Tuesday's Bruins...

[the mugs]

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING at
BOSTON BRUINS
Tuesday, April 9, 2002
FleetCenter; Boston, Massachusetts
7:00 pm (ET) - Gametime
6:30 pm (ET) - Bruins Digest
NESN
Tonight's Game
The Bruins host the Lightning tonight in the fourth and final game between these teams this season and the second of two games of the season at FleetCenter. The Bruins are 42-23-5-9 overall this season with a 22-11-1-5 record on home ice. The Lightning are 26-38-10-4 overall this season with a 10-22-5-1 record on the road. The Bruins are 14-3-0-2 vs. Southeast Division opponents thus far this season and are 31-17-2-7 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes. The Lightning are 1-12-3-2 vs. Northeast Division opponents thus far this season and are 14-30-8-3 overall vs. Eastern Conference foes.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins are 24-7-6-0 lifetime vs. Tampa Bay with a 130-89 scoring edge in those 37 games. On home ice, the Bruins are 14-1-3-0 lifetime vs. the Lightning with a 71-38 scoring advantage in those 18 contests. The Bruins are unbeaten in their last seven games vs. the Lightning at 6-0-1-0, including a 3-0-0-0 record in this season's series thus far (6-3 win in Boston on Nov. 27; 5-4 overtime win in Tampa on Dec. 29; 4-3 overtime win in Tampa on Mar. 24), with their last loss to the Lightning a 5-4 setback in Tampa Bay on Apr. 4, 2000. They are unbeaten in their last 15 games vs. Tampa Bay on home ice at 13-0-2-0 with their lone home loss to the Lightning a 3-0 loss on Apr. 9, 1994.

Recent Bruins Games
The Bruins have lost their last three games, but have taken points out of two of those three, with a 2-1 overtime loss to NY Islanders on Apr. 4, a 6-4 loss to NY Rangers on Apr. 6 and a 3-2 overtime loss in New Jersey on Apr. 7. They are 7-2-0-2 in their last 11 games, including a six-game win streak from Mar. 16-26, are 10-3-0-2 in their last 15 games and are 16-8-2-2 in their last 28 contests overall.

The Bruins are 3-3-0-1 in their last seven home games and are 9-6-1-2 in their last 18 home contests. They had their seven-game road win streak snapped with the 3-2 overtime loss to New Jersey on Apr. 7 and are now 7-0-0-1 in their last eight road games, are 10-3-1-1 in their last 15 road games and are 15-6-1-3 in their last 25 road contests.

Recent Lightning Games
The Lightning have split their last two games with a 4-2 win vs. Pittsburgh on Apr. 4 and 5-3 loss to Buffalo on Apr. 7. That followed a seven-game winless stretch at 0-5-1-1 and they are now 1-6-1-1 in their last nine games overall.

Upcoming Bruins Games
The Bruins will travel to Ottawa to face the Senators on Apr. 11 before closing out the regular season with Fan Appreciation Night at the FleetCenter, hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Apr. 13. Their playoff schedule and opponent has not yet been determined.

Upcoming Lightning Games
The Lightning will face the Hurricanes in Carolina on Apr. 10 and return home to host the NY Islanders on Apr. 12 before playing their final game of the season Apr. 14 in Florida.

Bruins Injuries
Dennis Bonvie: Abdominal strain; day-to-day.
Jarno Kultanen: April 1 knee surgery; out for the season.
Hal Gill D Foot day-to-day
Total Man-Games Lost: 174

Bruins Recent Transactions
Mar. 19: Sean Brown acquired from Edmonton for Bobby Allen.
Mar. 19: Jeff Norton acquired from Florida for 2002 sixth round draft pick.
Mar. 19: Darryl Laplante acquired from Minnesota for Greg Crozier and assigned to Providence/AHL.
Mar. 19: Benoit Hogue claimed on waivers by Washington.
Mar. 19: Gord Murphy assigned to Providence/AHL (did not report).

Lightning Injuries
Chris Dingman: Back spasms; day-to-day.
Gordie Dwyer: Left shoulder surgery; out for season.
Brian Holzinger: Left shoulder surgery; out for season.
Fredrik Modin: Right wrist arthroscopy; day-to-day.
Tim Taylor: Groin strain; out indefinitely.
Andre Roy F Suspension 13 games

 

[the mugs]

This year's games & Trends

This year's games & Trends

Bruins looking to sweep Tampa this year. Boston routed the Lightning 6-3 at home in the first meeting, then registered two overtime victories in the both contests in Tampa. Bruins have dominated the series going 8-1-1 SU in the last 10...

Recent Meetings
Date Home Away Line ATS
3/24/2002 TB 3 Bos. 4 0,150/5 Bos./O
12/29/2001 TB 4 Bos. 5 0,110/5 Bos./O
11/27/2001 Bos. 6 TB 3 0,-220/5 Bos./O

Trends
Over is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
TB is 1-7 ATS in their last eight games overall.
Over is 7-3 in the Bolts last 10 games overall.
BOS are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.
Bruins rank 1st in PK% at 86.94%.
BOS is 8-1-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

Road/Home Records
Lightning - 10-22-5-1 on the road;
Bruins - 22-11-1-5 at home.

 

[the mugs]

Bruins need some finish
WILMINGTON - With only three games left in the regular season and the playoffs on deck, the Bruins are battling for the top seeding in the Eastern Conference - but suddenly they can't seem to win a game.

They have lost their last three, including two in overtime, yet they maintain a 3-point lead over Philadelphia.

It could be worse, though, and as Martin Lapointe pointed out, it doesn't matter whether you win the conference ''by 1 point, 2, 5, or 8 points,'' you still get the home-ice advantage.

And the Bruins weren't discouraged by the latest setback, 3-2 in New Jersey Sunday.

''It's unfortunate, but they just had a little more oomph and were able to get a couple of goals more than we were able to get,'' said coach Robbie Ftorek, whose team plays Tampa Bay at the FleetCenter tonight, then finishes up at Ottawa Thursday and home against Pittsburgh Saturday.

Ftorek liked just about everything he saw against the Devils, except the result.

''We made some mistakes, but hockey's a game of mistakes, as it was at the beginning of the season,'' he said. ''I liked the way the power play worked [1 for 4]. I liked the penalty kill [1 for 2]. I liked a lot about the game. Matter of fact, I liked the whole game. I don't necessarily enjoy the outcome, but I did feel it was a pretty good game.''

It was certainly an improvement on the 6-4 loss to the New York Rangers Saturday.

In that game, said P.J. Axelsson, ''We just lost too many pucks at the blue lines. We have to put the puck into the zone and go get it rather than carrying it in all the time. We just had too many turnovers all over the ice.

''Against the Devils, though, we played well. It was a step in the right direction, and we've got to build off that. We've got to do everything we can to win those three games.''

=====

After missing 13 games with a shoulder injury, Joe Thornton has had two assists in each of the last two games. Thornton has worn a brace on his shoulder the last 21/2 weeks. (''It feels like part of my equipment'') but it doesn't seem to be affecting his game. ''I've taken a couple of hits, but it felt fine and it stayed in there,'' he said. ''I'm not intimidated in the corners, not really changing my game at all. I'm shooting the puck, making plays happen.'' Even his faceoffs have been better since his return. ''His sharpness is right there,'' Ftorek said. ''He's been working hard on it, intently. He's changed a couple of things, just a little bit. He's done a great job on faceoffs. I'm not surprised with the way he's come back into the lineup.'' ... Yesterday's workout was for players who didn't play Sunday, and for those recovering from injuries ... Early in the season, Axelsson hinted strongly that he wanted to be traded because he wasn't getting enough ice time. That's no longer the case. ''I haven't looked at my playing time in a while,'' he said. ''It goes up and down. It was just little things, when I just wasn't skating all that well, that's all.''

 

[the mugs]

Injury Updates...

Injury Updates...

Thornton...
With the way strength coach John Whitesides worked Joe Thornton during his shoulder rehabilitation, Ftorek wasn't overly surprised with how seamlessly the big centerman was able to step in and contribute immediately after more than a month off.

The coach was pleased with the way Thornton raised his faceoff performance. After a rather tough 9-for-23 day on Saturday, he was 13-for-21 on Sunday in New Jersey.

``I believe he's been thinking about them, because we've talked about them a lot,'' Ftorek said. ``Now I think he's changed a few things a little bit and he's done a great job with the faceoffs, which is an area that he hadn't been doing a great job on. His physical strength is great and he's taken a couple of big hits and he's been fine, which is important.'' . . .


Hal Gill...
After missing Sunday's game, Hal Gill skated and expects to be back in the lineup tonight after taking a shot off his instep on Saturday. X-rays on the foot revealed only a bruise.

``It's not on a weight-bearing part,'' he said. ``We just wanted to make sure it's all right and go from there.'' . . .


Dennis Bonvie...
Dennis Bonvie (groin) skated yesterday and said he felt well enough to play, but he wasn't sure if Ftorek would give him the go-ahead.

 

[the mugs]

Lapointe says team can deliver

WILMINGTON - Normally, Martin Lapointe would have fought Robbie Ftorek all the way to the airport on the coach's decision to leave him behind for Sunday's tilt in New Jersey.

After the Bruins dropped a 6-4 decision to the New York Rangers on Saturday, Lapointe didn't have a lot of fight left in him. He'd spent the early morning hours at Holy Family hospital in Methuen with his wife, Tania, as she delivered the couple's third child, daughter Chloe, and when the puck was dropped shortly after 1 p.m., Lapointe was operating with no sleep whatsoever.

And though he led the B's with three hits in that loss, Lapointe didn't mind staying behind for Sunday's game at the Meadowlands.

``I was so tired (on Saturday), but you're on such a rush with the adrenalin going, you want to play,'' said Lapointe, who'll be back in the lineup for tonight's match against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the FleetCenter. ``After the game is when it hits. You have your postgame meal and all of a sudden, you're like `Whoa.' ''

So on Sunday, Lapointe took the occasion to introduce his daughter to the game of hockey as he and Chloe took in the Bruins' 3-2 overtime loss to the Devils on a television at the hospital.

It was the B's third straight loss, but Lapointe saw some encouraging signs.

``I thought we played better,'' said Lapointe, who was one of just a handful of players skating yesterday at Ristuccia Arena. ``We tightened up defensively. The last few games, there were a lot of odd-man rushes and goals against, but we've been trying to pinch with the defensemen and we hadn't done that in the past. We sat back. We're just trying new stuff. It may hurt you in the short run. But if you don't try new things, you don't get better. . . . There's no panic. We're right there. We know we can play with the big teams and we're not worried about it.''

Still, Lapointe knows that with the B's nursing a narrow lead over the Flyers with three games left, the regular-season job is not completed.

``I think guys are realizing we can finish first in the conference and that's home ice in the playoffs. If you can get that, you've got to grab it,'' Lapointe said. ``Every game you want to win. Is one point in a game good enough? No. You can't be satisfied wth one point. We've got three games left and the main concern is that we want to go into the playoffs on a good roll.''

Lapointe would like to see the team be more efficient in the defensive zone.

``We have to minimize the mistakes in our own zone. That's one thing that's been costly,'' Lapointe said. ``We could have gotten the puck out so many times and we'd try to make a play inside the blue line and that's when you get caught. You can't do that in the playoffs. That's going to hurt you.''

Lapointe thinks - and hopes - the B's current winless streak could be a good thing in the long run.

``Sometimes a loss is really a good wakeup call. You've got to look yourself in the mirror and say, `What's going on?' '' Lapointe said. ``We've got to address it right and make sure we make the adjustments necessary. We can't just keep losing like that.''