Last season, when he wasn't named to the All-Star Game, Bruins center Marc Savard took off for a Caribbean vacation.
This season, when he didn't make the initial Eastern Conference roster, Savard kept his travel plans flexible - for good reason.
Yesterday, Savard was named as an All-Star replacement for injured Ottawa winger Dany Heatley (shoulder separation). Savard will join teammate Zdeno Chara on the East roster for the All-Star Game, set for Jan. 27 at Atlanta's Philips Arena, the center's home rink for two-plus seasons.
"I felt strongly that both him and [Tim Thomas] should have been invited," said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. "To get one of them invited is a good thing."
Savard has played in all but one game this season, and has a team-leading 47 points (11 goals, 36 assists) while centering the top line. Savard reeled off a career-best 12-game scoring streak from Nov. 10-Dec. 6, recording 19 points during the stretch.
Coach Claude Julien has used Savard, despite his reputation as an offense-first player, in defensive situations. Savard has skated against top-line centers and has also played on the penalty kill to take defensive- and neutral-zone faceoffs.
"I go back to Claude helping me out, putting that in my mind to be a good two-way player," said Savard, who averages 20:12 of ice time per game, most of any Boston forward. "The stats aren't as good as they were last year. But I think I'm being more of a complete player."
Schaefer keeps moving
Since Dec. 18, tying the laces tight on his left skate has been difficult for Peter Schaefer.That day, during a 3-2 loss to Ottawa, Schaefer suffered a fractured left foot after blocking a shot by defenseman Christoph Schubert.
But the injury hasn't forced Schaefer off the ice. He has dressed for all 11 games following the injury, and is one of only six Bruins to appear in every match this season.
"A lot of guys are a little achy, have pains, and have little injuries," Schaefer said. "That's part of a long season."
Schaefer's busted foot - the 30-year-old is approaching the front end of the four- to six-week time frame for such fractures to heal - is just another variable in an eventful nine months. Schaefer advanced to the Stanley Cup final with Ottawa in May. He was traded to Boston in July for Shean Donovan, giving the Senators cap relief from his $2.1 million annual hit.
Schaefer started 2007-08 as Savard's left wing on the No. 1 line and skated on the top power-play unit. But through 10 games as Savard's wingman, Schaefer had only one goal and two assists. He often floated in the offensive zone, where he didn't skate consistently and struggled with his confidence. On Oct. 27, Schaefer skated a season-high 23:40, but it would be his last game as Boston's No. 1 left wing, as Julien dropped him to the third line.
"If I'm skating and moving my feet, that's when my game is at its best," Schaefer said. "When I'm standing still and not getting in there, that's when my game starts to struggle. It's about skating, being physical, and battling in the corners."
Last Saturday, when P.J. Axelsson (bruised right foot) was unavailable, Julien promoted Marco Sturm to the No. 1 line and bumped Schaefer up to the second line. Schaefer responded with his first goal since Dec. 12. It also was Schaefer's second point in two games, only the third time he has turned that trick this season. Last Thursday against Montreal, Schaefer assisted on Milan Lucic's third-period goal.
"We need that from Schaef," Julien said. "Schaef can be a real good player, like I told him, if he uses his assets. He's a pretty good skater. Sometimes he needs to move his feet a little more to make things happen. We need him to bring that game at that level right now with our injuries."
Clamoring for a call-up
In the third period of a one-goal game against Springfield Sunday, Providence forward Pascal Pelletier slammed his stick to the ice in frustration after missing a backhand shot.Unlike last season, when Pelletier scored only 18 goals for the P-Bruins, the left wing expects to bury those shots this season.
Pelletier, 24, has exploded for Providence, netting an AHL-best 24 goals. He isn't shy about believing he could help the offensively challenged big club.
"I'm not going to lie to you. I'm really, really disappointed," said Pelletier about the lack of a promotion. "The guys around here tell me, 'Keep your head up.' But sometimes it's really hard to see everybody get called up but you. Especially with the fact that I've showed that I can play real well at this level, and even in training camp in Boston, scoring a couple of goals. I'm just waiting for my break."
Pelletier said he's skating better and playing with more poise this season. He scored 20 goals in 53 games as an AHL rookie in 2005-06, but last year, his game started to dip after losing teammates Kris Versteeg (traded to Chicago) and Yan Stastny (St. Louis).
"He started to hold the puck longer," Providence coach Scott Gordon said. "He looked to pass when he should shoot and shoot when he should pass. He was trying to get one more step. As a result, nothing was happening for him.
"This year, he had a great camp. He simplified his life. He's always going to be tenacious on the puck. But he brought back that from his first year and his scoring is back to where it was his first year."
This season, Vladimir Sobotka and Petteri Nokelainen have been called up from Providence. David Krejci started the year in Boston, was demoted Nov. 4, then promoted Dec. 30.
"He's had a very good year," Chiarelli said of Pelletier. "We were at a point where we needed centers or players with the flexibility of centers. All three play that position."
Waiting on Axelsson
The Bruins are awaiting results on a CT scan that Axelsson underwent yesterday on his right foot. Initial X-rays were negative, but an early MRI last season didn't show a fracture in Axelsson's left foot, an injury that knocked him out for 10 games. "He was walking around pretty gingerly on Sunday," Chiarelli said. "So yes, it could be a break." . . . Glen Murray (hip flexor strain), who hasn't practiced with the team since last Monday, planned to skate on his own this morning. Murray hasn't played since Dec. 20. "He was sore after skating last week," Chiarelli said. "We have to be careful with that." . . . Shawn Thornton is still battling flu-like symptoms.Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com
