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BLUES 3, BRUINS 2 Road trip ends with heartbreaker [ Game summary ]
Scott Young's shot from the point was redirected by Pierre Turgeon past goalie Peter Skudra during a power play at 1:20 of the extra period, giving St. Louis the win.
The Bruins picked up a point but, with Carolina losing to Washington, they missed a golden opportunity to gain precious ground. Their winless skid stands at five games (0-3-0-2).
In addition to losing after surrendering a two-goal lead, the club was shaken by a left eye injury to right wing Bill Guerin.
The Blues were thrilled with the return of captain Chris Pronger, who was back in the lineup after missing 15 games with a knee injury. Pronger proved to be a menace for the Bruins.
At 16:25 of the second period, Pronger hit Guerin with his stick, cutting him in the eye. The big forward had vision problems and had to leave the game. He was examined by an ophthalmologist and will be examined again in Boston. He said he doesn't believe the injury is serious.
Then, in overtime, Pronger hit Joe Thornton, who hooked Pronger, and Thornton was called for the penalty that set up the 4-on-3 winner.
''Pronger was reckless with his stick when he hit Guerin and put him out of the game,'' said coach Mike Keenan. ''It wasn't called. Joe hooked Pronger but Pronger stuck him with the stick. He was cut accordingly. Kerry [Fraser] should know better; he's an experienced referee.''
Guerin said it was alarming to have blurred vision even though it cleared after 15 minutes.
''It was enough to put a scare into a guy,'' said Guerin. ''It's a minor injury. I probably will be fine [tomorrow]. It happens. A guy carries his stick up that high all game, he's bound to hit somebody in the eye.
''But as long as they let him get away with it, he'll do it. No call. Guys are supposed to be responsible for their sticks. But certain guys get away with it. If they want to crack down on it, they should call it even for everybody. I don't think it was intentional.''
Guerin said it's not a good feeling when you can barely see out of your eye. ''The first thing that comes into your head is `What's going to happen to me, to my career?' Luckily, it's just a minor injury.''
The Bruins took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Brian Rolston, who racked up five of Boston's 11 shots in the opening period, converted on one of them with the Bruins' first power play. Rolston teed up a slapper from the point that beat goalie Roman Turek for his 12th goal of the year.
Keenan went with a short bench in the first two periods. Mikko Eloranta, Shawn Bates, and Ken Belanger (who was in the lineup after missing 16 games because of a surgically repaired hip and the last two as a healthy scratch), didn't see a second of ice time in the first period. Belanger didn't get a shift in the game, Bates played 18 seconds total, and Eloranta filled in when Guerin was injured.
In the first minute of the second period, the Bruins - as they had a night earlier in their 5-4 overtime loss to Dallas - took a two-goal lead. Thornton, who has been red-hot since returning from his second two-game suspension of the season, potted his 22d goal of the year - one shy of his career high.
With the Bruins on the power play, Rolston was hauled down in front of Turek, which appeared to distract the netminder, giving Thornton room.
But the Blues cut the lead in half on a power-play strike when Young, who has one of the hardest slappers in the league, teed up from the right point at 6:58 after taking a pass from Pronger.
The third period was pretty much all Blues; the Bruins' only shot on net came at 17:34 when P.J. Axelsson took a slapper from the left circle. That one-sidedness set the stage for Pronger.
Pronger took a pass from Jamal Mayers and blasted it from the left circle past Skudra to pull even, 2-2, at 18:48.
Thornton was called for hooking Pronger at the 34-second mark of the extra period, giving St. Louis a 4-on-3 advantage that resulted in the winner.
It left a bitter taste in the Bruins' mouths.
''That was a terrible call on Joe,'' said Guerin. ''And that was it. If Joe was going to go down for hooking, Pronger should've gone for swinging the stick at his head. But that's the game, it happens sometimes. Nobody is perfect.''
This story ran on page F01 of the Boston Globe on 2/25/2001.
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T. LOUIS - If Colorado was a nightmare and Dallas was a heartbreaker, last night's 3-2 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues was a devastating disappointment.