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BRUINS 5, FLYERS 1 Dafoe's hamstring pull taints impressive win
[ Game summary ]
The highlights were Joe Thornton establishing career highs with two goals and four points in one game and Jason Allison tying a career high with four assists. Also of note, Sergei Samsonov added a goal and a pair of assists.
The lowlight, though, was goalie Byron Dafoe suffering a hamstring pull in his left (good) leg, forcing him to leave midway through the third period. He said it was precautionary, but with the thinness of the netminding corps and a long road trip coming up, it's obviously a concern. Dafoe seemed upbeat. ''I just strained my hamstring a little bit in the last minute of the second period,'' Dafoe said. ''I was trying to get out behind the net to stop a puck and it was a little pop. It's nothing major. But we were up, 5-1, with 10 minutes to go in the game. It was preventive medicine, I guess you'd say. I don't think it will be a problem.''
One area that appears worry-free is the man advantage. In two games, the Bruins are 5 for 18. Coach Pat Burns said there are three reasons for that: personnel, personnel, and personnel.
''It's all the difference in the world with a healthy Jason Allison, a healthy Joe Thornton, Brian Rolston on the point, the addition of [defenseman Jarno] Kultanen,'' said Burns, whose power play last season consisted mostly of AHL call-ups. ''It makes a big difference than having a power play where you're hoping it will go out there and just get a shot on net. Now it's different.''
The Bruins took advantage of the Flyers' horrendous start, holding a 3-0 cushion into the first intermission.
Thornton gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead on his first goal of the season just 1:49 into the game on the power play. Samsonov, in the left circle, dished the puck down low to Allison behind the net. Allison relayed a centering pass to Thornton and the 21-year-old fired it past 23-year-old goalie Brian Boucher.
The second Boston goal came with one second remaining on a two-man advantage when Thornton fed a pass left to right across the top of the crease to Andrei Kovalenko, who rifled a shot past Boucher's glove.
Rolston picked up his second goal of the year, beating Boucher at 13:46. Allison skated the puck into the zone but had it knocked away. It squirted past Flyers center Petr Hubacek and right to Rolston, who drilled it past Boucher.
''We knew it was important to get a good first period in here,'' said Burns. ''If they get the momentum going, it's a different game.''
The Flyers came out better in the second, but the Bruins still built on their lead, taking a 4-0 edge at 6:12 on Samsonov's goal. Thornton, in the left circle, found Samsonov with a pass in front of Boucher. The goalie denied his initial bid, but the deft forward got his own rebound and tucked it under Boucher's right arm.
Keith Primeau scored the lone Flyers' goal on the power play at 10:21.
At the end of the period, it was obvious Dafoe was in some discomfort as he was continuing to flex his left leg. He said he considered not coming back for the third because of the hamstring. Less than half a minute into the period, he probably wished he hadn't when he was flattened by his own teammate - defenseman Don Sweeney - at the 25-second mark.
''That was a little miscommunication between Donny and I, it just knocked me for a loop,'' he said. ''Donny thought I was leaving it for him and I didn't know he was coming, so I actually stepped into him. I think he was just getting me back for the skills competition a couple of years ago when I took him out for 10 stitches.''
Thornton closed out the scoring at 2:14 with his second goal of the game on the power play.
''All five guys out there are moving the puck extremely well and working hard to get to loose pucks,'' said Allison. ''We've got five guys out there with patience, trying to force some stuff. Even last game, I thought the power play was great. If we're like that, we'll be hard to beat.''
Boucher was pulled at 4:08 in favor of Maxime Ouellet. And Burns replaced Dafoe with Andrew Raycroft at 11:30.
''When we scored that fifth goal, I looked at [trainer Donny DelNegro] and said `Let's go,''' said Dafoe. ''It should be fine. We're taking care of it [today] and hopefully it will be good for [tomorrow's matinee against Florida].''
This story ran on page C1 of the Boston Globe on 10/8/2000.
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HILADELPHIA - The last time the Bruins beat the Flyers in Philadelphia was Dec. 3, 1997. Last night, the Bruins not only defeated the Broad Street Bullies, they buried them, 5-1, at the First Union Center, converting 3 of 8 power-play chances.