They assert themselves against Flyers

[ Game summary ]

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Globe Staff, 4/3/2002

HILADELPHIA - Coach Robbie Ftorek said the only thing that made last night's game a big one was that it was the one the Bruins were playing. Ftorek has maintained that ''one foot in front of the other'' attitude all season. But in this particular instance, he was understating things a bit.

To wit:

• By beating the Philadelphia Flyers, 4-2, on their home ice, Boston is now 4 points ahead of the Flyers in the race for the Eastern Conference crown, with six games left.

• The Bruins scored four unanswered goals after finding themselves down, 2-0, less than eight minutes into the first period.

• Ftorek played a hunch by putting Brian Rolston at center between Marty McInnis and Bill Guerin. Rolston brought energy to the line, McInnis moved from the pivot to the wing, where he's much more comfortable, and Guerin played like a man possessed.

• The Bruins have a seven-game road winning streak for the first time since March 15-April 14, 1993. They are one shy of the club mark.

The Flyers outscored Boston early, then tried to add a dash of intimidation. But the Bruins, as unflappable a black-and-gold team as we've seen in a long time, answered on both counts and then some.

Former Bruin Adam Oates put the Flyers on the board at 5:19 of the first period, then Keith Primeau upped the ante to 2-0 at 7:44 when he took advantage of the Bruins' defense being caught deep.

The Bruins began the comeback at 14:53 on defenseman Hal Gill's fourth goal. Gill blasted a slapper from the left point that missed the net and caromed out to rookie blue liner Nick Boynton along the right-wing boards. Gill charged the net, and Boynton put a pass right on the tape as Gill guided it into the net past netminder Brian Boucher.

''I'm not sure exactly why they were both down there,'' said Ftorek. ''But it was a nice pass across and he made the big play. It was a very important goal at that time of the game.''

Boston's power play has been shooting blanks of late (0 for 20 over the last five games), but the club generated a goal on the man advantage to pull even, 2-2, at 17:44 of the first. Rolston wasn't credited with an assist but he did the dirty work along the boards, knocking Chris Therien away from the puck to free up Glen Murray. Murray skated it into the left circle and wristed a shot past Boucher for his 35th goal.

There was plenty of rough stuff in the period. But the biggest battle was one that wasn't fought. P.J. Stock drew a penalty against mammoth Flyer forward Donald Brashear for roughing, and it was on that power play that Murray converted.

''I don't know if it was a turning point, but it was a big part of the game,'' said Ftorek. ''Stock had taken a couple of penalties, one of them questionable, and then to come out and keep his composure and draw a penalty is a huge thing.''

Guerin gave the Bruins the lead for good when he scored with 2:45 remaining in the middle period. Rolston, positioned beneath the right circle, dished the puck to Guerin in the right circle, and he one-timed it past Boucher for his 37th goal.

Rolston potted his ninth shorthanded strike of the year - his 29th goal - at 6:48 of the third. Boucher came flying out of the net and was caught in no-man's land. It was Rolston's second shorthanded breakaway of the game.

''He just guessed wrong,'' said Rolston. ''He thought he could get to the puck. He was trying to get back but he just couldn't.

''When I first hit it, I saw him coming out and I knew I was going to get to the puck before him. I was thinking, `Just go around him and put it in.'''

When all was said and done, Dafoe called it an important victory.

''I was doing a little scoreboard watching and looking at the schedules of the four teams battling right now,'' said Dafoe, ''and it gives us some breathing room and makes it difficult on the teams below, especially Philadelphia.

''Before the game, I wouldn't have said we'd put too much on it, but now that it's over, yeah, it was very important.''

Rolston said the Bruins are happy about this, but there is far too much ahead of them to get carried away.

''You don't win the Stanley Cup in April,'' he said. ''We went out there and played hard. Our focus is to be No. 1 in the conference if we can, but most importantly, it's to play well down the stretch here and feel confident going into the playoffs. This wasn't a do-or-die game.''

This story ran on page F1 of the Boston Globe on 4/3/2002.
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