Thornton had the upper hands

Shawn Thornton got retribution by coming out on top against Ottawa's Chris Neil, who elbowed Jeremy Reich in the head. (Yoon s. byun/Globe Staff)

His name is not on the scoring summary, but Shawn Thornton left an impression in the Bruins' 4-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators yesterday. Twice the burly fourth-line wing saw a teammate knocked to the ice and stepped into the offending Senator with his fists cocked, standing up for his teammate, hockey-style.

Thornton left impressions of his knuckles on the faces of Chris Neil and Cody Bass, and that left an impression on his teammates, and his coach.

"I love this time of year," said Thornton, who signed with the Bruins last summer after earning a Stanley Cup ring with the Anaheim Ducks. "It's the best time of year to play - the last 10-15 games and the playoffs, that's what you're playing for. As a kid, no one's saying, 'It's Game 22, who wants to play for the Cup?' when you're playing road hockey."

The Bruins, locked in a final-stretch struggle to make the playoffs, want and probably need points from their final four games to ensure a top-eight spot in the Eastern Conference.

It took a while for the Bruins to uncork their offense, and Thornton helped shake it loose. The first period was slogging along scoreless when Neil caught Jeremy Reich at the Ottawa blue line with an elbow, forcing Reich from the game with a head injury. A few minutes later, Thornton called Neil aside and opened up a little chat with his fists.

"It wasn't so much to set the tone as retribution for the hit on Reicher," said Thornton. "I didn't see it because I was forechecking right away.

"We know what's on the line, all 20 guys are playing hard and that's the best thing it's done. We're down again after [Reich] left, and everyone pulled up their socks again, so congrats to everyone for standing in there."

P.J. Axelsson and Marco Sturm scored early in the second period, but then Senators rookie Bass barreled into Mark Stuart behind the Bruins net, arriving perhaps a bit late to an already crowded scrum. Stuart skated slowly off the ice with his left arm hanging.

Thornton was incensed. Or maybe just pumped up. His body language betrayed his rink rage.

No time to chat, Cody Bass, say hello to my fist.

"I thought it was a high-stick [on Stuart]," said Thornton. "It was more reactionary than anything else. I had just come on the ice and I saw Stuart laying there.

"It's our house and I don't want people taking liberties with one of my teammates, especially if I'm on the ice. I'm not going to let that slide."

Though Stuart returned a few minutes later (he called the injury to his right arm a "stinger"), Thornton had made his point.

"First of all, we know what he did to step up and protect our players because there were a couple of questionable hits there," said Bruins coach Claude Julien. "He stepped up and did his job that way.

"Also, what hopefully didn't go unnoticed is that he played a solid game, too. He was good along the wall, he was skating well, he got pucks in deep, and he played a pretty good hockey game tonight.

"You have a tendency to think of those guys as one-dimensional players, but he played more and more as the game went on because he was so reliable."

Stuart acknowledged the game is a little easier knowing Thornton is around. "Teams know what Shawn is going to bring to a game," Stuart said.

Thornton, who has four goals and three assists in 54 games, had a slow start to the season, and missed 20 games with a foot injury, but returned in mid-December, leaner and fitter, and just as mean.

"I don't think there's anybody in the league I haven't got my mitts off with," he said. "I can take care of myself, and if that has to be done, I don't put too much thought into it.

"Our line did a pretty good job going out there and maybe controlling the play in the other team's end and getting some bangs in. There's other ways to change momentum [than fighting], we've figured that out as a line, and we've been trying to do our best."

Barbara Matson can be reached at matson@globe.com.