Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

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."

Blanking Bruins reach goal

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November 6

Boston Herald

"The Bruins transformed a 1-1 regulation tie into a moral victory after a 2-1 shootout defeat last night to the Montreal Canadiens before 17,565 at TD Garden. Bruins center Patrice Bergeron forced the overtime when he scored at 19:08 of the third period. The goal ended the B's scoreless streak at 192 minutes and 6 seconds. Bergeron's fifth of the year prevented the Bruins from being shut out in three consecutive games, a record set on Feb. 9, 1929. "The fact that we broke the seal and got a point, it should be a positive thing," said Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, who made 25 saves. "Shootouts are always 'if you win you feel better than you should have' and 'if you lose you feel worse than you ..."

Score one for Patrice Bergeron, offense

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November 6

Boston Herald

"The Bruins were just 52 seconds away from hitting a pretty ignominous milestone last night. Not since February 1929 had they been shut out in three straight games. But, more than 80 years later, they were perilously close to repeating history. However, after nearly 60 minutes against the brick house that was Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, the B's finally snuck one in the net. And it was little surprise that it was Patrice Bergeron who broke the scoreless streak at 192 minutes, 6 seconds. Bergeron was clearly the best Bruin in the 2-1 shootout loss. He had seven of the team's 43 shots and nearly broke the scoreless string at 17:35 of the second period only to have his goal ..."

Peter Chiarelli signs Tuukka Rask to 2-year extension

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November 6

Boston Herald

"Peter Chiarelli may not have been able to keep a recalcitrant Phil Kessel in the fold once the speedy forward got to restricted free agency last summer, but he made sure yesterday that goaltender Tuukka Rask would not be flying the coop any time soon. Rask, who was scheduled to become a restricted free agent next summer, was inked to a two-year deal that will pay him $1 million in 2010-11 and $1.5 million in 2011-12. Chiarelli also took care of Milan Lucic, who was also scheduled to become an RFA this summer, with a multiyear deal earlier this season. "I guess you've got to change with the times," said Chiarelli, concerning the consummation of deals in-season. "To a certain extent, I went ..."

H1N1 downs David Krejci

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November 6

Boston Herald

"With the Bruins having gone 1:32:58 without a goal going into last night's game against the Montreal Canadiens, the last thing they wanted to do was lose another top six forward. But the B's were without David Krejci last night and will be missing the center for the immediate future after he was diagnosed yesterday with the H1N1 virus. Krejci will be quarantined at home until he is fever- and symptom-free, which general manager Peter Chiarelli said should take 3-5 days. Coach Claude Julien said Krejci began feeling ill after the B's 2-0 loss to the Red Wings in Detroit on Tuesday night. He is the most recent of a handful of NHL players to be diagnosed with H1N1 this season. The B's have ..."

In Savard's absence, Krejci needs to buck up

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November 5

Boston Globe

"After David Krejci agreed to a three-year, $11.25 million extension June 2, the sentiment around the league was that the Bruins had gotten themselves a bargain. The slippery Krejci was coming off a 22-51 -73 season that saw him serve as a potent No. 2 center behind Marc Savard. At times, he was so sublime that the club could project him as the eventual No. 1 center, which would give the Bruins the option to cut ties with Savard after this season. Right now, neither scenario looks likely."

Bruins mired in mediocrity

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November 5

Boston Herald

"At Detroit's Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday night, the assessments of the two teams were quite clear: The Red Wings were the thoroughly professional club that took advantage of a couple of first-period scoring chances, then clamped down to protect their 2-0 victory; the Bruins were just kind of mediocre - again. Will that change anytime soon? Well, the Bruins are probably fortunate that the Montreal Canadiens come to town tonight. Perhaps the hated Habs will give the B's an added emotional push that will make a difference. "A big rival, obviously, and hopefully it'll get the guys going in the right direction," winger Shawn Thornton said. "We've been saying that for a little while now. ..."

Nothing doing for Bruins again

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November 4

Boston Globe

"Halfway into last night's first period, Marco Sturm had two point-blank chances to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. The left wing, reunited with Patrice Bergeron for the first time this season, took a pass from his center, slashed into the crease, and dumped a backhander on goal. Plink went the puck off Detroit goalie Chris Osgood's mask. Sturm recovered the rebound and shoveled another backhander on goal. Plunk went the puck off Osgood's glove. Just that kind of night for the toothless Bruins."

Saving talk of Olympics

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November 4

Boston Herald

"Some critics already have written off Tim Thomas as the starting goalie for Team USA at the upcoming Vancouver Olympics, concluding that the Yanks will go with either Craig Anderson of Colorado or Buffalo's Ryan Miller. Both certainly have had better starts than Thomas, but the B's star doubts any decisions have been made yet by the USA staff. "It's a long season," said Thomas, the Vezina Trophy winner. "It doesn't really matter what you did in October if you're lighting it up in January. Part of it is about peaking at the right time, but also if you've played consistently well over a period of years. Hopefully they look at that consistency. "I haven't been in touch with anybody from USA ..."

Bruins draw a blank

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November 4

Boston Herald

"The irony was hard to overlook: As Phil Kessel played his first game for Toronto and fired 10 shots on goal, the Bruins offense looked more anemic than ever. The Bruins had ample chances last night, including two solid post shots, but they continued to fire blanks and were stymied by Chris Osgood and the Red Wings, 2-0. The effort was there, but the puck would not go in and the B's were shut out for a second straight game. "We probably hit three or four posts, and there were two or three that were right on the goal line," defenseman Dennis Wideman said. "They just won't go in. I think they put Saran Wrap in front of the net." The B's have scored just three times in their past four games ..."

Return home helps Red Wings

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November 4

Detroit News

"So much for the old axiom about teams struggling in the first game back after a long trip. The Red Wings played another solid defensive game Tuesday -- despite having two of their top defensemen, Jonathan Ericsson and Brian Rafalski, out because of the flu -- and Chris Osgood recorded his 50th career shutout, beating the Boston Bruins, 2-0. Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom scored in a 3:22 span of the first period to provide Osgood with all the offense he would need. Osgood, now six wins shy of 400 in his career, stopped 29 shots. He has allowed one goal in the last six periods after he was pulled in the first period in Vancouver last week. The Wings, 3-0-1 in their last four, are ..."

In quick fix, Sturm is moved to No. 1 line

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November 3

Boston Globe

"Fittingly, after yesterday's afternoon practice at Joe Louis Arena, Patrice Bergeron and Marco Sturm sat next to each other at their stalls in the visiting team's dressing room and ate lunch. Yesterday, for the first time this season, Bergeron and Sturm were on the same line, practicing with Mark Recchi on the No. 1 threesome. "Obviously we have to score more goals,'' said Sturm, whose team was blanked by the Rangers Sunday, 1-0. "Me and Bergy have played together for a long time. So we're mixing things up and see if we can score more goals.''"

Bruins know the score

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November 3

Boston Herald

"With breakaways, tip-ins, 2-on-1s, big slapshots from the blue line, line rushes, counter-attacks and any other possible method, the Bruins spent practice yesterday at Joe Louis Arena working on scoring goals. It is a skill that has mostly escaped the B's lately, costing them points in games they otherwise played well enough to win. Such was certainly the case Sunday in New York, where a strong effort against the Rangers was wasted in a 1-0 defeat. In their past three games, two of them one-goal losses, the Bruins have three goals, putting an obvious spotlight on the absences of injured Marc Savard and Milan Lucic and the departed Phil Kessel, who is expected to make his Toronto debut ..."

Safe play is King for a day

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November 2

New York Post

"And then there are those times when safe is worth two points. For that's what the Rangers earned at the Garden yesterday afternoon by executing a simplified game plan based largely on Boston's relentlessly conservative style to produce a 1-0 victory and thus put the brakes on a two-game losing streak and 1-4-1 slide. "It was a fun game, the kind of low-scoring, tight game I got used to last year," said Henrik Lundqvist, who recorded 14 third-period saves and 29 overall to record his 21st career shutout and 150th NHL victory. "This year I got a little spoiled with all the scoring, but this was one where you could feel that one mistake would be the difference." If The King had been spoiled ..."

Chara, bugged, swats at pest

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November 2

Boston Globe

"Ranger winger Sean Avery, who has a penchant for such things, was shooting his mouth off at various Bruins during the pregame warm-ups yesterday at Madison Square Garden. The trash talk caught the keenly-tuned ear of Boston captain Zdeno Chara. "Just him being himself,'' said the 6-foot-9-inch Chara, following a 1-0 Rangers win. "I skated right up to him and told him, 'Uh-uh, you're not going to do that to our team.' I tried to let him know. And I told him, every time I had a chance to hit him, I'd put him on his ass.''"

Bruins hit, but they lack scoring punch

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November 2

Boston Globe

"The Bruins are in a tough place right now and they could be there for some time, unless their shooters create better looks at the net, their scorers reclaim their touch, or opposition netminders get uncharacteristically charitable during the holiday season and hand the Black-and-Gold gift-wrapped goals with festive ribbons on top. Otherwise, the quietest place in Bruins hockey these days is that 24-square-foot abyss, neatly trimmed by three red pipes, and seemingly fronted by a thick plate of impenetrable glass. "We've got some guys in our lineup who score goals,'' Boston coach Claude Julien said following yesterday's 1-0 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. "They're just not ..."

No. 4 line in tiptop shape for Bruins

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November 2

Boston Herald

"The fourth line, arguably the Bruins' most consistent and reliable trio this season, had a new look yesterday, with Byron Bitz sidelined by a minor groin strain. "He has a slight groin injury," coach Claude Julien said. "We brought him on the trip because he's day-to-day. If not, we would have left him back home. With groins you never know, but we'll see how he does." Center Trent Whitfield, a healthy scratch for the previous two games, took Bitz' spot on the right side. Whitfield skated well and fit in nicely with the trio, though the team missed Bitz' size in the 1-0 loss to the New York Rangers."

Bruins' power play unplugged in New York

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November 2

Boston Herald

"The power play has been killing the Bruins [team stats] most of the season and did again yesterday in a 1-0 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Power plays often are the key to a team's success, and the B's are fortunate they've done as well as they have considering how little their man-up unit has produced. The Bruins have scored only six PPGs in 13 games, and four of those came against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second game of the season. Toss out those, and the B's are 2-for-41. The obvious explanation: the absence of injured playmaking maestro Marc Savard. "It's hard to put it on one player," defenseman Matt Hunwick said prior to an 0-for-5 effort with the man ..."

Bruins come up empty at MSG

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November 2

Boston Herald

"The Bruins remain stuck in their season-long rut of perfect mediocrity. Win one, lose one. The pattern continued yesterday at Madison Square Garden, where the B's were again unable to grab a second successive victory, dropping a 1-0 decision to Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers. "We're certainly reminded of that quite a bit," coach Claude Julien said of the win-one/lose-one trend. "And we're certainly aware of it as well." So there was no shortage of frustration after the Bruins gave another strong two-way effort. It was the sort of performance which, had a couple of pucks found their way behind Lundqvist (29 saves), would have been deemed excellent."

Lundqvist shuts out Bruins for 150th career victory

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November 2

NHL.com

"The New York Rangers' two best players were the two best players on the ice on Sunday afternoon. Marian Gaborik returned to the ice and scored the lone goal and Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves for his 150th career win as the Blueshirts ended a two-game skid with a 1-0 victory against the Boston Bruins at Madison Square Garden. "It was a fun game," Lundqvist said after recording his first shutout of the season and the 21st of his career. "This is what I was used to last year -- low-scoring and tight. I got a little spoiled this year. We have been scoring a lot. The feeling was one mistake could cost us big time. I like that feeling. I have to be on my toes all of the time." Gaborik, who had ..."

Henrik Lundqvist records 150th NHL victory as New York Rangers defeat Boston Bruins, 1-0

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November 2

New York Daily News

"Sunday at Madison Square Garden was the stuff goaltenders' dreams are made of. There was Gilles Villemure in the corner, receiving an ovation as his Vezina Trophy days played on the scoreboard screen. There was Mike Richter in the tunnel, hearing his name being chanted from the blue seats. And there was Henrik Lundqvist in the nets, honoring Jacques Plante with a specially designed helmet on the 50th anniversary of Plante's introduction of the goal mask. "And a 1-0 shutout?" Richter said near his old stall in the home dressing room afterward. "That's perfect for us." It was indeed a perfect day for Lundqvist, who stopped all 29 Boston shots for the 1-0 victory over the Bruins that sent ..."

Beat down in Beantown

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November 1

Edmonton Journal

"Zdeno Chara, the Boston Bruins control tower, was all business. Armed with his 65-inch Easton stick, the six-foot-nine defenceman negated the Edmonton Oilers top line so efficiently that head coach Pat Quinn even tried separating Ales Hemsky and Dustin Penner to try giving one of his two point-getters some room. It made no difference. With Chara on the back end and the Bruins fourth line scoring a pair of goals, the Oilers wound up with nothing to show for their long flight to Boston, except a 2-0 loss in Saturday's matinee outing--a scenario that is becoming frighteningly familiar. The Oilers have been shut out in three of their last four games. They have not scored against Boston since ..."

Chara was an impact player again

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November 1

Boston Globe

"The giant wasn't asleep, or even close to nodding off, but for the first month of the new season, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara was a somewhat slumbering version of his Norris Trophy-winning self. He was caught somewhere between being the dominating Big Z and just being a whole bunch of little z's . . . zzzz . . . zzz . . . zz. Until yesterday. After four-plus weeks of being good here, OK there, and only moderately effective overall, Chara played with his familiar thump, aggression, and smarts yesterday, piling up a game-high eight hits and pairing with Derek Morris to turn Edmonton's big line - Dustin Penner, Shawn Horcoff, and Ales Hemsky - into a miniaturized version of itself."

Not many can afford this diamond

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November 1

Boston Globe

"The NHL will move its Winter Classic hardware into Fenway Park Dec. 10 and will have its pristine sheet ready for skating by Dec. 18, two weeks before the Bruins take on the Flyers in the celebrated Jan. 1 game, with the old ballpark's left-field wall acting as backdrop and 35,000-plus fans eating and drinking up every minute of it. Meanwhile, a cavalcade of other events, including a four-team Hockey East extravaganza Jan. 8, will play out on the Emerald Bandbox's icy tableau before the plug is pulled on the ice-making machinery. Part of the celebration has the Red Sox and Bruins poised to rent out the sheet for corporate events and pickup hockey games, just like your local rink."

Bruins hit their stride

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November 1

Boston Globe

"Two years ago, Vladimir Sobotka was in Boston out of necessity. He was rushed into NHL service as a first-year pro because of injuries at the big-league level. Last season, when Sobotka might have felt that an NHL job was a given, he spent most of the time in Providence, which is where he belonged because of his listless play during his Boston recalls. This season, after two games (against Nashville and Philadelphia), coach Claude Julien was seeing more of last year's Sobotka than the 2007-08 version. They talked prior to the Bruins' shootout win over Ottawa last Saturday, with Julien reminding Sobotka to play his old straight-line game instead of being a passive player."

Teammates welcome instigator Steve Begin - now that he's a Bruin

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November 1

Boston Herald

"It is a famous basketball photo: NBA legends Larry Bird and Julius Erving, the heat of the battle having turned downright chaotic, literally grabbing each other by the throat. Bird refuses to autograph copies of the photo when requested to do so. It is a famous baseball photo: Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek and the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez are about to go at it in front of home plate at Fenway Park, and 'Tek is shown squashing his catcher's mitt into A-Rod's face. Varitek refuses to autograph copies of the photo when requested to do so. But there's basketball ... and there's baseball ... and then there is hockey. And to illustrate the many ways in which the world of hockey is vastly ..."

'Beast' Zdeno Chara delivers beauty of a performance

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November 1

Boston Herald

"Stroll down the hall from the Bruins dressing room to get the final word on Zdeno Chara's performance in the team's 2-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers yesterday at TD Garden. "Oh my God, he was a beast out there," said Oilers forward Shawn Horcoff. "He's a big boy. I'm glad he's in the East." This may have been the best game this season by the Bruins; it was certainly the best by Chara, who recently has been damned with faint praise by coach Claude Julien. "He's never been bad, he's been OK," Julien said. "Unfortunately, for an elite player like him, everybody wants him to be better than OK." Chara was a whole lot better than that in this one, given the assignment all day of neutralizing ..."

Steady Tuukka Rask up to task

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November 1

Boston Herald

"Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask didn't see a lot of shots, but he had an unobstructed view of every puck flung his way. Rask made 19 saves to register his second shutout in eight NHL starts in the Bruins' 2-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers before 17,565 yesterday at TD Garden. Rask improved to 2-1-1 on the season and 5-2-2 overall in the nine games he's appeared in. Rask blanked the New York Rangers, 1-0, Jan. 31 in his only NHL start last year. With Rask's effort yesterday, the Bruins extended their shutout streak against the Oilers to 204:02. "I can't think of one shot I didn't see today. I saw it all really well," said Rask. "The guys did a really good job out there taking the body, ..."

Bruins' effort pays off

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November 1

Boston Herald

"Maybe the most challenging shot Tuukka Rask faced all afternoon came with 45 seconds left yesterday at the Garden, a dangerous, in-close rip by the Edmonton Oilers' Gilbert Brule. Other than that, honestly, it was hard to recall many legitimate scoring chances by the Oilers. That's how strong the Bruins were in the 2-0 victory - maybe their finest performance of the young season. "I thought we were extremely dominant," coach Claude Julien said. "We really put a lot of pressure on them. All four lines did a great job keeping pressure and keeping them hemmed in their own end for most of the (game)." Rask stopped 19 shots for his second career shutout, and the hard-working third line of ..."

Bruins won't panic despite slow start

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October 31

Edmonton Journal

"Coaches are paid to worry, but Boston Bruins bench boss Claude Julien comes from the glass-is-half-full school. The Bruins, who host the Edmonton Oilers this morning, have had more ebb than flow to their game the first month, but it was the same storyline last October. Boston has won five games and lost six if you take in overtime or shootout losses this month. Last year, they were 5-6, too. They went 47-23 the rest of the way. "We were very ordinary in October last year, but I think we went 11-1 in November," said Julien. "That being said, you can't live in the past and you can't expect it'll happen again. But our game is coming around. We're tightening up defensively, just like we did ..."

Chara needs to come up big

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October 31

Boston Globe

"The good news for the Bruins: Zdeno Chara is healthy. The not-so-good news: Chara is healthy. Last season, Chara was coming off offseason shoulder surgery. Chara started slowly, but his game kicked in around November, at the time the Bruins began a two-month roll. Chara had no parallels to his unique blend of shutdown defense and offensive firepower. This season, the NHL's premier defenseman in 2008-09, despite being injury-free, has not even been his team's best blue liner (for now, Derek Morris holds that distinction). "Good,'' coach Claude Julien termed his captain's game. "But can be better. He knows that. He's been good. There are some games where we've seen him be dominant like we ..."

Wheeler's in motion

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October 31

Boston Herald

"Blake Wheeler has had a nomadic first month of the season for the Bruins. Wheeler is a left winger with a right-handed shot who can bring youthful energy and size to either wing. Bruins coach Claude Julien has shifted Wheeler up, down and across his team's top three lines over 11 games, searching for a combination that will work. Wheeler took regular shifts with center Patrice Bergeron and right winger Michael Ryder, and participated on the Bruins power play in Thursday night's 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils at the Garden. Even though Wheeler made inroads on the line with Bergeron, Julien had him rotating on the makeshift gray line with Vladimir Sobotka, Trent Whitfield and Daniel ..."

Road paved with another victory for Devils

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October 30

New York Post

"Why do the Devils win so much on the road? "We have to, because we lose so much at home," captain Jamie Langenbrunner said after last night's 2-1 triumph over the Bruins. The Devils find ways to win; they are a perfect 6-0 away from Newark, where they're an imperfect 1-4. Last night's formula relied heavily on Yann Danis in his Devils debut, becoming the 26th goalie in New Jersey's history. Danis allowed only a no-complaint goal by Patrice Bergeron, giving his teammates a chance to win, which they did when Dainius Zubrus scored with 1:26 left to extend the team's best-ever road start. "We just find a way to win on the road, and find a way to lose at home," said coach Jacques Lemaire, ..."

Bruins simply bedeviled

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October 30

Boston Globe

""I shouldn't have went,'' said Bruins winger Shawn Thornton moments after last night's 2-1 loss to the Devils. Thornton was referring to one first-period decision that he made in the NHL's standard frame of play: an instant. Yet it was that decision, plus one more late mistake by the Boston defense, that saddled the Bruins with a setback on a night when they played one of their better 60-minute games this season. And it was Thornton who led the Bruins with five shots in 12:45 of ice time, as the fourth line of him, Steve Begin, and Byron Bitz put together one of its best efforts of the season."

Yann Danis saves the day

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October 30

Boston Herald

"Devils backup goalie Yann Danis gave an effort worthy of Martin Brodeur in last night's 2-1 victory over the Bruins at the Garden. New Jersey coach Jacques Lemaire informed Danis he would make his Devils debut during the team's morning practice. Danis, who played four years at Brown University, made good on the opportunity by stopping 31 shots. "I was waiting for this one for a while and it's definitely good to get the first one out of the way," said Danis, who played in 31 games for the Islanders last season. "The only way to stay sharp is to work hard in practice and try to approach practices the same as games." The Bruins hit Danis with 12 shots in the first period and he left the ice ..."

Patrice Bergeron finds old self

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October 30

Boston Herald

columnist Steve Buckley

"After watching Patrice Bergeron score a first-period goal in the Bruins' 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils last night at the Garden, an NHL scout in attendance began taking down notes. "He's skating . . . he's strong on the puck," wrote Tom Fitzgerald, a former teammate of Bergeron's and now an assistant general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins. "He's hunting down the puck . . . he gets physical . . . he scores goals." And then, sounding more like the former teammate and less like the scout, Fitzgerald smiled and said, "He's the old Bergie." Yes, he is. We are 11 games into the 2009-2010 season, and to watch Bergeron on the ice you'd swear he never suffered an injury any more serious ..."

Misfortune finishes Bruins

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October 30

Boston Herald

"Tim Thomas was facing away from the puck on both goals the Bruins netminder allowed in last night's 2-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils at the Garden. The heartbreaker was delivered at even strength at 18:34 of the third period. The play began on a botched slap shot by Jamie Langenbrunner from low in the right circle. Zach Parise tipped the waffling puck between the pads of Thomas while the goalie was frozen in a butterfly position. Dainius Zubrus crashed the crease from the left side and swatted the puck home for the game-winner. David Clarkson finished off a 2-on-1 Devils break-in at 13:25 of the first period by also swiping home a puck that was behind Thomas. "The second one was a shot by ..."

Bruins know 'D' stands for Devils

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October 29

Boston Herald

"Bruins left winger Mark Recchi will play in his 96th career game against the New Jersey Devils when the puck falls tonight at the TD Garden. The Devils have shed plenty of players and coaches during Recchi's 21 years in the NHL. But the stifling neutral zone trap installed by former coach Jacques Lemaire in the early 1990s has remained a New Jersey staple over the years. To reinforce that discipline, Lemaire was brought back in as coach after eight seasons leading the Minnesota Wild. There are two basic reasons why the Bruins will need to play a strong first period: The Devils are a difficult team to come back against; and future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur remains the goalie."

Rask is getting into it

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October 28

Boston Globe

"Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask, 1-1-1 with just about four weeks ticked off the NHL schedule, has been fed a slow but steady diet of play thus far. As planned, he is filling the role of rookie understudy to Tim Thomas, who is 4-3-0 after his Vezina Trophy efforts of last season. "From two years ago till now, I'd say he's matured in his role,'' said coach Claude Julien, impressed with Rask's most recent outing, a 4-3 shootout loss in Philadelphia Thursday night. "He played extremely well for us against a pretty good hockey club.''"

Marco Sturm in stride

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October 28

Boston Herald

"Marco Sturm has adapted well to the makeovers of his own knee and the Bruins' top line during the season's first 10 games. Sturm opened the campaign dealing with the uncertainties of a reconstructed left knee that still requires an unsightly brace under his shin pad. The winger was happy to report his damaged limb is responding favorably. "I feel good, and so far I'm really happy because the knee hasn't bothered me," Sturm said yesterday after skating on the top line in practice at Ristuccia Arena. "I always have to make sure I warm up right, and when I enter the game sometimes it takes me five or 10 minutes to get it going. "I was worried about getting my speed back. That's my game." No ..."

Skating . . . and grating

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October 27

Boston Globe

"Sean Avery or Steve Ott he is not. But as a front-liner with the Providence Bruins, Brad Marchand developed a knack for getting under other AHL opponents' skin. Take, for instance, the affable forward's last game with the P-Bruins Oct. 16, in which Portland's Cody McCormick jumped over the boards after an exchange of words to cross-check him, sparking a brawl. Marchand recalled it vividly to reporters last week, all with a sheepish smile. But this week, his first with Boston after being called up a half-hour after that Portland win, has been a learning experience on multiple fronts - not just on the speed and skill necessary, but on when to reel in the verbiage."

Fill-in Trent Whitfield earns Claude Julien's praise

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October 27

Boston Herald

"Trent Whitfield is an injury call-up from Providence that Bruins coach Claude Julien wants on the roster. Whitfield, 32, was busy centering Blake Wheeler and Vladimir Sobotka during yesterday's long practice at Ristuccia Arena. He was a healthy scratch in Saturday's 4-3 shootout victory at Ottawa but wants to be included in Thursday's game against the New Jersey Devils at the Garden. "I like Trent for numerous reasons," Julien said. "He's been around the block a few times, he's a veteran. I like his work ethic and he knows how to handle himself as far as being ready every night. The one thing he's got going is that he gives you an honest effort every game he's in there. We had a choice of ..."

Bruins grinding out good results

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October 26

Boston Herald

"The Ottawa Citizen newspaper termed it "A grisly win," which no doubt sounded just fine to the Bruins. Last week, B's coach Claude Julien said his team, minus Marc Savard and Milan Lucic, was going to have to grind its way to wins. And the B's so far have proved capable of just that. After the most improbable of victories Saturday night at a stunned Scotiabank Place - rallying from two down with 90 seconds left to win in a shootout, 4-3 - the Bruins have earned five of a possible six points since losing their two star forwards to fractures. "Great character there," said Mark Recchi, whose deft tip-in with 1:28 left in regulation started the comeback. "We stayed with it and we got it," he ..."

Rebound goal lifts Wheeler

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October 26

Boston Globe

"Less than 12 hours earlier, Blake Wheeler had been somewhat grim in discussing his 2009-10 season. "I think it's just one of those times,'' Wheeler said Saturday following the Bruins' morning skate at Scotiabank Place. "Through the first X amount of games, I was feeling good and creating chances. I'm still creating chances, but the puck just hasn't gone in."

Bruins grinding out good results

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October 26

Boston Herald

"The Ottawa Citizen newspaper termed it "A grisly win," which no doubt sounded just fine to the Bruins. Last week, B's coach Claude Julien said his team, minus Marc Savard and Milan Lucic, was going to have to grind its way to wins. And the B's so far have proved capable of just that. After the most improbable of victories Saturday night at a stunned Scotiabank Place - rallying from two down with 90 seconds left to win in a shootout, 4-3 - the Bruins have earned five of a possible six points since losing their two star forwards to fractures. "Great character there," said Mark Recchi, whose deft tip-in with 1:28 left in regulation started the comeback. "We stayed with it and we got it," he ..."

Julien is savoring team's first serving of healthy choice

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October 25

Boston Globe

"Last night, for the first time this season, the Bruins had 20 relatively healthy players in uniform, plus three more in suits and ties watching the game from the Scotiabank Place press box. For coach Claude Julien, those are numbers he likes to see. "It's better than it was earlier on when we didn't have a choice but to put on [the ice] whatever we had available,'' Julien said before the Bruins' 4-3 shootout win over the Senators. "We're in a better position right now with having some healthy bodies around and a little bit of healthy competition. If that's one of the reasons we've gotten better, then so be it. Hopefully that continues.'' Shawn Thornton, missing the previous two games with ..."

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