Cat-nipped!

Only one night after a paltry nineteen-shot, one goal effort against the New Jersey Devils, the Boston Bruins traveled to Florida to dual with the Panthers. The night would go worse, a feat few thought to be possible.

To begin - Saku Koivu injured himself tripping over the blue line at 00:50 of the first period. Left without their top sniper, the balance of the team apparently turned as yellow as the B on their chest. The team took a whopping sixteen shots on goal (5-3-8) during the sixty minutes the two sides played, connecting for an amazing... zero goals. The team was good for five minor penalties for the second consecutive night, as well.

Yanick Lehoux struck first for Florida, at 11:18 of the first. Five minutes and twenty seconds later, Bruin killer Ivan Novoseltsev scored as well. It was the first goal of the year for both men. In the second period, Lee Goren was whistled for boarding, setting up the Panther Power Play brought to you by Peter Pan Peanut Butter. Owen Nolan made short work of the penalty kill team, scoring at 6:59 to put the hosts up 3-0.

For good measure, after a Jochen Hecht highsticking whistle, Nolan scored his second power play goal of the night to close the door on the Bruins and lock the game up, 4-0. Of course, the outcome was barely ever in doubt once the Panthers took the ice, let alone once they started actually firing the puck at the net.

Nolan, goalie Roberto Luongo, and Novoseltsev swept the game stars for the home club in front of 19,080 fans.

"Well... crap," was all GM Joshua Anderson could mutter. "Tomorrow night its home for the Blue Jackets. Maybe our fortunes can turn there. We'll have Koivu for the whole game, hopefully, and Bill Guerin will be back on ice. Here's to hoping, right?"

As mentioned by Anderson, the Bruins host Columbus next on Team Schedule Magnet night. All fans with paid admission will receive the season schedule on a refrigerator magnet, and may get to see the first win of the year!