Goal helps Murray get foot back in the door

Glen Murray has played with a lot of linemates this season, and last night he suited up with yet another combination in his first game back after missing 10 with a bone bruise in his right foot.

Murray played alongside left wing P.J. Axelsson and center Wayne Primeau, scoring Boston's first goal at the 11-minute mark of the second period, generated during a two-man advantage.

''It was good to get back out there," said Murray. ''It's been about a month and it's been a long month."

He said it took him some time to get comfortable, considering it was his first action since Jan. 10, when he was hurt against San Jose.

''Obviously, all these guys have been playing," he said. ''It's a little different your first game because your legs are not there, your head is not there, but you have to get back playing games to get back into the swing of things. That was our first game together and we're going to improve each and every game. It's going to take a while for me to get back into the groove of things. I'll take it game by game."

Murray said he thought the Canadiens outplayed the Bruins in the opening period, but the Bruins were able to turn it around in the second, scoring a pair of goals on the man-advantage just 1 minute 13 seconds apart.

''I think we took the momentum over right there," he said. ''We played a solid game. We kept getting the puck in their end and forcing the [defense] to give us the puck back."

Leetch is out

Defenseman Brian Leetch was forced to sit out after aggravating a groin pull in the middle period of Monday's 5-0 win in Ottawa. Leetch was playing just his second game after missing seven with a groin pull he suffered Jan. 12 in a humiliating 6-0 loss at home to Los Angeles. Leetch missed nearly the entire month of November -- a span of 10 games from Nov. 3-25 -- because of a knee injury . . . During an eight-game span from Dec. 4-27, Brad Boyes didn't have a goal and was beating himself up over it, saying he needed to bear down on his chances. The team was struggling (the Bruins went 3-4-1 in that span) and Boyes just wanted to help steer the club in the right direction. Boyes, who clinched last night's win with an empty-net tally with 37.9 seconds remaining, is riding an eight-game point streak with five goals and eight assists, during which the Bruins are 6-1-1. Boyes's linemates are also hot. Patrice Bergeron is on a five-game point streak with three goals and six assists, and Marco Sturm had a four-game point streak (three goals and two assists) but was held off the scoresheet against the Canadiens . . . Coach Mike Sullivan went with a short bench. The fourth line of Tom Fitzgerald, Dan LaCouture, and Pat Leahy played fewer than four minutes. Leahy logged 2:03 over four shifts, LaCouture 3:09 over six shifts, and Fitzgerald 3:41 over five shifts . . . Want to give that special someone a Bruins-related Valentine's Day gift? Blades, the team's mascot, will deliver a gift basket filled with Bruins and Valentine's presents from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 14. Deliveries are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis and must be within a 50-mile radius of the Garden. Baskets are $200 for adults and $150 for kids. Proceeds benefit the Bruins Foundation. To place an order, log on to ''Bruins Bear Hug" at bostonbruins.com.