Tuesday's "I've got my razor ready" Bruins...

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BOSTON BRUINS vs. NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
FleetCenter; Boston MA
7:00 PM (ET) - Gametime

Tonight?s Game
The Bruins host the Devils tonight in the fourth game of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series. The Devils lead the series, three games to none.

2003 Eastern Conference Quarter-Final Series
Game One: Wednesday, April 9 at New Jersey
The Devils took game one of this series by a 2-1 score. Jamie Langenbrunner scored both New Jersey goals with one in each of the first two periods, while Bryan Berard tallied for Boston with a third period goal. Martin Brodeur took the win in net for New Jersey facing 27 shots and Steve Shields earned the loss in goal for Boston facing 28 shots.
Game Two: Friday, April 11 at New Jersey
The Devils won the second game of this series by a 4-2 score. The Bruins struck first on a Glen Murray goal and then the Devils scored the next two on goals by Jeff Friesen and Brian Rafalski. Boston evened the score with a Dan McGillis tally, but the Devils scored twice in the third period (Jamie Langenbrunner and Joe Nieuwendyk) for the 4-2 final. Martin Brodeur took the win in net for New Jersey facing 26 shots and Steve Shields earned the loss in goal for Boston facing 30 shots.
Game Three: Sunday, April 13 at Boston
The Devils took game three of this series by a 3-0 score with New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur making 29 saves for the shutout. Scott Stevens and Jay Pandolfo staked the Devils to a 2-0 lead before John Madden closed the scoring with an empty net goal. Jeff Hackett faced 22 shots in goal for Boston.

Lifetime Series
The Bruins and Devils are meeting for the fourth time in post-season play with the Devils holding a two-to-one series lead, a 14-7 edge in playoff games played and a 64-55 scoring edge in those 21 post-season games. The Bruins won the first series between these teams with a four games to three victory in the 1988 Prince of Wales Conference Championship series. The Devils won the next two series with a four games to two victory in the 1994 Eastern Conference Semi-Final series and a four games to one win in the 1995 Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series. The Devils currently lead this series, three games to none.

Bruins Regular Season Recap
The Bruins finished the regular season with a 36-31-11-4 record, 23-11-5-2 at home and 13-20-6-2 on the road. The Bruins were 9-9-1-1 vs. Northeast Division opponents and were 27-22-9-2 overall vs. Eastern Conference opponents. They outscored opponents by a 245-237 margin while outshooting opponents, 2636-2322, on the season. They finished the season taking points out of six of their last eight games (3-2-0-3) and 12 of their last 17 contests (8-5-3-1). The Bruins were 3-3-3-0 in the nine games since Mike O'Connell replaced Robbie Ftorek behind the bench on Mar. 21.

Recent Devils Games
The Devils finished the regular season with a 46-20-10-6 record, 25-11-3-2 at home and 21-9-7-4 on the road. The Devils were 13-2-5-0 vs. Atlantic Division opponents and were 33-15-10-2 overall vs. Eastern Conference opponents. They outscored opponents by a 216-166 margin on the season. They finished the season taking points out of their last 11 straight games at 6-0-4-1.

Upcoming Series Schedule
If necessary, game five will be in New Jersey on Thursday :lol: April 17 (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio), game six :lol2 in Boston on Saturday, April 19 (time and television TBA; WBZ Radio) with game seven :lol: :lol2 in New Jersey on Monday, April 21 (7:00 p.m.; NESN & WBZ Radio).

 

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Hackett to start

Jeff Hackett will get the start in net in Game 4, according to coach Mike O'Connell.

 

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Injuries

Injuries

New Jersey Injuries
Sergei Brylin C Wrist Early May
Mike Danton F Suspension Out indefinitely

Boston Injuries
Krzysztof Oliwa LW Back Ques Tue
Sean O'Donnell D Foot Ques Tue
Richard Brennan D Ankle Out indefinitely

 

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Recent Meetings

Recent Meetings

Date Home Away Line ATS
4/13/2003 Bos. 0 NJ 3 1.5,-300/5 NJ/U (PLAYOFFS)
4/11/2003 NJ 4 Bos. 2 -1.5,150/5 NJ/O
4/9/2003 NJ 2 Bos. 1 -1.5,140/5 Bos./U

4/3/2003 NJ 1 Bos. 1 -0.5,-200/5 Bos./U (02-03)
3/13/2003 Bos. 4 NJ 3 0.5,-145/5 Bos./O
2/21/2003 NJ 3 Bos. 2 -0.5,-150/5 NJ/P
12/30/2002 Bos. 0 NJ 1 -0.5,105/5 NJ/U

4/7/2002 NJ 3 Bos. 2 0,-155/5 NJ/P (01-02)
11/15/2001 Bos. 5 NJ 4 0,110/5 Bos./O
11/3/2001 NJ 1 Bos. 2 0,-230/5 Bos./U

 

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Recent Trends

Recent Trends

The under is 26-13 in NJ's road games.
The under is 5-1 in NJ's last six overall.
The under is 3-1 in the past four meetings.
The under is 11-3 in Boston's last 14 overall.
BOS is 1-3 ATS in its last four home games.
BOS is 25th on defense allowing 2.89 gls/gm.

 

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Boston Globe 4-15-03

Boston Globe 4-15-03

Sinking ship looks to captain

It's not too late for Thornton to lead a salvage operation for the Bruins

The Boston Bruins have gone over a cliff and are hanging on by their fingertips. What they need more than anything is for someone to toss them a lifeline, someone strong enough and forceful enough to tie that rope around the biggest boulder he can find and haul this franchise back to safety.

Can it be done? Highly unlikely. It's probably too late for the Bruins, down three games to none, to salvage their best-of-seven playoff series with the New Jersey Devils, but it's not too late for their captain to step forward and salvage his reputation as the leader of this hockey team.

Where have you gone, Joe Thornton? Bruins Nation turns its lonely eyes to you. Jumbo Joe has recorded no goals and two assists in this series, which, incidentally, has seen only three goals total by Boston. Thornton nearly picked up another assist in Game 3, when he swooped behind the net, then deftly placed the puck right on the stick of Sergei Samsonov. Samsonov, who has missed most of the season because of wrist surgery, got off a decent shot, but decent doesn't cut it with New Jersey magician Martin Brodeur in the net and a swarm of defenders ready to sweep away any rebounds.

Somehow, some way, Boston's top scorers have to figure out a way to shake that pesky line spearheaded by John Madden, who has more goals than Thornton, and, quite frankly, has reduced Thornton's line to a bunch of ordinary Joes. Sure, Thornton put up 101 points in the regular season, but what good is that if he can't convert when it matters most, when his team is teetering on the brink of elimination? Madden has shadowed Thornton the way former Bruin Steve Kasper used to hound Wayne Gretzky. As effective as Kasper was in his role, Gretzky still found a way to help his team.

Now it's Thornton's turn. He may have only three more periods to make an imprint on this series. If he doesn't, he will have to answer to the critics who wonder whether he's really cut out for a leadership role.

It's no fun to critique Joe Thornton. He is affable, hard-working, and not afraid to absorb -- or deliver -- a hit. He has God-given skills and a smile that would warm any mother's heart. His manners are impeccable, his popularity in the locker room unmistakable. He is rarely surly, bitter, sarcastic, or nasty. He loves to play hockey, and it shows. In fact, most of the time you get the idea that Joe Thornton's life is one big fabulous adventure.

Yet even the congenial Thornton was grim-faced at the possibility of another possible one-and-done scenario in the playoffs. Last season, the favored Bruins were knocked out in the first round by Montreal, which held Thornton to two goals.

It's no secret that opponents figure the best way to shut down Boston's scoring is to take No. 19 out of the equation.

''It has been New Jersey's main focus to shut Joe down,'' said right wing Glen Murray. ''They've worked as a five-man unit to do it.''

Because he was a No. 1 pick, the top point-getter, and wears the ''C'' on his chest, Thornton is supposed to be able to rise above that and get the job done anyway. His teammates are sympathetic to Thornton's plight, and the pressure that has been placed squarely on his shoulders.

''It's not just all Joe's responsibility to carry the team,'' insisted forward Mike Knuble. ''Everybody has to do their part. We need to kill penalties. We need the power play to succeed.

''It's not just one guy. I understand he's often the main focus because of his statistics, but we have 26 guys that dress every night that have a job to do.''

In theory, Knuble is correct. It would be blatantly unfair to blame the predicament the Bruins are in solely on Thornton. But it is not wrong to expect the All-Star center to make his move now, with everything on the line. Just as the Celtics turn to Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker when they're in a jam, and the Red Sox look to Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra to turn it around, the Bruins look to Thornton to be the catalyst.

The way the Devils are playing him, Dan McGillis said, makes Thornton's task a tall order.

''He's out there getting hacked and whacked,'' McGillis said. ''He's a big man, but I don't think people realize how much he does take, what he goes through while they try to get him off the puck.''

Thornton was one of seven players given the day off yesterday, a move McGillis endorsed.

''He gets tired, like everyone else,'' McGillis said. ''When you've got someone hanging on you for a minute-and-a-half shift, from one corner to another, it makes it pretty grinding on a player.''

The postseason hasn't exactly been a highlight reel for Thornton. Since he joined the Bruins, the team has won only one playoff series -- against Carolina in the first round of 1998-99. The Bruins' playoff record with Thornton in the lineup is 10-17 heading into tonight's game. That is a bit deceiving, since Thornton was an up-and-coming talent in his early years, but this is his time now (as was last year against the Canadiens), and he needs to start building his own postseason legacy.

Jumbo Joe readily admits he and his line of Murray and (as of Game 3) Samsonov should be doing more.

''It's been really tough,'' Thornton said. ''It seems like every time we get around the next, we get some kind of penalty for interference or something. But we still have to get around the crease. We've got to find ways to get past them.''

Only two teams in the NHL have ever recovered from an 0-3 deficit, and the Bruins don't appear to have the goods to be the third. They don't have Brodeur, they don't have the masterful Pat Burns behind the bench (ah, but they did once, didn't they?), and they don't have the disciplined, defensive-minded attack that has turned Boston's forwards inside-out.

But they do have Joe Thornton. He is big, talented, strong, and young -- but not too young to stare down at the ''C'' on his chest and resolve to make a difference in this series, before it's too late.

 

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Hackett confronts singular task

He prefers not to look at his task as a one-on-one contest with New Jersey counterpart Martin Brodeur, saying that a hockey game is not a singles match in tennis.

Nevertheless, Bruins goalie Jeff Hackett, who dusted himself off Sunday after a month's layoff and performed well in his team's 3-0 loss to New Jersey, knows that if the Bruins can't get past the Devils tonight at the FleetCenter, it will be game, set, and match.

Hackett, who suffered a broken right index finger March 16 against Florida, said he felt OK after yesterday's practice. He will start again tonight.

''I'm not looking at the big picture,'' said Hackett. ''I'm only thinking one period at a time. It's a big hole, but teams have won four games in a row before. Personally, I gained some confidence by getting into the game [Sunday] and hopefully I can build upon that. Everyone seems pretty upbeat and all we can do is try to play out of it.''

Hackett said he hasn't felt at all frustrated by Brodeur, who racked up playoff shutout No. 14 Sunday.

''I fully expected him to play at the level he's been playing at,'' said Hackett. ''We have to play our best to beat him. He's a tremendous competitor and I have a lot of respect for him, but he's human. We have to find ways to get traffic at him and find ways to get goals on him. But he's not just a one-man show over there. He gets his share of help.''

Brodeur has a 1.00 goals-against average and .963 save percentage in the first three games of the series.

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Day of rest

Joe Thornton, Glen Murray, Sergei Samsonov, Brian Rolston, Bryan Berard, and Hal Gill were among the regulars given the day off from practice yesterday. ''A couple cases of the sniffles and a couple of bruises here and there,'' explained coach Mike O'Connell, who said Thornton just has to cope with the extra attention he's been getting from New Jersey's John Madden and Scott Stevens. ''This is something he's going to be faced with the rest of his career,'' said O'Connell. ''He just has to keep going and keep working, and there are a couple of minor adjustments he can probably make to ease the coverage on him, just as there are adjustments the whole team needs to do.''...

Bruins defenseman Ian Moran said the 29 shots on goal and perfect penalty killing (New Jersey was 0 for 5 on its power play) were the pluses from Sunday's game, and that the team shouldn't let penalty calls affect its intensity. ''We have to get in there and battle, and if they call penalties, so be it,'' said Moran. ''We also have to be more opportunistic and spend even more time in their end. The only way to solve Brodeur is to get more shots off in traffic. And you have to make your luck sometimes.''