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BRUINS 5, RED WINGS 4 [ Game summary ]
Boston ended its eight-game road losing skid with a 5-4 triumph over the Detroit Red Wings last night at Joe Louis Arena.
Peter Skudra, making his Bruins debut in net, faced 46 Red Wings shots.
''It's been a really long time,'' said Skudra, who was making his first NHL start since last season while with the Penguins. ''There have been some ups and downs in my hockey career. I worked very hard in the summer and in the beginning of the season. I was waiting for a chance to step on the ice and have a game. I was really ready to play and I was real excited.''
The Bruins' last three games have had little or nothing to do with each other. There was the debacle Saturday against Minnesota in which the Bruins did nothing from start to finish. Then there was Tuesday's heartbreaker in which the Bruins did many things right only to find a way to lose to Ottawa with just 14 seconds left in regulation.
Last night might have been the wackiest contest of all as the Bruins erupted for three goals less than five minutes into the first period - and that was only the beginning. The offensive outburst was the most goals the Bruins have scored since Nov. 4, when they were routed, 8-3, by Atlanta.
The Bruins looked invincible for a while against the powerful Red Wings.
Mike Knuble, who has been offensively challenged of late, put Boston on top just 42 seconds into the game. Defenseman Zdenek Kutlak dished a pass to Knuble on the right side. Knuble teed up a slapper from atop the right circle that blew past the glove of Detroit's Chris Osgood (20 saves).
At 1:15, right wing Dixon Ward potted his first goal of the season, giving Boston a 2-0 lead.
P.J. Axelsson sprung Brian Rolston and Ward on a 2-on-1 break and they cashed in. Rolston, in the left circle, fed Ward, who was charging the net and beat Osgood.
Sergei Samsonov made it a three-goal bulge at 4:59. Samsonov cut down the right side, skated through the slot, and backhanded a shot over Osgood for his seventh goal of the season.
But not long after that, Boston got into some penalty trouble, giving up two 5-on-3 advantages, one that lasted 1:07. Fortunately for the Bruins, the Red Wings had trouble staying onside and wasted most of the time.
The momentum clearly swung Detroit's way, though, as the next two goals belonged to the Red Wings. At 16:09, Sergei Fedorov tallied his first of three in the game on what could best be described as a shocker from long range. Fedorov blasted a shot that went right by Skudra, pulling Detroit to within 3-1.
Less than a minute later, the Red Wings pulled within one on a goal by Pat Verbeek, who knocked in a pass at the right post at 17:08.
The Bruins managed to regain a little breathing room at 3:39 of the second on Bill Guerin's second goal in two games and 14th of the year. Guerin, who initially had a tip chance in front of Osgood, banked it off the left post, off Osgood, and into the net for the 4-2 lead.
The Red Wings kept coming, though, pulling to 4-3 at 9:33 on Fedorov's second.
Defenseman Patrick Traverse picked up his first goal as a member of the Bruins, scoring on the power play at 14:03 for the 5-3 cushion.
Fedorov completed his hat trick at 7:06 of the third and pulling the Wings within 5-4.
''We're happy with the two points,'' said Bruins coach Mike Keenan. ''We've played better and come away empty-handed, so it's a funny game in that regard. We were a little bit sloppy from time to time, but we were able to hang onto the lead that we took and that was huge in terms of building our confidence on the road.''
This story ran on page D1 of the Boston Globe on 11/23/2000.
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ETROIT - It wasn't the prettiest victory of the season, it wasn't the best-executed, it wasn't the most convincing. But in the end, what mattered most was that it was a victory, something the Bruins have had precious few of.