Axelsson can't shoulder load

Axelsson was hurt initially Nov. 20 in a game against Washington when his shoulders were compressed during a hit by forward Dainius Zubrus. He sat out the next two games and returned to the lineup against the Predators.

Officially, Axelsson is listed as day-to-day but it's likely he will be sidelined until next weekend, meaning he would miss games against Atlanta and Toronto.

"I re-did it," said Axelsson. "I was trying to hit someone and I caught it a little off. I felt something pop."

He said he's not expecting to have X-rays or an MRI but it feels worse now than it did when he first hurt it.

"I think it's a little sprained," he said. "It felt good when I was out there but it's tough to say. It's like I took one step forward and two back."

With Axelsson unavailable, rookie center Sergei Zinovjev was the pivotman for the fourth line with Michal Grosek and right wing Sandy McCarthy. Rob Zamuner took Axelsson's spot on the third line with center Brian Rolston and right wing Travis Green.

A little short The Coyotes scored a shorthanded goal in the first period, their first of the season. Only the Bruins and Carolina have yet to score shorthanded . . . Left wing Sergei Samsonov, who has been tried on different lines by coach Mike Sullivan in an effort to jump-start the Bruins' offense, hasn't scored in nine games. The last tally for the talented forward was Nov. 8 against Dallas . . . Center Joe Thornton leads the Bruins in both points with 25 and penalty minutes with 37. Thornton finished the 1999-00 season as the team's leader in goals, assists, points, and penalty minutes, only the second time in team history that had been done. Jimmy Herberts (1924-25) was the first . . . Defenseman Zdenek Kutlak was scratched for the 11th straight game and has yet to play since being recalled from Providence Nov. 4. "He's obviously a guy who's right there, but there's a fine line between where he's better off," said Sullivan. "Is he better off practicing with our team at the NHL pace with NHL players? We thought there'd be more of an opportunity to get him in than there has been. Or is he better off going to the American League and playing a lot of minutes? I think the answer is somewhere in between." . . . The Bruins are scheduled to take today off, then get back to work tomorrow to prepare for their game against the Thrashers in Atlanta Wednesday.