By Will McDonough, Globe Columnist, 09/12/97

WILMINGTON - He stopped. He hopped. He popped. He scored. All in the blink of an eye. Faster than you could say, "Sergei Samsonov."

And when the capacity crowd watching the Bruins scrimmage yesterday at Ristuccia Center realized what had happened, it exploded in thunderous applause.

"The kid's had them doing that all week," Bruins vice president and Hall of Famer Tom Johnson said above the noise from his perch in the last row. "He looks special.''

At this moment, Samsonov, the splendid young Russian who was Boston's second first-round pick, eighth overall in the draft, is far ahead of all the new Bruins, including No. 1 overall pick Joe Thornton. "You can see that playing in the pro league [the International Hockey League] has him more prepared right now than the other young kids," said captain Ray Bourque. "We've got some very good young talent in this camp, and Samsonov is the most impressive at this point. Beyond his skills, he knows how to compete. Most young kids don't really know how to do that when they come to their first camp. Up to this point, most of the hockey they have played in the past has been helter-skelter and just one play at a time. This kid knows how to keep it going." "I think I compare him to Terry Glenn," said forward Ted Donato. "I can't think of anyone I can compare him to in hockey. He seems to move laterally, side to side, better than anyone I have ever seen. He has great vision and a sense of where everyone is on the ice. He is a terrific one-on-one player, but beyond that, he blends his skills with the rest of the team."

Bobby Orr likes to say that great hockey players always seem to have the puck on their stick, and it doesn't get there by luck. Every shift he took yesterday, Samsonov had the puck, and before giving it up either with a shot or a pass, he created a scoring chance.

"A lot of players make a play and then take their time getting back into the play," said scout Ross Brooks, the former Bruins goalie. "He is always part of the play. He has a sense of where to be and how to make himself a factor. He's going to be terrific."

After so much disappointment over the new talent in recent years, Bruins management tries to be cautiously optimistic.

"This is the best young talent we have had in training camp in decades," said Johnson, who usually throws compliments around like manhole covers.

"Speed," said team president Harry Sinden. "The most speed we have ever had in a camp, and in every drill we have, the first guy [to finish] is the Russian. I was excited when we drafted him, but now that I have watched him since he has been here, I'm more excited than ever."

"We have a lot of good young kids here," said Donato. "It's just going to take them a little time to figure out what this league is all about and how different it is from what they have been used to. If they come through that OK, then we could be a big surprise this year. I'd like to see us get through the first 20-25 games playing around .500. If we can do that, I think we can get some gravy the second half of the season. There is a lot of size and speed here. The best combination there is is big and fast. Hopefully, that's where we are headed."

Samsonov is quick, a study in perpetual motion. There is no wasted effort in his game. He maneuvers around the ice like a veteran fighter cutting off the ring on his opponent.

"He reminds me of the great Russian players of 20 years ago," said Sinden, who 25 years ago this month coached Team Canada to that nation's greatest victory ever, winning in Moscow to capture the first Russian-Canadian summit series, 4-3-1. "Most of their forwards were built like this kid. Short. But strong, quick, and a wonderful knack for making plays. We couldn't be happier with him, and he seems to be happy here. He always has a smile on his face. All the guys really like him."

When asked to describe Samsonov, former Bruins goalie and coach Gerry Cheevers couldn't get past one word. "Exciting," he said, pausing for a full 30 seconds before adding, "I'm trying to think of something more, but that's the best. He's exciting."

Will McDonough is a Globe columnist.
This story ran on page E01 of the Boston Globe on 09/12/97.
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