Photo by Joe Makarski: Bruins Daily: After being a healthy scratch in Game 1, Rich Peverley hopes to contribute (assuming he's inserted into the lineup) when the Bruins meet the Maple Leafs for Game 2 Saturday night

By Tim Rosenthal, Bruins Daily

Head coach Claude Julien raised some eyebrows in Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs when he decided to bench Rich Peverley in favor of Kaspars Daugavins. But all indications point to Peverley skating with Jaromir Jagr and Chris Kelly on the Bruins’ third line for Game 2 as the Bruins look to take a 2-0 series lead Saturday night at the TD Garden.

Perhaps Julien’s motivation was to get a response from Peverley, who struggled during the last few games of the regular season. Either way, the selfless veteran is looking to contribute.

“We won the game so I guess it’s a good decision,” Peverley said about being a healthy scratch. “I’ve always prided myself on my play during the playoffs, so I hope if I’m in there I can prove to be a valuable part of the team. Whatever it takes to win the game.”

This isn’t the first time that Peverley’s been scratched in 2013. The former Thrasher was benched back on March 21st against the Ottawa Senators and followed up with assists in his next three games.

Peverley, however, was caught in a slump again from late March to the end of the season. In that span, he tallied just six points (one goal, five assists) and saw his minutes decrease - despite having a goal and an assist in the last two games of the year - especially during the final regular season game against the Sens when he only notched 12:25 of ice time.

“I’d like to [unleash], but I want to contribute in a way that helps the others,” Peverley said after the morning skate Saturday. “If I am playing - and I don’t know yet - hopefully I can do something [for the team].”

For someone who is relied upon on the power play and penalty kill, those stats were far from ideal. But Julien thinks that Peverley can get a spark underneath him after the benching, much like he did during the regular season.

“I don’t think we intended on sitting him out this whole time,” Julien said after Friday’s practice in Wilmington. “I think we started off with a lineup that we thought was most deserving of starting last game. We have an opportunity here moving forward to decide what we want to do.”

“[When he’s at his best], he skates, he can shoot the puck, he’s a skilled player and that’s what he’s known for,” Julien added.

Little did anyone know that Peverley would be a key catalyst to the Bruins’ Cup run in 2011 after being traded from Atlanta. His versatility paid dividends for the Black and Gold as he saw action on the third line with Michael Ryder and Chris Kelly, the Merlot Line, and the first line after Nathan Horton’s injury.

Even after their 4-1 victory over the Leafs Wednesday, the Bruins can still use Peverley’s versatility. If it pays off, then Bruins fans could once again hear Jack Edwards echo one of his famous catch phrases.

“Isn’t that Rich.”

Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily: With Andrew Ference suspended for one game, the Bruins will either have Dougie Hamilton or Aaron Johnson fill in for Game 2 against the Tornoto Maple Leafs Saturday night at the TD Garden.

By Tim Rosenthal, Bruins Daily

With Andrew Ference suspended for one game after elbowing Mikhail Grabovski during the Bruins’ 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1, Claude Julien has some decisions to make with his defense.

The first decision for the Bruins coach is who replaces Ference in the lineup. The two healthy scratches for Game 1 on the Boston blue line were Dougie Hamilton and Aaron Johnson, so presumably it will be between those two.

Hamilton, this year’s recipient of the “7th Player Award” is still young but is quicker and has more offensive upside than Johnson. That logic alone should get Dougie back into the lineup for the first time since April 24th against the Florida Panthers.

But there’s a reason for concern if Hamilton is inserted as the team’s sixth defenseman for Game 2. Outside of his youth, Dougie’s presence could force Julien to make some adjustments to the Bruins blue-line, and that includes potentially breaking up the duo of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg.

While one can make the argument of keeping Chara and Seidenberg together - even with Hamilton in the lineup - it could very well be a risky move for Julien. In this instance, the pairing of Wade Redden and Adam McQuaid would still be intact, but having Dougie paired with Johnny Boychuk is risky. Boychuk and Hamilton aren’t very good weak side defenders so pairing them with either Chara or Seidenberg is a little more effective. Both have skated with Chara and Seidenberg during the course of the regular season and both can keep their game plans simple.

It’s obvious that Johnson’s skills does not compare to Hamilton’s. But if it means keeping Chara and Seidenberg in place then you’ll likely see the 30-year-old in his first playoff game and paired with McQuaid on the third unit. Redden, who tallied a goal and an assist in Game 1, will likely bump up to play with Boychuk on the second pairing.

It’s a dilemma all coaches are faced with, and Julien has encountered similar situations in the past. After dropping the first two games against the Montreal Canadiens two years ago, Julien paired Chara and Seidenberg for the rest of their Stanley Cup run. But after 31 games together during the playoffs, the duo might need to split, albeit temporarily

Make no mistake, the Leafs are going to play with desperation as they try to avoid an 0-2 hole before the series shifts back to Toronto. The Bruins, who only allowed 21 shots on goal in Game 1, hope to get a similar effort from the blue-line - even without Ference - in Game 2 Saturday night.

By Anthony Travalgia, Bruins Daily

(Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily) David Krejci led all Bruins with three points (a goal and two assists) in last night's 4-1 Game 1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs

David Krejci is no stranger to playoff hockey in Boston. Krejci has skated in 60 playoff games in seven seasons for the Bruins and has been nothing short of excellent for the B’s in the postseason. Krejci has been labeled as “inconsistent” at times during his tenure in Boston, but when the lights are bright and playoff hockey is upon us, Krejci is as consistent as they come.

Krejci has lit the lamp 21 times, and chipped in with 29 assists, good for 50 points in those 60 playoff games.

In 2011 Krejci was one the main reasons why the Bruins were able to capture the Stanley Cup as Krejci led the National Hockey League in goals (12) and points (23) in 25 playoff games.

After just three points in last season’s seven-game series loss to the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Krejci bounced back last night with three points—a goal and two assists—in the Bruins 4-1 Game 1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“When David [Krejci] is skating and he’s also, I would say, pretty intense, meaning he’s not afraid to go finish his hits and not afraid to go into the corner and battle for pucks” said Krejci’s bench boss Claude Julien.

“He’s one of those players that fears nothing, he never has. In other words, when he really gets his mindset to compete hard and get involved, he’s a really great player. He’s been pretty good lately, not just tonight, but before that, so I felt that his game was turning the corner as well, getting better. He proved that again tonight.”

Krejci was all over the ice in Game 1, not only did Krejci chip in offensively, but Krejci played as physical of a game as we have seen from No. 46 this season.

When Krejci is on his game it helps everyone around him become better players, Milan Lucic is lucky enough to be one of those guys who benefit from playing on Krejci’s wing.

"I think I saw on TV after the game that he has 50 points in 60 playoff games, which is pretty impressive for a guy like him” said Lucic who had two assists in the win. “So, I’m just fortunate that I get an opportunity to play with him and like he said in his interview, we just got to do whatever we can to keep it going.”

It’s no secret that offensively the Bruins struggled throughout the season to score goals, so anytime Krejci can help produce goals, the B’s will take it.

“I’m just trying to go out there, do my best and help the team to win games. As a line, I think we did a good job today. We put the puck in the net” said Krejci who currently leads the league in playoff points. “But in the playoffs, there’s always somebody new to be a hero, so today I feel like we had a good game, but if we want to make a good run, we know that we’re going to need all four lines.”

In 2011 it was the jacket, last season the chain, this year as player of the game; Krejci was seen sporting an Army Rangers jacket. The jacket was customized by the Army Rangers and shows the Bruins and Army Rangers logo on each sleeve.

"They live by a slogan, 'Rangers Lead the Way'. So I think it's fitting to give this to a player that led the way for us in a game. A lot less important than what [the Rangers] are doing, but for us, it's important to have guys step up. So they get to wear this for the night” stated Ference.

Ference and the Bruins hope they once again can hand out the Army Ranger jacket Saturday night when they host the Maple Leafs in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

(Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily) Wade Redden's two point performance was a part of what was an all-around great night for the Bruins blueliners

By Anthony Travalgia, Bruins Daily

After a shaky April to end the 2013 regular season, the Bruins entered Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs with many concerns, the Bruins defensemen being one of them. For at least one night, the Bruins blueliners were far from being a concern.

Things got off to a bad start for the Bruins as the Maple Leafs got on the board first just 1:54 into the game thanks to James van Riemsdyk’s fifth career playoff goal, the Leafs tally came on just their second shot of the game.

After the goal, the Bruins flipped a switch and dominated the Leafs for the remainder of the game. The Bruins held the Maple Leafs to just 18 shots after the van Riemsdyk goal, the only time all night the Maple Leafs were able to get rubber past Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask.

“Yeah, we gave up the early one but you want to bounce back” said Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. “I thought that we did that and played pretty strong for 60 minutes.”

It wasn’t just the defensive play by the Bruins defensemen that stood out in Game 1; it was the offensive punch the Bruins blueliners brought to the table that really took center stage for the Black and Gold.

Wade Redden got the Bruins on the board shortly after the Leafs goal as his shot had eyes and trickled through the pads of Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer. A little more than three minutes later it was Redden setting the tone again as his rocket of a shot was tipped by Nathan Horton to give the Bruins their first lead of the evening.

“I was looking to get a shot on net, trying to go up with it. He [Nathan Horton] was right in a good spot and he got a good stick on it. That was a big goal, too, late in the first” said Redden who was one of three Bruins with a multiple point game.

Later in the second with the Bruins lead extended to two thanks to a David Krejci goal, Johnny Boychuk unloaded one of his famous “Johnny Rockets” to add to what was an impressive night all around for the Bruins defensemen. Boychuk was quick to credit Krejci for setting up his goal.

“He’s such a great player, and he did that a couple of times tonight” said Boychuk “I just feel fortunate to put one in the net.”

For a team that has struggled to put the puck in the net all season, getting goals from his defensemen was surely a welcoming sign for Bruins head coach Claude Julien.

“Well they did, and you know, we’re just one of those teams that we say we are a defensive team that can score. We know when we play good defense that’s what ignites our offense” said Julien.

Looking back at the defensive part of their game, the Bruins blueliners did a great job shutting down a talented group of Maple Leafs forwards.

Take away van Riemsdyk’s goal and team-high five shots and the Bruins defensemen held the Leafs top two lines to a combined six shots on goal, just one of those six came from the Leafs leading scorer, Phil Kessel.

As has been the case since Kessel was traded to the Maple Leafs, the Bruins didn’t give Kessel much space on the ice.

“Like with every offensive guy that’s really skilled, that’s got speed, you want to be tight on them” said defensemen Dennis Seidenberg.

“You want to have a good gap and don’t want to give them a lot of room to get speed, so the forwards doing a good job putting back pressure on him and the defensemen just stayed really tight on him for him not to get any room to make plays.”

If the Bruins can continue to get some offensive production from their blueliners things could get even better for a Bruins squad who will look to take a 2-0 series lead on Saturday night.

Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily: After missing the last five games with an upper body injury, Nathan Horton (game-time decision) hopes to make his return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight.

By Tim Rosenthal, Bruins Daily

Two years ago, Nathan Horton etched his name into Bruins' playoff lore.

After coming from the Florida Panthers during the 2010 offseason, Horton entered the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in his career. Despite having no prior postseason experience, the former first round pick did not disappoint.

How well did Horton perform? In the first round against the Montreal Canadiens, the ex-Panther came through in the clutch scoring a double overtime winner in Game 5. Two games later, Horton gave the Bruins their first Game 7 win in 17 years when he delivered the "shot heard 'round Causeway Street" in overtime. In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Horton scored the game’s only goal past Dwayne Roloson to lift the Black and Gold to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 21 years.

But Horton has not returned to the postseason since he took a vicious hit to the head from Aaron Rome in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Vancouver Canucks. He also missed the entire 2012 series against the Washington Capitals due to another concussion.

After missing the last five games of the 2013 season due to an upper-body injury, Horton returned to the ice during Tuesday's practice skating along with fellow linemates Milan Lucic and David Krejci. Head coach Claude Julien confirmed after Wednesday’s morning skate that Horton is a game-time decision for Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"He practiced for the first time with the team today, and we'll see how is tomorrow before we make that decision," said the sixth year Bruins coach on Tuesday. "I thought he was playing well before he was pulled out of the [Penguins] game. Since then I think he's really been excited about coming back. He skated well today, so right now, if he's good to go, I hope to see the same player that left the ice."

His sighting the last two days is encouraging for Bruins fans, and Horton is chomping at the bit for a playoff return.

"Going through it and sitting out last year [against the Caps], this is the time of year that you do want to play," said Horton. "The season was hard on everyone this year, playing every other night for most of the year. But you can play every night in the playoffs and you can still be up for the game, because that's the way it is and I'm excited to be back in it."

One wonders what could have been had Horton laced up the skates during last year's postseason. The team struggled to score goals and fans could tell that Lucic and Krejci really missed Horton's presence.

Now that Horton is skating again after his fight with Jarome Iginla on April 20th, the veteran is eager to step on the ice and contribute.

"It means a lot to me and it means a lot to everyone," Horton said. "We're just looking forward to the new season, the playoffs and this is where we need to be at our best.

"I'm ready. I want to help out. I want to be a contributor. It wasn't fun to watch the playoffs last year, and it will be nice to have another long run again."

He heard quite a few "woo's" in his only postseason appearance. But Bruins fans would certainly like to see similar production from Nathan Horton and hear a clip of Ric Flair's famous whoop at TD Garden.

The Bruins will need goalie Tuukka Rask to take the team and put them on his shoulders if the Bruins plan on going anywhere in the Stanley Cup playoffs. (Photo by Joe Makarski/Bruins Daily)

By Anthony Travalgia, Bruins Daily

During the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs, then-starting goalie Tim Thomas put the Bruins on his back and carried the team all the way to its first Stanley Cup victory in 39 years. Here and now in 2013 Tuukka Rask will need to do the same in order for the Bruins to recapture Lord Stanley’s cup.

It’s a bit unfair to ask Rask to put up the playoff numbers Thomas did in 2011, — 1.98 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage with four shutouts— but he certainly has to be one of, if not, the best Bruins on the ice.

We all know how the story played out in 2010, the last time Rask was the go-to-guy between the pipes for the Bruins in the playoffs as Rask and the Bruins blew a 3-0 series lead to the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but this go around the Bruins have a different Rask in net.

“Yeah, you gain experience throughout the years and style-wise probably not too much, but maybe just the experience factor is there,” said Rask after the Bruins season ending 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

“Obviously I want to help the team to win series, that’s my biggest concern,” added Rask. “I’m not trying to really prove people wrong or anything like that. I just try to play as good as I can and help the team to win the series and see where that leaves us”

Rask has been great for the Bruins all season long, but has been brilliant for the Bruins in his career against the Maple Leafs. No. 40 enters the playoffs with a career 8-1 record against Toronto to go along with a 1.46 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage. Rask has shut the Leafs out once in those eight wins.

Confidence is going to be key for Rask in the series against the Leafs, and from every indication Rask has given, the confidence is there.

“It’s going to be great," Rask said. "It’s been a couple of years since I last played in the playoffs, so looking forward to it, should be fun.”

Rask’s teammates have confidence in their goalie, something that can only help Rask and the Bruins moving forward.

“He’s hungry. I’m pretty close with him, so I know he wants this opportunity to prove himself and I know our team has all the confidence in the world in him,” said forward Shawn Thornton.

“We have all year and we have ever since he’s been here to tell you the truth. … The more he gets pressed the better he is, so we have a lot of confidence in him between the pipes. His numbers kind of speak for themselves.”

Rask’s play will be especially key because the Bruins struggle to put the puck in the net as the B’s averaged just 2.65 goals-per-game. The Bruins finished 13th in the league in the category. Stanley Cups are usually won thanks to defense and goaltending — see 2011 Bruins and 2012 Kings — and that will be the case this season if the Bruins are to capture their second Stanley Cup in three seasons.

Rask has seen a pretty heavy workload in the past week as the Bruins fought with the Montreal Canadiens for the Northeast Division crown, a fight that the Bruins lost. Rask started five of the Bruins final six games which were stretched out over a span of just eight days.

After the Bruins loss on Sunday night Rask was asked how he felt mentally and physically, his answer was simple.

“Awesome.”

That’s good for the Bruins, because an “awesome” Rask is the Bruins recipe to playoff success.