Bruins' woes put on ice for a day

WILMINGTON -- Coach Mike Sullivan took a different tack yesterday, canceling the Bruins' on-ice workout at the Ristuccia Center and holding an off-ice session and team meeting instead. The idea was to accentuate the positive and purge the negative aura that has enveloped the club more and more since the losses started mounting.

As former captain Joe Thornton was being named the NHL's offensive player of the week for his 8 points in three games (he has 12 points in five games since being traded to the San Jose Sharks), the Bruins were trying to refocus their efforts to save their season. The gym workout was followed by a team lunch and then visits to area children's hospitals and family shelters to deliver toys and spread holiday cheer. It's the cheer part that has been the hardest to come by.

''It's hard to have fun, obviously, when you're losing," said left wing Sergei Samsonov. ''But at the same time, we have to keep everything in perspective. We're squeezing sticks too hard right now and that's probably part of the problem. We still have to go out and play hockey and try to enjoy it.

''We're a fragile team right now. When we get a lead, we should be playing with more jump. Instead, we're just waiting to see what's going to happen. That's been a problem with our team when we have leads. We should be able to put teams away. Instead, we're just waiting to see what the other team is going to bring."

It's not as if they're being blown out. Of the Bruins' 31 games, nearly half (15) have been decided by one goal. The problem has been winning the close ones. The 2-1 overtime loss to Phoenix Sunday dropped Boston's record in one-goal games to 3-12.

''If we had [won] half of those, we'd be in the playoffs right now," said Samsonov. ''We have to go shift by shift. We have to try to stay consistent throughout the whole game. It's been tough. It's definitely the most frustrating [stretch of my career].

''Right now, we're just one step behind. We're there and we're not. That's what has been hard to figure out."

Right wing Glen Murray, who missed Sunday's game because of a second bout with the flu, said he was feeling better and expects to suit up against the Wild in Minnesota Thursday.

''It's kind of bad luck this year," said Murray. ''Hopefully, that's the end of it. It's going through my house, I guess."

He acknowledged that the atmosphere around the team has been gloomy, so getting out of that will help.

''This is what we do for a living," he said. ''Tons of people say it all the time: It's the greatest job in the world and we're pretty lucky to be doing this.

''I think we've got to come to the rink and somehow forget about what's happened the last 30 games. We need to come and just play hockey and have some fun and get some smiles around this room a little bit. There aren't many nowadays. By having fun and just loving the game again, that will create some wins."

Like Samsonov, Murray said he can't remember a more difficult period in his pro career.

''Not like this," he said. ''I think this is my first experience for this long. It's a tough thing to get out of. You can say it all the time, you have to keep working. It's easy to say, it's a lot tougher to do. No question about it."

Veteran forward Tom Fitzgerald said it's important to remain upbeat, whether it's giving a teammate a pat on the back for a good read, a strong chip-out, a faceoff won, or a defenseman standing up -- each positive act can be contagious.

''Sully was very positive today, and it trickles down," said Fitzgerald. ''I saw guys laughing, not about what happened [Sunday] but laughing about having fun and just relax, that approach. We saw the other approach. I believe this approach for this group of guys is what can help drive us forward."

Vote of confidence

If the Bruins are going to go anywhere, they need points from center Alexei Zhamnov, who has five assists in 14 games since returning from an injury. Samsonov believes Zhamnov's game is coming. ''I think he's skating a lot better," said Samsonov. ''He's skating in the play and helping out on the [defensive] side. He's getting there. There were a couple of chances last game where he could've scored and he didn't. I think once he gets that [first] goal, he's just going to turn everything around. I've been in those slumps where nothing is going your way, and all of a sudden, you get the goal, you get the point, and everything turns around and everything starts going your way. With the way we're playing right now, every mistake has been magnified and it's hard mentally on him. I know he's trying hard, he's thinking about it every day. He's got to be patient and he's got to get that first goal."

A day later

Forward Pat Leahy, who was playing very well until he suffered a broken left index finger when he blocked a shot against the Devils Oct. 29, had hoped to practice yesterday. Instead, he said he'll suit up today and is itching to get back in the lineup. ''I'm looking to get back as soon as possible," said Leahy. ''I have to gauge to see how practice goes the next couple of days." . . . Defenseman Andrew Alberts was called up from Providence, and left wing Zdenek Blatny was sent down to the Baby B's . . . General manager Mike O'Connell was in attendance, and although he's always fielding phone calls, he has no plans to make any further trades. ''I'm not prepared to do anything right now," he said.