|
 |
| |||
 | |||
|
| | |
AVALANCHE 4, BRUINS 2 Rocky start dooms Bruins [ Game summary ]
After a 4-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, which ended their unbeaten streak at four games, the Bruins remain in the hunt for a spot in the postseason, but their chances are dwindling.
Last night, Carolina remained 4 points ahead of Boston in eighth place after losing to Buffalo, 3-1.
Under normal conditions, goaltender Byron Dafoe is among the team's most reliable performers. Yesterday, he got off to a rocky start in giving up three goals on four shots in the first 4:01 of the game. Despite Boston dominating the final 50 minutes, the hole proved too deep.
''I don't think you ever want to spot a team three goals in the first five minutes, particularly that team,'' said Dafoe. ''Why that happened, I don't know. We got caught up in the hoopla a little bit? I don't think so. ... It's disappointing.
''The Ray Bourque thing aside, it's a loss and we can't afford too many more of those if we're planning on being there at the end. That's the worst start we've had all year. I don't know why or what happened, but it's a pretty tough hill to climb. That was a tough game for me to play, getting through the rest of the period. I only had five shots and three of them went in.''
The first one came only nine seconds in, as Colorado tied a franchise record set in 1988 for the fastest goal. Center Joe Sakic skated the puck from the neutral zone into the left circle and wristed a shot that went between Dafoe's legs for his 46th of the year.
''He put it where it had to go,'' said Dafoe. ''It was 4 inches off the ice and it hit the top of my stick and went through. Any time the puck goes through your legs, you always think it's a bad goal. It's one you'd like to have back, but he's a goal scorer and he knew where to put it, I'll give him that.''
At 2:57, right wing Dan Hinote made it 2-0 on his fifth of the year.
Bourque took a shot from the left point that was blocked. The puck bounced to right wing Scott Parker, who relayed it to Hinote in front of the net. Hinote lifted it over Dafoe. The deficit grew to 3 only 1:04 later when former Boston University standout Chris Drury scored on the power play. Bourque dished a pass to Sakic, who set up Drury.
Coach Mike Keenan, normally quick with the hook on a struggling goaltender, felt the team's best chance was with Dafoe.
''If you can't win with your No. 1 goaltender, you're not going to win,'' Keenan said. ''He had a really rough start and had to collect himself, and unfortunately, you're playing against a team that's too good to spot them three goals. It wasn't really a slow start. Byron wasn't sharp and you can't give up goals like that early in the game and expect to win.''
The momentum shifted at 8:51 when center Joe Thornton put Boston on the board. Left wing Sergei Samsonov made it possible when he surged past Drury behind the net. He threw a backhander at the net that hit defenseman Greg De Vries's stick and caromed over to Thornton. He rapped it past goalie Patrick Roy to pull the Bruins to within 3-1.
From that point, Boston kept the pressure on with Colorado having just one shot the rest of the period.
In the second, the Bruins kept the heat on and Roy had to make some tremendous stops. One of the best came on a shorthanded breakaway. Bourque lost the puck at the blue line and Brian Rolston charged up the ice alone. He made a move and tried to beat the netminder inside the right post but Roy (36 saves) blocked the bid with his pad.
''I didn't have a whole lot of time to think about it but I think I could've made a better fake,'' said Rolston. ''In hindsight, if I score that goal, it's probably a different hockey game.''
Shortly after, center Jason Allison brought the Bruins as close as they'd come, 3-2, with his 31st of the year at 7:47.
But at 8:40 of the third, center Steven Reinprecht closed it out.
''Two aspects of the game let us down - our goaltending and our power play [0 for 6],'' said Keenan. ''We couldn't score a power-play goal when we needed it. In a game like that, if you're going to collect yourselves, you've got to rely on those people finding a way to score a goal. Your goaltender has to be sharp. Conversely, I guess Patrick Roy could be credited with a lot of the win because he closed the door. He was huge for them when he had to be and that's what makes him Patrick Roy.''
This story ran on page D14 of the Boston Globe on 3/25/2001.
|
ruins fans flocked to the FleetCenter to celebrate the return of Ray Bourque yesterday. When all was said and done, that was the only thing they had to cheer about.