Backup Grahame makes 29 saves to lift Bruins

 

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Game Information

Arena: TD Banknorth Garden Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Referees: PaulDevorski, MarkFaucette Linesmen: GregDevorski, MarkPare

Attendance: 17,565 (100.0% full)

Team Stat Comparison
251	Goals	236
187	Goals Against	201
73	Power Play Goals	39
48	Power Play Goals Allowed	45
9	Shorthanded Goals	14
7	Shorthanded Goals Allowed	5
1053	Penalty Minutes	1454
13	Average Penalty Minutes	18

Scoring Summary
1ST PERIOD			DET	BOS
14:56		Brian Rolston Assists: P.J. Axelsson, Kyle McLaren	0	1
2ND PERIOD			DET	BOS
3:58		Kris Draper Assists: Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov	1	1
17:29		Glen Murray Assists: Jozef Stumpel, Sean O'Donnell	1	2
3RD PERIOD			DET	BOS
No scoring this period			1	2

BOSTON (AP) -- The NHL's two No. 1 teams brought out their No. 2 goalies, and put on a pretty good show anyway.

AP

Boston goalie John Grahame handles the pressure as Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk gets past Kyle McLaren, right.

John Grahame stopped 29 shots Saturday, and Glen Murray scored his career-best 30th goal to break a second-period tie and lead the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

"It was almost like playoff hockey," Detroit forward Igor Larionov said.

Manny Legace, starting in place of Dominik Hasek for the first time since Feb. 8, made 20 saves for Detroit, which lost for just the second time in 11 games. With 102 points, the Red Wings are first overall in the NHL.

Grahame made his first start since Feb. 28 to give Boston 84 points -- tied for first in the East with Philadelphia, which lost 2-1 to Colorado.

"I try not to be too surprised by anything," said Grahame, who learned earlier in the week that he would start. "It proves that we can play with any team in the NHL. We're one of the top teams in the league as well."

Brian Rolston also scored for Boston. Sergei Fedorov picked up his 500th career assist, helping out on Kris Draper's tying goal with 16:02 left in the second.

Grahame made back-to-back stops from point-blank range with six minutes left to help preserve the win.

"He was definitely ready, and he came through," said Byron Dafoe, Boston's top goalie, who added that he enjoyed watching the game from the bench. "For me, it was a non-conference game and an opportunity to get some rest. I'm sure that was (Detroit's) mindset with Hasek as well."

The crowd of 17,565 included quite a few Red Wings fans, one of whom threw a squid on the ice in the third period -- a long tradition in Detroit but one not seen in Boston before.

Murray scored 56 seconds after Legace made a great glove save to stop his one-timer from the slot. The next time, Murray wristed it in from about the same spot to make it 2-1 with 2:31 left in the second period.

Murray, who was originally drafted by the Bruins before going to Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, scored 29 goals twice with the Kings, in 1997-98 and '99-00. He came back to Boston on Oct. 24 with Jozef Stumpel in trade for Jason Allison and Mikko Eloranta.

The game was scoreless until Rolston brought the puck over the blue line and slapped it past Legace with 5:04 left in the first period. Detroit tied it on a four-on-two, when Fedorov passed it to Brendan Shanahan, who crossed it to Draper; he redirected it into the net from just outside the crease.

Game notes
Detroit has five defeats in its last 27 games. The Red Wings are 16-3 vs. Eastern Conference teams. They had won eight of their last nine road games. ... Bruins defenseman Chris Kelleher, played in his first NHL game. He grew up in Belmont, Mass., before attending Boston University. ... Bruins defenseman Jamie Rivers turned 27 on Saturday. ... The Bruins were outshot for just the 15th time this season.