Friday, November 28, 2008

Bruins crush Islanders in Thanksgiving matinee

BOSTON (AP)—Blake Wheeler and David Krejci set up each other for scores 10 seconds apart in Boston’s five-goal third period to help the Bruins pull away for their 10th win in 12 games, a decisive 7-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Friday afternoon.

Michael Ryder had a pair of goals for Boston, which resumed its sizzling November pace after losing at Buffalo on Wednesday. The Bruins are 10-1-1 this month.

Chuck Kobasew, Dennis Wideman and Phil Kessel also scored for the Bruins.

Nate Thompson and Richard Park scored for the Islanders.

Manny Fernandez stopped 22 shots for Boston and is 6-0-1 after losing his first start.

With the score tied 1-all, Ryder stole Brendan Witt’s attempted clearing pass at the right circle and beat partially screened goaltender Joey MacDonald with a wrister over his left shoulder 15:16 into the second period. Krejci was screening MacDonald.

About a half minute after Fernandez stopped Bill Guerin with a sprawling stop on a clean breakaway, Wheeler one-timed Krejci’s cross-ice pass past MacDonald to make it 3-1.

On the ensuing shift, Wheeler poked the puck ahead to Krejci along the left boards. Krejci cut around a defenseman and slipped a shot inside the near post.

Wideman made it 5-1 just 2:12 later, and the Islanders replaced MacDonald with Peter Mannino.

Ryder’s second of the game came on a power play with just under five minutes left.

New York jumped ahead 1:46 into the game on its first shot on goal, when former Bruin Thompson fired a shot from the left wing that caromed in off the far post.

The Bruins tied it when Kobasew banged home a rebound from the edge of the crease 3:28 into the second.

Wheeler had a crowd-pleasing move midway into the second when he backhanded a pass between his legs to himself and shifted around Islanders defenseman Mark Streit before being stopped by MacDonald.

The Bruins, looking to join the shopping craze know as “Black Friday,” unveiled their new black third jersey for the game and took the ice to AC/DC’s song “Back in Black” for the first two periods. They also gave out black T-shirts to the first 10,000 fans, attempting a “Blackout.”

Notes

The Bruins held a moment of silence for former player and coach Armond “Bep” Guidolin, who died earlier this week. He was 82. … (Guidolin is the youngest NHL player to ever play the game at the age of 16) . It was the opener of a two-sport, day-night doubleheader. The Celtics were to play Philadelphia at night. … Guerin had a seven-game point streak snapped.

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