They played more disciplined, taking only four minor penalties. They were more responsible away from the puck, they scored on 50 percent of their power-play chances (1 for 2), they won 58 percent of their faceoffs, they scored two goals in the third period (which had been their Achilles' heel), and yet the Bruins still lost, 3-2.
The surging New York Rangers scored once in the second period and twice in the third at Madison Square Garden to deliver Boston its sixth straight defeat. It's the longest losing skein for the Black and Gold since they endured a seven-game skid from March 17-April 3, 1997. That was Steve Kasper's second (and final) season behind the bench, one in which the Bruins used 44 players, including six netminders.
"We had some good chances and we checked better tonight," said general manager Mike O'Connell. "I thought it was better. We have to do that every night."
PHOTO: AP
When a team is going through a stretch like this, when the season seems to be crumbling under its feet, it's hard to find light amid the darkness, but coach Mike Sullivan said he was encouraged by what he saw last night.
"I thought this was one of our better efforts, I really did," he said. "I thought we did a lot of positive things out there. I thought we played a smarter game and had more awareness away from the puck. We're fighting through this ... and there's a fine line between winning and losing, but I thought we took a step forward."
Sullivan said he doesn't think he needs to sell to his players that they will get out of their slump.
"They'd better believe, because I believe," Sullivan said. "This isn't an easy experience. I know that these guys care. We have a lot of hockey ahead of us and I think we took a step forward."
The Bruins carried the play for significant stretches. In the new-look NHL, in which goals are supposedly plentiful, Boston continues to struggle to create offense. The chances might be there, as they were in the first last night, but the finish is still largely absent.
Early in the second, Rangers center Petr Prucha broke the scoreless deadlock. The Bruins turned over the puck and star right wing Jaromir Jagr got it at the top of the right circle. He saw Prucha in the slot and fed him, and Prucha's shot went over the glove of goalie Hannu Toivonen at 2:02.
Left wing Brad Isbister was called for slashing Rangers left wing Martin Straka at 9:37, the first penalty of the game for either team and the longest stretch without an infraction in the NHL this season.
It was the Bruins, though, who nearly had a goal during New York's power play. Patrice Bergeron broke up the play in the Boston end, got the puck, and charged in on Henrik Lundqvist. He tried to beat the goalie inside the right post, but Lundqvist threw out his gloved left arm and kept it out.
The Bruins finally broke through just 38 seconds into the third when right wing Glen Murray cashed in on a pass from captain Joe Thornton. Thornton, behind the net, centered a pass for Murray in the right circle and he beat Lundqvist to pull Boston even, 1-1.
The next two belonged to New York, however. Defenseman Jiri Slegr went off for hooking at 5:54 and the Rangers converted on the man-advantage only 22 seconds later. Jagr's wrister from the right circle sneaked under the arm of Toivonen to make it 2-1 at 6:16.
Left wing Ville Nieminen tallied the winner at 8:42, set up by Jagr. Nieminen drove to the net and fired a forehand shot on Toivonen. The goalie made the stop but Nieminen got the rebound and backhanded it into the net between Toivonen's skates.
Bergeron pulled the Bruins back within 1 during a power play at 9:32. With defenseman Michal Rozsival in the box at 8:49, Bergeron's one-timer from deep in the left circle beat Lundqvist.
Once again, it was close, but not close enough.
"It's frustrating," said defenseman Hal Gill. "We stuck to our game plan and I think we had a solid effort. It's a fine line, I guess, between winning and losing and we're on the wrong side. We're not getting the breaks and, more importantly, we're not making the breaks happen for us. It's a frustrating thing. I don't know how you buck it, but we're going to keep trying. Hopefully, in the end, we can say this made us stronger."
Canucks 3, Mighty Ducks 2
Sami Salo scored his second goal of the game with 7:48 left to help the Vancouver Canucks hand the Anaheim Mighty Ducks' their record-tying eighth straight loss, 3-2.
Salo blasted a 50-foot slap shot from the point that deflected past goalie Ilja Bryzgalov, and the Canucks held on to finish a three-game trip with a 2-1 record.
Rob Niedermayer's power-play goal 47 seconds into the third period tied the game for Anaheim, which also lost eight games in a row in October 1996.
Vancouver's Trevor Linden scored on a penalty shot with a second left in the second period. Linden, hooked by defenseman Keith Carney on a breakaway, beat Bryzgalov with a backhand shot.
Salo opened the scoring on a power play with 4:55 left in the first period, and Andy McDonald tied it on a power play midway through the second.
Coyotes 5, Blue Jackets 1
In Glendale, Arizona, Ladislav Nagy had a goal and two assists, and David LeNeveu made 23 saves to help Phoenix extend Columbus' losing streak to five.
Mike Johnson scored his second goal in three games and Zbynek Michalek, Boyd Devereaux and Geoff Sanderson also scored.
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