01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, March 24, 2004

BY JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- First, Sergei Samsonov returned to the lineup on Saturday for the Boston Bruins after missing 14 games with a rib injury. Last night, Patrice Bergeron was added to the mix.

Bergeron, the 18-year-old rookie sensation, is back after missing 11 games because of a shoulder separation he suffered Feb. 24 against the New York Islanders. Now the Bruins have all their major players healthy for the stretch run as they prepare for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Bergeron, who had 16 goals and 20 assists in 64 games prior to the injury, was kept sidelined longer than he wanted to be for precautionary reasons.

"I feel good," said Bergeron. "I felt pretty good out there, and I'm happy to get back to my game."

The timing couldn't have been better for the Black and Gold, which is battling for Eastern Conference supremacy. With only six games remaining in the regular season, Bergeron will have time to get back in game shape before the postseason arrives.

"It was a good test to see if I felt okay," he said. "But, I didn't feel anything. I was ready for everything. I didn't feel like I was lost on the ice."

There was some question whether he should return against Ottawa since he has a bit of history against the Senators. Earlier in the year, he knocked two of their players -- Anton Volchenkov and Vaclav Varada -- out of the lineup, but it wasn't a concern for the Bruins' coaching staff.

"I thought he was good," said Bruins coach Mike Sullivan. "It looked like he didn't miss a beat out there. He was involved physically and he had great composure with the puck. His conditioning level looked to me like it was right up to par, and his timing was great."

Sullivan had every intention prior to the game to limit his minutes, but after the coach saw how Bergeron responded it was back to the norm.

"We thought about using him sparingly to see where he was at," said Sullivan. "The more we put him over the boards, the more he seemed to make things happen out there."

Bergeron logged 13:43 of ice time last night, which is pretty normal for him.

Lapointe injured

Bruins' Marty Lapointe twisted his ankle last night during a second-period collision with teammate P.J. Axelsson. The pair attempted to check the Senators' Peter Bondra near the Boston bench, but Bondra slipped away and Lapointe and Axelsson collided. Lapointe immediately left the ice and went to the trainer's room, but he returned to action four minutes later. After the game, he was limping and said he was sore and swollen.

He's still effective

During yesterday's game-day skate at the FleetCenter, Axelsson and Sullivan had a discussion about the forward's recent play. Axelsson hasn't scored a goal since Feb. 14, and during that 17-game drought he's managed only two assists. Still, he's been effective on the penalty-killing unit and has been a solid forechecker.

"The last game he played (Saturday against Tampa) was the best game he's played in three months," said Sullivan. "When he's skating, pursuing the puck and he's active on the penalty kill, he's an invaluable part of our team."

Overall, Axelsson has six goals and 13 assists in 62 games this season. Even though he's not lighting up the scoreboard, he's kept opponents at bay, for the most part, especially the other teams' top line.

"Obviously, when he scores, it's a bonus for us," added Sullivan. "It's nice to have a balanced attack, and we know he's capable. His skating is his biggest asset, and when he uses his speed to pursue the puck, he not only creates chances for himself but for the rest of his line, as well. I'm not overly concerned about him because he's a big part of this team."

Words of wisdom

Even though the story is four days old, news of Mount St. Charles losing the Rhode Island state championship for the first time in 27 years was a big topic around the FleetCenter -- and elsewhere -- yesterday.

"It's over," said North Smithfield native and former Mountie Jeff Jillson, who was recently involved in a three-team deal that sent him from the Bruins to the Buffalo Sabres. "Having a brother (Nick) on the team, I have a different perspective. As a former player, you knew sooner or later it would happen, but at the same time it still stings knowing the streak is over. It's disappointing."

Jillson recalled his playing days at Mount, where he won three state titles, and he feels for the current players.

"Playing against the streak, and not the opponent, there's a tremendous amount of pressure," he said. "At the same time, there's a motivational factor. So it's a double-edged sword. All those kids, by no means, should be ashamed. It hurts and it probably will for some time, but there is no reason to hang their heads. There's no reason to be ashamed."