Leahy eager to catch up

WILMINGTON -- Bruins forward Pat Leahy participated yesterday in his first full practice with the team since suffering a broken left index finger Oct. 29 against New Jersey. But the lineup he is returning to is far different from the one he skated with prior to the injury.

Dave Scatchard was traded to Phoenix, Kevin Dallman is with the Blues, Shawn McEachern is now in Providence -- and ex-captain Joe Thornton is playing for San Jose.

''Obviously, there have been quite a few changes since I've been hurt," said Leahy. ''We've got a great group of guys here and all the guys we've brought in since I've been out fit right in with the chemistry of the team. I'm excited to get back and skate with these guys out there and help out any way I can."

As of late yesterday, the front office and coaching staff were still discussing whether Leahy would make the trip this week to Minnesota and Calgary. Leahy said he wants to go if for no other reason than to continue working out with the club. He believes he's close to being ready.

''That's totally up to the coaches," said the 26-year-old Leahy, who has 3 goals and 2 assists in 13 games. ''I'm getting close. As soon as they see me in practice and they feel comfortable that I'll be able to help the team, they won't hesitate to put me back out."

He thought practice went pretty well, considering the extended layoff.

''I think it went as well as I expected it to," said Leahy. ''This is the steppingstone I've been looking forward to for the past two weeks, getting out there with the guys.

''Obviously, coming back from any injury, you're going to have a little discomfort so you have to get out there in game-type situations and kind of gauge where you're at in terms of full speed and contact drills."

Coach Mike Sullivan said Leahy, who was averaging 8 minutes 16 seconds of ice time, makes a significant contribution and can provide the type of energy the Bruins have often lacked.

''It's encouraging from our standpoint that he's joining us in practice," said Sullivan. ''He's a guy who helps us in a lot of ways. Playing a fourth-line role, like he has in the past, he's been a very valuable player for us because we use him as more of a utility player.

''He's a terrific penalty killer, he's willing to block shots and sacrifice himself to help our team in those areas. And he's found ways to contribute on the offensive side given the opportunities he's had. He's a guy I think can be valuable for us when he's in our lineup."

Minor improvement

After a discussion with Providence coach Scott Gordon, Sullivan said he felt rookie defenseman Andrew Alberts was ready to come back up from the minors. Alberts played six games in Providence, earning one assist and a plus-4 rating before being called up Monday. ''It was important for him to go down and play in a lot of games and play a lot of minutes in critical situations and work on parts of his game in a more conducive environment where if a mistake is made, it's not magnified because of the challenge of [the NHL]," said Sullivan. ''He's been [Providence's] most consistent player and has played extremely well. He's a confident kid and that's a good thing. It's hard to play this game when you don't have it. He makes decisions out there with conviction and sometimes it costs him. But from my standpoint that's a good thing, rather than being indecisive." . . . Defenseman Nick Boynton, sidelined because of a fractured knee cap, said the break is a vertical one, which is better than if it had been horizontal. ''That's supposed to be the best way," said Boynton. He said the swelling and discomfort have subsided since he suffered the injury Dec. 4. ''It's still sore and I'm not, obviously, lifting weights with it, but it is getting to that point where I can walk around here with the brace, and I put the brace on to go outside on the ice and stuff but other than that, it's a matter of trying to get it loosened up." Boynton, who is riding a stationary bike with one leg for now, is hoping to come back on the front end of the prognosis that said he'll be out 4-6 weeks.

Fresh perspective

Goaltender Andrew Raycroft said the last couple of days have been refreshing for the struggling team, which has attempted to refocus. He said it didn't hurt that most players were involved with Monday's holiday visit to hospitals and family shelters. ''We were able to go to a few hospitals, which always puts things in perspective in a huge way," he said. ''Probably 15, 16, or 17 of the 20 guys did that. That in itself is refreshing, to see that a four-game losing streak really doesn't mean anything in the big picture."