Post by 210 on Dec 20, 2003 9:17:39 GMT -5
GAME: Carolina Hurricanes (9-12-8-2) at Boston Bruins (13-7-8-4).
TIME: Saturday, 1 p.m. EST.
The Peter Laviolette era in Carolina got off to a good start Thursday night.
The Hurricanes look to make it two wins in a row under their new coach as they face the struggling Boston Bruins at the FleetCenter.
Rod Brind'Amour scored with 1:10 left in regulation, and Jeff O'Neill added the game-winner at 2:14 of overtime as the Hurricanes beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in Laviolette's Carolina debut.
Laviolette was hired after the Hurricanes, who rank last in the NHL with 58 goals, fired Paul Maurice on Monday. Laviolette, who had 77 wins in two seasons as coach of the New York Islanders before he was let go after losing in the first round of last season's playoffs, vowed to bring an up-tempo style to Carolina to increase scoring.
It took a while for the Hurricanes to find the net against the Penguins, the league's worst defensive team, but they did outshoot Pittsburgh 34-11.
"We had to start thinking, 'Here we go again,"' said O'Neill, who ended a monthlong scoring drought. "But we said before the game we were finally going to get some results for our work."
Brind'Amour's game-winner was his first goal in 14 games.
The Hurricanes hope that Thursday's win will be the first step in their climb up the Eastern Conference standings. Laviolette hung a board with the conference standings in the locker room so the team, which is in 11th place in the East, will see it as they take the ice.
"He put it up to know where we stand on a day-to-day basis," goalie Kevin Weekes said. "Still, a lot of factors are within our control."
The Bruins are coming off Thursday's 5-0 home loss to the Calgary Flames. Andrew Raycroft, who has emerged as Boston's No. 1 goalie this season, allowed five goals on 10 shots before being replaced by Felix Potvin to start the third period.
"They had some good chances and their better players took them," Raycroft said. "But at the same time I've got to make a save somewhere along the line to stop the bleeding."
The Bruins have just one win in their last eight (1-3-4).
Win %
CAR 0.452 (24)
BOS 0.594 (9)
Avg Goals For
CAR 1.871 (29)
BOS 2.563 (14)
Avg Goals Against
CAR 2.323 (12)
BOS 2.531 (17)
Power Play %
CAR 11.1 (27)
BOS 16.9 (8)
Penalty Kill %
CAR 84.7 (15)
BOS 79 (29)
Carolina road win %: 31 (3-9-3-1)
Boston home win %: 50 (4-4-5-1)
Meetings This Year
Date Location Score
Oct 23, 2003 Carolina at Boston 2 - 0
Top Scorers
Player G A Pts +/- PIM
Carolina
JEFF O'NEILL 3 14 17 (-6) 36
ERIK COLE 5 12 17 2 40
JOSEF VASICEK 9 6 15 (-6) 22
Boston
JOE THORNTON 7 23 30 7 39
GLEN MURRAY 10 16 26 3 14
MIKE KNUBLE 11 12 23 10 16
TIME: Saturday, 1 p.m. EST.
The Peter Laviolette era in Carolina got off to a good start Thursday night.
The Hurricanes look to make it two wins in a row under their new coach as they face the struggling Boston Bruins at the FleetCenter.
Rod Brind'Amour scored with 1:10 left in regulation, and Jeff O'Neill added the game-winner at 2:14 of overtime as the Hurricanes beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in Laviolette's Carolina debut.
Laviolette was hired after the Hurricanes, who rank last in the NHL with 58 goals, fired Paul Maurice on Monday. Laviolette, who had 77 wins in two seasons as coach of the New York Islanders before he was let go after losing in the first round of last season's playoffs, vowed to bring an up-tempo style to Carolina to increase scoring.
It took a while for the Hurricanes to find the net against the Penguins, the league's worst defensive team, but they did outshoot Pittsburgh 34-11.
"We had to start thinking, 'Here we go again,"' said O'Neill, who ended a monthlong scoring drought. "But we said before the game we were finally going to get some results for our work."
Brind'Amour's game-winner was his first goal in 14 games.
The Hurricanes hope that Thursday's win will be the first step in their climb up the Eastern Conference standings. Laviolette hung a board with the conference standings in the locker room so the team, which is in 11th place in the East, will see it as they take the ice.
"He put it up to know where we stand on a day-to-day basis," goalie Kevin Weekes said. "Still, a lot of factors are within our control."
The Bruins are coming off Thursday's 5-0 home loss to the Calgary Flames. Andrew Raycroft, who has emerged as Boston's No. 1 goalie this season, allowed five goals on 10 shots before being replaced by Felix Potvin to start the third period.
"They had some good chances and their better players took them," Raycroft said. "But at the same time I've got to make a save somewhere along the line to stop the bleeding."
The Bruins have just one win in their last eight (1-3-4).
Win %
CAR 0.452 (24)
BOS 0.594 (9)
Avg Goals For
CAR 1.871 (29)
BOS 2.563 (14)
Avg Goals Against
CAR 2.323 (12)
BOS 2.531 (17)
Power Play %
CAR 11.1 (27)
BOS 16.9 (8)
Penalty Kill %
CAR 84.7 (15)
BOS 79 (29)
Carolina road win %: 31 (3-9-3-1)
Boston home win %: 50 (4-4-5-1)
Meetings This Year
Date Location Score
Oct 23, 2003 Carolina at Boston 2 - 0
Top Scorers
Player G A Pts +/- PIM
Carolina
JEFF O'NEILL 3 14 17 (-6) 36
ERIK COLE 5 12 17 2 40
JOSEF VASICEK 9 6 15 (-6) 22
Boston
JOE THORNTON 7 23 30 7 39
GLEN MURRAY 10 16 26 3 14
MIKE KNUBLE 11 12 23 10 16
;D 
