Projo Bruins Blog

By MARK DIVVER
Assistant Sports Editor

PROVIDENCE -- The Bruins are 1-7 since Vladimir Sobotka, Brad Marchand and Trent Whitfield were promoted to Boston three weeks ago.

With no major personnel changes expected right now, it's up to the players in the locker room to turn it around, coach Rob Murray said after practice Tuesday.

"We've got to make it work with the group we've got. Right now, we're not, and it's disappointing. But things will get better.''

The P-Bruins went 0-3 last weekend. They had a lead against Hartford in the second period on Friday, but Murray said his team "handed the game away'' with some critical mistakes. The Bruins played reasonably well in Saturday night's 3-0 loss to Lowell, he said.

On Sunday, the Bruins got a goal on the first shift against the powerful Hershey Bears, but were overmatched the rest of the way in losing 5-1.

"We could have used a rainout on Sunday,'' Murray said, borrowing a line from Bull Durham.

This week Murray and assistant Butch Cassidy are looking for a way out of the slump.

"Maybe with the group we have there's a better way to play as far as systems go. What worked for us last year maybe with the group we have isn't going to work. Maybe we have to change things up a little bit. We're going to try to tweak a few things this week, nothing major, to see if it can help us out this weekend," said Murray.

"We've got to get more out of everybody. We've gotta get ourselves out of this.''


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The Bruins will play outside New England for the first time this season on Friday when they meet Syracuse. The team will bus to New York on Thursday.

The Bruins will drive back after the game, not arriving home until the wee hours of Saturday. They play at Lowell on Saturday (7 p.m.) and at Worcester on Sunday afternoon (3 p.m.)


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Two weeks ago, Jeff LoVecchio was out sick and missed practice for most of the week. Last week, it was Drew Larman. This week, Kirk MacDonald is ill. The team has had seasonal flu shots. When the H1N1 vaccine becomes available, most of the players will probably be eligible to receive it. Thirteen are under age 24.


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After practice, former center Murray worked on faceoffs with Zach Hamill, Jamie Arniel, Larman and Jordan Knackstedt. Winning draws, especially on the power play, has been a problem.


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Boston assistant GM Don Sweeney was on the ice for practice.


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Some 400 fans attended last Wednesday's skate with the players at The Dunk.


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Levi Nelson and Yannick Riendeau continue to work on their conditioning. The two did stops and starts between the blue lines after practice.

 Tags  Boston Bruins Providence Bruins

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