Bruins’ Woes Worsen With Loss Of Bourque

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Boston Bruins All-Star defenseman Ray Bourque will be out indefinitely with a bruised bone in his right ankle, the team said.

Bourque, the team’s captain and third-leading scorer, was injured during Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders when he was hit on the ankle by a shot from Islanders forward Bryan Smolinski.

The loss of Bourque, a five-time Norris Trophy winner as the National Hockey League’s top defenseman, further adds to the Bruins’ problems. The team is in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 21-35-9 record and in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 30 years.

While Bourque’s status is day to day, a team spokesman said it’s unlikely he’ll play in today’s road game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Bourque, who has 16 goals and 27 assists in 51 games this season, had to be helped off the ice in the middle of the second period and left the arena on crutches. X-rays taken after the game were negative.

NHL to visit expansion hopefuls

National Hockey League officials next month will visit the six cities bidding for expansion franchises.

They will meet with investors and view arenas as they try to decide which community should get a team. The 26-team league is expected to add up to four franchises by the end of the decade.

The first stops will be April 2 in Columbus and Minneapolis-St. Paul, then Atlanta and Nashville, Tenn., on April 8 and Oklahoma City and Houston April 9.

Columbus does not have a civic arena. A proposal to build a downtown arena and stadium depends on voter approval of a sales tax increase on the May 6 ballot.

Burke rings up another shutout

Goaltender Sean Burke stopped 26 shots for his second consecutive shutout and third in his last five games Friday night, as the Hartford Whalers beat Montreal 2-0 to stay in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Burke, who now has four shutouts this season, made a couple of sharp saves during an early Montreal power play to establish a strong presence for the Whalers en route to his 14th career shutout.