The B’s open their season tonight against the New Jersey Devils.

BOSTON (AP) – The Boston Bruins wouldn’t mind getting off to the same start they had last season. The ending is something they’d like to change.

Boston had the NHL’s best record on Dec. 8 at 19-4-3-1 but finished the season with a first-round playoff loss after coach Robbie Ftorek was fired and replaced by general manager Mike O’Connell.

On Wednesday night, they open their 80th season at home against the New Jersey Devils, who used that 4-1 series win over Boston as a springboard to the Stanley Cup championship.

Boston, which last won the Cup in 1972, has several new faces on bench – the most prominent being goalie Felix Potvin – and a new coach behind it, 35-year-old Mike Sullivan.

“We want to establish a team that has a relentless work ethic,” said Sullivan, who served as O’Connell’s assistant before the general manager decided not to keep his coaching job. “That’s what you need to win in this league.”

The Bruins have a revamped goalie crew led by Potvin, who is entering his 13th NHL season, the last 21/2 with Los Angeles. Andrew Raycroft, a top Bruins prospect the past three seasons, will be the backup but is expected to see considerable action.

“They’ve certainly both earned the right to play,” Sullivan said.

They replace Jeff Hackett, who signed with Philadelphia, and Steve Shields, who was traded to Florida.

The defense lost Bryan Berard, who declined the team’s contract offer and remains unsigned, and Jonathan Girard, out for the season after an auto accident. But they’ll have midseason pickups Dan McGillis and Ian Moran from the start.

The already potent offense that was tied for sixth with 245 goals, also will have a healthy Sergei Samsonov.

The 1998 NHL rookie of the year, one of the NHL’s most dangerous playmakers, was limited to eight games last season because of a right wrist injury.

He’s expected to play left wing on a high-scoring line with center Joe Thornton, who was second in the NHL with 65 assists and third with 101 points, and right wing Glen Murray, who was fifth with 44 goals and seventh with 92 points.

The second line of Mike Knuble, Brian Rolston and P.J. Axelsson also should provide some scoring punch.

Last season, the first line of Knuble, Thornton and Murray scored 110 of Boston’s 245 goals, enabling opponents to focus on shutting them down. That contributed to Boston’s 16-27-8-3 record after Dec. 8.

Now the acquisition of forwards Travis Green from Columbus and Sandy McCarthy from the New York Rangers provides experience and a physical presence.

Veterans Martin Lapointe and Rob Zamuner, who spent the last two seasons with Boston, start the season on the sidelines with injuries.

The surprise of training camp was 18-year-old forward Patrice Bergeron, the 45th pick in this year’s draft. He signed a three-year contract on Monday.

“He has an awareness and I think he has a maturity level beyond his years,” Sullivan said. “For every game he plays, he’ll get better.”

The last 18-year-old to play for the Bruins was Thornton in 1997-98.

After Wednesday’s opener, Boston leaves on a six-game road trip before returning home to play Carolina on Oct. 23.

AP-ES-10-07-03 1824EDT