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Auld posts shutout over Blue Jackets

Dec 16, 2007 - 4:49 AM By Mike Petraglia PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BOSTON (Ticker) -- It took over three weeks, but the Boston Bruins finally re-discovered their winning formula at home.

Playing just their third home game in over three weeks, the Bruins used the first career goal by Jeremy Reich and stellar goaltending from Alex Auld to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets, 2-0, on Saturday night.

In the second game of a five-game homestand, the Bruins snapped a two-game skid at TD Banknorth Garden. Boston had not beaten a team in its own rink since edging the New York Islanders, 2-1, on November 23.

"Definitely, in our building, you want to come out (with energy)," Reich said. "We had lost a couple in a row and we wanted to establish a work ethic, just get out there bang them, bang the bodies and get the puck in deep."

Auld, who was making his fifth start with Boston since being acquired from Phoenix on December 6, stopped all 32 shots he faced to record his second shutout this season and fourth career. The netminder turned aside eight shots in the first period, nine in the second and 15 in the third.

"Our goaltender was good and made some key saves at some key times, but we were disappointed that we didn't create a lot of chances on the other goaltender," Bruins coach Claude Julien said.

Boston's fourth line was on the ice for the game's faceoff and paid early dividends just minutes later.

Known as an enforcer who is second on the team in penalty minutes, Reich - a former Blue Jacket - finally contributed offensively with his first tally in 61 career NHL games, staking Boston to a 1-0 lead.

"It's a huge monkey off my back," said Reich, a former Blue Jacket. "It's been a while, since last year in Providence (of the American Hockey League) that I scored a goal. I didn't really know what to expect. It kind of went by sort of fast.

"I had just a cup of coffee with Columbus, a few games there. I would have rather have gotten it earlier, but it's good to get it against the team I started my career with, for sure."

Reich, who had only one career assist entering the contest, came down the slot on a rush with linemates Petteri Nokelainen and Vladimir Sobotka. From behind the net, Nokelainen fed Reich, who shoved the puck beneath goaltender Fredrik Norrena at 3:20 of the first period.

The Bruins nearly took a two-goal lead later in the session, but Marco Sturm's apparent power-play goal was waved off when Marc Savard was whistled for hooking just moments before Sturm took the shot.

With Jared Boll exiting the penalty box after serving a hooking penalty, the Blue Jackets had their best chance to tie the game with 40 seconds remaining in the second. Boll took a pass at center ice and fed Rick Nash, who had a breakaway on Auld.

Nash went to his backhand, but Auld made a pad save to preserve the tenuous lead.

"I think if I had pulled the move I had wanted to, I could've (scored)," Nash said. "I think the puck rolled a little and rolled off my stick a bit, but that's the game of hockey. We just sat back the first two periods and had lots of turnovers and things. Finally in the third period, it clicked, but we've got to play like that for 60 minutes."

Neither coach was satisfied with his team's execution.

The Bruins were outshot, 15-2, in the third period and had to kill three penalties to preserve the win.

"It's about the only thing. The rest of our game wasn't very good," Julien said. "We weren't proactive and I just thought we were content defending. The last couple of games, we haven't created much offense."

Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock was harsher on his club.

"Their determination to defend was a lot greater than ours was to score," Hitchcock said. "It's a common theme with our team. We can live on all the chances we want and we can discuss that, but it's just phony."

Boston iced the game with 12 seconds left on an empty-net goal by Sturm, his 10th of the season.

Norrena, who had his personal three-game winning streak snapped, stopped 16 shots.

"It's really a frustrating night," Norrena lamented. "This is about hunger. We're not hungry enough to win. We win one game, we play great back home, but if you can't do it night after night, you're not going to make it."