On the road, they're hoping to turn corner
WILMINGTON -- The Bruins have won only twice in their last seven games, but coach Mike Sullivan is optimistic about the three-game road trip, which starts in Washington tonight, then continues at Florida tomorrow and Tampa Friday.
''Everyone can use a mental break," Sullivan said after practice yesterday. ''Sometimes that is the best medicine for the group. We have played a lot of games and this was a great opportunity for everyone to get away and spend two days with their families."
The Bruins outscored Toronto, 5-3, in a home-and-home series last week. The Bruins took a 4-1 home win, then squandered the lead in a 2-1 loss at Toronto, surrendering power-play goals in the second and third periods after blanking the Maple Leafs on 11 power plays over four-plus periods.
According to Sullivan, the Bruins aren't taking ''an excessive amount" of penalties. Nonetheless, entering last night's action, just 12 of the other 29 NHL teams had been shorthanded more often than the Bruins.
''But, like the other night [the 2-1 loss]," said Sullivan, ''what is hard for us is to understand what the line is, what's in the confine of the rules. We defended in the manner we have been instructed and still ended up in the penalty box. It was one of those nights for us. The difference in the game was that we took 10 penalties and they took five, and that's tough for us against the third-best power play in the league.
''Every game we play is important, and no team we play is more important than another. That's the way we approach it. We played well against Toronto five on five. It's disappointing we didn't get the result. Now, we need to get some results. But we are moving in the right direction and that's what it is all about."
The Bruins, who are playing 24 of their first 38 games away from home, will be confronting the Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin for the first time.
''I would rather watch him on TV," said defenseman Brian Leetch. ''He is quite dynamic. He has the whole package -- size and speed.
''It was nice to be with the family, but I don't think two days will affect us too much. We feel good about the group we have and we are looking forward to playing. It doesn't matter if we are playing at home or on the road. In a week, you are going to be asking me how important the homestand is.
''We just need to turn the positives of the last two weeks into points. We are looking forward to January and February, when the schedule finally turns for us. But, every year you look at the schedule and wonder why do we have this and why do we have that. It evens out over 82 games, but this year it is more compressed because of the Olympics."
Said Sullivan, ''We prepare for every team and every player, and [Ovechkin] is an individual we have to pay attention to. He is a dynamic player, but it seems every team has a dynamic player. Fortunately for us, the technology is so good that we can see players and we are not going to step on the ice and have no idea what he is about."
With 20 goals and 19 assists, Ovechkin is the NHL's leading scorer among rookies.
''He is really talented and he is able to do a lot by himself," said Sergei Samsonov. ''He is a good all-around player, he makes plays, he is good one on one. As a rookie, he is pretty impressive. There are a lot of talented young players in Russia and they will keep coming, but not necessarily just from Russia; there are talented players all over."
He'll make it
Alexei Zhamnov (flu) missed practice but will travel to Washington, Sullivan said . . . Sullivan said Dan LaCouture has motivated the Bruins in recent games. ''We celebrate the small things that go unnoticed to the fan," Sullivan said. ''The little things like a big hit, standing up for a teammate, blocking a shot. We reward it and we encourage it."
