down the wing, and if there's fisticuffs, there's fisticuffs. I'll bang and crash and try to be an asset that way, too.''

Lapointe skated, but said a target date for a return is probably next week. . . .

=====

Dafoe was all smiles after the birth of his second son, but disappointed he couldn't watch his teammates from the hospital.

``I was at the hospital and I've got to talk to them because they don't have NESN,'' said Dafoe. ``I listened to the third period on the radio.''

 

[Terryray]

Excellent stuff mugs. As always!

Dafoe's son was born on Feb 25, Dafoe's birthday!

Grahame is 3-1 in starts following a bad loss (giving up 4 or more goals). And the one loss is a bit confused, because before that he was involved for 12 mins in a winning effort against Ott--but it wasn't a start. And he might be ticked at backup getting start last game, so might he then have double reason to show what a stud he is tonight? Any thoughts mugs?

 

[the mugs]

Terryray - I didn't think much about it to be truthful. I figured Ftorek gave Raycroft the start because he wouldn't have time to get nervous. Know what I mean? Get the call up and figure you will sit on the bench for a night and next thing you know you're on the lineup card as the starter...

Maybe the B's have plans to unload Grahame and want to see what Raycroft can do? At this point, I really don't know what the Bruins are going to do with the 2 future UFA's.

IMO I think Grahame is a solid back up and could possibly be a starter in a couple years. I saw a lot of him in Providence in '98-'99 when the baby B's won the Calder Cup. He worked almost every reg season game and once the playoffs started he played every game.

I'd bet he will play tonight against the Whaler-Canes and DaFoe goes tomorrow night up in Buffalo.

Tomorrow will be the Bruins 3rd in 4 nights for those who may be looking ahead.

Jim