Projo Bruins Blog

November 18, 2007 - November 24, 2007 Archives

One week after collapsing in front of his net in the third period of last Friday night's Providence Bruins 5-2 win over the Worcester Sharks, goaltender Jordan Sigalet today issued a statement.

"I want to thank everyone for the support they have shown me over the past week," said Sigalet. "It makes things so much easier knowing that I have the support of the fans, my teammates and great work from the team doctors.

"I am staying positive, keeping in good spirits and feeling better each day. Again, thank you to everyone for your well wishes, support and privacy you have shown myself, Jonathan and our family at this time."

BOSTON (AP) The Boston Bruins are starting to believe their defensive system will net better results this season behind the play of goaltender Tim Thomas. Now they've got to find a way to continue it on the road.

Thomas stopped 25 shots and Glen Metropolit scored the winner to lift the Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Friday.

It was the 12th time in 20 games this year the Bruins have scored two goals or fewer, but behind Thomas' play they've remained in the middle of the NHL's Eastern conference standings.

"I think he's been extremely good for us from the start," Boston coach Claude Julien said of his goalie. "Part of it is being in control of the shots. I know I keep preaching it, but guys are in control of things in front of him."

Metropolit scored in the third period for the Bruins, who won for the fourth time in five games.

Mike Sillinger scored for the Islanders, who have two goals or fewer in their last seven games, but have won three.

New York had a two-man advantage for 1:40 early in the third period, but didn't get a shot on Thomas.

"It was the game, basically," Thomas said. "If we give up one there it would have been that much harder to battle back."

With New York's Bill Guerin in the penalty box for hooking, the Bruins' Glen Murray opened the scoring late in the second period when he slipped a wrist shot between goalie Rick DiPietro's pads from the slot after collecting Marco Sturm's pass from behind the net.

DiPietro made 23 saves.

Metropolit beat DiPietro with a slap shot from the top of the left circle with 7:19 to play. Sillinger scored when he redirected Bruno Gervais' pass.

New York had a power play during the closing two minutes and pulled DiPietro with about 45 seconds left, but failed to get the puck past Thomas, who made a save in a scramble in front with 1.4 seconds left.

"Right now, we're stationary and it looks like we have no confidence in our power play," New York coach Ted Nolan said.

Boston embarks on a tough stretch the next 2 1/2 weeks, playing nine of its next 10 away from the TD Banknorth Garden beginning Saturday night with a rematch against the Islanders in Uniondale, N.Y.

"We have to get on a roll," Thomas said. "To be on the road just makes it more difficult. Nine out of our next 10 on the road - that's a tough stretch for any team."

The Islanders couldn't seem to get organized at the top of their power play unit during the two-man advantage, having the puck poked away a couple of times.

"Anytime you have a five-on-three, obviously, you have to score. Our power plays been a little bit dry of late," Sillinger said. "We weren't executing, our passes weren't crisp. What can I say? Five-on-three, you have to score."

Following a tight-checking opening period, the teams opened up a bit in the second. With just over 11 minutes left, New York's Miroslav Satan hit the right post and barely missed poking in the rebound that was lying in the crease behind Thomas.

A little over two minutes later, Boston's Peter Schaefer missed wide on a backhand shot after spinning in front of DiPietro while alone in front.

Notes: The Bruins held a moment of silence for former coach Tom Johnson, who died at his Falmouth, Mass., home Wednesday. During the first stoppage of play, the announcer asked fans for "one last round of applause" for Johnson, who coached the Bruins to their last Stanley Cup title in 1972, while the scoreboard flashed pictures. He was 79. ... It was LW Sturm's 700th career game. ... The Islanders play their next three games at home, where they have won four of five. ... Boston LW Milan Lucic went to the bench looking a bit wobbly after taking a first-period hit from Islanders defenseman Bryan Berard. He skated only one more shift, and Julien said afterward that he was kept out to be "evaluated for a head injury." His status for Saturday in uncertain.

AP photo / Adrian Wyld
Marc Savard and Mats Sundin collide during the first period of tonight's game.

TORONTO (AP) Chuck Kobasew scored with 3:31 left in the third period, lifting the Boston Bruins to a 4-2 comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. Click here to see the box score from projo Stats.

Kobasew stepped into the slot and ripped a wrist shot past Vesa Toskala on the stick side, giving Boston a 3-2 lead and stunning the home crowd the Leafs blow a 2-0 lead. Kobasew capped the win with an empty-net goal 26.7 seconds from the end.

P.J. Axelsson and Phil Kessel also scored for the Bruins, who beat the Leafs for the second time in less than a week after a 5-2 win at home last Thursday.

Mats Sundin and Bryan McCabe scored for Toronto, which outshot Boston 32-25.

Boston's 20-year-old goalie Tuukka Rask earned his first NHL win in his first star, and was chosen as top star of the game. Rask, Toronto's first-round pick (21st overall) in the 2005 draft, was traded to Boston for goalie Andrew Raycroft in June 2006.

Rask flashed his talent at times, robbing Darcy Tucker from in-close in the first period and later stopping him on a breakaway. But Rask also gave up a long goal to Sundin.

Both the Bruins and Leafs were content with a low-risk, defensive approach that featured dump-ins and dump-outs and little else until Boston's late comeback.

The Leafs opened the scoring during a power play 15:10 into the first period. McCabe's pass attempt deflected off Bruins center Glen Metropolit and landed behind Rask.

The fluky goal gave Toronto life, and the Leafs carried play for most of the second period.

Sundin made it 2-0 at 15:36 of the middle period when his shot from just inside the blue line beat Rask, who wasn't screened, on the stick side. The puck was on edge when Sundin shot it and came in on Rask with a sinker effect.

The Bruins responded when Kessel scored with only 47.9 seconds to go in the second period during a power play. The second-year forward one-timed a nifty pass from behind the net by Kobasew. The goal ended Toskala's personal best shutout streak at 141 minutes, 47 seconds.

Boston pressed in the third and was rewarded. Axelsson scored his first goal of the season at 9:52 when he one-timed a shot into an empty net after a nice deke and pass from Marc Savard that got Toskala to commit.

Notes: Boston was 1-for-2 on the power play. Toronto was 1-for-4. ... Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke was in attendance. ... Sundin moved into sole possession of 27th place on the NHL career goal list with 534, one ahead of Frank Mahovlich. Teemu Selanne is next at 540. ... Leafs D Tomas Kaberle had two assists, giving him 300 in the NHL. ... Tim Thomas had started 10 straight games before giving way to Rask, who was 7-2 with a 2.10 goals-against average in nine AHL games at Providence this season. ... Boston G Manny Fernandez, out since Oct. 30 with a knee injury, is expected to be activated Wednesday.

Boston hosts the New York Islanders on Friday at noon.