Just about two hours before the Bruins and Canucks faceoff here in day's matinee at the Garden. Puck drop:  1:08 p.m.

Bruins players are straggling into the locker room, readying for a little chalk talk with a coaching staff that continues to seek for a way out of the month-plus  malaise that now encompasses an 0-6-3 winless streak and an ugly-Betty-like 2-10-3 stretch that began Jan. 4.

One slight note of optimism for the embattled Bruins:  they have at least one power-play goal in each of their previous three games (4-for-19, 21 percent).  They also outshot the opposition, 89-51, over the last two games.

Today's referees:  Fred L'Ecuyer and Paul Devorski;  Linesmen:  Jean Morin and Derek Nansen.

According to one of the long-time ticket scalpers in North Station, he couldn't get as much as $10 for a ticket Tuesday night with Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals in town.  ''A fistful of 'em,'' he said, ''and I couldnt sell a single one.''   Not even to see Ovie, the sport's most dynamic player.

If the slide continues and the Bruins fade into oblivion without making a deal to try to right the franchise, season-ticket sales will suffer badly in such a fragile economy.

Vancouver's top point producer:  Henrik Sedin (25-53--78).

Boston's top point producer: the Olympic-bound Patrice Bergeron (12-3=21--33).  It's the lowest leading point total in the Original 30.   Andy McDonald, St. Louis, ranks second (17-18--35).

Dennis Wideman's ongoing fight with the puck has him standing a minus-15 this morning.  He has gone minus-10 over teh club's most recent eight games.