clarinews@clarinet.com (01/12/90)
_A_l_t_e_r_n_a_t_e_ _L_e_a_d BOSTON (UPI) -- Thursday night's game between the NHL's best and worst produced a surprisingly close score, thanks to the goaltending of Quebec's Greg Millen. The Boston Bruins, who lead the league in victories and winning percentage, outshot the last-place Nordiques, 42-20, but needed Ken Linseman's empty-net goal with 19 seconds left to lock up their fifth consecutive victory, a 3-1 win over the Nordiques. ``We had a chance to win,'' said Millen, who made 39 saves, 18 in the second period. ``We were right there in the third period. Give Boston credit. (Coach) Mike Milbury has them playing very disciplined and they've got a lot of talent.'' Boston built a 2-0 lead on a Randy Burridge power-play strike in the first period and Cam Neely's 31st goal of the season in the second period, but Quebec made things interesting when Tony McKegney scored a fluke goal with 8:23 left. McKegney fired a high slap shot from outside the Boston blue line and the puck dipped under the crossbar at the last moment, spoiling the shutout bid for Bruins goalie Andy Moog, who was successful in stopping Quebec's other 19 shots. ``It was a big looper,'' said Moog, now 15-1-4 lifetime against Quebec. ``It was probably 6 or 7 feet in the air when it went by me. I didn't want to get a piece of it and have it go in, so I left it.'' Teammate Andy Brickley called the goal a ``90 mph knuckleball.'' The Bruins, who have won nine of their last 10 games are 7-0-2 in their last nine home games against the Nordiques. Quebec is 1-9-1 in its last 11 road games overall. ``The score was really closer than what was indicated by the play out there,'' said Neely, who has scored goals in six consecutive games, totaling eight in that span. ``Millen played well for them, but we never really got in front of him and created any problems for him. We never really pounced on the rbeounds. We outplayed them for three periods and they got a flukey goal.'' In addition to Millen's fine goaltending, the Bruins were stifled by their own inability to finish off plays. The most telling example was John Carter failing on a two-on-none break at the very end of the second period. The Bruins, however, didn't panic. ``I didn't feel at any point of the game that it was getting away from us,'' said Brickley. Burridge gave Boston a 1-0 lead by scoring his 13th goal of the season, a power-play strike at 7:23 of the first period. Ray Bourque's shot from the left point was blocked at the Quebec defense, but the puck slid over to Burridge, who beat Millen from the right circle. Neely made it 2-0, Bruins, at 13:26 of the second period, batting in a rebound of Garry Galley's point shot with a headfirst dive. It was his 11th goal in the last nine games.