Thursday's Bruins...

[the mugs]

OTTAWA SENATORS at
BOSTON BRUINS
Thursday, December 12, 2002
FleetCenter; Boston, Massachusetts
7:00 pm (ET) - Gametime
6:30 pm (ET) - Boston Globe Pre-Game Report
NESN
Tonight's Game
The Bruins host the Senators tonight in the third of five games between these clubs this season and the third and final game of this season's series at the FleetCenter. The Bruins are 19-5-3-1 overall and are 11-3-1-0 on home ice thus far this season. The Senators are 15-7-4-0 overall with a 5-4-4-0 record on the road thus far this season. The Bruins are 5-2-1-0 vs. Northeast Division opponents this season and are 14-2-2-0 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes. The Senators are 5-2-1-0 this season vs. Northeast Division opponents and they are 11-5-3-0 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins are 32-13-7-3 lifetime vs. the Senators with a 198-142 scoring advantage in those 55 games. On home ice, the Bruins are 18-7-4-0 lifetime vs. Ottawa with a 115-80 scoring edge in those 29 games. The Bruins are 1-0-1-0 vs. Ottawa in this season's series thus far with a 2-2 tie in Boston on Oct. 24 and a 7-1 victory in Boston on Nov. 9. The Bruins are unbeaten in their last four games vs. the Senators at 3-0-1-0 with their last home loss to Ottawa a 5-3 setback on Mar. 8, 2001.

Recent Bruins Games
The Bruins had their three-game win streak stopped with a 4-2 loss to Montreal on Dec. 10. That followed a 4-3 overtime victory over Atlanta on Dec. 5, a 3-2 overtime win vs. Tampa Bay on Dec. 7 and a 4-1 victory at New York Rangers on Dec. 8. They are 8-2-0-0 in their last ten games, are 13-3-1-1 in their last 18 games and have taken points out of 23 of their last 27 games at 19-4-3-1.

Recent Senators Games
The Senators are unbeaten in their last three games at 2-0-1-0 with a 2-2 tie in St. Louis on Dec. 5, a 5-2 win vs. Carolina on Dec. 7 and a 4-2 win in Buffalo on Dec. 10. They are 10-1-3-0 in their last 14 games overall with their lone loss in that span a 1-0 setback in Chicago on Dec. 4.

Upcoming Bruins Games
The Bruins next face a three-game road stretch, playing in Montreal on Dec. 14 (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio), in Buffalo on Dec. 18 (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio) and in Washington on Dec. 19 (8:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio; also on ESPN outside of the Boston area).

Upcoming Senators Games
The Senators next return home to host New Jersey on Dec. 14 and Montreal on Dec. 16. They will then travel to New Jersey on Dec. 18.

Bruins Injuries
P. J. Axelsson: Bruised back; day-to-day.
Sergei Samsonov: Groin strain; day-to-day.

Bruins Recent Transactions
Dec. 2: Joe Thornton signed to one-year contract extension (through 2003-04).

 

[the mugs]

Injuries...

Injuries...

Ottawa Injuries
Peter Schastlivy LW Groin day-to-day
Chris Phillips D Knee day-to-day
Daniel Alfredsson RW Back day-to-day

Chris Phillps Injury Update is from The Sports Network

Boston Injuries
Sergei Samsonov LW Wrist/Groin day-to-day
P.J. Axelsson LW Back Ques Thu
Kyle McLaren D Holdout Out indefinitely

 

[the mugs]

This is the last time we get to see the Sens in Boston. The next two are north of the border...

Recent Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS
11/9/2002 Bos. 7 Ott. 1 -0.5,105/5.5 Bos./O (02-03)
10/24/2002 Bos. 2 Ott. 2 -0.5,120/5.5 Ott./U

4/11/2002 Ott. 4 Bos. 0 0,-135/5 Ott./U (01-02)
1/24/2002 Ott. 4 Bos. 3 0,-200/5.5 Ott./O
1/17/2002 Bos. 5 Ott. 2 0,-135/5.5 Bos./O
12/26/2001 Bos. 3 Ott. 2 0,-130/5 Bos./P
12/1/2001 Ott. 2 Bos. 1 0,-180/5 Ott./U

3/30/2001 Ott. 5 Bos. 4 0,-240/5.5 Ott./O (00-01)
3/8/2001 Bos. 3 Ott. 5 0,120/5.5 Ott./O
11/21/2000 Ott. 2 Bos. 1 0,-280/5.5 Ott./U

 

[the mugs]

Trends...

Trends...

Recent Trends
OTT is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
OTT is 12-2 ATS in their last 14 overall.
The Sens are 8-3 ATS on a days rest.
The Bruins are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 overall.
BOS is 12-2 ATS on a day of rest.
BOS is 5-0 ATS overall following a loss.

 

[the mugs]

PJ & Sergei

PJ & Sergei

Sergei Samsonov, still nursing a sore groin, skated yesterday but it's doubtful he'll play in tonight's match against the Senators as he continues to mull whether to have wrist surgery.

``It's a tough call,'' said Samsonov, who's consulted with team doctors. ``I'm sure I'll be talking to the doctors more about it, but getting surgery doesn't guarantee that I'll be able to get back for the playoffs. There's a little bit of a chance, but everything, I think, has to go perfectly. It's a tough call. I have to think about it, talk to the team doctors, talk to the coaches and come up with a decision. But I still think I'm a few weeks away from a decision and I just want to concentrate on getting back and playing.'' . . .

P.J Axelsson skated in practice yesterday but said he still has some soreness in his bruised back.

 

[the mugs]

Boston Herald 12/12/02

Boston Herald 12/12/02

At first, B's sluggish

WILMINGTON - It's not exactly an issue that's had the Bruins reaching for the panic button, but it hasn't gone unnoticed.

In four of their last five games, the B's have stumbled out of the gate and found themselves looking at early deficits. They've won three of those games - coming back to beat the Rangers and the Lightning - but it's a trend they'd like not to continue.

``It's not very good,'' surmised defenseman Nick Boynton. ``The effort's there, but whether we're just not playing the system the way we are in the second and third or not, we definitely have to switch that because teams are too good. Like Montreal, you get down like that in the first, it makes it hard to come back. We've got to definitely pick it up and play the full game and not just the last 40 minutes or whatever we've been doing.''

One of their worst periods in recent weeks was the first period against Montreal in Tuesday night's 4-2 defeat, a period in which they were outshot 14-6 and were lucky to get out down just 1-0. They eventually faced a 4-0 deficit before they got going.

``It's not a question of us deserving a lead after the first and just not getting it. I think we've come out flat,'' forward Mike Knuble said. ``Earlier in the season, we would deserve the lead. Now we're getting outshot a little bit. But I don't know why we've had these slow starts. Everybody's still ready to play.''

With the B's at the top of the National Hockey League, teams could be getting a little more revved up to play them, but Boynton doesn't think that should be an excuse.

``I guess everybody wants to knock off the top team,'' said Boynton. ``But we're (28) games in and we've pretty much been at the top the whole way, so it's no different than the way it was most of last year and the beginning of this year. We've just got to maybe quit worrying about other teams and know what we can do and play our game for 60 minutes.''

Captain Joe Thornton thinks the recent slow starts might just be part of the usual ebb and flow of an 82-game schedule and believes the ends justify the means.

``If we keep on winning, it doesn't matter what kind of start we get,'' Thornton said. ``But it was tough spotting (Montreal) four goals. Every once in awhile you're not going to be on top of your game, but we worked hard for the last 30 minutes of the game, which is nice to see, and we set the tone for (tonight) and for back in Montreal on Saturday night.''

You can bet that tonight's opponent, the Ottawa Senators, will be ready for the B's, too.

The last time these two teams met, the Bruins shellacked Ottawa, 7-1, at the FleetCenter on Nov. 9. After that game, the Senators went on a 10-game unbeaten streak (8-0-2) and have a 10-1-3 record since.

``They're a good team. That's not very indicative of who they are and for us to beat them, 7-1, is a pretty rare game,'' said Knuble. ``They don't give up that many goals. It's just one of those nights where we were clicking and they weren't.

``But we don't expect that kind of game (tonight).''

Boynton agreed.

``You can't take five minutes off in the first period because they've got the type of team where it can be over real quick,'' said Boynton.

``I'm sure they'll be up, so we definitely have to be ready to play.''

 

[ND2002HORNS]

Good stuff! Thanks for the ummmm.....calendar!

HORNS

 

[the mugs]

All Ottawa...All the time.

5-1 Sens, end of 2

Good night, thanks for coming. Drive safe