Tie knocks Bruins for a loop

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Globe Staff, 03/26/2000

When coach Pat Burns was suffering through the third period yesterday, he was thinking about the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day," in which Murray's character wakes up every morning and realizes it's the same day over and over again.

In Burns's case, he felt as if he was reliving the Bruins' blowing of leads over and over again. Boston took a three-goal advantage into the final 20 minutes of play against the Los Angeles Kings and watched it evaporate, settling for a 4-4 overtime tie at the FleetCenter.

The tying goal for the Kings came with only 20.7 seconds remaining in regulation when former Bruins Glen Murray and Jozef Stumpel combined to haunt their former club. Stumpel, along the right boards, dished a pass in the slot to Murray, who redirected it past goalie John Grahame.

"I don't know whether we stopped playing or they just picked it up," said Burns. "I'm not sure yet. It's like [`Groundhog Day'] right now. I wake up and it's the same thing. It's been like that all year. It's the same story: We get a goal scored against us. We put guys out there who are afraid to get scored on and we get scored on."

The collapse tarnished the inspired performance put on by forward Steve Heinze, who returned after missing six games because of torn rib cartilage. Heinze, in self-deprecating fashion, had pointed out Friday that he hadn't had 2 points in a game all season.

He changed that against the Kings with two goals and an assist. This season has been an offensive wasteland for Heinze. Even with yesterday's output, he has only 11 goals in 68 games, only three in his last 20.

"I went into the game with no expectations," he said. "Just relax and play. The puck bounced my way. I could've had four goals if I had put a couple home in the third period."

But the tie really muted any happiness or relief he was feeling.

"You have a great period and you still have a sour taste in your mouth because you gave away a lead like that," said Heinze.

What made the third all the more horrid was how well Boston played in the first two periods. The Bruins outshot, outskated, and outplayed the Kings in every conceivable way.

Sure, the Kings scored on their first shot, at 11:23 of the first, when Luc Robitaille drilled the puck from the left point right between Grahame's pads.

But the next four belonged to the Bruins, who were cruising. Andre Savage started the barrage at 15:07. Boston added three more in the second, with Heinze figuring in on all of them.

At 3:17, Shawn Bates, who later left the game because of a wrist injury, stole the puck from Murray and charged in on goalie Stephane Fiset, who pokechecked the puck away. But Heinze was there in the slot, corralled the puck, and beat Fiset for his 10th of the year.

Heinze struck again at 13:40. Ken Belanger set up the score when he picked off Stumpel and dished a pass to Heinze, who slalomed down the slot, alternating between his backhand and forehand, before banking a forehand shot off the stick of defenseman Aki Berg and into the net for the 3-1 advantage.

Brian Rolston tallied his 15th of the year with a shot from below the right circle at 18:05 on the power play, banking it in off Fiset for a 4-1 lead.

Kings coach Andy Murray replaced Fiset at the start of the third with Jamie Storr, and Los Angeles' dormant attack came alive.

The trouble started just 48 seconds in when Murray scored on the power play. At 8:07, Salisbury native Bob Corkum made it 4-3. The meltdown continued with Murray's second goal at 19:39.

"We were skating well, shooting the puck at the net, and playing with a fear of losing a little bit and not being embarrassed," said Burns. "Then in the third period, they turn it on and all of a sudden, we're in a game. They looked pretty good in the third period, putting us on our butts pretty good."