Without a game until Wednesday (a visit by the Lightning), Julien gave his charges the day off today, their second bye in four days as a reward for a 5-0-1 stretch.

Key tomorrow, when practice resumes in Wilmington, will be the status of Patrice Bergeron, hobbled badly at about 7:15 of the first period Saturday when he first slipped while killing a penalty and then got nailed by a Filip Kuba slapper.

Bergeron required attention in the dressing room until the final minute of the period, then returned to play effectively throughout the night. One of the most agreeable members of a very agreeable roster, Bergeron did not make himself available to the media at the end of the evening.

He appeared to roll his right ankle slightly prior to getting nailed by Kuba's shot, but Julien said Bergeron's sole issue was dealing with the effects (undisclosed) of the Kuba slapper.

''He didn't roll his ankle or anything,'' said Julien, who last week lost Milan Lucic for another month when the big winger suffered a high ankle sprain. ''It was the result of the shot. He left and he came back. He feels fine and hopefully that is the end of it.''

Only seconds after Bergeron dropped to the ice, Michalek knocked in a Daniel Alfredsson relay for the 2-0 lead, the Senators essentially working with a 5-on-3 power play with Bergeron felled.

''I think we were a little disorganized because Bergy was out of the play, basically,'' recalled Thomas. ''As the play's still going on, I'm thinking, 'Man, I hope Bergy's O.K.'''

Final at Garden in shootout. Bruins 4, Senators 3

Bruins shoot first in shootout.
Bergeron fails to get shot on net, as puck rolls off stick at top of crease.
Kovalev first off net with short backhander.
Wheeler fires forehander into Elliott's pads.
Spezza foiled on backhand attempt, Thomas with quick right pad.
Krejci fails with backhander at left post.
Alfredsson misses net with short-range wrister.
Ryder pots doorstep forehand wrister inside right post.
Fisher fails to put backhander by Thomas. Bruins win.

Neither side could score in the 4-on-4 OT. Headed to a shootout. Again.

OT is underway. Boston's fifth OT in the last six games.

Tied, 3-3 with 19.3 seconds left in regulation. Michael connects after carrying down left side and firing goal line wrister that breaks into net off bottom of Thomas' left shin pad. Senators called time out with 25.1 seconds to go to strategize. They won faceoff, setting stage for Michalek's rush.

Excellent PK by the Bruins. setting stage for Elliott to be pulled with 1:07 to go. Bruins spend about 30 seconds of that time in Ottawa's end, trying to put puck in empty net. No dice.

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16:54 --Penalty -- Boston, Recchi, 2 hooking. Bruins stil with the 3-2 lead and 3:30 to play. The Senators will pull their goalie with about a minute to go.

9:19 -- Boston 3, Ottawa 2 -- Wideman nails in 50-foot wrister on power play with Recchi jousting for position with Kuba at top of crease. Boston's third power play of the night. For Wideman, his second goal of the season.

strong> Still tied, 2-2. Bruins coach Claude Julien opts again to make the Wheeler-Krejci-Recchi combination his first unit on the power play.

Penalty -- Ottawa, Kovalev, 2 interference.

Savard caught with a high-stick (no call) around the 3:00 mark of the third period. Trainer Don Del Negro tends to the cut when Savard gets to bench.

Bruins enjoyed a 2-on-1 margin on faceoff victories in the first two periods, winning 18 of the 27 draws.

Puck is down for the third period. Bruins open with Bergeron centering Sturm and Recchi.

Tied, 2-2, after 40 minutes. Bruins with one of their most spirited periods of the season, repeatedly attacking with the puck rather than standing around on outside waiting for shooting lanes to open.

15:08 -- Penalty, Ottawa, Phillips 2 hooking. Bruins, 2-for-3 on power play, again on advantage.

Tied, 2-2, with 8:13 left in secone period. Bruins with 19-8 shot lead. Offense finally showing some grit and tempo. One of their best periods of the season.,

9:57 -- Boston 2, Ottawa 2 -- Ryder nails in wrister from inner edge of left cirlce after trading passes with Chara. Bruins now 2-for-3 on man-advantage. Savard picks up second assist.

8:13 - Penalty, Ottawa, Kelly, 2 hooking. Bruins now with 17-8 shot lead.
Bruins with considerably more offensive zip and confidence following the goal by Krejci.

Second period

0:41 -- Penalty -- Foligno, tripping.

0:59 -- Boston 1, Ottawa 2 -- Rare power play goal for Bruins, with Krejci taking pass off left wing from Recchi, carrying down slot and finishing off with a nifty backhander at left post, stick side on Elliott.

4:52 -- Senators 1, Bruins 0 -- Derek Morris fails to get puck out of zone on right side, leading to a 30-foote wrister by Daniel Alfredsson for his ninth goal of the season. Assist to Milan Michalek. First shot of the night on Tim Thomas.

6:48 -- Derek Morris rings slapper off left post.

7:03 -- Savard sent off for high-stickIng minor.

7:15 -- Patrice Bergeron hurts a leg while killing penalty. He stumbles awkwardly in the slot and then gets nailed by a Filip Kuba slapper.

7:22 -- Ottawa 2, Boston 0 -- Michalek nails in two-goal lead on PP with help from Alfredsson and Kuba. Begeron still on ice when puck goes in net, effectively giving Senators a 5-on-3 advantage. Bergeron needs assistance making it to dressing room.

11:37 -- Ruutu sent off for high sticking, giving Bruins their first power play of the night.

On Boston's second-unit power play, Matt Hunwick takes Bergeron's spot on point duty with Dennis Wideman.

13:41 -- Krejci sent off for holding. Good kill by Bruins, not allowing Senators a shot on their second PP advantage.

No immediate word from Bruins dressing room on Bergeron's condition

18:24 -- Recchi nearly pots loose puck in open net, but is hauled down by Alfredsson and bangs head off base of left post as net gets disloged. No goal. No injury. No damage to post.

Bergeron returns to ice and logs a decent shift for in final minute of period.

After 20 minutes, Senators hold 2-0 lead. Bruins with healthy shot lead, 10-5.

A look at the first-period stat sheet shows the Bruins attempted 23 shots, landed 10, had eight blocked and misfired on five. The Senators attempted only 10, landed five, had two blocked and missed the net with three others.

The Bruins and Senators are on the ice for warmups here at the Garden.

Gord Dwyer and Ian Walsh are tonight's referees. Brian Murphy and Tony Sericolo are calling the lines.

Tim Thomas leads the Bruins out for the pre-game skate, yet another indication that he'll make his first start in two weeks. Tuukka Rask lingers on the ice at the end of warmups, fielding the last shots from his Black-and-Gold teammates.

The Bruins are working with the same lines that coach Claude Julien employed against the Devils:

Blake Wheeler--Marc Savard--Bryon Bitz
Marco Sturm--Patrice Bergeron--Mark Recchi
Vladimir Sobotka--David Krejci--Michael Ryder
Shawn Thornton--Steve Begin--Danny Paille

The defensive units are expected to remain the same:

Zdeno Chara-Derek Morris
Andrew Ference-Dennis Wideman
Matt Hunwick-Mark Stuart

Brian Elliott is expected in net for the Senators. Ottawa's No. 1 stopper, Pascal Leclaire, recently exited the lineup when he suffered a fractured cheekbone, hit by a shot while watching a game from the bench.

About 15 minutes from puck drop. Keep your fingers right here on the digital highway and we'll be back with shift-by-shift updates once the Game No. 26 gets going.

The Bruins are back at work tonight at the Garden against the Senators, following yesterday's 2-1 shootout edging by the Devils on Causeway Street.

Claude Julien's hard-working charges again have struggled to put pucks in the net. In four of their last six games, they've scored only one goal in regulation play. The paucity of overall goal scoring can be traced, in part, to a feeble power play that was shutout again (0-for-3) against the Devils.

As of this morning, the Bruins' man-advantage ranks 27th in the league with a 14.0 percent success rate. In 25 games thus far in 2009-10, the Bruins have failed to score a power-play goal in all but seven of those games. Boston's record in the 18 games in which it didn't score a PPG: 7-7-4. They are 5-1-1 in the seven games that they have scored on the man-advantage.

Savard gaining strength
Marc Savard, who returned to the lineup Monday night after missing five weeks with a foot fracture, should help get the power play in flight once he has back running at full strength. The slick pivot said Friday, following the loss to New Jersey, that he feels he is ''still sucking a bit of wind, to be honest, but I've been keeping my shifts short.''

Expected soon to sign a lengthy contract extension, for an average of around $5 million a year, the 32-year-old Savard has contributed two assists in his three games back from the disabled list.

With Milan Lucic expected to be sidelined roughly a month after spraining his ankle Wednesday night in St. Paul, the Burins have lost one of their top offensive performers, which also keeps the power play from getting on track.

''We just have to keep battling through,'' noted Savard. ''He's a big part of this team, and obviously, with [GM] Peter Chiarelli signing him, he's going to be a big part for years. So we just have to keep our heads up. We've gone through these stretches, like with [Patrice] Bergeron and different guys like [David] Krejci going down. This is another thing where guys have to step up--and we have guys here to do that.''

Bergeron draws attention
Patrice Bergeron won 11 more faceoffs (of a total 16) on Friday, keeping him on the heels of Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby for the league lead in wins at the dot. Sid the Kid has won 316 to Bergeron's 287.

Bergeron has won 57.9 percent of his drops this season, which ranks him fifth overall among players who have taken at least 300 faceoffs.

The hitting is missing
Boston's hitting game has lost its spiritual leader with Lucic sidelined. Looch landed 262 slams last season, tying him for fifth overall with Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke.

Thus far in 2009-'10, Steve Begin leads the hit brigade for Boston, his 51 hits slotting him in a tie for 54th overall in the league. Vladimir Sobotka, who piled on five hits Friday, is next with 49, putting him at 62nd overall in the league.

Team captain Zdeno Chara's hitting game is off this season. Last year, he landed 169 hits, which put him in a tie for 38th league wide. As of this morning, Big Z had but 44 hits, ranking him 73rd league-wide.

Thomas may get start
Tim Thomas was the first Boston goalie to leave the morning workout, likely an indication that Tank will get the call tonight against the Senators.

Sidelined with an injury (undisclosed) since the 6-5 OT loss in Pittsburgh Nov. 14, Thomas yielded the net to rookie Tuukka Rask, who made his sixth straight start Friday afternoon.

Thomas exited the lineup with a 5-6-3 record and a 2.33 goals-against mark.

Devils win shootout, 2-1.

Langenbrunner's goal provides difference.

Boston shoots first:

Patrice Bergeron -- Fails on forehand stuff.

Patrik Elias -- Rask swats away forehand stuff attempt.

Blake Wheeler -- Goal. Connects on eight-foot wrister inside right post.

Zach Parise -- Goal - Dekes right, switches back, and stuffs in forehander at left post.

David Krejci -- Fails with doorstep forehand stuff.

Jamie Langenbrunner -- Goal. Cuts in from left side and nails forehander halfway up the left side.

Headed to shootout
The 5:00 OT settles nothing. Both sides fire three shots on net.
The Bruins are 4-3 in shootouts this sesaon; the Devils 3-1.

Tied, 1-1, and headed to OT
Bruins nearly win it with 3.8 seconds remaining in regulation when Marc Savard unloads wrister in slot.
The fourth time in last five games that Bruins are headed to OT.
The Bruins have scored only one goal in regulation in four of their last six games.

15:09, 3rd period, 1-1 tie
With regulation time dwindling, play getting more physical and wide open. Shots to here: New Jersey 33, Boston 27.

5:53, 3rd period, 1-1 tie.
Jamie Langenbrunner misfires high from short range with left side of net wide open. Prime chance for Devils to take the lead.

0:12 , 3rd period -- Boston 1, New Jersey 1
Wheeler rips home one-timer from botton edge of left circle after weird hop off rear boards has Savard dish across perfect pass. Wheeler's 7th goal this season. The 20th shot of the afternoon against Brodeur.

End of two periods, Devils with 1-0 lead.
New Jersey with a very strong second half of period finish with 25-19 shot lead. Earlier, Bruins held 13-10 margin.

16:39, Devils with 1-0 lead
Derek Morris caught for slashing Zach Parise. Power play negated 34 seconds later when Brian Rolston also caught for slashing

11:46, Devils with 1-0 lead
Bruins get second chance on power play when Jamie Langenbrunner roughs up Byron Bitz. However, PP ends at 13:30 when Zdeno Chara slashes Zach Parise as winger pulls away on a 2-on-1 break with Travis Zajac.

9:45, Devils 1, Bruins 0.
Gritty work by Zach Parise, gaining position in crease to muscle puck by Tuukka Rask for game's first goal. Play begins with Dean McAmmond winning faceoff against David Krejci and Bryce Salvador sending in slapper from above left circle. Goal No. 14 for Parise, extending his point streak to 9 games.

2:57 of second period. Game still scoreless.
Bruins with more slot presence to start period. Michael Ryder snaps off wrister, turned back by Brodeur. Shots: Boston 12, New Jersey 10.

Awaiting start of second period. Game still scoreless
Patrice Bergeron keeps getting job done at faceoff circle. He wins three of his four draws in the first period.

Bruins outhit Devils, 13-9, over first 20 minutes.

Marty Brodeur enters the second period with 60,235 minutes logged in the New Jersey net, tied all time with Patrick Roy. He'll set the NHL record in the opening minute of the second period.

Mark Recchi is playing career game No. 1,515, ranking him 12th all-time in the NHL. Next on the list: former Devil Brendan Shanahan (1,524) at No. 11.

First period ends scoreless. Shots: New Jersey 10, Boston 9.

Vladimir Sobotka caught for interfering with Tim Sestito at 13:11, giving Devils first chance on PP.Travis Zajac pops puck by Tuukka Rask at 14:15, but goal immediately called off by referee. Ruling. net off its moorings prior to shot.

Wtih 15:34 gone, and game still scoreless, ex-Bruin Brian Rolston races in on parrtial breakaway (with Dennis Wideman chasing) and Rask turns back attempt. Shots: Devils 8, Bruins 7.

Nice steal by Patrice Bergeron, stipping Travis Zajac of the puck high in the slot and hitting Martin Brodeur with a quick 30-foot wrister at 12:21. Still no score.

Bruins get first crack on power play at 8:11 of first period when Mark Fraser hauls down Patrice Bergeron with a hook.

Boston fails to generate a shot on man-advantage. The only chance is by Zach Parise, who rips off a slapper on left wing after team captain Zdeno Chara hands him the puck along Boston's offensive blue line.

As expected, Tuukka Rask is in the Boston net this afternoon, opposing Devils icon Martin Brodeur. It's the sixth straight start of Rask.

Based on pre-game warmups, it looks as though Marco Sturm will fill Milan Lucic's left wing spot on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi.

With Sturm shuffled over a line, the No. 1 trio looks as if it will lineup: Blake Wheeler-Marc Savard-Byron Bitz. Bitz scored the lone Boston goal during regulation Wednesday night in St. Paul.

Vladimir Sobotka, back in the lineup with Milan Lucic (high ankle sprain) sidelined for a month, will start off with David Krejci and Michael Ryder his linemates.

The Boston checking line remains the same: Shawn Thorton-Steve Begin-Daniel Paille.

About a half-hour to go before the puck goes down on today's noon matinee between the Bruins and Devils here on Causeway Street.

Boston coach Claude Julien, addressing the media outside the club's dressing room, said goalie Tim Thomas--sidelined by an unspecified injury--is getting ''closer'' to a return to game action.

''If not today,'' mused Julien, raising the prospect that Thomas could start against the Devils, ''then maybe tomorrow.'' The Senatosr will play the Vault tomorrow night (7:05 faceoff).

Thomas is taking shots during hte traditional pre-game warmup, but it was Tuukka Rask, winner of the last four straight, who led the club on to the ice for the warmup. Rask likely will get the call for a sixth straight start.

Milan Lucic will be out of the lineup for approximately a month due to a high ankle sprain, according to Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli, who updated the media on the left winger's injury some 90 minutes prior to the noon faceoff here today between the Bruins and Devils.

Lucic injured his left ankle Wednesday night in St. Paul, Minn., late in Boston's 2-1 win over the Wild, as he reached to gather in a pass from defenseman Dennis Wideman. As he reached back, Lucic's left leg buckled from under him, sending him hobbling back to the Boston bench and then to the dressing room.

Speculation ran rampant after the game that Lucic suffered a knee injury and could be lost to the lineup for a much longer period of time. Chiarelli noted that the estimate of a one-month absence comes with some guess work. Lucic, he said, could be back earlier or later.

'''Certainly, I expected worse,'' said Chiarelli, initially alarmed when he saw Lucic go down with the injuiry. ''But if you look at [the replay] really closely, he broke the fall with his hands.''

Vladimir Sobotka will take Lucic's spot in the lineup today.

All done in St. Paul. Bruins in the shootout, 2-1. Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci with the goals.

End of overtime

After 65 minutes, tied at 1-1. Tons of PP chances for Minnesota at the end of OT.

End of regulation

After 60 minutes, tied at 1-1. Mark Recchi just misses at the end of regulation.

15:00 (3). Milan Lucic goes down awkwardly. Lucic is favoring his left leg.

8:41 (3). Tuukka Rask flashes the glove again to foil Cal Clutterbuck from the high slot.

Second intermission

After 40 minutes, tied at 1-1. Bruins with only five shots in the second for seven total through two periods.

* Wild are doing an outstanding job in their own zone of limiting the Bruins' chances. They're funneling the Bruins to the outside and not letting anything get into the middle of the ice. The Wild are also blocking lots of shots.

* Cal Clutterbuck has been in the middle of the action. The feisty forward doesn't mind getting his nose dirty.

* Niklas Backstrom has probably burned about eight calories so far.

18:31 (2). Big-time stop by Tuukka Rask on Cal Clutterbuck in the slot.

10:23 (2). Tied, 1-1. Andrew Ebbett with the PPG. Owen Nolan walks it off the left-side wall and throws it in front. Ebbett tips it past Tuukka Rask.

4:43 (2). Flashy glove save by Tuukka Rask on John Scott's point blast.

2:14 (2). Niklas Backstrom stones Michael Ryder on the doorstep with a PP chance.

First intermission

After 20 minutes, Bruins with a 1-0 lead. Only two shots on goal for the Bruins in the first period.

* Good job by Cal Clutterbuck to get under Derek Morris's skin. In the final minute, Clutterbuck launched himself at Morris. In retaliation, Morris hooked his arm around Clutterbuck and tossed him to the ice. Morris was called for holding.

* Perfect set play by the Bruins on their goal. Marc Savard beats Mikko Koivu on the draw with the forehand. The puck glances off the right-side boards for Morris, who waits until Byron Bitz goes to the slot. Textbook tip by Bitz.

17:00 (1). Sparkling backdoor chance on the PP by Shane Hnidy.

15:00 (1). Tuukka Rask misplays the puck behind the net, leaving his crease wide open. Wild can't settle the puck.

13:31 (1). Good scoring chance for Derek Boogaard in front. Tuukka Rask drops into the butterfly and turns aside the tough guy.

9:05 (1). Nice backcheck by Blake Wheeler to strip Eric Belanger. Wheeler goes the other way and sets up Michael Ryder for a scoring chance.

6:50 (1). Bruins, 1-0. Marc Savard wins the draw back to Derek Morris, and Byron Bitz tips the defenseman's point shot past Niklas Backstrom.

5:00 (1). Heck of a shift by the Bergeron line. Good cycling down low and timely pinches by Dennis Wideman to keep the cycle going.

0:43 (1). Derek Morris throws a post-whistle elbow at Cal Clutterbuck. No penalty.

0:00 (1). Big ovation for AL MVP Joe Mauer, who drops the first puck. Nice touch by Bruins to send out local boy and Twins diehard Blake Wheeler.

0:00 (1). Chuck Kobasew and Shane Hnidy will be in the starting lineup to face their old club.

Vladimir Sobotka and Johnny Boychuk are the healthy scratches.

Tuukka Rask will make his fifth straight start tonight. (Don Heupel/AP)

Based on pregame warmups:

* Niklas Backstrom (8-9-2, 2.66 GAA, .909 save percentage) will start in goal for the Wild.

On a chilly and gray Minnesota morning, it was most pleasant to duck inside the Day By Day Cafe on West 7th St. today for an avocado and cheddar omelette and a full pot of Dunn Bros coffee.

A solo breakfast, however, doesn't compare to meeting up with my college roommate for dinner last night at Cossetta Italian Market. Down-home Italian cooking -- veal parmigiana with red sauce, pasta, and garlic bread. Sometimes it's more about the company (our old-folks conversation centered around our kids) than the food, even for us committed eaters.

The Bruins, riding a season-best three-game winning streak, will be gunning for their fourth straight victory tonight to close out their four-match road swing.

"You always want to finish on a positive note," said Claude Julien. "It's a big challenge for us. We know that these guys have had our number now for years. It's never easy to come into this building and win a hockey game."

Tuukka Rask (6-2-1, 2.28 GAA, .919 save percentage) will make his fifth straight start tonight. Rask is 3-1-0 in his last four appearances. Claude Julien said that Tim Thomas (hand), who remains day-to-day, could possibly play on Friday against New Jersey.

Based on the morning skate:

The Bruins will go up against old friend Shane Hnidy tonight. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)

ST. PAUL -- Good morning from the Xcel Energy Center, where the Bruins will face off against the Wild tonight before flying home for Thanksgiving.

* This will be the first time the Bruins face off against the Wild without Jacques Lemaire behind the bench or Doug Risebrough at the helm. The Wild have an 8-1-0 all-time record against the Bruins.

* Chuck Kobasew is expected to play tonight after missing the last four games because of an upper-body injury. Brent Burns, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and Petr Sykora are all out with concussions. Guillaume Latendresse is not expected to play.

* Brad Meier and Stephane Auger will be the referees. Ryan Galloway and Brian Mach will be the linesmen.

Tim Thomas practiced today but remains day-to-day. Given the run Tuukka Rask is on, it's a good bet the rookie will make his fifth straight start tomorrow. No other lineup changes are expected.

* Homeboy Blake Wheeler, who grew up about 20 minutes away from the arena, bought lunch for his teammates to enjoy after practice. Attaboys all around for the second-year pro from the room.

* Several of the Bruins said hello to Shane Hnidy and Chuck Kobasew, two of the better-liked players over the last few seasons.

The Bruins have started their practice at the Xcel Energy Center. All players are present, with no changes from last night's lineup.

Chuck Kobasew should be back in the Minnesota lineup tomorrow. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)

Chuck Kobasew has taken his share of heat for being the resident wine aficionado, and that's no different here in St. Paul. After the Wild's practice, Josh Harding approached the greaseboard in the dressing room to take drink orders. Next to each player's name, Harding wrote drinks such as Gatorade and coconut water. When he got to Kobasew, Harding wrote, "glass of merlot," prompting a good round of razzing from the room.

"Guys have been good here," said Kobasew.

The ex-Bruin, dealt to the Wild last month, is due to return tomorrow after missing the last four games because of an upper-body injury. Kobasew, a natural right wing, has skated on the left side for his new club.

* Guillaume Latendresse is not expected to dress tomorrow. Latendresse is still securing a work visa.

ST. PAUL -- Good morning from the Xcel Energy Center, where the Wild are going through their practice. No sign of Guillaume Latendresse, acquired yesterday from Montreal for Benoit Pouliot.

Old friends Chuck Kobasew and Shane Hnidy are on the ice.

Patrice Bergeron was involved in all four goals. (Jeff Roberson/AP)

For the first time this season, the Bruins won their third straight game. Patrice Bergeron triggered the offense with assists on all four goals.

"Road trip's not over," Bergeron said. "We can't be satisfied with three wins."

* Marc Savard didn't score a point in his return, but said he felt fine after the game. Savard snapped the puck around on the first power-play unit, and Bergeron, dropped to the second unit, assisted on two PP goals.

* Milan Lucic, who scored a second-period goal, led all players with five hits.

* All four centers won at least half of their faceoffs.

STICK SALUTE: Daniel Paille. Was on the ice for 2:17 on the PK, most of any forward. Was relentless in his puck pursuit.

SIN BIN: Chris Mason. Poor clearing pass led to Marco Sturm's shorthanded goal.

***

All done in St. Louis. Bruins, 4-2.

11:14 (3). Bruins, 4-2. Marco Sturm with the SHG. Patrice Bergeron picks off a Chris Mason clearing attempt and sets up Sturm in front.

8:10 (3). Chris Mason robs Patrice Bergeron with a diving stick save.

4:19 (3). Brad Boyes on the doorstep after Tuukka Rask can't handle an initial shot. Rask covers up after the bobble.

1:35 (3). Giveaway by Mark Recchi to B.J. Crombeen in the slot. Zdeno Chara steps in front of the shot.

Second intermission

After 40 minutes, Bruins with a 3-2 lead. St. Louis still leading in shots, 19-15.

* Some very nice work by the Bruins in front of their own net. They've got good sticks and good positioning to limit the Blues' in-front chances.

* So much zip on both PP units. Does Marc Savard make that big of a difference in confidence?

16:10 (2). From his knees, Marco Sturm puts a shot on goal. Good glove save by Chris Mason.

12:52 (2). Eric Brewer dumps David Krejci and is called for interference. Shaky call. Bruins 2 for 2 on the PP so far.

12:10 (2). Bruins, 3-2. Milan Lucic tips a Zdeno Chara point shot past Chris Mason. Nice pass by Patrice Bergeron up the wall to Chara to start the play.

7:37 (2). Tied, 2-2. Brad Boyes drives to the net and sets up Carlo Colaiacavo in front with a clever backhand dish.

7:22 (2). Byron Bitz vs. Barret Jackman. Meanwhile, Roman Polak goes off the ice with a bloodied face. Not sure if he caught the puck or a stick.

5:52 (2). St. Louis timeout. Andy Murray not looking pleased.

3:02 (2). Bruins, 2-1. Patrice Bergeron threads a cross-crease pass to Blake Wheeler at the left circle. Wheeler winds and snaps a PP shot past Chris Mason.

First intermission

After 20 minutes, tied at 1-1. St. Louis with a 16-6 shot advantage.

* Not a bad first period back for Marc Savard. The center made one Savvy-like pass on the power play to Marco Sturm. Later in the first, Savard nearly set up Sturm for a down-low chance. We'll see how he holds up as the TOI increases.

* Bruins moved the puck crisply on their only power play. Looks like they've already got a bit more swagger with Savard back on the PP.

* The Blues possessed the puck for most of the first. They've got lots of speed up front and some mobile defensemen on the back end. Tough to figure out why these guys only have 20 points.

13:30 (1). Andrew Ference doesn't care for a high hit by T.J. Oshie. Oshie keeps the gloves on.

13:10 (1). Marc Savard sets up Marco Sturm during a two-on-one, but Chris Mason comes out to stuff the left wing.

12:31 (1). Tied, 1-1. Keith Tkachuk with the tip-in from the slot.

11:00 (1). Bruins, 1-0. Mark Recchi with the PPG. Chris Mason stops Patrice Bergeron's first shot, but Recchi swats the rebound past the goalie.

9:21 (1). High-sticking on Mike Weaver. Our first look at the Marc Savard PP.

7:47 (1). Big hit by Cam Janssen on Zdeno Chara. Shawn Thornton might have to address that.

6:01 (1). Sharp glove save by Tuukka Rask on Jay McClement. Good pace to the game so far.

2:15 (1). Scoring chance for Marc Savard on the center's first shift.

1:10 (1). Milan Lucic flattens Barret Jackman.

0:15 (1). Scoring chance right away for Keith Tkachuk. Good save by Tuukka Rask.

0:00 (1). Vladimir Sobotka and Johnny Boychuk are the healthy scratches.

Based on pregame warmups:

* Chris Mason (6-6-3, 2.17 GAA, .926 save percentage) will start in goal for the Blues.

As a Bostonian, my knowledge of ribs is painfully limited. For the most part, ribs and New England don't mix -- not much meat, far too much sweet sauce, nothing resembling a high-level experience.

Different story in Missouri, where they take their BBQ seriously. The local institution is Pappy's Smokehouse, and the question of the day, after a two-mile walk to the joint (crucial considering the calories about to be ingested), was the following: the Heifer & Hog platter (beef brisket and pulled pork), or the half slab of dry-rubbed ribs? Or both?

After considering sheer gluttony, went with the half slab. The ribs didn't disappoint. The half slab, which came with sweet potato fries and green beans, looked as big as a harp. Once you broke apart the slab, eating each rib was like biting into a pork chop. You have several choices for sauce, but none is needed. The rub is just that good. Thought about sneaking the bones home to throw in a stock, but that might have been just a hair too crazy.