New Bruin attack out of the blue

The Bruins, stung by a penalty-shot goal just 26 seconds into the game and trailing, 2-0, midway through the second period, answered with three goals to defeat the Montreal Canadiens in overtime at the FleetCenter Saturday night in arguably the most exciting game of the season.

The Boston goals had one thing in common; a defenseman was the key to each.

The first tally came on a blazer from the point by blue liner Sergei Gonchar at 11:39 of the second period. Gifted forward Sergei Samsonov scored the tying goal at 1:41 of the third period, and the winner with 28 seconds left in OT, but both scores were set up by the defense. Samsonov's first goal came on a rebound off a blast from Nick Boynton, his second on a beautiful pass from Jiri Slegr.

Boynton is an All-Star with obvious offensive skills, but in general, the Bruins defense was criticized for lacking point production. However, that was before the team acquired Slegr, who is excellent on offense, from Vancouver Jan. 17, and Gonchar, arguably the best offensive defenseman in the league, from Washington March 3. Since they arrived, offense from the blue line has been plentiful.

"We've been trying to generate offense from our defensemen all year," said Bruins coach Mike Sullivan. "It's so important to have a fourth man in the action. Teams defend so well with some of the new systems now, it's hard to outnumber them and get chances without a fourth man.

"This was a huge win for us. We stressed the importance of this game going in. This was a high priority for us, and we generated a lot of emotion. The offense and defense played well, the power play was solid, and the penalty kill was terrific."

There are still four games to go for the Bruins, three for the Canadiens, but if the season ended now, the Bruins, in second place in the Eastern Conference, would play Montreal, seventh in the East, in the playoffs. A series between the ancient rivals could set the sports scene on fire. Saturday night's crowd at the FleetCenter was so wild, it was reminiscent of the old Garden.

Boston gained the edge in the season series, 3-0-1-2, but every game was tightly played.

"The Canadiens are fast, and they play together," said Sullivan. "They are a good hockey team. They don't get the credit they deserve. They play extremely well. They transition the puck so well, they create a lot of situations where they outnumber the opposition. They are a solid team. They don't beat themselves." . . .
The penalty shot, the second fastest called in NHL history, came when Canadiens center Jason Ward broke down the right side toward the Bruins net with the puck. Defenseman Sean O'Donnell caught up with him and gave him a couple of whacks with his stick. Ward got off a testing shot as he fell, which Bruins goalie Andrew Raycroft saved. The call, made by veteran referee Kerry Fraser, who has a flair for the theatrical, was less than marginal. Some observers didn't even think O'Donnell deserved a minor penalty. To Ward's credit, he made a great play on the penalty shot, lifting a backhander over Raycroft's outstretched pad.

"I guess they felt he could have been in alone," said Bruins forward Brian Rolston. "That really started the game off quick. It got the fans into it. We overcame it. We know where we need to be. We just need to continue to play well. We've come back a lot of times, and we have the confidence now that we can get back and score goals when we're behind. We've done it a number of times." . . .
The five-minute major for checking from behind, plus an automatic game misconduct, Joe Thornton received at 9:13 of the third period was another head-scratcher. Thornton flattened Canadiens center Steve Begin while Begin, who was off the boards, was trying to play the puck in his own end. The call did not hurt the Bruins, but at most it appeared two minutes for charging may have been warranted. Begin fell to the ice, and then limped off, and the suspicion was his collapse influenced the call. He was back in action the next shift.

"I thought Joe was trying to finish his check," said Sullivan. "The guy was just coming around the boards, and Joe went in and tried to get the puck. His intention was to do the right thing, as I saw it." . . .
The Bruins were given the day off yesterday. They will practice this morning in Wilmington, after which they will fly out to play Carolina, which is out of the playoff race, tomorrow night.