Bruins falter again

Road trip off on losing foot

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Globe Staff, 10/14/99

DENVER -- The Bruins' nightmarish start continued last night when they dropped a 2-1 decision to the Colorado Avalanche at the new Pepsi Center.

The loss marked the first time since the 1964-65 season that the Bruins have started the season winless in their first six games. The club is 0-4-2 and the trip, which is just beginning, continues tomorrow night in Dallas against the Stanley Cup champion Stars. It doesn't get any easier and it's quite likely only to get harder.

Chris Drury, behind the net, feathered a pass through the legs of Kyle McLaren, setting up defenseman Adam Foote's winning goal at the 15:16 mark of the third period.

The Bruins' offense, which was so promising in Monday's 3-3 tie with Colorado at the FleetCenter, was spotty and inopportunistic, and there were too many holes in the defense.

Coach Pat Burns was particularly uspset with the lack of production.

"Our big guys have got to score goals for us,'' said Burns. "Their big guys set up points, and our big guys have got to get some goals for us, too.''

Burns singled out Sergei Samsonov, whom he spoke to at the end of the first period, and Steve Heinze.

"[Samsonov] wants to make the play all the time,'' Burns said. "Sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself. He's got to be better, and he knows that. I'm not going to put up with it all year long. But he's not the only one. Steve Heinze has got to get involved. He's not getting involved. He's waiting for the puck to end up on his stick.''

The first two periods played out rather oddly in terms of how defensively loose each team was. However, both goalies, John Grahame of the Bruins and Colorado's Patrick Roy, held the fort effectively.

In the first period, the Bruins looked similar to their performance Monday. They hit posts and gunned the puck at the net. Unlike the Monday game, though, the Bruins didn't finish as well and missed several chances during odd-man rushes.

One of Boston's best chances in the period was a two-on-one with Dave Andreychuk and Samsonov. Andreychuk got off a shot, but Roy gloved it with 5:29 remaining.

Drury, the former Boston University standout who was the Calder Trophy winner as NHL Rookie of the Year last season, had several chances. At 18:33, Drury practically skated through the entire Bruins' team on the way to the net. Drury managed a shot but was hooked down by defenseman Hal Gill, leading to a power play. The Avalanche couldn't convert, however, and it was nullified with 5.3 seconds left when center Joe Sakic was whistled for hooking P.J. Axelsson.

In the middle period, the teams continued to trade chances with the netminders coming up big.

Grahame stopped Sakic's bid at the right post as the big forward tried to jam the puck in.

Former Bruin Dave Reid, who only recently signed with Colorado, took a pass from Stephane Yelle and was denied by Grahame in tight at 7:34.

The Avalanche had a great opportunity at 8:48 during a two-on-one break with both teams skating four a side. Sakic passed the puck to Foote, and Grahame came out to challenge. Foote, who was nearly behind the goalie, tried to force the pass back to Sakic, and it was broken up by the Bruins.

Grahame made a remarkable save on Drury at the right post when he threw his body across the crease and used his stick to block the bid at the 11:55 mark. But in an effort to relieve the pressure on his teammates, Grahame fired the puck into the stands and was called for delay of game.

The Avalanche got on the board at 17:40, only three seconds after their power play expired. Right wing Milan Hejduk, who scored a pair of goals against the Bruins Monday, tallied again when his shot pinballed off a Bruin and past Grahame for the 1-0 lead.

That didn't last long, as the Bruins rallied to tie with 35.5 seconds remaining. Defenseman Jonathan Girard, positioned just inside the blue line along the right-wing boards, fired the puck at the net. Roy made the save but left wing Mikko Eloranta, with defenseman Aaron Miller draped on his back, beat Roy on the rebound at 19:24.

Grahame got himself into a pickle again with another delay of game penalty at 12:57. The Bruins fended it off but the Avalanche delivered the death blow minutes later.

Burns said he might make some changes. "We'll go with guys who are going to show grit,'' he said. "There are definitely some guys who have got to bring it up. If they don't, we're going to stay in this slump a long time.''