Bruins show more pluck vs. the Ducks

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Globe Staff, 10/25/99

ANAHEIM, Calif. - When the Bruins embarked on this six-game road trip, coach Pat Burns said he would be happy with breaking even.

After the club hadn't won in its first nine games (tying a franchise-worst start) and was 0-2-2 on the journey, it appeared .500 was a pipe dream at best.

What a difference two days make. The Bruins beat the San Jose Sharks Saturday night, and less than 24 hours later wrapped up the trip with a 3-2 victory over the Mighty Ducks at Arrowhead Pond.

The team heads home from its strange odyssey with a 2-2-2 mark and the players' moods elevated 100 percent.

John Grahame picked up his first victory of the year Saturday and last night it was Rob Tallas's turn as he stopped 29 shots (12 in the third period) for his first win.

"He wanted to go," said Burns of Tallas, adding that it would've been tough on Grahame to come back after such a big high on Saturday. "Robbie did a good job."

The Bruins picked up right where they left off in San Jose. They jumped to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes and never looked back. Sergei Samsonov, who has looked remarkably more comfortable in the last few games than he did in the first few, made a stunning move that led to the first goal.

Skating from his own end, Samsonov snaked through the neutral zone and ended up in the right circle. He faked defenseman Kevin Haller one way and then feathered a pass to himself between Haller's skates. He picked it up on the inside and flipped a high forehand shot into the top right corner past the glove of goalie Guy Hebert at 3:48.

Where the Bruins had been so successful on the power play against the Sharks, it was at even strength that Boston shined last night.

Dave Andreychuk, who has been a steady contributor and calming influence during the slow start, tallied his fifth goal of the year to put the Bruins ahead, 2-0, at 16:29.

Teemu Selanne tried to clear the puck out of the defensive zone but it was batted down by Jason Allison. Allison whacked at it and eventually got it over to Anson Carter. Carter found Andreychuk in the slot and the big left wing's quick shot beat Hebert to the glove side.

The Bruins made it a three-goal cushion at 13:21 of the second when slumping forward Steve Heinze, who had been demoted to the fourth line the past couple of games, scored his second of the year during a power play. Heinze said being dropped to the fourth line actually gave him a boost.

"Being put on the fourth line takes the pressure off," he said. "All of a sudden, I can just go out and play. I can be my own worst enemy. I'm on the first or second line or the first or second power play, and I think, `I've got to score.' I can't do that. I have to just play. It was a good coach's decision and maybe it's something I needed."

Jeff Neilsen was already in the penalty box for interference on Tallas when the Ducks' Oleg Tverdovsky high-sticked Samsonov in the face at 12:07. That infraction, a four-minute minor, created a big gash in Samsonov's lower lip and the impact caused him to bite his tongue. Both wounds, with the tongue being the worst of the two, required stitches and he was unable to return.

The Bruins had a two-man advantage for 26 seconds and despite two Ray Bourque blasts from the point were denied at first. When Boston began skating five on four, Heinze took advantage. Allison started the play by throwing the puck behind him along the left-wing boards. Andreychuk corraled it down deep and found Heinze in the slot. Heinze switched from his forehand to his backhand and returned to his forehand as Hebert came out. He slipped the puck behind the netminder to the glove side and the Bruins were ahead, 3-0, at 13:21.

Matt Cullen spoiled Tallas's shutout bid at 12:06 of the third period with his third goal of the season. The Ducks made it close when Tverdovsky beat Tallas with 1:12 in regulation but the Bruins held on.

"You wouldn't have wanted another 10 minutes left," said Burns. "I think we were starting to fade a little bit with the game [Saturday] and the [earlier] start tonight. But we handled it pretty good."