Conference diver1::boston_bruins

    
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Rem Murray put home his own rebound with 4:58 to go in
regulation, giving the Edmonton Oilers their seventh win in
eight games, 4-3 over the slumping Boston Bruins on Wednesday night. 

Murray was left all alone in the slot, but goaltender Rob Tallas
stopped his wrist shot.  Murray beat the Bruins to the rebound
and put a backhander under Tallas' left arm for his ninth goal
of the season and second since Dec. 6. 

"It was a great play by Czerkawski to get the puck deep in the
corner," Murray said.  "Mike (Grier) dug it out and got it to me
in the slot.  I actually fanned the shot, but it came right back
to me and luckily I got the backhander back over his pad.  My
linemates were really pumped about playing against Boston and I
was just glad to be along for the ride." 

Ryan Smyth and Miroslav Satan scored power-play goals in a
77-second span late in the second period for the Oilers, who
remained one point behind third-place Detroit in the Western
Conference. 

"It's always exciting to know your family and friends are
watching and it gave us a little extra jump," said Grier, a
product of Boston University.  "The Bruins are a tough team to
play.  They make you earn everything you get.  It wasn't pretty,
but those are the games we have to win. " 

Ray Bourque, Tim Sweeney and Ted Donato tallied for Boston,
which is winless in its last five games (0-4-1) and fell to 0-2
on its seven-game road trip. 

"Seemed like Edmonton got their goals at the right times
tonight," said Bruins winger Rick Tocchet.  "It's getting late
in the season and we're going to have to start winning these
kinds of games.  I think we're a little tight and we just need
to get a win to settle ourselves down." 

Edmonton's Todd Marchant and Bourque traded first-period goals
before Sweeney gave the Bruins their first lead at 14:54 of the
second.  Boston defenseman Barry Richter received a double-minor
for high-sticking Kelly Buchberger and the Oilers converted
twice on the ensuing power play. 

Smyth got his 26th goal at 18:39 and Satan blasted a one-timer
past Tallas from the slot with four seconds to go in the period,
putting Edmonton back in front, 3-2. 

Donato tied it 8:46 into the third period, jamming a rebound of
Sandy Moger's shot past Curtis Joseph for his 20th goal. 

Joseph finished with 27 saves for the Oilers, who also have won
seven of their last eight at home.  Doug Weight and former Bruin
Mariusz Czerkawski each had a pair of assists for Edmonton,
which swept the season series for the first time ever. Weight's
first assist was his 350th career point, while Czerkawski's
second was his 100th. 

Boston's Adam Oates assisted on Bourque's goal, extending his
points streak to 17 games. 

"We played a strong game, especially for the second game of a
back-to-back. But we didn't play well enough to win," he said. 
"The power-play goals late in the second hurt us, no question,
but we had a lot of chances that we didn't capitalize on." 

    .....GAWD!  This suks.....and listen to Tocchet..."it's getting late 
    in the season, and we've got to start winning these
    game"...HELLOOO????  Anyone home???  The light's are on, but no one's
    answering the door.....
    
    Although I gotta give Ghost-Boy some credit...B-4 the season started,
    The Sporting News predicted that he's be the 1st coach to get axed...
    WOW!  What staying power, huh???
    
    
    JEEZZZZ!!!!!
    
    
    good thing today's payday....$$$$ always makes my day....
    
    
    pay_day_mac

the only reason Kasper is still behind the bench
is pure economics..  Kasper's cheap help, why get
rid of him now, pay another coach, while finishing
up paying kasper when the b's aint got a snowballs chance
in hell of getting anywhere post season ?

I say put this 1996/97 season in the trunk, rebuild
the bench for next year,  let's hope the first thing
Sinden does is get a coach, if kaspers there next
year, color the B's faithfull an endangered species.

I know I've lost a ton interest in this team since he's
been here.

Is it payday,, I think I've already allocated the funds out..

/da-pelkster.

         
     
     yesterday on the Sports Babe Radio show Barry Melrose was saying that
    Boston may be the next home for Mike Keenan.....That is if Harry is
    willing to pay big $$$ for a coach. From what Melrose sais he espects
    him to go to either Toronto or Boston....
    
     John

as much as I dislike kasper, PAHLEASE keep Captain Hook
out of boston.

    
    Mike Keenan is the LAST thing this franchise needs.
    
    CF

    
    I'd take Keenan in a heart beat ! Who is he gonna trade that you
    wouldn't want him too ? There's no one other than Bourque who I 
    could care less about seeing or not seeing in Boston.As for Bourque 
    it would be the same situation as in St Louis Keenan would go before
    Bourque and I'm sure that would be in the open before he came here. And
    Just think Maybe Jacobs will get Keenan to replace Sinden and Kasper!
    Then 2 years from now Keenan gets canned and we have a clean slate! 
    
    
     I like it. 
     Rp 
     

    	Do I have to list all the reasons why this will NEVER happen?
    Alright then, I will:
    
    1. Keenan would want more money than ANY of the players make. If Harry
       isn't willing to pay players big bucks why would he pay a coach big
       bucks?
    
    2. Keenan would insist on being GM as well. Harry would never
       relinquish that role to a person that he hadn't personally trained
       for the job.
    
    3. Mike Keenan is NOBODY'S puppet. Any Bruins coach has to come into
       the job knowing that their chief job is to be Harry's "YES" man.
    
    4. Just in case Harry's mind had succumbed to the rigors of so many
       years of hard drinking, Jeremy Jacobs would NEVER hire a person like
       Keenan who is known for paying huge bucks to average players. Jacobs
       doesn't even like paying huge bucks for stars.
    
    5. The personality clash that would develop between Harry and Mike
       would make it look like Harry and Grapes were old fishing buddies
       by comparison.
    
    	I never really thought that Barry Melrose was all that bright. Now
    I just have an even lower opinion of his intelligence. Thanks for the
    laughs though, I needed 'em today.
    
    Barry
    
    

Ron, I don't know, gotta think you're taking the pipe on this
one..

    
    actually,
    
    	I agree with Ron. face it when sir-ossis-of-the-liver retires
    	(he can't live forever right 8-))  Iron-Mike would be a good
    	replacement. how will he trade away the B's future??? they
    	don't have one.  Also a fat lot of good a handful of draft
    	picks are going to do this team.(from a trade) They had 5 count-em 5 from
    	Hartford and only 1 has panned out (McLaren) seems to me you
    	need a scouting team and a GM that's willing to sign talent
    	for draft picks to make it. something Boston ain't got.
    
    Toby