Murray (3 goals) sparks Bruins' rout

[ Game summary ]

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Globe Staff, 11/27/2002

here were times last season when as well as the Bruins were playing, they had difficulty putting teams away. They often allowed an opponent to climb back into a contest, making the third period a nail-biter.

This season, they have developed a killer instinct not seen here in years. Last night was just the latest example as the Bruins rolled over the struggling Calgary Flames, 7-2, before a FleetCenter crowd of 13,582.

It was their third victory in a row and 14th of the season. Their record at home now stands at 8-1-1-0.

Glen Murray potted his fourth career hat trick and added an assist, Joe Thornton had three assists, and Brian Rolston had two goals to lead the offensive barrage.

Three Boston goals in the first period and three more in the second denied the Flames the chance to take so much as an optimistic breath.

''That was one of the things we have to do to make the next step as a team,'' said Rolston. ''To get those goals and bury teams when you have a chance to, that's something we've been doing and it hasn't been late in the game, it's usually been early.

''I think it's a maturity thing, I think it's a confidence thing. It's a mind-set, that we're just going to get that next goal. You just keep saying, `The next goal is going to kill 'em, boys.'''

It's been a very frustrating season for the Flames. After dropping six straight, they finally ended their skid with a win against Chicago Saturday. Whatever good will they generated with that victory evaporated into thin air against the Bruins.

Marty McInnis got the ball rolling with a goal at 10:06 of the first.

Murray, who has six goals in his last three games, made it 2-0 at 10:45 when he created his own opportunity. Murray did a furious job of forechecking in the left circle, prompting defenseman Toni Lydman to spin around. When he did, Murray pounced on the puck in the slot and snapped it past goalie Roman Turek.

Thornton set up Boston's third goal at 14:57. He fed a pass in front to Mike Knuble, who fired past Turek. It marked the sixth straight game Knuble has had a point, as he fills in on the top line for Sergei Samsonov.

''Mike isn't as fast as Sammy but he does the same things as Sammy,'' said coach Robbie Ftorek. ''[On his goal], he played center field, [Murray] went to the net and Joey finds him and boom, he put it in. Their thought process is very similar, it's just that Sammy may do it just a little quicker.''

To start the second period, Calgary coach Greg Gilbert tried to get his club to regroup and installed Jamie McLennan in place of Turek. It didn't make much difference. At the 50-second mark, Thornton backhanded a pass to Murray in front, and Murray backhanded a shot past McLennan for his second of the game.

Jarome Iginla broke the ice for the Flames when he scored on the power play at 1:46, which seemed to give Calgary a little bit of life. But goaltender John Grahame held his own as Calgary outshot Boston, 15-7, in the period.

Murray completed the hat trick at 16:49. Thornton had the initial bid but McLennan foiled it with a pokecheck. Unfortunately for the netminder, though, Murray was there for the rebound to make it 5-1.

Rolston got in the offensive mix when he tallied a shorthanded goal at 17:17. It was his third shorthanded goal of the year and 22d of his career. His low slapper from the right circle gave him 10 goals for the season.

He added to that in the third when he potted another goal, this time during a two-man advantage at 8:09. That made it a 7-1 runaway. Calgary's Martin Gelinas closed out the scoring at 11:43.

The Bruins' offense has been the star. In the past nine games, the team is 7-1-1-0 and has outscored foes, 37-14, and has 14 power-play goals after scoring only six in the previous 12 games. Murray had five goals in his first 13 games but has eight in his last seven.

''Glen Murray could've had about six of these games, but tonight they all went in for him,'' said Ftorek. ''He's had great chances all season long and he's been doing some extra shooting and some extra work on it and tonight it paid off.''

This story ran on page C1 of the Boston Globe on 11/27/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.