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Quick start propels Bruins past Coyotes

Oct 7, 2007 - 5:51 AM By Bob Huhn PA Sportsticker Contributing Writer

GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- The Boston Bruins made the most of their first visit to the desert in four years.

Patrice Bergeron and Chuck Kobasew scored on Boston's first two shots of the contest, leading the Bruins to a 3-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday night in a battle of last-place teams from last season.

The Bruins, who played for the first time at the Jobing.com Arena and visited Phoenix for the first time since March 18, 2003, snapped a seven-game losing streak dating back to last campaign. Their last victory came on March 27, 2006 at Ottawa.

"Getting those early goals was good for confidence, and we got rewarded for doing the things we are supposed to do," Bruins coach Claude Julien said.

After Phoenix defenseman Derek Morris was called for hooking, Boston wasted little time scoring as Bergeron sneaked a wrist shot through traffic and past goaltender Mikael Tellqvist from the left faceoff circle for a 1-0 lead at 4:09 of the first period.

The Bruins added to the lead just 38 seconds later on a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush. P.J. Axelsson set up Kobasew in the right circle, and the right wing tapped the puck between Tellqvist's pads, giving Boston a 2-0 advantage.

"There was a turnover at the blue line and Axxie and I got the 2-on-1, and they let me skate right in," Kobasew said. "We are trying to keep it simple, and it is huge to get a lead, never mind a two-goal lead, early like that."

Tellqvist then settled down, but it was too late. The Swedish netminder did not surrender another goal until midway through the third period, when Marco Sturm scored on a power play to give Boston a 3-1 bulge.

Rookie David Krejci registered an assist on Sturm's tally for his first career point.

Phoenix got on the board in the middle session, when captain Shane Doan's wrist shot from the left circle went off the skate of Niko Kapanen, who was in the crease. The puck bounced past goalie Tim Thomas to cut the deficit to 2-1.

"In the first period, they outplayed us really badly," Kapanen said. "We came back in the second and third, but it wasn't enough. Now we know that if we don't come out strong, bad things will happen."

Thomas, who was making his first start of the season, stopped 36 of the 37 shots he faced.

"It was a game of tests," Thomas said. "The longer you can keep them off the board, the better, but once they scored, then that is a test to see how you respond now that they are closer. The team came through with flying colors."

Saturday's contest was the second of five straight road games for the Bruins, who will not play at home until October 18 against Tampa Bay.

"I thought defensively, we showed that we are not an easy team to play against," Julien said. "At the other end, things were a little different, and that was what we tried to rectify tonight."

Tellqvist made just 21 saves for Phoneix, which has not won back-to-back games to start a season since 2003.

"I don't think we came out slow and I don't think we came out flat," Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky said. "We were coming off a high from the other night and riding a little bit of a wave, but they were the opposite.

"They were coming off a tough loss and they were mentally and physically prepared for the game. The reality was, our work effort got stronger as the game went on. But we weren't ready mentally in the first five minutes of the game."