MONTREAL -- Remember last year, when the Boston Bruins got off
to that sizzling start and had the Black and Gold faithful daring to
dream of the Stanley Cup?
Well, guess what. They're doing it again.
Last night, the Bruins outlasted the Montreal Canadiens, 2-0, and in the
process matched last year's mark (6-2-2) 10 games into the season.
Okay, forget that they subsequently suffered a monumental collapse and
only made the playoffs by the skin of their collective teeth. This is a
new year.
"We went through this before," said Bruins captain Joe Thornton. "We've
addressed some things that we don't want to let slip. It all starts with
practice. We've had some great practices. We've just got to stay
focused."
Boston got terrific goaltending last night from Felix Potvin, who
stopped all 23 shots and earned his 29th career shutout.
It was his third career whitewash of Montreal, which had been shut out
by Philadelphia's Robert Esche on Monday night.
Potvin received all the goal support he needed from rookie center (and
fellow Quebec native) Patrice Bergeron, who tallied on a first- period
power play.
"We came out strong tonight," said Potvin, who signed with
Boston over the summer after being released by the Los Angeles Kings.
"It was close to our best game of the year. We played from start to
finish."
The Bruins set the tone in the opening period, outshooting the Habs,
10-3, and held a 1-0 lead on Bergeron's goal at 10:27.
Potvin didn't see any shots until 9:08, when he made successive saves on
Francis Bouillon and Jason Ward.
Potvin was spectacular on Ward's 10-footer, whacking the puck out of the
air with his goal stick while tumbling backward.
Montreal's Richard Zednik was whistled for high sticking on the play,
which gave Boston the period's only power play.
Bergeron, who grew up three hours from here and had an entourage of 30
friends and family members on hand, gave them something to cheer about
when he rifled in his own rebound for his third goal of the year.
"I couldn't hear them," said Bergeron, the youngest player in the league
at 18. "But I know that they were cheering for me somewhere in the
building."
Winger Martin Lapointe, who serves as Bergeron's "house parent" back in
Boston, made the play possible by clogging up the crease in front of
goalie Mathieu Garon while absorbing a pounding from Montreal defenseman
Andrei Markov.
Bergeron cruised into the slot, took Sergei Samsonov's dish from the
left post, then beat Garon on the second try.
"Lately we've been letting the other team get that first goal," said
Thornton. "We addressed that before the game. That first goal seemed to
put them in a hole."
Montreal charged into the second period and put heavy pressure on Potvin
in the early moments.
But Potvin preserved the lead by stopped shots by Marcel Hossa and
Donald Audette from point-blank range.
"It was kind of weird," said Potvin. "They kind of came in flurries.
They've got some dangerous shooters, so you've got to stay on your game."
Boston added to its lead at 10:09 on Mike Knuble's fifth goal of the
year.
Garon had dropped his stick during a goal-mouth scramble. Before he
could retrieve it, Thornton had moved behind the net, then found Knuble
waiting at the edge of the right circle.
Boston was outshot, 10-7, in the final period, but had just enough gas
in the tank after eight games on the road to seal its sixth straight
road win.
"I think it's a credit to the older guys in the room," said Bruins coach
Mike Sullivan, who was coaching the Providence Bruins at this time last
year, "The captains, and their ability to pressure each other. That's
something we've tried to create here. I know that the players are
putting pressure on each other to be prepared to be focused and
disciplined. But as the games have gone on, we've gotten better and
better."
Boston -- 1-1-0 -- 2
Montreal -- 0-0-0 -- 0
First period: 1, Boston, Bergeron 3 (Samsonov), 10:27 (pp). Penalties --
McCarthy, Bos, major 8:28; Langdon, Mon, major 8:28; Zednik, Mon 9:08.
Second period: 2, Boston, Knuble 5 (Thornton, Murray), 10:09. Penalty --
Bulis, Mon 16:27.
Third period: None. Penalty -- Zinovjev, Bos 2:28.
Shots: Boston 10-16-7 -- 33. Montreal 3-10-10 -- 23. Goalies: Boston,
Potvin 3-1-1 (23 shots-23 saves). Montreal, Garon 1-1-0 (33 shots-31
saves). A: 19,245 (21,273). T -- 2:12.
