Bruins checked in the Czech Republic, lose to Phoenix 5-2
The Bruins may have been in Prague but their offense was late arriving at the rink. Bruins fell behind and couldn't rally, losing to the Phoenix Coyotes 5 - 2 in Prague, Czech Republic. The Bruins outshot Phoenix 16 - 12 in the first period but it was Phoenix that had a 1-0 lead after the first period as Radim Vrbata jumped on a loose puck and got it past Bruins' goalie Tuuka Rask at the 7:59 mark. Phoenix broke the game open in the 2nd. Taylor Pyatt scored just under 2 minutes into the period and at the 15:02 mark, Scottie Upshall stole the puck from Boston's Daniel Paille near the blue line and scored on the breakaway. Phoenix added another goal on the power play with 17 seconds left in the period on a shot from Eric Belanger.
The Bruins tried to make it interesting in the 3rd as Nathan Horton scored Boston's first goal of the season at the 3:33 mark and added a second goal on the power play about midway through the 3rd period. Bruins had a couple chances to pull within one but Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 4 shots in the span of a minute at the 13 minute mark. The final goal came when the Bruins pulled Rask for an extra attacker but no one told the Bruins defense. They didn't stop Vrbata from getting an empty netter from the blue line for the final tally.
Bruins outshot Phoenix 42 - 37 but were only 1 for 4 on the power play. Phoenix was 1 for 2 with the man advantage.
The two teams meet again Sunday in Prague before returning to the U.S.
