Carolina 3, Boston 2: Final
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By John Bishop, BostonBruins.com

Boston Bruins' Aaron Ward (44), Mark Stuart (45) and Glen Metropolit (13) work to defend Carolina Hurricanes' Andrew Ladd (16) around the crease just before Ladd scored in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008. Ladd scored two goals in the first period to lead the Hurricanes to a 3-2 win over the Bruins. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Boston, MA -- The Boston Bruins fell to the visiting Carolina Hurricanes, 3-2, Tuesday night in the TD Banknorth Garden. Andrew Ladd scored two for his 'Canes who were ending a five-game road trip on Causeway Street. Boston's Shawn Thornton scored the first multiple-goal game of his NHL career when he scored two goals late in the third period in a 27-second span.

"It’s always important to establish that lead," said Bruins coach Claude Julien. "They did that and they built on that lead.

"They seemed to have momentum for the most part [and] we seemed to find that extra energy once we got that goal.

"If we could have had that goal earlier in the game I think it would have been a different game," he said.

The B's started Alex Auld in goal to spell Tim Thomas and perhaps hoped for a bit of the heroics Auld had performed in Buffalo last week. And despite missing practice on Monday amidst worries about injury, captain Zdeno Chara suited up for Boston against the Hurricanes.

Unfortunately, the Bruins did not have immediate success as the Hurricanes came out of their locker room swirling and Boston was beaten by Carolina's Ladd, at just 3:01 of the first period.

Ladd scored again at  6:33 when a centered puck went off his foot, past the B's goalie and into the Bruins goal.

"You look at them and sometimes they are hard to figure out," said Julien. "To me, when I looked at it, after the first period, I couldn’t believe they called that a goal."

The disputed goal would have dire consequences for the Black & Gold later in the game.

Despite the shot totals being close (10 for the Hurricanes, 9 for the Bruins) Carolina dominated much of the initial session and often had Boston back on their heels with their spirited high-octane play.

The second period started similarly and when Boston was able to sustain pressure, Carolina goalie Cam Ward shut the door -- and made two outstanding saves versus Bruins forwards Glen Metropolit and David Krejci.

Boston's Auld settled in nicely  and made nine saves in the period -- several of the tough variety -- but after an excellent individual effort, former Bruins forward Sergei Samsonov scored to put Carolina up, 3-0, at 18:29.

Carolina continued to press in the third stanza and another early save by Ward, again against Metropolit, kept the Hurricanes in control of the momentum through three quarters of the period.

However, at 14:50 Boston's Thornton threw a puck on net and it finally found a hole in the Carolina goalie.

Carolina Hurricanes' Scott Walker, right, attempts a shot as Boston Bruins goaltender Alex Auld protects the net in the third period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008. The Hurricanes beat the Bruins, 3-2. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Then, on the next shift Thornton stuffed a rebound off of a Chara shot by the Carolina netminder to make the scoreboard read, 3-2, at 15:17.

"Everyone knew that we had to get into gear we were down three nothing," said Thornton. "No one is going to do it for us or help us out.  We have to help ourselves out here."

With time winding down, Boston pulled Auld for an extra attacker, but a late penalty call gave Carolina a power play and stifled the late rally.

"For parts of tonight, we were losing battles and the races for loose pucks, not being on top of them quick enough," said Julien. "It’s all little things I think our young guys need to learn as we go along and our leadership group has to lead by example when it comes to that stuff."

Boston traveled to Pittsburgh after the game and will face the Penguins on Wednesday evening.

Notes:
Tonight was Alex Auld’s first starting game since his shootout win on February 8 in Buffalo.  He dressed as back-up goalie for Saturday’s game against the Florida Panthers...Shawn Thornton’s two goals gave him the first multi-goal game of his career.  It was also his fourth career two-point night and his first two points of the season. “He shot the puck at the net.  We keep telling guys to throw pucks at the net, you never know,” said head coach Claude Julien.  “He’s maybe not the highest-skilled player in our hockey club, but when it comes to work ethic, he’s got a great one"...Both goals were also within 30 seconds of each other, making them the fastest goals to be scored by a Bruin since December 14, 2003, when Mike Knuble scored two goals in 17 seconds...Thornton’s two goals were assisted by Andrew Ference and Marc Savard, and Zdeno Chara and Dennis Wideman, respectively...Savard’s assist gave him three assists in three straight games, and Chara’s assist gave him three points in three straight games...Ference ended a 14-game scorless streak with his assist, while Wideman broke a six-game scoreless streak...Tonight’s game was the last game to be played in the Garden until February 26, when the B’s will take on the Eastern Conference-leading Ottawa Senators.  The team has five games on the road before that night.

Angela Stefano contributed to this report.