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BRUINS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 3 [ Game stats ]
Injury in OT ruins rare start by Tallas
Such is life in the breakdown lane. Even when the Bruins light a spark for themselves, it explodes in their faces. That was the unfortunate dividend to an otherwise heartening 3-3 tie with the Northeast Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs last night before 19,304 fans at the Air Canada Centre.
Tallas, getting his first start since losing Jan. 11 to the Leafs, 3-2, was as responsible as anyone for salvaging the vital point, even if the belly flop and the desperation lunge were integral parts of his 27-save repertoire.
His celebration party consisted of an X-ray in the dressing room while the game was still going on. It confirmed what he knew the moment he stabbed Bryan Berard's slot blast with his glove hand: He has a split fracture of the third finger on his left hand - the same finger whose tip was nearly severed Nov. 24 in Nashville and required immediate surgery to be reattached.
''You can see the crack right on the picture,'' said Tallas, who was wearing a blue splint on the finger. He will have a cast fitted for it, and hopes to suit up for the Bruins' next game Monday in Vancouver.
''The play happened so quickly, the puck was loose in front, and he just one-timed it. I saw a flashback of Nashville.''
And no more action in Toronto. But Tallas wasn't thinking of his own misfortune as trainer Don Del Negro assisted him to the locker room: ''I said to the trainer, `I'm just praying for Byron, because this isn't fair.'''
Indeed, regular goalie Byron Dafoe was supposed to be getting the night off after starting 15 straight games, including losses to the New York Rangers (5-2) and Florida Panthers (5-1) last weekend. That prompted Burns to turn at least for one night to Tallas in hopes of trying something - anything - to resuscitate a team that has plunged to 11th place in the Eastern Conference, which has room for only eight in the playoffs.
Dafoe, who had acknowledged before the game, ''Obviously, I haven't been doing the job lately,'' had intended to use the respite to get another vantage point in hopes that would help solve his problems.
The vacation ended with 4:20 left in OT as Dafoe immediately donned his mask and hopped over the boards, having been transformed from spectator to closer by one lightning Berard windup.
''I could tell Robbie was in serious pain and I knew right away I was going in,'' said Dafoe. ''I honestly felt quite relaxed. I was only going in for four minutes. It wasn't like I had to stand on my head for two periods.''
Let the record show that Dafoe took more drinks of water (2) than the Leafs took shots at him (1). But that shot was a bullet. At 1:15, Igor Korolev swooped in alone and launched a devilish wrister that Dafoe went to his knees to smother. That was it for the Leafs and Dafoe. A job well done, however briefly.
''Every point is huge right now,'' Dafoe said. ''We'd obviously prefer to have 2, but at least we weren't the team that gave up the lead this time.''
No, that dubious honor belonged to Toronto, which admittedly was unaccustomed to being in front. The Leafs hadn't been ahead once in losing their previous four games. But second-period goals by Nikolai Antropov (3:55) and Yanic Perreault (16:27) had erased a 2-1 first-period Bruins lead achieved on tallies by Joe Thornton (6:16) and Shawn Bates (16:50) sandwiched around one by Boston castaway Dmitri Khristich (16:50).
Maple Leafs All-Star goalie Curtis Joseph, who had revealed to the Toronto media Tuesday that he was playing hurt - ''I have a bruised ego'' - seemed about to find the cure.
But with 13:28 left in regulation, Hal Gill passed across the Toronto blue line to fellow defenseman Kyle McLaren, who wristed a shot that appeared to be headed wide of the net.
But center Andre Savage - who had nearly been decapitated by a Danny Markov high stick in the first period - was poised in the slot and thrust out his stick, redirecting the puck just past Joseph's stick side.
''I got a good tip on it,'' said Savage. ''And even though we didn't get the win, this is a positive we can build on.''
That's if they can avoid dwelling on their wretched luck.
''Everything happens,'' sighed Burns.
It must be for a reason. Torture, perhaps?
This story ran on page D01 of the Boston Globe on 2/17/2000.
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ORONTO - It was the perversely perfect defining moment of this misbegotten Bruins season: Rob Tallas, coach Pat Burns's gamble in goal who had turned in a heroic, if adventuresome, performance, skated to the bench 40 seconds into overtime with his reward for his night's work, a fractured finger, spitting blood onto the ice.