Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

Thrashers' win streak snapped in shootout loss

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November 20

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Max Afinogenov could be the Thrashers' biggest offseason acquisition. Afinogenov helped the Thrashers earn a point in Thursday's 4-3 shootout loss to Boston. The speedy forward scored with 41.4 seconds remaining in the third period to force overtime. However, the Thrashers had their four-game win streak snapped when Boston's Patrice Bergeron scored the lone goal of the shootout. The game-tying goal was Afinogenov's eighth of the season, not bad for a player who made the Thrashers' roster on a pro tryout. "I don't know about that," Afinogenov said when asked if he was the team's biggest offseason pickup. "I just try to do my job and play my best." In the shootout, Rich Peverley, Slava ..."

Bruins dig in, win in shootout

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November 20

Boston Globe

"The 2-0 second-period lead? Gone. The 3-2 advantage with less than a minute remaining in regulation? Wiped out, thanks to a Maxim Afinogenov goal at 19:18. But unlike other games in which the woe-is-us Bruins tucked their tails when adversity approached, the Black-and-Gold bunch decided last night against the Atlanta Thrashers that they were fed up with losing. "I just thought, 'We've been losing those games so much in the past that I don't want it to happen again,' '' said goalie Tuukka Rask, a late stand-in for Tim Thomas. "I was just trying to make sure we got to the shootout. It's a 50-50 chance to win there.''"

Bruins find some passion

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November 20

Boston Herald

"Was this, finally, the long overdue turning point for the Bruins? Maybe so, after the B's assembled their first all-round solid performance in a while, with a strong attack, solid team defense, effective special teams and clutch goaltending. It was far from easy against the fast, dangerous and underrated Thrashers, but the Bruins finally enjoyed a happy ending via their 4-3 shootout victory last night at Philips Arena. Patrice Bergeron netted the lone goal of the shootout, with Tuukka Rask stopping Rich Peverley, Slava Kozlov and sniper Ilya Kovalchuk to nail down a very welcome win. "We knew we had to turn it around somehow," said Bruins winger Michael Ryder, who scored two goals (Nos. 5 ..."

Savard's return cautiously delayed

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November 20

Boston Herald

"Bruins center Marc Savard will soon sign a lengthy and lucrative contract extension that will keep him in Boston well into the next decade, according to a team source, but the club isn't quite ready to let him return from his broken foot just yet. The 32-year-old center, whose offensive skills were sorely missed over the past few weeks, is close to a new deal. With a few final issues to be ironed out, the extension could be announced within days. Although the team earlier dangled a three-year deal paying $6.5 million per year, Savard apparently will choose a longer term at less average money - seven years worth $39 million ($5.7 million per) according to a report from Canada's RDS. Savard ..."

Waiting for full view, not shadow of a team

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November 19

Boston Globe

"Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli hasn't liked what he's seen of late - his club's overtime loss in Pittsburgh on Saturday, followed by Monday night's dud at the Garden against the Islanders - but he's reserving judgment until front-liners Milan Lucic and Marc Savard make it back to the injury-depleted lineup. Lucic, according to the GM, could be in there for tonight's game in Atlanta, the start of a four-game tour away from the Garden. Savard, slightly ahead of schedule in his projected return from a cracked bone in his left foot, probably will see action just before or after Thanksgiving."

Savard contract talks remain on course

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November 19

Boston Globe

"An Internet report this afternoon had No. 1 Bruins center Marc Savard poised to extend his deal for another seven seasons, beginning in 2010-'11, worth a total possibly as high as $39 million (about a $5.6 million cap hit). According to a source familiar with the ongoing contract talks, the signing is not imminent and the total payout is not likely to be as high as reported today. Savard, who will turn 33 years old next July, is closing in on a seven-year pact worth closer to $32 million (cap hit: approximately $4.7 million)."

Julien goes back to basics with Bruins

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November 19

Boston Herald

"Claude Julien has brought a simple September solution to a November problem. The coach's struggling Bruins will employ a back-to-basic formula when they take the ice tonight in Atlanta against the Thrashers. "We have to keep plugging away and stick with it and work through it," Julien said of his 8-8-4 club following Tuesday's practice at Ristuccia Arena. "As frustrating at it is, you have to work through your situations and that's what I think we have to do." The Bruins are coming off consecutive setbacks that should rightfully be construed as the nadir of the young season. The B's gave it away in a 6-5 loss Saturday night to the Penguins in Pittsburgh, allowing the tying goal with less ..."

Lucic able to make contact

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November 18

Boston Globe

"Cleared for his first day of contact in nearly a month, Bruins winger Milan Lucic wasted little time getting gritty at yesterday's practice at Ristuccia Arena. No, he wasn't quite the hard-charging, body-crunching forward who has made himself a fan favorite in Boston. But the fact that he checked out perfectly fine after a few physical puck battles and three-on-three drills was encouraging. Lucic, who was placed on long-term injured reserve last month with a broken right index finger, skated alongside Byron Bitz and Steve Begin on the fourth line during the 75-minute session."

Bruins Marc Savard might play

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November 18

Boston Herald

"While the Bruins' offensive production seemingly could not get any worse, the news out Ristuccia Arena could not have been better. Injured center Marc Savard skated before yesterday's practice, expects to participate in a full workout today and hopes to be on the ice when the B's face the Thrashers tomorrow night in Atlanta. Claude Julien left Savard's availability an open question, although the coach never is one to tip his hand. "I could go, it depends how I feel in practice," Savard said. "I have to get a good skate in and be back out there with the boys. I mean, I don't want to rush things. I do not think we do as a staff, but if it comes to it maybe I can play. I'm ready to go and if ..."

Moulson scores twice in Isles' 4-1 win over Bruins

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November 17

Boston Globe

"Matt Moulson was perfectly happy to have his first career two-goal game. He didn't need a hat trick -- especially one he didn't deserve. Moulson scored twice -- and was temporarily credited with a third -- on Monday night to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. He was given New York's third goal for doing nothing more than raising his arms in celebration after John Tavares scored, but the right player was credited on review."

Tuukka Rask mistake a clear problem

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November 17

Boston Herald

"Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask allowed the one thing he could least afford in last night's 4-1 loss to the New York Islanders at the Garden. The Bruins have shown throughout this young season that they tempt disaster when allowing the opposition to score first. They are now 1-6-2 when they exit the ice trailing in the first period, but coach Claude Julien believes the Bruins' inability to rebound from a slow start is not a problem that's grown too big to fix. "Mistakes are coming back to bite us. The puck ends up in our net and we are playing catch-up hockey," Julien said. "The bottom line is we are trying to fix that, and at this point right now those little details that made us successful are ..."

Islanders leave Bruins on

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November 17

Boston Herald

"Who could have imagined we would reach the one-quarter mark of the NHL season and be pondering the possibility that the New York Islanders will be in the playoffs? And that the Bruins will not? But it's a legitimate scenario after the Islanders continued their strong play with a 4-1 win against the flat, emotionless Bruins last night at the Garden. The B's have allowed 10 goals in their past two games. Their solid team defense has vanished, they fell to 8-8-4, and a number of players are struggling. They played with real intensity and desperation only in the third period, and every B's fan, along with coach Claude Julien, would love to understand how the team could be so flat and ..."

Bruin's aim: Play complete game

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November 16

Boston Herald

"The confounding thing about the Bruins is that they aren't that far away from being a good team. None of their last dozen opponents would dispute that, even if the B's record in that span is a rather mediocre 5-3-4. The problem is the team's inability to perform well both offensively and defensively within the same game. "If we can put it all together, this will be a pretty good effort," coach Claude Julien said yesterday. For several games, the B's team defense was exceptional, but there was little offense to support it. And the opposite was true Saturday night in Pittsburgh: The attack erupted for five goals, its best output since the second game of the season, but the defense was poor. ..."

Players need protection from protective equipment

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November 15

Boston Globe

"Cam Neely, like a lot of people in hockey, can't positively identify the root of the problem, but the Bruins' Hall of Fame winger figures he would begin by scrutinizing the equipment. "These,'' said Neely, pointing emphatically to his right elbow. "And these,'' he said, lifting his right hand to tap his left shoulder. "For me, I'd like them to take a really hard look at the equipment. Sure, the elbow pads and shoulder pads are meant to protect guys from getting hurt. But how much better are they than what we used to wear? I'm not sure harder is necessarily better.''"

Bruins find scoring touch in loss to Penguins

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November 15

Boston Globe

"On the verge of their most exciting win this season, set to dump the Penguins for a second time in five days after chiseling away at deficits of 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, and 4-3, the Bruins saw the aging and funky Igloo transform into a house of horrors and heartbreak last night, culminating in a Pascal Dupuis goal with 1:24 gone in overtime for a 6-5 Pittsburgh victory. Dupuis's strike, his second of the night, was only the extension of an agonizing, bizarre, if not Machiavellian finish. Ready to rhumba across Three Rivers with only their ninth win this year, the Bruins instead saw ex-Bostonian Bill Guerin tie it, 5-5, with but four-tenths of a second remaining in regulation. Had it not been for ..."

Games matter to sore Marc Savard

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November 15

Boston Herald

"Marc Savard's chance at making the Canadian Olympic team, which many around the NHL believed he warranted, didn't appear strong after the Bruins center failed to receive an invitation to Team Canada's summer camp. Following up the lack of an invite with an early-season injury hardly helped. "I had an uphill climb from the start with this," Savard said the other day. "This (injury) has made it tougher, that's for sure." It was generally assumed that Savard could possibly earn an Olympic berth if he had a strong first few months to the B's campaign. However, after seven games - and seven points (four goals, three assists) - he was injured and remains off skates. "I had a decent start," he ..."

Youngsters gobblin' up negotiating table

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November 15

Boston Herald

"The kids are killing the middle class. And that's a shame for a guy like Shawn Thornton. One of the most negative trends in the National Hockey League - unless, of course, you're one of the lucky few striking it rich - is the lucrative second contracts being handed to young players. In the not too distant past, players in their early- or mid-20s who became Group 2 (restricted) free agents were typically offered the mandated 10-percent raise and nothing more. General managers figured, quite reasonably, that the players, once they had the leverage of salary arbitration or free agency, would use it to grab every penny possible. So why shouldn't the GM hold down his costs when he had the ..."

Penguins stick it to visitors late, then prevail in OT

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November 15

Boston Herald

"The composite Bauer hockey stick lay in two even pieces, broken in half at the Penguins blue line. And so it was that a most unusual game was decided last night at the Igloo not by a brilliant play or a bounce of the puck, but by a broken $200 shaft of graphite. "You gotta love those graphite sticks, eh?" Bruins coach Claude Julien said. Julien most certainly did not love those sticks last night, as one shattering in the hands of Patrice Bergeron led to a tying goal by the Pittsburgh Penguins with 0:00.4 left in the third period. The Penguins won it, 6-5, at 1:24 of overtime on a goal by Pascal Dupuis, capping a wild run-and-gun affair between two teams that had been having a tough time ..."

Penguins: Dupuis' goal in overtime caps wild comeback victory

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November 15

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Pascal Dupuis has scored 100 goals in the NHL. Few, if any, have been bigger than No. 100. And none have been easier. Dupuis shoveled the puck into an empty net at 1:24 of overtime to give the Penguins a 6-5 victory against Boston at Mellon Arena last night, snapping their four-game losing streak. And while the Penguins obviously hit upon a winning formula, it's one they should not expect to replicate anytime soon. It involved not only getting two goals from Dupuis, who labors most often on a checking line, but one each from a pair of defensive defensemen, Jay McKee and Mark Eaton. Oh, and another by Bill Guerin, who didn't have any in the previous 11 games, with all of four-tenths of a ..."

Penguins beat Bruins, 6-5, in OT

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November 15

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"The Penguins' offense came back to life and they broke a four-game losing streak by beating the Boston Bruins, 6-5, in overtime tonight at Mellon Arena. Pascal Dupuis scored his second goal of the game at 1:24 of overtime to win it for the Penguins. Jay McKee scored on a lofted backhand off a feed from Evgeni Malkin at 1:42 of the first period to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. It was the first shift for the line of Ruslan Fedotenko-Crosby-Malkin. Malkin is playing for the first time after missing seven games because of a right shoulder strain. It was his 200th career assist. McKee, a defensive defenseman, had not scored a goal in 84 games, since Oct. 16, 2008. The Bruins tied it, 1-1, when ..."

Julien tries to cushion blow

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November 14

Boston Globe

"Yesterday morning, with his team still in a funk over a 1-0 shootout loss to Florida the night before, Bruins coach Claude Julien mixed things up during practice at Ristuccia Arena. At one end of the ice, Julien banished his goalie, stacked the net with a foot-high foam pad, and ordered his shooters to get to work. Patrice Bergeron led off the drill by standing in front of the net. Zdeno Chara walked the puck off the wall and sent a shot on goal that Bergeron, with a twist of his blade, tipped over the pad and into the goal. Julien, standing in the slot, then sent a shot off the pad."

David Krejci's goal to find scoring touch

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November 14

Boston Herald

"The immense pressure Bruins [team stats] center David Krejci currently is feeling will abate only when he decides to let it go. Krejci put that theory to work during yesterday's abbreviated practice at Ristuccia Arena as the Bruins prepared for tonight's rematch with the Stanley Cup champion Penguins at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh (7:30). "I know what everybody wants me to do but I really can't think about it," said Krejci, who has just one goal and four assists this season. "I have to put it aside and get better by putting up some offensive numbers. "But I can't think about it, I just want to play the game hard and do the right things. I have been thinking about it too much and I have ..."

Malkin expected back in lineup against Boston

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November 14

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"The shot ricocheted off Evgeni Malkin's right boot, annoying the star center to the point where he spun around with an angry glare. Only then did Malkin realize the shooter was Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, who might just be the one person capable of keeping Malkin off the ice. And not because of his slap shot. After missing seven games to rest a strained right shoulder, Malkin practiced Friday for the second consecutive day and hopes to return to the lineup when the Penguins play host to the Boston Bruins at 7:30 tonight at Mellon Arena. Malkin said he practiced without pain or soreness in his shoulder. "I'm ready to play, and I hope that I play," Malkin said. "I feel great. ... If I play ..."

Panthers edge Bruins 1-0 in shootout

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November 13

Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

"When teammate Steven Reinprecht's shot hit the post, bounced off the back of Bruins goalie Tim Thomas' right leg and then off his blocker, Panthers' goalie Tomas Vokoun had the same reaction as just about every other person inside the Garden. "Oh, my God, it's never going to go in," Vokoun thought to himself. In the fourth round of the shootout, the puck finally crossed a goal line for the first time Thursday night. Cory Stillman scored against Thomas to give the Panthers a hard-fought 1-0 win on a night Vokoun recorded his third shutout in four games. "I was relieved," said Vokoun, who made 40 saves. "He deserved the two points tonight," coach Pete DeBoer said. "It was nice to get them ..."

Tomas Vokoun shuts out Boston Bruins in Florida Panthers' shootout win

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November 13

Miami Herald

"The Panthers took just one shot in the entire second period, and two of their shooters completely missed the net during the shootout. Did the Panthers deserve to win Thursday night's game against the Boston Bruins? Goalie Tomas Vokoun sure did: He stopped 40 shots in regulation -- and all four he faced in the shootout -- and the Panthers got a goal from Cory Stillman to drop the host Bruins 1-0 at the Garden to snap a two-game skid. ``It was nice to get that for our goaltender,'' Panthers coach Pete DeBoer said. ``He deserved the two points. It was nice to get them for him.'' Vokoun and Boston's Tim Thomas get credit for a shutout, even though Thomas got a loss. And Stillman's goal won't ..."

Tim Thomas draws a blank

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November 13

Boston Herald

"Bruins goalie Tim Thomas outfoxed himself on the final play of last night's 1-0 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers. The shootout entered the sudden-death phase after three skaters from both teams failed to slip the puck past either Thomas (23 saves) or Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun (40 saves). Panthers left winger Rostislav Olesz and center Stephen Weiss both attempted shots from the slot that sailed wide. Thomas suspected left winger Cory Stillman planned something similar when he began his rush from center ice. Stillman came through the slot and held the puck, forcing Thomas to retreat toward the cage. Stillman faked to the forehand and scored on a backhand to give the Panthers their ..."

Milan Lucic returns to morning skate

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November 13

Boston Herald

"When Milan Lucic and Marc Savard were injured in successive games in mid-October, the Bruins lost arguably their two most important forwards. They knew at the time the pair would miss at least 10 games and probably more - a stretch where the B's could slip well down the Eastern Conference standings. But things haven't turned out as bleak as feared. With news yesterday that Lucic could be less than a week from returning, the team has actually fared fairly well minus the two stars. After last night's 1-0 shootout loss to Florida, the B's are 5-4-3 without Lucic (broken finger), 5-3-3 without Savard (broken foot). In a way, the injuries probably helped the Bruins rediscover their true ..."

Offense dooms Bruins yet again in shootout

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November 13

Boston Herald

"The Bruins find themselves in a mighty unusual and highly frustrating predicament. For the last eight games, their fundamental play has been as solid and impenetrable as Fort Knox; their forechecking has picked up; they're getting plenty of quality scoring chances. Lord knows their goaltending has been terrific. Yet the Bruins have had a wicked time earning two points, even the games in which they richly deserve them. That was certainly the case at the Garden last night, where another excellent Bruins performance was wasted, partially, as they were beaten in a shootout, 1-0, by the Florida Panthers and standout goaltender Tomas Vokoun. Tim Thomas was good (23 saves), as he earned his ..."

Bruins' David Krejci in cross hairs

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November 12

Boston Herald

"Bruins coach Claude Julien is generally not the sort to voice public criticism of his players. When he does have something negative to say, it's usually presented in a mild and veiled manner. So Julien stepped a trifle out of character yesterday with comments aimed at center David Krejci. "His game certainly isn't where it should be," Julien said. The third-year playmaker has posted just 1-4-5 totals and a plus-2 in 15 games this season. He has zero power-play points. Krejci's production is far from what the B's expect, and need from the 23-year-old Czech, who last season put up 22-51-73 numbers in 82 games and an NHL-best plus-37. Julien is quick to note that Krejci, who recently missed ..."

Forsberg not ready for NHL return

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November 12

Camden Courier-Post

"The Flyers have expressed interest in bringing former captain Peter Forsberg back to Philadelphia, but it appears the 36-year-old Swede is not quite ready to commit himself to an NHL comeback. At least not yet. One day after Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren told reporters in Toronto he would entertain the idea of putting Forsberg back in orange and black, a report by the Canadian Website tsn.ca said Forsberg instructed his agent, Don Baizley, not to pursue contract talks with any NHL teams until he feels more comfortable skating. The Rangers, Flyers, Bruins and Canucks are among the teams that have expressed interest in Forsberg, who has not played a full NHL season since 2002-03. ..."

Penguins fall after brutal trip

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November 11

Boston Globe

"They are banged up, to be sure, not unlike the Bruins. The potent Pittsburgh Penguins aren't at full strength, and that hasn't helped their cause lately. However, they still have plenty of offensive talent up front. Last night, against the Bruins at TD Garden, the Penguins displayed more of a power outage than any semblance of a scoring threat in Boston's 3-0 victory. The Penguins have lost three in a row and four of five. They have been shut out three times this season, including their last two games. Among the missing are defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Kris Letang and forwards Evgeni Malkin, Max Talbot, and Tyler Kennedy."

Thomas gets help, gives nothing

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November 11

Boston Globe

"Maybe he didn't get to relax, or let his guard down, or allow his mind to wander during timeouts to some warm Caribbean isle, but Tim Thomas finally got to breathe a little last night, which is something he's rarely been able to do this season. "Our defense - our team defense - has been playing really well the last 6-7 games,'' said Thomas following his 27-save effort last night that backed the Bruins to a 3-0 shutout of the Penguins at the Garden. "Now we're getting the offensive production to get the wins, too.''"

Thomas and Bruins ice Penguins to post back-to-back wins for the first time

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November 11

Boston Globe

"In the second period, Matt Hunwick whirled around the Pittsburgh net, tucked a backhander over the glove of Marc-Andre Fleury and under the crossbar, and saw the puck hit the back of the net. But as Hunwick spotted the red light and raised his arms to celebrate, he heard an interrupted blare of the goal horn. He saw several Penguins rushing past him, far too fast, he thought, to be going off the ice for a line change. That's when he saw referee Bill McCreary waving his arms to indicate no goal."

Marchand gets message

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November 11

Boston Globe

"Early in Saturday's third period against the Sabres, Brad Marchand appeared to throw an elbow at Buffalo's Mike Grier as the players skated off the ice. Marchand wasn't called for a penalty, but later in the period, the incident would come back to haunt the Bruins center. "As soon as I got on the ice that shift when I got that second penalty, the ref was yelling at me about that play,'' said Marchand. "He was kind of looking for me a little bit.''"

Finally, Mark Recchi notches 900th assist

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November 11

Boston Herald

"At 41, Mark Recchi is more interested in team goals than anything else, but when the inevitable milestones come along, he doesn't mind cherishing those, either. Last night, Recchi assisted on Daniel Paille's huge insurance goal in the third period of the Bruins' 3-0 win over Pittsburgh. Recchi sent Paille away on a breakaway, and it was the future Hall of Famer's 900th career assist. "It took forever to get it," said a smiling Recchi, who needed 10 games. "My kids and parents have already texted me and they're probably more happy for me than anything, so it's kind of neat. I think it's a lot of assists, so it's been about playing with a lot of great players and being in great situations." ..."

Forward thinking helps 'D' frustrate Sidney Crosby

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November 11

Boston Herald

"Normally, you pick your poison against the Pittsburgh Penguins. You can focus your defense on stopping Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. You may contain one, but it's going to be mighty tough to hold both the Pens' superstar centers in check. So for the Bruins last night - and the NHL in general the last half-dozen games - the defensive task was far easier, with Malkin missing his sixth game with a right shoulder strain. Which is not to take anything away from the fine defensive performance the Bruins - especially defenseman Zdeno Chara and center Patrice Bergeron - delivered against Crosby, a key to their 3-0 victory that, yes, finally gave them a genuine winning streak of two games. It had ..."

Favorable review for NHL

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November 11

Boston Herald

"Tim Thomas played a game within a game last night at the Garden. Game 1 was the Bruins' scheduled showdown against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Game 2 was a waiting game: When the action was stopped late in the third period in order that league officials in faraway Toronto could review a play to determine whether a loose puck had or had not crossed the goal line, the goalie had to stand around and wait to see if he still had a shutout going. It wasn't like this in the old days. If a loose puck got past Gerry Cheevers and teetered on the goal line, it was up to the Bill Fridays of the world to determine if it was a goal or not. If the folks watching at home on Channel 38 saw the replay and ..."

Bruins take two, write off reigning champ Penguins

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November 11

Boston Herald

"The Bruins have felt they've been on the right track for a while. Last night they finally got some evidence to support that notion. Scoring goals still is taking a great deal of effort, but the B's managed to win back-to-back games for the first time this season. After soundly beating the division-leading Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, they followed up with a 3-0 shutout of the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins at the Garden. Matt Hunwick scored his fourth goal of the season in the second period, and Daniel Paille got his first on a breakaway. Patrice Bergeron added an empty-netter, his team-leading sixth goal, and Tim Thomas made it all stand up by stopping all 27 shots he ..."

Injury-wracked Penguins lose again

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November 11

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"There is no need to freak out -- at least not according to the Penguins. "Something that personally I've learned ... you can't get too happy when you win a couple and too low when you lose a couple; you've got to try to stay in the same state of mind," goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said Tuesday night after the Penguins wrapped up a four-game road trip with a third straight loss, 3-0, to the Boston Bruins at TD Northbank Garden. File this as another contest notable for which Penguins player failed to finish: Brooks Orpik, who left midway through the first period with an undisclosed injury, believed to be of the lower-body variety. He will be re-evaluated in Pittsburgh today. The Penguins ..."

Penguins fall to Bruins

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November 11

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Could there be a team more glad to go home? The Penguins left town Nov. 1 for a four-game, cross-country trip with an 11-3 record. They flew home late last night with a trail of miscues and maladies in their jet stream. The latest double dose of doom was a 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins -- which pushed their losing streak to three games and ended their trip at 1-3 -- and the loss of a third regular defenseman to injury. Brooks Orpik left the game after he was hit behind his net by Bruins defenseman Mark Stuart at 7:31 of the first period. The Penguins did not disclose the nature of Orpik's injury, saying he would be evaluated today in Pittsburgh. Orpik appeared to smash into the boards with ..."

A special breed

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November 10

Boston Globe

"The dogs were hungry, yelping feverishly, growling and nipping at each other as their prideful owner spread them apart and staked them to their individual feeding stations across the snowy grounds of a Vermont hotel. These were prized sled dogs, top athletes, relentless competitors, deserving of good meals and special handling."

No hard feelings from Paille

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November 9

Buffalo News

"Daniel Paille had no hard feelings for the Buffalo Sabres and wished them no ill will after they traded him three weeks into the season. The winger would be more likely to send General Manager Darcy Regier a neatly written "Thank You" card for giving him another opportunity. Paille was still fighting through the adjustment phase Saturday, about three weeks after he was shipped to the Boston Bruins for two draft picks. For now, he's living in a hotel while getting the lay of the land, which is a general way of saying he's figuring out how to navigate through the mishmash known as the streets of the North End. "The one thing I can say is that I'm very fortunate to have gotten to move on as ..."

Bruins spoil debut of Sabres' Enroth

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November 9

Buffalo News

"The easy way out for the Buffalo Sabres would have been to blame the kid for their second straight loss. Rookie goaltender Jhonas Enroth gave up a goal on the first shot he faced in the NHL. He allowed three on his first 13 shots and spent most of his debut scrambling around the crease. In fact, it would have been much too easy to blame the 21-year-old when the Sabres had so many other problems around him. Enroth was shaky at times Saturday night in a 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins before 17,565 in TD Banknorth Garden, but he wasn't solely responsible for any of the four goals in a game littered with missed nets, poor communication and mistakes. Let the facts show what they show. The Sabres ..."

Putting it together

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November 9

Boston Globe

"If there is a word to describe the 2009-10 Bruins season, it would be disjointed. When the offense was putting pucks behind opposing goalies early in the season, the let-'em-in defense was allowing clubs like Washington and Anaheim to abuse the back of the Boston net. When they needed timely saves from their goalies, the Bruins weren't getting them. When their goaltending and defense were sharp, the league-worst power play let them down."

Bruins find touch with man advantage

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November 9

Boston Herald

"Veteran left winger Mark Recchi put the red light back in the Bruins' dormant power play. Recchi redirected a Derek Morris slap shot between the pads of rookie goalie Jhonas Enroth at 3:17 of the first period in Saturday night's 4-2 victory against the Northeast Division-leading Buffalo Sabres at the Garden. Recchi's tally was the Bruins' first power-play goal since Morris scored at 17:26 of the first period in a 4-3 shootout loss at Philadelphia on Oct. 22. The Bruins went 0-for-20 in the ensuing stretch and found the bottom of the NHL power play rankings (6-for-56) with a paltry 10.9 success rate. "We had a great practice (Friday) so it seemed to carry over," Recchi said. "It seemed to ..."

They need to break out after breakthrough

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November 7

Boston Globe

"Twelve hours after the latest loss, and roughly an hour before the Bruins were scheduled to take the ice for practice yesterday at Ristuccia Arena, captain Zdeno Chara was out there in full gear, offering pointers to fellow defenseman Derek Morris and taking shots on goaltender Tuukka Rask. Shot after shot, alternating exchanges of sighs and laughter in the half-lit arena, the three plugged away. And after Thursday night's 2-1 shootout loss at home to Montreal, in which the Bruins narrowly avoided a third straight shutout when Patrice Bergeron scored in the final minute, what else is there to do but continue firing away?"

Payback not for Paille

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November 7

Boston Herald

"Bruins left winger Daniel Paille was a numbers casualty with the Buffalo Sabres. He could find vindication against his old mates by boosting his scoring numbers when the struggling Bruins host the Northeast Division-leading Sabres tonight at TD Garden. Paille insisted, however, he does not have a vendetta against the Sabres. "Just another game, that's what it needs to be," said Paille following yesterday's extensive practice at Ristuccia Arena. "Right now the focus is winning. I'm just going to play another team and get a win." Paille reached his high-water mark with Buffalo in 2007-08, when he scored 19 goals with 16 assists in 77 games. His production slipped last year to 12 goals with ..."

Price steals show in 2-1 SO win over Bruins

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November 6

Montreal Gazette

"Nothing comes easy for the Canadiens this season. They were less than 52 seconds away from a 1-0 victory over the Boston Bruins last night but Patrice Bergeron picked a loose puck out of a goalmouth scramble and beat Carey Price to send the game into overtime. And in that case, you could say that the Canadiens had the Bruins just where they wanted them. After all, the Canadiens were a perfect 6-0 in games that went beyond regulation time this season with four wins in overtime and two more in shootouts. And the magic held up again as Mike Cammalleri beat Tim Thomas with the Canadiens' first shot and Blake Wheeler, Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi all failed to beat Price. That gave the ..."

Krejci quarantined with H1N1 flu virus

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November 6

Boston Globe

"Soon after the Bruins' 2-0 loss to Detroit Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena, David Krejci complained of flu-like symptoms. Yesterday, the team confirmed that Krejci was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, making him the first Bruin to contract the illness. They're hoping he's the last. "David Krejci is not around the team,'' said coach Claude Julien, referring to the quarantine (3-5 days, according to general manager Peter Chiarelli) placed on the center. "Hopefully that's where it will stop. But there's no guarantee. We're all vulnerable to it. We just have to deal with it the best we can.''"

Icebreaker

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November 6

Boston Globe

"In some ways, it was a banner game. Last night, before 17,565 at TD Garden, the Bruins scored a goal. They only allowed one goal in 65 minutes of play. They recorded 1 point. Around here, those qualify as bold-faced achievements. The Bruins were staring down a 1-0 loss to the Canadiens. It would have been their third straight shutout loss, a dubious occurrence that has taken place in club history only once (1929). With 51.7 seconds remaining in regulation, Patrice Bergeron snapped a 192:06 scoreless string by beating Carey Price and tying the game."

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