RALEIGH, N.C. - For Brandon Bochenski, a first-period sequence indicated redemption.
Bochenski made his return to the Boston lineup last night, seeing action on the top line alongside Marc Savard and P.J. Axelsson.
After Savard lost a defensive-zone draw in the first period, the puck skittered to ex-Bruin Glen Wesley. Bochenski sprinted to the left point, blocked Wesley's shot, and took off for the Carolina net. With Wesley on his tail, Bochenski rocketed a shot that beat goalie Cam Ward far side.
The blast, however, glanced off the left post.
"I can't seem to buy one right now," Bochenski said after the 4-3 loss.
Bochenski was a healthy scratch for the first two games of the season. He dressed but didn't skate a shift in the third game. He spent two games in the AHL on a conditioning stint. And for the last six games prior to last night, he was in the press box again.
As the target of coach Claude Julien's lineup decisions, Bochenski understood why he had appeared in only 18 games.
"I wasn't playing that well," said Bochenski.
An injury to Glen Murray (hip flexor strain), however, prompted Julien to tab Bochenski as his No. 1 right wing. Bochenski played 16 minutes 20 seconds last night, his third-highest workload of the season, and recorded one shot. Bochenski also saw action on the No. 1 power-play unit.
"I definitely had my chances," said Bochenski.
Bochenski, acquired from Chicago Feb. 3, has fumbled through his worst NHL season. The winger struck 11 times in 31 games for the Bruins last season, indicating he could be counted on as a sniper.
In three seasons at the University of North Dakota, Bochenski totaled 79 goals. In 2004-05, while playing mostly with Jason Spezza in Binghamton, Ottawa's AHL affiliate, Bochenski scored 34 times. Last season, during his AHL stint in Norfolk, Bochenski netted 33 goals in 35 games for Chicago's farm club.
But after 19 games this season, Bochenski is still without a goal, although he has recorded six assists.
"It would be tough for Bochenski to play on the fourth line and have to score goals the way he's supposed to," said Julien before the game. "Or he can be put in position on a line with some players who can get him the puck to score some goals. I guess it's how you choose to look at it. I think he's been put in a great position to showcase what he does well."
Kessel kick-started
After benching Phil Kessel for the third period of last Sunday's 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh, Julien said he wanted to see how the 20-year-old would bounce back last night.He bounced all right.
"I thought Phil competed a lot better," said Julien. "He responded well."
Kessel, centering the third line between Milan Lucic and Peter Schaefer, was as dangerous as he's been all season. In the third period, 11 seconds after Carolina took a 4-2 lead, Kessel netted his 10th goal. On the play, Kessel created a turnover with an aggressive forecheck on Wesley.
While Lucic retrieved the puck against the boards, Kessel peeled around the net and made himself available at the far post. Lucic hit Kessel with a crisp pass, allowing the center to beat Ward at 3:58.
"It's disappointing," said Kessel, who recorded three shots and winged a fast-moving wrister off the left post late in regulation after weaving through the Carolina defense. "The team lost, so I don't really care about [playing better]."
Team player
Mark Stuart, who racked up 17 penalty minutes after chasing down Carolina defenseman Mike Commodore in the third period, said the fight was a natural reaction to seeing Axelsson absorb a heavy hit. Tim Thomas applauded Stuart's action, even though it left the Bruins with five defensemen for the rest of the game. "Stuey did a good job of stepping up," said Thomas. "If a guy wants to hit like that, you've got to make him pay the price. What Stuey did, we'll kill that penalty off and do the best we can for the 17 minutes without him." . . . Carolina defenseman Bret Hedican suffered a sprained right knee in a second-period tangle with Chuck Kobasew . . . The Bruins have 22 players on their roster and brought 21 on the trip. Bobby Allen has not been placed on injured reserve, but he remains in Boston and will not play tonight against Atlanta.
