Tuesday's Bruins...

[the mugs]

PHOENIX COYOTES at
BOSTON BRUINS
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
FleetCenter; Boston, Massachusetts
7:00 pm (ET) - Gametime
6:30 pm (ET) - Bruins Digest
NESN
Tonight's Game
The Bruins host the Coyotes tonight in the second of two games between these teams this season and the Coyotes' lone appearance of the season at FleetCenter. The Bruins are 36-21-5-7 overall this season with a 21-9-1-4 record on home ice. The Coyotes are 32-22-9-5 overall this season with a 10-14-6-3 record on the road. The Bruins are 2-2-2-2 vs. Pacific Division opponents thus far this season and are 10-6-3-2 overall vs. Western Conference foes. The Coyotes are 2-3-2-0 vs. Northeast Division opponents thus far this season and are 11-5-3-1 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins are 35-16-6-0 lifetime vs. the Phoenix franchise (includes Winnipeg) with a 230-186 scoring edge in those 57 games. On home ice, the Bruins are 21-4-3-0 lifetime vs. the Coyotes franchise with a 129-87 scoring advantage in those 28 contests. The Bruins and Coyotes played to a 1-1 tie in the first game of this season's series in Phoenix on Oct. 16. The Bruins are 2-0-1-0 in their last three games overall vs. Phoenix with their last loss to the Coyotes a 2-1 setback in Phoenix on Oct. 16, 2000. The Bruins have won their last four games vs. Phoenix in Boston, with their last home loss to the Coyotes a 5-2 setback on Oct. 7, 1996.

Recent Bruins Games
The Bruins have won four of their last five games with a 3-0 win at Atlanta on Mar. 8, a 3-2 victory over Calgary on Mar. 9, a 3-1 win at NY Rangers on Mar. 13, a 2-1 loss to Toronto on Mar. 14 and a 2-1 victory over Detroit on Mar. 16. They are now 4-5-1-0 in their last ten games and are 10-6-2-0 in their last 18 contests overall.

The Bruins are 8-4-1-1 in their last 14 home games and are 16-7-1-2 in their last 26 home contests. They are 5-3-1-0 in their last nine road games and are 10-6-1-2 in their last 19 road contests.

Recent Coyotes Games
The Coyotes are unbeaten in their last seven games at 6-0-1-0 with a 2-1 win over Columbus on Mar. 3, 4-1 win over New Jersey on Mar. 5, 6-1 victory vs. Vancouver on Mar. 7, 3-2 win vs. Ottawa on Mar. 9, 3-1 victory over Chicago on Mar. 12, 3-2 win in Nashville on Mar. 15 and 2-2 tie at Minnesota on Mar. 17. They have not lost a game in regulation time in their last 11 games at 8-0-2-1 with their only loss in that span a 2-1 overtime setback in Colorado on Feb. 28. Their last regulation loss was a 4-3 loss to Edmonton on Feb. 10.

Upcoming Bruins Games
The Bruins next face a four-game road trip to Buffalo on Mar. 21 (7:30 p.m.), Florida on Mar. 23 (7:30 p.m.), Tampa Bay on Mar. 24 (6:30 p.m.) and Carolina on Mar. 26 (7:00 p.m.). The Buffalo and Carolina games will be telecast on NESN, while the Florida and Tampa Bay games can been seen on UPN38. All four games are broadcast on WBZ Radio.

Upcoming Coyotes Games
The Coyotes conclude their current four-game road trip in Pittsburgh on Mar. 20 and in Dallas on Mar. 22. They will then return home to host Los Angeles on Mar. 24.

Bruins Injuries
Jarno Kultanen: Knee injury; out indefinitely.
Martin Lapointe: Aggravated hamstring injury; day-to-day.
Joe Thornton: Shoulder injury; out indefinitely.
Total Man-Games Lost: 149

Bruins March Transactions
Mar. 1: Joe Thornton suspended by NHL for three games.
Mar. 5: Marty McInnis acquired from Anaheim for 2002 third round draft pick.
Mar. 5: Andy Hilbert returned to Providence/AHL.
Mar. 16: Chris Kelleher recalled from Providence/AHL and returned to Providence/AHL after the game.

Coyotes Injuries
Paul Mara: Bruised foot; day-to-day.
Krys Kolanos: Concussion; day-to-day.
Mike Sullivan: Pulled Rib muscles; 2 weeks.
Denis Pederson: Fractured sternum, 2-3 weeks.
Sean Burke G Groin Day-to-Day

Coyote Injuries from the Arizona Republic...

D Ossi Vaananen (bruised shoulder)
C Mike Sullivan (pulled rib muscles) are out.

C Krys Kolanos (concussion) is questionable.

RW Shane Doan (ankle) is probable.

 

[the mugs]

Games & Trends...

Games & Trends...

This Year's Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS
10/16/2001 Pho. 1 Bos. 1 0,100/5 P/U


Recent Trends
The under is 5-2-1 in the past eight meetings.
The Coyotes are 8-1-2 ATS in their last 11 overall.
The under is 5-2-3 in PHO's last 10 overall.
The Bruins are 5-2-1 ATS in the past eight meetings.
The under is 7-1 in Boston's last eight at home.
BOS is fifth in PK at 86.62%.

 

[the mugs]

Injury Report...

Injury Report...

Wait on his shoulder

WILMINGTON - When Joe Thornton went down with a shoulder injury during a practice in Atlanta March 7, the diagnosis was a bruise and he was listed as day to day. After more tests once the club returned home, it was determined that the shoulder had popped out of the socket, an action known as subluxation.

Tonight Thornton will miss his sixth straight game, but he said he's getting better. ''My shoulder is going to be fine,'' said Thornton, who skated prior to practice yesterday with strength and conditioning coach John Whitesides. ''Everything is going to be fine.''

Speculation persists that Thornton could miss the rest of the regular season, but he and general manager Mike O'Connell dispute that.

''Who said that?'' said Thornton. ''Everything should work out just fine. I'll be back. I'm stretching and exercising and just trying to get the strength back in.''

He was on the ice yesterday with a stick but still isn't able to shoot the puck. He tried to right after he injured himself, but it was too painful.

''I felt fine out there, so that's a good sign,'' said Thornton. ''Lately, it's actually felt better. I can't do any shooting yet. Maybe within the next week I'll probably start shooting again.''

As for coming back, he isn't sure when that will happen - perhaps another 10 days.

Thornton had said he would need surgery once the season is over, but the Bruins hope to avoid an operation.

''When the shoulder pops out, you give it some rest and see what happens,'' said O'Connell. ''Joe does have a bruise and his shoulder did pop out. Will he need surgery at the end of the season? He could. Do I expect him to play soon? Yes, I do.''

=====

Ready to go

Martin Lapointe wanted to play Saturday against his former team, the Red Wings, but coach Robbie Ftorek vetoed that idea. But his balky hamstring has recovered, and Lapointe will be in the lineup tonight against Phoenix after missing five games. ''I just have to go out there and do what I have to do,'' said Lapointe. ''If it's good, it's good. There's no other way I know how to do it. Practices are practices and games are games. I feel good during the practice, and all the moves I made, I feel good about. For me, there's no way of saying I have to take another week off and wait. I don't feel the need for that. The trainers have been really conservative with me. I'm ready.'' ...

=====

Defenseman Jarno Kultanen was awaiting word on when he would have arthroscopic knee surgery to repair what he described as a torn medial collateral ligament. Kultanen said he expects to be sidelined for just two weeks once he has the procedure ... For the first time all season, the dressing room was packed with media after practice. ''Geez,'' said defenseman Hal Gill, ''I thought this was Toronto.''

 

[the mugs]

Injury Report...(From a different paper)

Injury Report...(From a different paper)

Pretty much the same stuff...

Lapointe wants to play

Though neither Ftorek nor Martin Lapointe would say for sure, it appeared that the winger would be ready to go for tonight's tough matchup with the surprisingly hot Phoenix Coyotes. Ftorek said Lapointe ``might'' play, while the forward, who was less than thrilled to sit out Saturday's game against Detroit, didn't want to jinx himself.

``I don't want to say anything. If I say yes, I might not be in,'' said Lapointe, who indicated he feels healthy enough to play.

Kultanen on hold

Defenseman Jarno Kultanen will be out at least another two weeks as he's set to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a tear in his right medial collateral ligament. . . .

Joe Thornton continued his slow progress back from his shoulder injury. He skated before practice but is still probably a week away from shooting the puck.

 

[the mugs]

All's quiet on the trading front...

All's quiet on the trading front...

All remains quiet on trade front

WILMINGTON - At 3 p.m. today, the waiting and wondering will be over.

Either the Bruins will have a new face in the locker room or they'll head into the postseason with the lineup that's kept them near the top of the Eastern Conference all season.

With this afternoon's trading deadline fast approaching, Bruins general manager Mike O'Connell continued to work the phones yesterday, but he said there was nothing hot as of late afternoon. Things do tend to change rather rapidly, however.

Coach Robbie Ftorek said he'd be ready for either scenario.

``We're pleased with where we are and if Michael comes up with something that makes us a better team, then we'll be happy to go that route,'' Ftorek said. ``I've heard a lot of things talked about, but nothing as yet has really jumped out at us.''

Inside the dressing room after the B's morning practice, there was not a lot of sweating going on, at least not outwardly. One of the more talked about possible deals has been Kyle McLaren for Edmonton defenseman Tom Poti, which would add some puck-moving abilities on the blue line in Poti, but take away a big, physical presence in front of the net in McLaren.

McLaren said he was not concerned.

``Nobody's given me a concrete reason why to be, so there's no reason to be worried about it,'' McLaren said. ``But honestly, what can I do? There are rumors, but nobody's given me a good one. I haven't heard Mike say it. He hasn't called me. And until that happens, I will be relaxing at home.''

O'Connell consistently has said that he most likely would not be trading unrestricted free agents-to-be Bill Guerin and Byron Dafoe, and both players were expecting to be Bruins after 3 p.m.

``I'm pretty confident that they won't move me, but I've been blindsided by trades before, so you never say never,'' Guerin said.

Said Dafoe: ``I'd be surprised, but you usually are when you get traded. I think we've got a pretty good hockey team in here right now and I definitely want to be a part of it.''

 

[Terryray]

AZ Republic here sez Esche in goal tonight, Burke Wed vs Pitt.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/0319coyotes0319.html

 

[the mugs]

2 Minor Trades...

2 Minor Trades...

Bruins obtain Sean Brown
By Shawn P. Roarke | NHL.com | March. 19, 2002

NEW YORK - The Boston Bruins opened Tuesday's trading deadline activity with a pair of minor deals, obtaining rugged defenseman Sean Brown from the Edmonton Oilers and minor-league left wing Darryl Laplante from the Minnesota Wild.
The Bruins sent highly touted draft pick Bobby Allen to Edmonton in the Brown deal. Minor-league left wing Greg Crozier was sent to the Wild for Laplante.

Brown is a rugged defenseman, who has six goals and four assists in 61 games with the Oilers this season. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound defender gives the Bruins proven depth at the blue line. Brown, who has 12 goals and 23 assists in 269 NHL games, all with the Oilers, has 127 penalty minutes this season, second on the team to Georges Laraque. He has totaled more than 100 penalty minutes in each of his four full seasons with the Oilers.

Brown was the Bruins' first-round pick, 21st overall, in the 1995 Entry Draft. He was traded, along with Mariusz Czerkawski and the Bruins first-round pick in 1996, for Edmonton's Bill Ranford on Jan. 11 1996.

"We know Sean well as we were the team that drafted him," Bruins General Manager Mike O'Connell said. "He's big and tough, he's a good skater and he gives us a little more bite in front of the net. Laplante will be a free agent in July and this will give us 15-20 games to further look at him in Providence and we also feel that he will help out that team in their push for an AHL playoff berth."

Allen, 23, was the Bruins' second-round pick in the 1998 Entry Draft. The solid defenseman was playing his first season in Providence, the Bruins' American Hockey League affiliate, after a stellar four-year career at Boston College. He had five goals and 10 assists in 49 games with the "Baby Bruins."

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Allen had 25 goals and 95 assists in 167 games with the Terriers. He was named to the Hockey East First All-Star Team and NCAA First All-American team in 2001.

Laplante, a 24-year-old winger, has 35 games of NHL experience with the Detroit Red Wings. He was selected by Minnesota from the Red Wings in the 2000 Expansion Draft, but never made the parent club. He had 11 goals and six assists in 31 games for the Houston Aeros, the Wild's AHL affiliate.

Crozier, signed a free agent by Boston from Pittsburgh this summer, appeared in one NHL game with the Penguins last season. He had 24 goals and 36 assists in 70 games with their minor-league affiliate last year. This season, Crozier, 25, had five goals and six assists in 54 games with Providence.

 

[the mugs]

Another Minor Trade...

Another Minor Trade...

Bruins Acquire Defenseman Jeff Norton from Florida

BOSTON (March 19, 2002) - The Boston Bruins have acquired defenseman Jeff Norton from the Florida Panthers in exchange for Boston's sixth round draft pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, it was announced today by Bruins General Manager Mike O'Connell. Norton is not expected in uniform tonight when the Bruins host the Phoenix Coyotes at the FleetCenter. O'Connell also announced that defenseman Gord Murphy has been assigned to Providence/AHL.

In deals announced earlier today, the Bruins acquired defenseman Sean Brown from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Bobby Allen, acquired center Darryl Laplante from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Greg Crozier, and lost left wing Benoit Hogue when he was claimed off waivers by the Washington Capitals.

"We feel that Jeff is a player that will help our team," said O'Connell. "He's a good skater, has played on the power play and gives us added experience on defense."

Norton, 36, is in his 15th NHL season and Boston becomes his eighth NHL team since he was drafted by the NY Islanders as their third pick, 62nd overall, in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. Following a three-year career at the University of Michigan, he played the 1987-88 season with the U.S. National and Olympic Teams and turned pro with the Islanders at the conclusion of the 1988 Olympic Games. He played five full seasons with the Islanders and enjoyed his best statistical seasons with New York, including a career-high 12-goal season in 1992-93 and a career-high 53-point season in 1989-90.

The 6'2", 195-lb. native of Acton, Massachusetts was traded to San Jose for a draft pick in June, 1993 and has played since that date for San Jose on three separate occasions, in St. Louis, Edmonton, Tampa Bay, Florida (twice) and Pittsburgh. His 40 points for the Sharks in 1993-94 remains second in Sharks history for points by a defenseman and he was second on the Blues with a +22 rating in 1994-95.

He has been limited to 29 games with Florida this season, missing five games in November with back spasms and 31 games from December 14-February 27 with a sprained knee. He had four assists with eight penalty minutes in 29 games with the Panthers at the time of the trade.

 

[cooz3]

MUGS ANY FEEL ON THIS GAME...IM LEANING TOWARDS THE UNDER AS THE PLAY...IM THINKING ABOUT THE B'S ...COYOTES JUST DUE FOR A LOSS