Puck stops here

KANATA, Ontario -- For the first time in his NHL coaching career, Dave Lewis was involved in a practice that didn't feature a single puck.

For 45 minutes today at the Bell Sensplex, the Senators' practice facility, Lewis ran the Bruins through various forms of sprints. They broke twice for water and did their usual stretches before and after practice, but every other minute was dedicated to punishment-via-sprints for their misdeeds in yesterday's 5-0 snoozer against Pittsburgh.

"If I had any food in me, I'd show you," said Tim Thomas, hinting he would have lost any lunch he was foolish enough to have eaten.

The sprints varied -- end-to-end, blue line-to-blue line, clockwise and counterclockwise around the rink -- but there was one clear message: Work hard.

"People work hard for a living," said Lewis. "We have to work hard for ours."

To make things worse, the players were forced to watch the entire replay of yesterday's loss after the sprints at the practice rink. Meanwhile, the coaching staff took a nearly empty bus back to the team hotel.

* Assistant GM Jeff Gorton said the team was looking to get defenseman Matt Hunwick into the fold soon. The senior recently concluded his career at Michigan with an 8-5 loss to North Dakota.

* Chuck Kobasew didn't skate because he wasn't feeling well. Ironically, Kobasew probably felt better than most of his teammates after the sprints.

* The Bruins will not skate tomorrow morning in advance of the 7:30 p.m. match against Ottawa.

* The Senators also worked out at their practice rink this morning. Christina Aguilera is performing tonight at Scotiabank Place.

* Former Bruins coach Mike Sullivan was named the head coach for Team USA in the upcoming IIHF World Championship, which will take place in Moscow from April 27-May 13. Also named to the staff were Wayne Smith, associate coach for Phoenix, and David Quinn, associate coach at Boston University.