Bruins again can't cut it

BUFFALO -- When Bruins coach Mike Sullivan emerged from the dressing room last night, his jaw was tight, his face tense.

It was clear he was both dissatisfied with and disappointed by the play of his team against the hard-working Sabres, who clobbered Boston, 4-1, at HSBC Arena.

''Based on the performance out there, we weren't ready to play," said Sullivan. ''I thought we played hard when we got down two [goals], but at that point it's too late. You have to play 60 minutes in this league in order to have success.

''I thought we played hard in the third period trying to come back, but we have to find a way to start the game with that same fire. We were flat coming out for whatever reason. It cost us."

The Bruins have scored only one goal in each of their two games this season, not exactly what the team had in mind with a new-look product designed to dazzle not fizzle. When the National Hockey League decided to get tough on obstruction fouls, the idea was to open up the game, increase offensive chances to showcase its stars, and make it more exciting for spectators. Bruins fans are still waiting.

Despite being extremely deep at forward, particularly center, Boston's offensive output has been anemic.

Through two periods against the Sabres, the Bruins' only offense consisted of hitting two goal posts. Part of the problem was the parade to the penalty box. The first four infractions were called on the Bruins and they staved off the Sabres' first three power plays, but couldn't hold off the fourth.

At 7:05 of the second period, the swift-skating Sabres took a 1-0 lead on J.P. Dumont's goal with seven seconds remaining on the man-advantage. Center Daniel Briere, who has been touted here as the next Pat LaFontaine, had the puck at the top of the left circle. He dished it to left wing Thomas Vanek, who was below the circle. Vanek, seeing Dumont go backdoor outside the right post, relayed it across the slot and Dumont swept it past goalie Andrew Raycroft, whose teammates hung him out to dry for the first 40 minutes.

Boston nearly pulled even on the power play after Mike Grier was whistled for tripping at 7:37. Defenseman Brian Leetch fired the puck on net from just inside the blue line and Shawn McEachern tipped it high on goalie Ryan Miller, but it clanged off the post. Only seconds later, Brad Isbister rattled a bid off the post, and the Bruins came up empty.

The Sabres went up by a pair at the 14-minute mark on Grier's first tally of the season. Defenseman Henrik Tallinder teed up a slapper from the right point that deflected off Grier and trickled inside the left post, out of Raycroft's reach.

The Bruins had some opportunities in the first with Isbister recording four of the team's 12 shots on net in the period. At 14:30, Patrice Bergeron, who played center on a line with Isbister and Sergei Samsonov, had a shorthanded breakaway as a result of a Buffalo miscue, but Miller stayed with the fleet-skating Bergeron and gave him nothing to shoot at.

With 1:50 left in the second, the Sabres had their own shorthanded breakaway when center Paul Gaustad barreled in on Raycroft. But the netminder, who had a strong outing, blocked Gaustad's forehand try and kept the deficit at a pair.

The Bruins' top duo of captain Joe Thornton and right wing Glen Murray, who started the season with Isbister on the left side and last night played with McEachern and then Samsonov, has gotten off to a slow start but provided Boston's only offense last night.

At 6:31 of the third, Thornton won a faceoff in the right circle in the Buffalo zone. The puck went back to Jiri Slegr at the point and he dished it to Murray in the left circle. Murray snapped a shot from the inside edge, beating Miller for his first goal of the season.

The Bruins' power play, which went 0 for 7 against Montreal in Wednesday's opener, wasn't sharp last night until the third, but still finished 0 for 3. With Tim Connolly in the box for holding the stick at 11:20 of the third, Boston pulled out all the stops to try to pull even but Miller made some outstanding saves.

The Sabres sealed the victory on goals by Ales Kotalik, who beat Raycroft from the right circle to the short side at 15:57, and Maxim Afinogenov, who scored on the power play with 1:23 left.

Tonight, it's the Penguins in Pittsburgh with Mario Lemieux and phenom Sidney Crosby. Sullivan, for one, expects a lot more than what he got against the Sabres.

''I thought we were prepared to play," said the coach. ''We were playing against a good hockey team that works hard and has some skill. If you're not prepared to play in this league, you'll get beat on any given night no matter who you play. I believe we have a good team. I believe we have talent, but talent alone doesn't win."