Bruins are reeling

But Sinden says Burns's job safe

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Globe Staff, 12/30/1999

AST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - No matter how it goes for the Bruins the rest of the season, Pat Burns will be the coach.

Yesterday, president/general manager Harry Sinden flew from Boston with the sole purpose of addressing his team in an effort to end speculation that the Bruins' slump has put Burns's job in jeopardy.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, the slump continues. Patrik Elias scored 19 seconds into overtime, as the Devils handed the Bruins a hard-to-swallow 5-4 overtime loss at the Meadowlands last night, stretching Boston's winless streak to five games (0-4-1). The Bruins have won only twice in 14 games (2-8-4).

The Bruins rebounded from a 2-0 deficit on power-play goals by Ray Bourque and Andre Savage, but surrendered a power-play goal to rookie Scott Gomez at 3:59 of the third.

Dave Andreychuk tied it at 3 at 9:07 of a wild third period, but Peter Sykora gave New Jersey a 4-3 lead at 12:34. Joe Murphy answered for the Bruins, tying it with 2:11 left.

The winning goal was a bitter disappointment for the Bruins. Bourque and Don Sweeney collided in the defensive zone, resulting in a two-on-none for the Devils. Elias cashed in on a slick cross-ice feed from Sykora from the right wing.

''Just when you thought you'd seen it all,'' said Sinden.

''We went with the criss-cross,'' said Burns, ''and it had a Keystone Kops effect. It's a basic play they do every day. What are you going to do? I'm still happy with the effort.''

Before the game, Sinden was candid about his coach, his team, and the rumors.

''These things have a life of their own and many times they come from [the media] and there's no basis for it,'' said Sinden. ''What it does is it causes a lot of concern and a lot of upheaval on the team. If you don't get it stopped in the most firm way and in the most affirmative sense, then you'll be defending it the rest of the year.''

Sinden said he saw what has happened with speculation involving Patriots coach Pete Carroll, and said he wasn't going to allow that to happen to Burns. He also didn't want his coach and players distracted. ''I can't leave Pat and I can't leave the team out there wondering how I feel about this,'' said Sinden. ''I watched it happen with the Patriots. The team was 6-2, they lost the third game and it started. He was 6-3 and it began and it never stopped and you couldn't put it to bed. Nothing is going to happen here - period.''

Earlier in the week, Burns said he thought it was possible the players had been affected by the rumors and he thought he had to make a point of quashing them. ''What I told the coach and I told the team is, `We're not going to fire Pat Burns.' It's as simple as that. Do you understand. It's not going to happen. If it's a distraction, now you know it's not going to happen. It's no longer a distraction,''' said Sinden. ''If Pat's worried about it, there's no need to worry because it's not going to happen. This is his team. He has total autonomy here. He picks the players, he picks the lines, he says who plays and who doesn't. He has as much autonomy as a coach can have. Whatever way he wants the team to play, that's his way and he's been pretty damn successful at that. It never crossed our minds and all of a sudden it becomes an issue that I have to come down here and talk to Pat and talk to the team.''

Sinden said he doesn't believe the rumors are the reason the Bruins are having such a tough time. ''To the point that it translates into the way they're playing, no. It's way down the list of what's wrong here.''

Sinden said he doesn't see one specific thing, instead it's a multitude of problems. ''Obviously, I've watched so many games and I can see things I don't like about it as Pat does,'' he said. ''Pat has complete authority to do whatever he wants, to play whatever way he wants. His way of playing is pretty damn successful. That's the way he wants the team to go, that's the way it's going to have to go.''

Burns has been disturbed recently by the fact that some of his players have drifted from the system. ''You've got to gather up the sheep,'' said Sinden, ''and put them back in the pen.''

This story ran on page E01 of the Boston Globe on 12/30/1999.
© Copyright 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.