Everything you need to know about Bruins vs. Canes
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April 2009 ArchivesApril 30
A collection of links on the Bruins-Whalers, sorry, Bruins-Hurricanes series: ** The underdog Canes are giving the Bruins their props. "This was an easy series compared to what the next one's going to be like,'' tricky Ray Whitney told the Raleigh News & Observer. ** Bruins defenseman Aaron Ward has three Stanley Cup rings -- 2 in Detroit and 1 in Carolina -- and still lives in the Raleigh suburbs during the offseason. Needless to say, Ward has been hearing from his buds in Carolina since the Canes win over the Devils on Tuesday night. ** Bet you didn't know that Andrew Ference -- nicknamed Granola by his teammates -- has been asked by Canada's New Democratic Party to speak on environmental issues at its summer convention. Proving once again that hockey players are the most interesting of all pro athletes. ** Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe checks in with the remnants of the Hartford Whaler booster club, some of whom still can't bring themselves to root for the only NHL team left in New England and harbor the hope that they can bring a franchise back to the Nutmeg State. These folks really ought to hop on the Bruins bandwagon; the Abrahamsson brothers aren't walking through that door. Bonus points if you remembered that their names were Thommy and Christer. ** Bob McKenzie of TSN lis leaning toward the Bruins in this series: "On paper it looks like a mismatch, and I don't know that we can call these the "Big Bad Bruins", but my goodness, they were pretty big and pretty bad over the course of the season. They're four lines deep, they can bring the physical game, Milan Lucic can stomp on you if he so desires, they have a potential Vezina Trophy winner in Tim Thomas, they have a potential Norris Trophy winner in Zdeno Chara.'' ** James Mirtle says the Bruins weren't tested in the first round, but picks Boston in 7. ** The Hockey News says "the Bruins will prove to be just too much'' for the Canes and picks Boston in 6. 
April 29
It's one of the first cliches dragged out by virtually every underdog in every sport: The playoffs are a new season. The Carolina Hurricanes are undoubtedly telling themselves that as they prepare to meet the Boston Bruins Friday night in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal. And they're hoping it's true, because the regular-season results do not flatter the Canes. Boston won all four games by a combined score of 18 to 6: Dec. 20, 4-2, at Boston -- Patrice Bergeron suffered a concussion in a collision with Dennis Seidenberg. Dec. 27, 4-2 at Raleigh -- Blake Wheeler had two goals and Zdeno Chara held the Canes' Eric Staal scoreless. Jan. 10, 5-1 at Boston -- Mark Stuart scored twice, Byron Bitz made his NHL debut, and Matt Hunwick won his first NHL fight, decisioning Justin Williams. Feb. 17, 5-1 at Raleigh -- Carolina retired Glen Wesley's No. 2 before the game, and it was all downhill for the Canes after that. Historically, the franchise formerly known as the Hartford Whalers has not fared well against the Bruins in the playoffs. In 1999, the Bruins beat the Canes in 6 in a first-round series. The key to that series was a 4-3 win in Game 5 in which Anson Carter netted the winner in overtime and then did a celebratory sliding belly flop. The Whalers lost playoff series to the Bruins in 1990 and 1991, the only times the teams met in the post-season.
Game 1: Friday, 7:30 p.m., at Boston (NESN)
April 28
April 27
By MARK DIVVER
While opting not to disclose the specifics of Sobotka's injury, Murray said, "Knowing him like I do, I think there's a good chance he'll find a way to play Tuesday.'' Sharks are hot The Sharks come into the series playing as well as they have all season.
"They've got a lot of guys that are contributing, a guy like DaSilva who was sent down to the East Coast League earlier in the year,'' said Murray. "Frazer McLaren, the big guy, he's being used on the penalty kill and now he's even playing on the power play. So they're getting a lot of mileage out of some guys that maybe earlier in the year weren't getting much ice time or even making the lineup." "Their top guys -- (Ryan) Vesce, (Riley) Armstrong, (Lukas) Kaspar -- are playing well. And all the other guys are complementing that. So right now it's a good lineup for them.''
*** Discipline.
NOTES: After Tuesday's first game in Providence, the teams won't play again for eight days while the circus takes over the Dunkin Donuts Center and professional bull-riding pays a visit to the DCU Center. That's life in the American Hockey League. "It's the same for both teams,'' Murray said. . . . Providence took the season series from Worcester, 6-3-1, though the Sharks won the last two.. . . . The Sharks and P-Bruins have never met in the playoffs, but Providence had its way with the old Worcester Icecats. Providence ousted the Icecats in five games in 1997; three games to one in 1999; and in seven games in 2001. In a memorable seventh game in Worcester that year, Jeremy Brown won it for the P-Bruins, beating Icecats goalie Dwayne Roloson at 10:09 of overtime. . . . Worcester's T.J. Fox and Brendan Buckley sat out Game Six of the Hartford series with injuries. Buckley's older brother Jerry is an NHL player agent whose office is in Warwick . . . . Former Toll Gate and Harvard star Tom Cavanagh is the Sharks' all-time leading scorer. . . . Besides Cavanagh, the Sharks have three other Ivy Leaguers: Ryan Vesce of Cornell and Mike Moore and Brett Westgarth of Princeton.
The Boston Bruins know they are in the second round of the playoffs, and they know they'll be hosting the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, but they don't know the opponent and they don't know when the series will start. Head coach Claude Julien has said Monday, though, that the first game of the series probably will not be Thursday. That creates the likelihood that the first two games of the series will be Friday and Sunday, or perhaps Saturday and Monday, according to Joe Haggerty of WEEI.com. The Bruins will learn their next opponent tomorrow night. It will be the New York Rangers if New York beats Washington in Game 7 of their series; it will be the Carolina Hurricanes if the Rangers lose and Carolina beats the New Jersey Devils in Game 7 of that series; if New York and Carolina both lose, it will be the Pittsburgh Penguins.
April 26
The first game of the Atlantic Division finals between the Providence Bruins and the Worcester Sharks will be played Tuesday at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence at 7:05 p.m.
The complete schedule: Game 1 --Tuesday, April 28, Worcester at Providence, 7:05 p.m.
April 24
The Boston Bruins today recalled goaltender Adam Courchaine from the Providence Bruins (American Hockey League). He is expected to join the team today for practice at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington Courchaine, 20, split the 2008-09 season between the Providence Bruins and the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League He started and played in one game for the P-Bruins this season and went 0-1-0 with a 3.00 goals-against average. He played 30 games for the 67's and registered a 13-11-2 record, a 3.28 GAA and two shutouts. Courchaine was signed by the Bruins as a free agent on Sept. 30, 2007.
April 23
By MARK DIVVER A few one-timers while waiting to hear how many games Mike Komisarek has been suspended for his crosscheck to Milan Lucic's face:
Murray is certain that a different Portland team will show up for Game Four. ''We're expecting a lot better team (Thursday) night. (Portland coach) Kevin (Dineen) said in the (Portland) paper that they hadn't had a game like that in a long time. Those things happen. We expect a lot tougher game (Thursday) night.''
What does the team need to change in order to tie up the series against Providence with a win in Game 4 on Thursday? "Well I think it's pretty obvious what the team needs. Guys like myself, Tim Kennedy, Mathieu Darche need to step up and take control of the series on the offensive end. You know, we haven't done our part yet, but at the same time there's still a lot of the series left.'' Which road arena is your favorite to play in and why?
Growing up, which NHL team was your favorite and why?
Don't underestimate what Butler can do for the Pirates. The former Denver University defenseman was plus-11 in 47 NHL games with Buffalo. That was second-best on the Sabres. Butler's father, Doug, played at St. Louis University in the late 1970s and was drafted by the Boston Bruins in 1977.
Goulet, 20, left the University of Nebraska-Omaha in December to play in the Q. He's a 6'1'' 186-pound offensive defenseman. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Bruins in 2007. Like the six previous free-agent defensemen who had tryouts before him, Goulet is a right-hand shot. Rob Murray says it is strictly a coincidence that Goulet, Reul, Bartley, David Kolomatis, Jason Fredericks, Brian Miller and Dinos Stamoulis were all righties.
Zdeno Chara is one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy, which goes to the NHL's top defenseman in the regular season, the NHL announced today. The other finalists are Niklas Lidstrom of Detroit, who has won the Norris six out of the last seven seasons, and Mike Green of Washington. Bobby Orr won the Norris a record eight times, every year from 1968 to 1975. Ray Bourque won it five times. This year's winner will be announced on June 18.
The Bruins rolled this ad out after last night's beatdown of the Montreal Canadiens. No truth to the rumor that it's Jack Edwards in the bear suit.
Tickets for the first and second games of the NHL's Eastern Conference semifinals, in Boston, go on sale at 11 Thursday morning on the team's web site or through Ticketmaster. The Bruins' second-round opponent is yet to be determined (as are the dates of the games), but right now the New York Rangers look like a solid bet. The Rangers last night took a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven series against the Washington Capitals; since the NHL re-seeds after each round of the playoffs, and the Rangers are the number-seven seed in the East, they would automatically face top-seeded Boston if they can close out the Capitals. If Washington comes back to win the series, Boston would either play the sixth-seeded Carolina Hurricanes (tied with the New Jersey Devils, 2-2), or in the case of a New Jersey victory, the Bruins would get the winner of the Pittsburgh Penguins-Philadelphia Flyers series (which the Penguins lead, 3-1).
April 22
Saying that he "just felt it was time,'' Bemidji State sophomore goalie Matt Dalton has given up his final two years of college eligibility and signed with the Boston Bruins. "A day after the Frozen Four my advisor called and told me the teams that were interested," Dalton told the Bemidji Pioneer. "After some lengthy discussion we decided Boston was the best fit - because of the way the organization treats its players and also their goalie depth. No matter where you go at the professional level, there are going to be good goalies, but I believe Boston afforded me the best opportunity." Dalton, who was not drafted, said he expects to play in Providence next season. Dalton's postseason numbers were off the charts. In five games, including the College Hockey America tournament and the NCAA tournament, Dalton was 4-1 with a 1.60 goals-against average and .948 save percentage.
Peter Chiarelli has done a masterful job rebuilding the Boston Bruins, but the Kris Versteeg for Brandon Bochenski trade with Chicago in 2007 is probably going to haunt the B's GM for years. Versteeg put up 22-31-53 totals for the Blackhawks this season and Wednesday was picked as one of three finalists for the Calder Trophy, the NHL's rookie of the year award. Journeyman Bochenski spent most of the year in Norfolk of the AHL. To Chiarelli's credit, he unloaded Bochenski on the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Shane Hnidy and a sixth-round pick in 2008, which the Bruins used to take Clarkson University center Nicholas Tremblay. NHL.com's Phil Coffey says that Bruins Blake Wheeler and Matt Hunwick were among a bunch of first-year players who deserve recognition.
April 21
April 20
April 18
BOSTON (AP) -- Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Hunwick had his spleen removed Saturday but has not been ruled out of the NHL playoffs.
Asnis said Hunwick, 23, thought he was injured when he was checked during the second period of Boston's 4-2 win Thursday night. But he said the defenseman didn't notice any abdominal pain after the game and "had no complaints" during practice on Friday.
"It's possible, depending on his recovery, that he could be back" later in the playoffs, Asnis said, "but that's something to be determined." He said Hunwick's playing career shouldn't be affected and "full recovery should be in several months. A month or two and we'll see how he does." The spleen provides protection against infection and, in cases like Hunwick's, the individual receives immunizations and is monitored carefully, Asnis said.
Hunwick was involved in a scuffle with Mike Komisarek after the final buzzer of the series opener. Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli had said it appeared Komisarek gouged Hunwick's eye, Komisarek denied it and Hunwick said he didn't know. "The night of the (spleen) injury, he really didn't even mention it to anyone at all until he was just walking out of the locker room," Asnis said. "It was really his (right) eye that he was more concerned about." But after Friday's practice, Hunwick said he had "some vague abdominal pain and some shoulder pain," Asnis said. Tests revealed a spleen injury and he was sent home with close observation.
Chiarelli said he hadn't spoken with Hunwick, but, "I'm told that he's resting well and he's going to watch the game."
April 17
PROVIDENCE -- Captain Jeremy Reich's goal midway through the third period lifted the Providence Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the Portland Pirates Friday night and evened their Atlantic Division semifinal playoff series at one game apiece.
By MARK DIVVER *** HAB NOTS: Rocket Richard must be turning in his grave. The Montreal Canadiens lose Game One to the Boston Bruins, and there is talk in the Habs dressing room and in the media of moral victories, blah, blah, blah. Georges Laraque of all people had this to say after the game: "This loss was kind of a good loss for us, because it showed us that we can definitely win in Boston.'' Whatever you say, Georges, but the Habs are 0-4 at the Garden this season. Even Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated, the pride of the Moses Brown School and for my money the very best hockey writer working today, gave the Habs good reviews. But no one can top Mike Boone, who writes a column for the Montreal Gazette and serves as chief apologist on the Habs Inside/Out Web site. He says his bleu, blanc et rouge boys showed "grit, pride and intensity'' in Game One. This guy apparently has been sniffing Canadiens' jockstraps for so long, the fumes are affecting his judgment.
April 16
By MARK DIVVER PROVIDENCE -- Fifty-six seconds into Wednesday's game, Providence's Wacey Rabbit was about to shoot the puck into Portland's goal when defenseman Marc-André Gragnani pushed the net off its pins, drawing a delay-of-game penalty. No goal.
In fact, the Bruins were able to muster a combined total of only 13 shots in the second and third periods, after putting up 15 in the first, for a total of 28. The Pirates had 33 shots. "It's almost like guys got frustrated that we hadn't scored and maybe it started to creep into our game a little bit,'' said Murray. The second goal may have deflated the P-Bruins, too. Rask came out of his crease to clear a puck but put it right on the stick of Portland's Felix Schutz. Schutz threw it toward the net, and it deflected in off defenseman Jeff Penner.
On Friday, the focus will be on creating chances like they did early in Game One. "We watched video this morning and saw a lot of the opportunities we had and why we had them. If we can bring that game in more of a consistant fashion, we should be able to generate chances. Then it's just up to us to score. NOTES: There's an old saying in hockey that in order to win, a team's best players must be its best players. Some of the P-Bruins best players had a tough night on plus-minus in Game One. The top defense pairing of Johnny Boychuk and Jeff Penner was minus-3. Martin St. Pierre, Vladimir Sobotka and Mikko Lehtonen were minus-2. Peter Schaefer also was minus-2. . . . On the bright side, the P-Bruins held Portland's dynamic rookie duo of Nathan Gerbe and Tim Kennedy scoreless, though Gerbe recorded 4 shots. ... Portland rookie defenseman Paul Baier of Brown and North Kingstown was plus-3 . . . Providence's defensemen had 12 of the team's 28 shots. Boychuk and impressive rookie David Kolomatis had 4 each. Winger Jeremy Reich also had 4.
April 15
This is the second season in a row and the fourth in the last six that Providence and Portland have met in the playoffs. Last April, the P-Bruins won the first two games of the series, but Portland came back to take the next four. Game Two is at the Dunkin' Donuts Center Friday at 7:05 p.m. The Pirates took a 1-0 lead at the 4:23 mark of the opening period. Marek Zagrapan tallied his first goal of the playoffs, while Mark Mancari and Marc-Andre Gragnani recorded the assists. After a scoreless second period, the Pirates made it 2-0 at 1:42 of the third period. Felix Schutz netted his first goal of the post season unassisted. The Pirates finished off the scoring at the 19:02 mark with an empty net goal. Zagrapan scored his second goal with Mancari getting the lone assist. Tuukka Rask stopped 30 of 32 shots for the P-Bruins, while Jhonas Enroth made 28 saves for the Pirates. The P-Bruins were 0-for-3 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill. The teams have gotten to know each other well by playing a series of close games during the regular season. In fact, the last four meetings, including two in the last two weeks, have been one-goal contests. The teams finished only six points apart -- Providence was second with 94 points, Portland third with 88 -- in the standings.
April 11
Game 1 --Wednesday, April 15-- at Providence, 7:05 p.m.
April 10
Coming into this season, Lehtonen's first in North America, the 6'4'' 203-pound Finnish right winger was more suspect than prospect. The 22-year-old right winger -- a third-round draft pick in 2005 -- was thought to be a soft, perimeter player whose willingness to pay the price to be a scorer was in question. Twenty-eight goals later, Lehtonen has established himself as an NHL prospect.
Lehtonen, who had a goal and an assist and was picked as the first star in Wednesday's 5-2 win in Lowell, led AHL rookies in goals and was fifth in rookie scoring with 28-25-53 in 73 games before Friday night's games. Lehtonen had 10 power-play goals and was 5 for 15 in the shootout with 2 game-winners. So far, so good, Lehtonen said Thursday after practice at the Dunkin Donuts Center. "It's a different game style than Europe and Finland, but I got used to it after a couple of games. I've been pretty happy. The coaches have helped me improve my game, so it's been a great year.'' Lehtonen said the Finnish elite league, where he played for his hometown Espoo Blues, compares favorably to the AHL. "I think the skill level is equal. It's just that it's faster (in the AHL) because the ice surface is smaller,'' he said.
Murray's more than satisfied with Lehtonen's progress. "There always had been a question whether he had the courage to go into the dirty areas of the ice, which I haven't had any problems with this year,'' Murray said. "He drives the net pretty hard. "He's always had the skill, but his adjustment to the North American game, in that he has improved immensely. He's got himself into a situation where -- before there were probably questions about whether he could play -- now I believe he's a genuine prospect.
"He's big, he skates well. And he's got hands that many big players don't have. There's not many guys that size that bring the skill level that Mikko has. Size, speed and hands. It's a package that's rarely found.'' To take the next step, Lehtonen needs to improve his strength and conditioning. Lehtonen is playing many more minutes with Providence than he did with Espoo, Murray said. "He's admitted to me that he's probably not in the condition he needs to be to play the minutes he has right now. His overall conditioning and his ability to keep up the pace of the game thoughout the whole game is one of the things he needs to work on. He needs to get stronger, upper body and all-around.''
April 9
Mount St. Charles grad and Montreal Canadien Mathieu Schneider was reported to be finished for the season after suffering a shoulder injury over the weekend, but coach and GM Bob Gainey said this morning that there's a "good possibility'' that the veteran defensemen will play tonight against the Bruins. It's a must-win for Montreal, who haven't clinched a playoff spot. In case they don't make it, Montreal authorities are preparing in case angry fans take to the streets after the Habs' last home game on Saturday night. They take their hockey seriously in Montreal.
After notching his 20th goal of the season on Wednesday night for the Providence Bruins in Lowell, Vladimir Sobotka was called up to Boston for tonight's game against Montreal.
The Boston Herald's Inside Track says that Fenway Park will be the site of next season's NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2010. Though the Bruins' opponent that day hasn't been chosen yet, expect it to be another Original Six team, probably either the Rangers or Canadiens. NHL officials reportedly visited New York and Philadelphia, as well as Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park, before making their decision.
April 8
HOT TICKET: Forget the goals and assists, win and losses. The Providence Bruins' most impressive statistic this season was put up by the paying customers.
DIFFERENT STOKES : It's been a tough season for Ryan Stokes, who has been limited to just 18 games because of injuries. Last Saturday, however, coach Rob Murray finally got a welcome glimpse of the veteran physical presence he was expecting when Stokes was signed last summer.
TIME TO REST: With a playoff spot and home ice in the first round clinched, Murray rested Jeremy Reich, Wacey Rabbit and Adam McQuaid on Sunday. The coach said other key players will get a night or two off before the final regular season game at Worcester on Saturday night. ANOTHER RIGHTY: Murray got his first look at his newest player -- defenseman Jared Ross -- in Wednesday's morning skate. Ross is a 6-foot, 185-pound defenseman who recently finished his fourth season at St. Lawrence University. The native of Stony Island, Nova Scotia, put up a 5-8-13 line in 32 games with 30 PIMs.
Coincidence -- or something more? TEAM AWARDS: The P-Bruins gave out end-of-season awards on Sunday.
Brad Marchand was voted the Martone Group Rookie of the Year by the players.
Keith Aucoin's pro hockey career was going nowhere fast until the NHL lockout season of 2004-05, which he spent with the Providence Bruins. Since putting up 21 goals and 45 assists in 72 games with the P-Bruins that year, Aucoin has been up and down between the AHL and NHL. Aucoin was leading the AHL in scoring with Hershey this season until he was recalled to Washington recently. This time, according to Tarik El-Bashir of The Washington Post, Aucoin just might stick.
April 7
The Providence Bruins will host the first two games of the Atlantic Division Semifinals on Wednesday, April 15, and Friday, April 17, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Both games will begin at 7:05 p.m. With five days left in the regular season, the P-Bruins' first-round opponent hasn't been determined. If the season ended today, second-place Providence would face third-place Portland.
April 6
Scott Morrison of the CBC reports that New York Islanders coach Scott Gordon will be an assistant to head coach Ron Wilson at the 2010 Olympics. Morrison says that Peter Laviolette may also be on Wilson's staff.
NESN's Jack Edwards gets props from Greg Wyshynski for Edwards' blunt opinions on what a return to ESPN by the NHL would mean. And Wyshynski is pretty blunt himself: ''Regarding ESPN's coverage of hockey, it's not too hard to figure out that the network is a self-referential whore, willing to put over any sport with which it has a monetary relationship and burying the competition.''
April 3
Johnny Boychuk picked a great time to have a great year. After four nondescript seasons in four AHL outposts -- Hershey, Lowell, Albany and Cleveland -- the 25-year-old free-agent-to-be has found his groove this year in Providence. Boychuk on Friday was named winner of the Eddie Shore Award, which is given to the best defenseman in the American Hockey League. "There's nobody more deserving than him,'' said coach Rob Murray after the morning skate, where he informed the team and Boychuk that he was the winner. Named to the AHL first all-star team on Thursday, Boychuk is the top-scoring defenseman in the American Hockey League by a comfortable margin -- 20-43-63 in 73 games. His booming point shot and ability to jump into the rush make him an offensive threat on every shift. Paired with Jeff Penner, Boychuk's defensive play also has been solid -- he is plus-10 heading into Friday's game against Hartford. Boychuk's big year has been a key for the Bruins, who are in second place in the Atlantic Division despite having one of the league's youngest teams. "Obviously, he's been a huge part of our team,'' said Murray. "You look past what he's done on the ice offensively and defensively lately, (assistant coach) Butch (Cassidy) mentioned it (Thursday) morning, from Day One (Boychuk) is a guy that is very coachable. He wants to improve, he wants to get better all the time. He's got a real passion for the game, loves to play the game, just has fun doing it. His highs don't get too high and his lows don't get too low. He just loves coming to the rink every day. "He's got the ability to play in the NHL, and he's made strides toward that. We'll see where that takes him at the end of this season. I'd love to see him come back. . . but he holds all the cards with the season he's had.'' Boychuk was acquired from Colorado for Matt Hendricks last summer. He played four NHL games with the Avalanche last season and one with Boston this season. The Providence Bruins only previous Eddie Shore Award winner is Jeff Serowik in 1994-95. Two Providence Reds won it: Joe Zanussi in 1974-75, and Larry Hillman in 1959-60.
Kevin Paul Dupont of boston.com is reporting that the Boston Bruins will announce Friday morning that goalie Tim Thomas has agreed to a three-year contract extension. "According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the deal will pay the 34-year-old backstop approximately the $5.2 million-a-year earned by New Jersey's Martin Brodeur, age 36, who last month became the game's all-time winningest goalie,'' Dupont wrote. Thomas, 34, is earning $1.1 million this season, well below market value for a player who has been the best at this position in the NHL.
April 2
The Bruins reached the 50-victory mark in the regular season for the eighth time in franchise history with a 2-1 win over Ottawa Thursday night at TD Banknorth Garden. More to come . . .
Forty years ago Thursday night, Leafs defenseman Pat Quinn caught Bobby Orr with his head down and knocked him out. The hit and the ensuing near-riot are recounted by blogger Howard Berger.
Incredibly, Orr played the next night. In that era, concussions were rarely acknowledged and no one had heard of an upper-body injury.
Goalie Adam Courchaine of the Ottawa 67s of the Ontario Hockey League is expected to join the Providence Bruins within the next day or so, coach Rob Murray said Thursday. With Kevin Regan probably out for the season with a torn labrum, Courchaine gives the P-Bruins a third healthy goalie behind Tuukka Rask and Kevin Nastiuk, and provides some insurance in case Rask is needed in Boston. Courchaine's team wrapped up its season early this week, losing a playoff series to Niagara Falls. Courchaine, 20, is 6'3 and 185 pounds. He did not have an outstanding year in Ottawa, spending a good portion of the season as a backup. In 30 games, Courchaine had a 3.28 goal's-against average, a 0.896 save percentage, and a won-loss record of 13-11-2. He played in three games for Providence at the end of last season, with a GAA of 1.67. He was signed as a free agent in September 2007.
This is shaping up as quite a week for Johnny Boychuk of the Providence Bruins. The 25-year-old defenseman was named to the American Hockey League First All-Star Team on Thursday. On Friday, Boychuk is a strong candidate to win the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL's best defenseman. On Wednesday, Boychuk was named AHL co-player of the month for March. Boychuk, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, is having a career year with 20-43-63 totals in 73 games, more than doubling his previous season highs in goals and goints. Here are the first and second teams: AHL First All-Star Team G Cory Schneider, Manitoba Moose (37gp, 28-7-1, 1.89gaa, .932sv%, 5 SO)
G Drew MacIntyre, Milwaukee Admirals (51gp, 31-14-4, 2.35gaa, .919sv%, 4 SO)
April 1
The American Hockey League announced its all-rookie team on Wednesday afternoon: Goal: Nathan Lawson, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (30gp, 18-9-2, 2.13gaa, .929sv%) The Providence Bruins have three strong rookies who didn't make it: ** Forward: Brad Marchand (73gp, 16-38-54)
Providence Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk is the American Hockey League co-player of the month for March along with Peoria defenseman Justin Fletcher. Boychuk, 25, is having a career season in his fifth year in the AHL. He is Providence's leading scorer with 20 goals, 43 assists, and 63 points in 73 games, and is the top-scoring defenseman in the league by a 13-point margin. He also is plus-21.
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