01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, February 25, 2004

BY DAN HICKLING
Special to the Journal

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Like the classic TV show Seinfeld, the Boston Bruins have suddenly become a show about nothing.

The Bruins last night were blanked for the second game in a row, although at least they did emerge from their 0-0 overtime tie with the New York Islanders with a point.

So half a loaf is better than nothing.

It was the eighth shutout suffered by the Bruins this year (compared with four all of last year).

Not to mention the first scoreless tie involving Boston since their Jan. 13, 2000 deadlock with Buffalo.

Or for that matter, their first back-to-back blankings since Dec. 14-15, 1996, when both Buffalo and Philadelphia kept them off the scoreboard.

Still, Bruins coach Mike Sullivan isn't perplexed by his team's sudden lack of scoring punch.

"We've got guys who can put it in the net," he said. "We've shown we can do that consistantly. When you're playing down the stretch, it's the nature of the game for teams to play a tighter, low-risk kind of game."

Felix Potvin, the ex-Islander, held his old mates at bay by stopping all 32 Islander tries for his fourth shutout of the year (and 32nd of his career).

He dueled with Islander netminder Rick DiPietro, who turned away 28 shots for his third career shutout, all of them this season.

"Tonight was like a typical playoff game," Potvin said. "Teams were afraid of opening up. But then again, there were some chances on both sides."

The first period got underway nearly 90 minutes late, the delay caused by a gouge in one of the goal creases left by the Zamboni after a pre-game cleaning.

But even with the extra time, neither team exactly charged out of the gate. New York mustered up just seven shots in that frame, and the Bruins only five.

"It was one of those things," said Bruins right wing Glen Murray. "Wondering if there was going to be a game. It was tough to stay into it for an hour and a half."

Of greater concern to the Bruins was the loss of talented rookie forward Patrice Bergeron on his first shift, just 3:29 into the game.

Bergeron was led to the Boston dressing room by trainer Don Del Negro to deal with what was described by the team as a bruised shoulder, finishing him for the night.

The extent of the injury was not immediately known, nor was there any estimate made on how much time he might miss.

"I don't know yet how severe it is," said Sullivan. "We'll have to have our doctors evaluate it."

Boston doubled its shot total in the first three minutes of the second period, but without success.

Scoring chances for the Bruins came more frequently beginning with Martin Lapointe's try at 4:10, a sharp wrister through a crowd that DiPietro was able to snag.

Two minutes later, Glen Murray was set up near the right post by Joe Thornton, but again, DiPietro was equal to the task.

The Islanders nearly broke through at 10:01, when Mariusz Czerkawski lured Potvin to the left side, then tried to flip the puck into the open net.

But defenseman Jiri Slegr stopped the puck before it crossed the line, and swept it away.

The repairs made to the afflicted crease seemed to hold up well as the game wore on. One three occasions, touch-ups were needed, including during each intermission when rink attendants blasted the area with fire extinguishers.

"I didn't even notice it," said Potvin. "I don't know if it was worse in the first period, but it was okay in the second."

However, to help things along, the temperature in the building had to be lowered by a few degrees, which made footing tricky on other parts of the ice, and several players lost their edges.

The stalemate continued, straight through the third period, although again, both teams had their chances.

Potvin came up big on Shawn Bates' 40-foot slap shot following a turnover in the neutral zone.

Both teams had some chances in overtime, the most dangerous being a quick shot by New York's Michael Peca from the edge of the crease.

In the final seconds of overtime, Thornton fired a quick shot that hit the post, but again, nothing.

Boston -- 0 0 0 0 -- 0

N.Y. Islanders -- 0 0 0 0 -- 0

First period: None. Penalties -- Blake, NYI 5:36; Murray, Bos 12:12; MacDonald, Bos 17:39; Asham, NYI 17:39.

Second period: None. Penalties -- McGillis, Bos 2:45; Asham, NYI 12:33.

Third period: None. Penalties -- Hunter, NYI 19:30; Murray, Bos 19:51.

Overtime: None. Penalties -- None.

Shots: Boston 5-12-7-4 -- 28. N.Y. Islanders 7-7-13-6 -- 33. Power plays: Boston 0 of 3; N.Y. Islanders 0 of 3. Goalies: Boston, Potvin 9-7-6 (33 shots-33 saves). N.Y. Islanders, DiPietro 15-11-5 (28-28). A: 13,579 (16,234). T -- 2:29.