BOSTON -- So far the goaltending situation for the Boston Bruins has been a Godsend.
It's no secret both Andrew Raycroft and Felix Potvin have been the Bruins' two best players this season and Mike Sullivan has used that tandem successfully. But, will there come a time when Sullivan anoints one particular goalie as the No. 1 guy?
He did say early in the year that performance would dictate such a decision.
Over the last week and a half Raycroft holds an advantage over Potvin, the seasoned veteran. Still, Sullivan is holding his cards close to his vest about the possibility of giving one more time between the pipes.
"I'm not sure yet," said Sullivan after Raycroft posted 20 saves and improved his record to 7-2-1 last night. "We feel like we have two quality goalies who are both capable. Whether we decide to go with one or two is yet to be determined."
Potvin (4-3-2) took a 5-4 loss against Atlanta on Wednesday and has been a bit shaky in two of his last three starts. He was able to post a shutout against the Columbus Blue Jackets last Friday, but before that, he settled for a tie against San Jose and suffered the loss against Montreal.
So, Raycroft could be slowly working his way into the top job, but he's not expecting that anytime soon.
"It doesn't matter at all," he said. "As long as we win, that's the bottom line."
Sullivan's not alone
Sullivan is walking the same road Washington bench boss Bruce Cassidy traveled last season. Cassidy is in the second season as a coach in the NHL, while Sullivan is comfortably settling into his rookie campaign behind the bench.
The former first-round draft pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1983, Cassidy didn't have the playing career Sullivan enjoyed due to injury. But, in his first year as the Capitals coach last season he led the club to a successful 39-29-8-6 record. Already, Sullivan's club is off to a strong start with an 11-2-3-3 mark.
There's been a trend of 30-somethings becoming coaches in the NHL over the last couple of years and Sullivan, 35, is currently the youngest. Carolina's Paul Maurice, 36, follows, and Pittsburgh's Ed Olczyk, 37, has one year on Cassidy.
Grahame doing well
Former Bruins goalie John Grahame, who was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, currently leads all NHL netminders with a 1.07 goals-against average. Grahame has played only five games, allowing five goals. Before last night's game, Raycroft posted a 1.78 GAA, good for fourth in the league.
Around the boards
Bruins' Sergei Samsonov has played 19 games without a penalty and is the only Boston player to do so . . . Nick Boynton was forced to the ice by Jaromir Jagr and landed hard on his shoulder early in the third period. Boynton skated gingerly to the bench and after a few minutes of stretching, he was back in action . . . Defenseman Zdenek Kutlak and forward Sergei Zinovjev continue to watch from the press box and were again healthy scratches last night. At some point it's possible both could be sent to Providence just to see some game action.
