BOSTON -- Boston winger Milan Lucic didnt hide the thoughts many of his teammates may have had in the Bruins locker room following a fairly easy win
over Carolina.
Stephon Marbury Team USA Jersey . "I just hope were not peaking right now and keep wanting more," Lucic said after the
Eastern Conference-leading Bruins beat the Hurricanes 5-1 on Saturday afternoon
for their eighth straight victory. "Weve done a good job of staying focused and
keeping on the task at hand," he said. "It seems like were playing at our
highest level of the season so far. It seems to have gotten better since the
start of February and Olympic break." Jarome Iginla scored a pair of goals and
backup goaltender Chad Johnson made 29 saves, helping extend the Bruins longest
winning streak since a 10-game stretch in November 2011. Lucic had a goal and
two assists, Torey Krug and Chris Kelly each scored a goal and David Krejci
added three assists, his first coming as he was falling to the ice on Lucics
score. Bruins coach Claude Julien wasnt about to say his team is playing its
best. "If he thinks were peaking too soon I can show him areas where we can play
better," he said, breaking into a grin. "Were playing well and working hard."
Alexander Semin had the goal and Cam Ward made 36 saves for the Hurricanes, who
lost for the eighth time in 11 games. Johnson, playing with regular goalie
Tuukka Rask getting the day off, is 8-0-1 in his past nine starts. Bruins
defenceman Johnny Boychuk had to be helped off the ice favouring his right leg
after going off-balance into the boards midway into the third period. He was
back about a minute later and ended up blocking a shot before limping off on his
next shift. Boston grabbed a 1-0 lead on Lucics goal 15:28 into the opening
period. Krejci was falling after being tripped on what would have been a penalty
on Eric Staal, but he pushed the puck ahead to Lucic. The winger then snapped
off a quick shot inside the right post into a wide-open area with Ward over near
the other post. "Its funny. I was talking to him after the play," Lucic said,
smiling. "He said he was going to shoot it. Its a bit of a lucky play to come
back to me. Again, youve gotta be lucky to be good sometimes. Thats what
happened there. Thats how it goes sometimes. You can be working hard and playing
well and things dont go your way." Lucic then set up Iginla to make it 2-0 at
17:24 of the second. The Bruins rugged winger outworked defenceman Jay Harrison
for the puck in the corner, hustled to it behind the net and sent a pass out
front to Iginla, who fired a wrist shot inside the far post over Wards glove.
Semin ended Johnsons shutout bid 3:53 into the third when his shot caromed off
the stick of Boychuk and bounced into the net. Boston broke it open with two
goals later in the period before Krug scored in the final seconds. "Yeah, you
know what, theyre a good hockey team, theyre physical," Carolina coach
Kirk Muller said. "It was disappointing for us because weve been playing pretty
good hockey recently. Usually, as the game goes on we get stronger and stronger,
but I dont think we pushed back well enough tonight after they came out hard in
the first. They set the tone and I dont think we really responded -- even though
the game was a 2-1 game for the most part." Kellys score made it 3-1 at 12:49
and Iginla scored his team-leading 23rd goal 13 seconds later, firing a wrister
past Ward from the slot. Johnson had a key save late in the second after Boston
made it 2-0 when he made a right pad stop on Staal at the end of a 2-on-1 break.
"I thought we didnt capitalize on opportunities, and that always hurts us
obviously early in the game, and then they just kept coming," Hurricanes forward
Nathan Gerbe said. NOTES: Bruins C Matt Lindblad played his first NHL game and
Krug was back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch in the previous game.
... The Hurricanes entered the game with the leagues 29th ranked power play and
went 0 for 3. ... Playing a Carolina team not known for physical play, Julien
elected to make enforcer Shawn Thornton a healthy scratch. ... Iginla played his
1,300th career game. ... Boston swept the three games against Carolina this
season. ... Boston F Gregory Campbell impressed the crowd and drew some loud
oohs when he tipped a shot between his legs with his back to Ward in the second
period. ... Boston C Patrice Bergeron was whistled for three minor penalties.
... The Hurricanes host Edmonton on Sunday. ... Boston D Dougie Hamilton sent
Jeff Skinner flying to the ice with a hard check in the third.
DeMarcus Cousins Team USA Jersey .J. Barea during a three-game shooting slump that was getting him booed off his home court
with regularity.
Harrison Barnes Team USA Jersey . 42 sitting next to the bench. The 57-year-old with greying hair couldnt box out or grab a
rebound, but owner Ted Leonsis waved his red towel and egged on a cheering crowd
that chanted "Free Nene!" The Wizards did just fine without the suspended
Brazilian forward. INDIANAPOLIS -- Dallas Clark never took his eyes off the
screen as a video tribute played highlights from his time in Indianapolis. The
standout tight end retired from the NFL after 11 seasons Wednesday and when he
stepped to the podium at the teams practice facility, he could hardly keep his
composure. "Obviously you should have showed the video afterward," Clark said
after taking a long pause to gather himself. "My wife told me to keep it
lighthearted. I just dont know how to do that because this place and these fans
and everyone here mean so much to me." He retired as a member of the Colts, the
team that drafted him in the first round in 2003. Its the place where he won a
Super Bowl with Peyton Manning in 2006 and spent the first nine years of his
career. Clark played for Baltimore last season and for Tampa Bay in 2012. He was
released by the Colts in 2011 after the team finished 2-14 and missed the
playoffs for the first time in 10 years. Clark signed with Indy just long enough
to announce his retirement, though Colts owner Jim Irsay wisecracked that there
was no signing bonus this time. "Theres a lot more meaning behind it than
numbers," he said. "Its really a great moment when you have a chance to have
somebody come back to town." Clark is Indys all-time leader in tight end
touchdown catches (46) and receptions (427). He finished second in yards
receiving (4,887) and 100-yard games (seven). Clark set single season records
with the Colts with 100 receptions and 1,106 yards in the 2009 season. In 2007,
he had 11 TD catches. The Colts won at leeast 12 games for seven consecutive
seasons and made eight straight playoff appearances leading up to Clarks final
season in Indy, before his release and the release of other veterans, including
Manning.
Deron Williams USA Jersey. "You cant write this, you cant make this up," Clark said as he thanked everyone from team
doctors and equipment staff, to former Colts coach Tony Dungy and former team
President Bill Polian, who drafted him with Indys first-round pick in 2003.
"Nothing but love," he said to a crowd that included Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis
and Adam Vinatieri. "For us to go do what we do, theres so many people. Im not
going to stand here and think I did it myself because that would be a boldface
lie." Wayne was drafted by Indy in 2001 and played alongside Clark each year he
was with the Colts. "From day one, he came in with a mission and focused in on
it and he locked in on it and within that first year, he came in and made some
plays and I knew he was going to be major, major contributor to this offence,"
Wayne said. "He was that last piece of the puzzle and without Dallas, I dont
think we win as many games as we did." Clark got emotional when thanking the
teammates hes had throughout his career. "When you have 52 men in the locker
room giving everything that they have for one goal, special things happen," he
said. "For us, we won like it was like, thats what you do. Until I went to other
places, it was like, not everyone gets it. Not everyone can do what we did.
Thats the reason why it was so special."
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