BOSTON (AP) – The return of Sergei Samsonov gives the Boston Bruins a big offensive boost heading into the playoffs. Now if they could only straighten out their goaltending situation.

Starter Jeff Hackett is sidelined with a broken finger. Third-stringer Tim Thomas has played in just four NHL games this season. That leaves Steve Shields, who has played well lately but had been inconsistent.

In Saturday’s 8-5 win over Buffalo, Shields appeared to be shaken by a first-period collision and was replaced by Thomas for the last two periods.

“I just got tripped up,” Shields said. “I’m not even really hurt, but I guess in the last game they wanted to get Timmy a little action before we start the playoffs.”

Shields says he’s sure he’ll be ready to play against the defense-minded Devils in the best-of-seven series that begins this week with two games in New Jersey.

The Bruins also are looking forward to more games with Samsonov, the shifty, speedy wing who missed 50 games following wrist surgery and returned Saturday to score a goal and an assist.

Boston has three players with at least 30 goals – Glen Murray, Joe Thornton and Mike Knuble. But they play on the same line and Samsonov gives opponents a second dangerous line to worry about.

“It was good to play that one game before the playoffs and just have an idea how it feels,” Samsonov said. “I’d like to see how it’s going to react after two, three, four days of playing and practicing. But so far, so good.”

Any extra offense would help against New Jersey.

The Devils tied Philadelphia for the fewest goals allowed, 166. Only five teams had more than the Bruins’ 245 goals, but they don’t expect a high-scoring series.

“We can’t let the Devils create turnovers,” said Boston’s Martin Lapointe, who had a regular-season hat trick against New Jersey. “The key to our game against them, I think, is to put the puck really deep and put a lot of pressure on their defense because they don’t like that.”

Scoring the first goal also would help.

“You try to get ahead of a team like that because then they have to get away from their game, which is trapping through the neutral zone and stifling your offense,” Boston’s Brian Rolston said.

The Bruins are seeded seventh in the East. The Devils are second. But last season Boston was seeded first and lost in the first round to eighth-seeded Montreal.

The Bruins stumbled down the stretch, going 3-3-3 after Mike O’Connell fired Robbie Ftorek on March 19 and replaced him as coach. Boston was 17-27-8-3 after starting the season 19-4-3-1.

“Once the playoffs start, everything (becomes) a clean sheet,” Thornton said. “A lot of people said we couldn’t make it back here. We’re just going to take advantage of it.”

To do that, they must beat Martin Brodeur, one of the NHL’s best goalies.

“None of our shooters are intimidated by the low goals against. We feel like we can score against anybody,” Knuble said.

Especially with Samsonov, the 1997-98 NHL rookie of the year, back on the ice.

“It takes a lot of focus off our line,” Thornton said.

And, perhaps, some pressure off Shields.

“We believe he can do the job,” Rolston said. “You’ve got to believe in him and we do.”

AP-ES-04-06-03 2004EDT