Bruins have light skate

With two game days off and the chance to regroup after their last demoralizing loss, the Boston Bruins regrouped at the Fleet Center yesterday at 6 am to focus on their next game.

Head Coach Robbie Ftorek ran the team through light drills, focusing mostly on power play and passing. "We've seen way too many power play opportunities slip away from us in recent weeks," Ftorek said. "Converting just a few of those could catapult us into a home seed status."

"Furthermore," Ftorek continued, "we've also had a number of breakaway opportunities lately as the result of sloppy passing. We're reconsidering our center lineup and may shuffle a guy or two to stir things up slightly."

While several of the veterans on the team were unhappy about the early start, Ftorek did not overly care. "Look, if they want a later start - keep winning. You lose, you skate early. You win, you skate late - or not at all. You tell Keith Tkachuk that his sorry ass should have more than eleven goals by now and to shut up."

When asked about the probable loss of former winger Oleg Saprykin to the Air Russia crash the night before, Ftorek clammed up. "We continue to pray for him," he said. Some of the players though, were less emotional.

"I heard he's been spotted in both Washington and Atlanta," Bill Guerin said. "If that's true, then [bleep] him."

The team will have two days off, then host the Buffalo Sabres.