P-Bruins journal: Hamill looks ready for the weekend
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November 19
By MARK DIVVER PROVIDENCE -- After seven days off the ice with a lower-body injury, center Zach Hamill practiced for a second straight day on Thursday. He looks to be ready to go for Friday night's home game against Springfield. Defenseman Drew Fata, who also has a lower-body injury, did not skate. He probably won't play this weekend.
Yellow -- Knackstedt, LoVecchio, MacDonald 
November 18
By MARK DIVVER PROVIDENCE -- Zach Hamill practiced Wednesday for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Nov. 10. It's still too soon to tell whether Hamill will be ready to play this weekend, coach Rob Murray said. Drew Fata, who also has a lower-body injury, did not skate. Lacouture, 32, split last season between Carolina, Albany and Astana Barys of the KHL. "He brings a certain amount of physicality. He'll fight. He's fast. Probably his number one thing over the years is he can really skate. It looked like he hasn't lost a step, watching him this morning in practice. He's a big body. He's experienced. There's a lot of different potential aspects that he can bring. So we'll see how it pans out,'' Murray said. Lacouture, a 6'2'' 210-pound winger, was a teammate of Murray in Hamilton in 1999-2000. Lacouture had a career-high 23 goals in 70 games that season. He has 20-25-45 totals and 348 penalty minutes in 337 NHL games with Edmonton, Pittsburgh, the Rangers, Boston, New Jersey and Carolina.
November 17
By MARK DIVVER NORTH SMITHFIELD -- Zach Hamill and Drew Fata, who missed all three of last weekend's games, remain out with lower-body injuries. Neither skated at practice this morning. "If they can't practice, they're not going to be able to play'' this weekend, coach Rob Murray said. Hamill has a goal and seven assists and is minus-5 in 14 games. Fata has one goal and is minus-11 in 9 games. "We proved to ourselves that we can win on the road, win the tough games and gut it out,'' said Murray. "Friday's (2-1 shootout win) in Syracuse was just a grinding game, and we found a way. And on Sunday we showed a lot of resiliency.'' After Worcester tied the game with 1:40 left, Providence responded just seven seconds later. Drew Larman won the center-ice draw to Jeff Penner. He lugged the puck into the offensive zone and gave it to Craig Weller, whose goal-mouth pass was stuffed in by Larman. "It was the most emotion I've seen out of this group this year. Those kind of things bond guys. It was fun,'' Murray said. It was Larman's first goal in 18 games this season. "It was good to see Larman get on the board,'' said Murray, who called the Larman-Weller-Lefebvre trio Providence's best on Sunday. "As a group, we're playing a lot better,'' Murray said. "It feels a little different being back in the city I went to school in,'' said Rheault, who had been playing for Ontario, Calif., of the ECHL. "It's starting to bring back memories of why I loved it so much.'' Needless to stay, playing hockey in California isn't like playing in New England. "You walk outside and it's 85-90 degrees every day. In the winter, people are complaining because it's 65 or 70 degrees,'' Rheault said. Rheault played all three of last weekend's games. "I'm doing whatever it takes to stay here. Every day is an opportunity and I'm trying to live up to that. I'm on the fourth line so I know the role that goes along with that. I'm trying to be an energy guy, win all my battles. Get pucks in, get pucks out . . . . Doing whatever it takes.'' "On Sunday in Worcester he made some nice plays,'' Murray said. "He's enthusiastic, he's all fired up to be playing here. He's a good skater -- he gets around the ice well.''
November 14
Pascal Dupuis scored his second goal of the game 1:24 into overtime and the Pittsburgh Penguins welcomed back star forward Evgeni Malkin by snapping their four-game losing streak with a 6-5 win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night. Malkin, the reigning NHL scoring champion, had three assists in his return to the lineup after he missed seven games because of a shoulder injury. Dupuis scored when goalie Tim Thomas mistakenly left a puck along the boards. Pittsburgh's Jordan Staal picked it up and fed it to Dupuis, who tucked in his 100th NHL goal and fifth this season. The Penguins' Bill Guerin sent it to overtime when he scored with 0.4 seconds left in regulation off a feed from Malkin. The Bruins, 2-0-3 in their past five, scored twice during the final 5:47 of regulation to take their only lead. David Krejci's 5-on-3 goal tied it, and Marco Sturm put Boston ahead with 2:29 left.
By MARK DIVVER Army Second Lt. Zach McKelvie thought he'd be playing defense for the Providence Bruins by now. McKelvie graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in May with a degree in management/systems engineering. Like all graduates, he is required to serve five years on active duty in the Army. But McKelvie received permission from his commanding officer to play one year of pro hockey under the Army's alternate service program. He signed a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins in July. McKelvie was in Boston's training camp in late September when the Army apparently had second thoughts. The 24-year-old from New Brighton, Minn., was recalled unexpectedly to West Point. That is where he's been since. He is serving as a graduate assistant for the hockey team, breaking down video and helping with recruiting. Is the Army concerned over possible public relations fallout from allowing a soldier to play hockey, while others are being sent to war in Iraq and Afghanistan? No one has told him that, McKelvie said, though he concedes that it could be a legitimate concern. He points out, however, that representing the Army as a pro athlete and spreading the word about the possibilities that come with military service would reflect positively on the Army. While playing in Providence, McKelvie possibly would work with the National Guard or speak to high school students about the benefits of joining the Army. For now, it is unclear whether McKelvie is going to get a chance to realize his dream of playing professional hockey. "It's definitely up in the air,'' McKelvie said. He remains hopeful that the Army will allow him to play this season. "Some officers (at West Point) are really trying to help me out right now,'' he said. "I wish we could work it out, and we still may be able to,'' he said. "I have absolutely no problem serving in the military,'' he said. "I just wish they would say yes or no'' to allowing him to play for the Bruins. "If they want me to serve, I'll go to Afghanistan or Iraq tomorrow,'' he said. "There's plenty of more important things going on with this country than one athlete who wants to play professional hockey.'' A 5'11'' 200-pound right wing, Rheault had been leading the ECHL's Ontario (Calif.) Reign in scoring with 9-6-15 numbers in 13 games. Rheault, 23, is "fast and has good skill,'' said coach Rob Murray said. He's "another guy who can maybe spark a little offense,'' he said. Rheault played at PC from 2004 to 2008, leading the Friars in scoring in his final two years. He is tied for 42nd on PC's all-time scoring list with 56-49-105 totals in 142 games. Adam Pineault, a late cut after a strong training camp with the P-Bruins, recently joined Pardubice of the Czech pro league, according to Jerry Buckley, his Warwick-based agent. Pineault was caught in a numbers game with the Bruins, said Buckley. NHL teams can have no more than 50 players under contract, and Boston already had a number of players signed and ticketed for Providence. Among Pineault's teammates in Pardubice are Dominic Hasek, still playing goal at 44, and former Mount St. Charles All-Stater Jeff Jillson of North Smithfield.
The Bruins sent goalie Matt Dalton to Reading of the ECHL to get more playing time. Kevin Regan, who started the year in Reading, is Dany Sabourin's backup. Sabourin will continue to play the bulk of the games. "(Management in Boston) wants (Dalton and Regan) to get as much playing time as possible,'' Murray said.
November 12
By MARK DIVVER PROVIDENCE -- With Zach Hamill questionable for the weekend, former Providence College star Jon Rheault is joining the P-Bruins on a tryout. Hamill suffered a lower-body injury in practice on Tuesday and might not be available for this weekend's three road games in Syracuse, Lowell and Worcester, coach Rob Murray said Thursday shortly before the team left by bus for Syracuse. Rheault will meet the Bruins in Syracuse. A 5'11'' 200-pound center, he is leading the ECHL's Ontario (Calif.) Reign in scoring with a 9-6-15 line in 13 games. He is a plus-5 and has 12 penalty minutes. Rheault, 23, is "fast and has good skill,'' Murray said. He's "another guy who can maybe spark a little offense,'' he said. Murray coached Rheault on a team in the Bridgewater, Mass., summer league a few years ago that also included current pros Colin McDonald, Reid Cashman, Mike Hoffman, Dan Ellis and Brian Boyle. Rheault played at PC from 2004 to 2008, leading the Friars in scoring in his final two years. He is tied for 42nd on PC's all-time scoring list with 56-49-105 totals in 142 games. He played 24 games for Manchester of the AHL last season with 2-3-5 totals. ***** Goalie Matt Dalton has been sent to Reading of the ECHL to get more playing time. Kevin Regan, who started the year in Reading, will be Dany Sabourin's backup. Sabourin will continue to play the bulk of the games. "(Management in Boston) wants (Dalton and Regan) to get as much playing time as possible,'' Murray said.
BOSTON (AP) - Tomas Vokoun stopped 40 shots for his third shutout of the season, and Cory Stillman scored in a shootout to give the Florida Panthers a 1-0 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. Boston's Tim Thomas made 23 saves in regulation and overtime to extend his shutout streak to 172 minutes, 28 seconds. He stopped the first three Florida attempts in the shootout, but Stillman beat him on the glove side to end it. The Bruins have not lost in regulation on their four-game homestand. Florida snapped a two-game losing streak.
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