By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff

The Bruins saw their Stanley Cup title defense come to an end Wednesday night with a 2-1, overtime loss to the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of a first-round playoff series at TD Garden.

A bad line change by the Bruins proved to be the difference, as Washington's Mike Knuble intercepted a clearing pass from Benoit Pouliout and raced up the ice with the puck early in the overtime period. Knuble put a shot on net, and the rebound was put home by Washington's Joel Ward just 2:57 into the extra frame. The Capitals celebrated along the side boards, while a stunned Bruins crowd was forced to contemplate the end of their team's season.

Matt Hendricks scored the game's first goal for Washington, and Tyler Seguin scored a gritty goal in the second period for the Bruins.

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17:03: And a turnover kills the Bruins. Joel Ward gets the game-winner. The defending Stanley Cup champions are eliminated.

19:06: Patrice Bergeron with a great chance in front, but his rebound attempt is blocked. Crowd thought they had a game-winner.

OVERTIME:

End regulation: Bruins were outshot, 12-6, in the third period. We've got sudden-death hockey in a Game 7.

2:26: Jason Chimera takes down Johnny Boychuk from behind. Two minutes for holding. Bruins power play with a chance to win.

3:58: Four minutes left in a Game 7. Both teams gassed after a furious rush. A minute to relax here.

6:44: Bruins kill it off and even get a 2-on-1 rush the other way. Great penalty kill. Building goes from hear a pin drop to loud.

9:00: Bergeron called for hooking. Two minutes. Going to be a nervous building.

9:45: Hard slap shot by Troy Brouwer is stopped by Thomas. One of his 17 saves.

13:00: Shots on goal now 27-15 in favor of the Bruins. It takes guts for the Capitals defensemen to keep getting in the way of these Boychuk shots.

15:38: A minute late on this, but no luck on the power play. Bruins now 2 for 22.

18:42: Former Whaler Roman Hamrlik called for holding the stick of Milan Lucic. Bruins power play.

THIRD PERIOD:

END second: Much better period for the Bruins in terms of quality chances. Rich Peverley again gets in Braden Holtby's face as time expires. Both teams trying to do the little things to gain an edge.

1:06: Fans behind the Capitals net now taunting Braden Holtby after Holtby pushes Rich Peverley in the back after the play. Peverley fakes a slash back at Holtby.

5:33, Bruins 1, Capitals 1: Tyler Seguin evens the score. Seguin worked hard in front to get free of Karl Alzner and tip the puck in after Johnny Boychuk's shot absolutely ate up Braden Holtby. Tremendous effort from Seguin, and a great shot by Boychuk.

12:41: Benoit Pouliot feeds Chris Kelly in front of the net, but Pouliot leads Kelly a bit too much and can't connect with Kelly's stick. Fans wanted a penalty on the Capitals' defenseman on the play.

15:23: Bruins are out-shooting the Caps, 13-8, but it sure doesn't feel like it.

SECOND PERIOD:

END first: The Bruins frittered away all but 10 seconds of their power play without success. They're down a goal as we head to the second period. The Bruins are 1-0 this postseason when trailing after the first period. They were 8-19-1 on the season.

1:50: Jeff Schultz trips up Brad Marchand, who was skating 1 on 3. Bruins get their first power play of the game. They're for 2 for 20 so far in the series.

8:37, 1-0, Capitals: Milan Lucic turns it over, and John Carlson puts a shot on net that appeared to be deflected, though it may have been off a Bruin. Tough break for Lucic on a puck that hopped his stick. Tough break for Thomas on the deflection. Jason Chimera gets the assist.

10:38: Bruins are really working it now. A Rajon Rondo-esque pass by David Krejci behind his back finds a cutting Tyler Seguin, but Seguin makes one too many passes. A blast from Chara eats up Holtby, but he's able to make the save.

14:32: Some good work by the Bruins on that last shift sending bodies to the net. Shots are 4-2, Boston, and they've had some decent chances. It's a positive sign that the shots aren't being taken from the blue line.

19:20: Bruins fans chanting "Hooooltby" in an attempt to get the young Capitals goalie off his game.

FIRST PERIOD

Pregame: Bruins flags flying on pickup trucks in the Tip O'Neill Tunnel. Packed house at TD Garden. Game 7 starts shortly.

Mike Motteau and Jordan Caron are in the lineup for the Bruins. That means Joe Corvo and Shawn Thornton are out.

WASHINGTON - It's a final here. The Bruins will face the Capitals in the seventh game of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Wednesday to decide who moves on.
Tyler Seguin scored at 3:17 of overtime to lift the Bruins to a 4-3 victory.

"That’s the dream -- to get those big goals and keep your team alive," Seguin said.

Seguin earned the chain after the win. Seguin also assisted on Andrew Ference's third-period goal. Seguin entered Game 6 without a point.

Overtime
3:17 - Boston 4, Washington 3 - The Bruins kept their playoff hopes alive on Tyler Seguin's goal in overtime, giving Boston the 4-3 victory.

Third period
20:00 - Boston 3, Washington 3 - The Bruins and Capitals are heading to overtime. Patrice Bergeron took a faceoff in the waning seconds of the period, his first of the game, and he won it.

15:08 - Boston 3, Washington 3 - The Capitals have tied the game for the third time today. Nicklas Backstrom won a faceoff cleanly in the right circle, beating Bruins' forward Rich Peverley. He won it to Alex Ovechkin, who beat goalie Tim Thomas on a shot through the pads. It has hurt the Bruins a lot that top faceoff center Patrice Bergeron has an undisclosed ailment that is preventing him from taking draws.

11:57 - Boston 3, Washington 2 - The Bruins have taken the lead for the third time in the game on a goal by defenseman Andrew Ference.

10:50 - Boston 2, Washington 2 - The Bruins killed off the Benoit Pouliot penalty.

8:50 - Boston 2, Washington 2 - The Bruins will be shorthanded because Benoit Pouliot was sent to the penalty box.

Second period
19:38 - Boston 2, Washington 2 - The Bruins go on the power play (four-on-three) when Matt Hendricks is whistled off for tripping.

19:22 - Boston 2, Washington 2 - Matching minors to Bruins' Benoit Pouliot (slashing) and Capitals' Troy Brouwer (roughing). Teams skating four a side.

19:18 - Boston 2, Washington 2 - Jason Chimera has tied the game. Nicklas Backstrom made a terrific backhand feed from the right circle into the slot for Chimera, who fired a shot past goaltender Tim Thomas and it's all square.

15:44 - Boston 2, Washington 1 - Patrice Bergeron was called for high sticking giving the Capitals a power play. However, the Capitals should've been called for having seven men on the ice but the officials missed it somehow.

5:57 - Boston 2, Washington 1 - The Capitals did an excellent job killing off the double minor penalty on Alex Ovechkin. The Bruins had just one shot on goal during the four-minute man advantage.

1:57 - Boston 2, Washington 1 - The Bruins are on a four-minute power play because of a high stick on Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin clipped Bruins' captain Zdeno Chara in the nose, cutting him.

First period

17:18 - Boston 2, Washington 1 - Chris Kelly has been whistled off for holding the stick. The Capitals are going on the power play.

16:48 - Boston 2, Washington 1 - David Krejci has given the Bruins the lead again with a power-play goal. Krejci directed Milan Lucic's pass past goalie Braden Holtby.

16:02 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Alex Semin has been called for hooking. The Bruins are going back on the power play.

14:54 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - A couple of really terrific chances during the man advantage but the Bruins can't convert.

12:54 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - The Bruins are going on the power play as a result of a hooking call on Jason Chimera.

10:01 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Patrice Bergeron is heading to the penalty box. Washington goes on the power play.

9:47 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Mike Green's slapper from the left point glanced off the leg of Bruins' defenseman Greg Zanon in front of the net and beat goalie Tim Thomas to tie the game.

5:56 - Boston 1, Washington 0 - The Bruins have struck first. Andrew Ference fired the puck on net and Rich Peverley redirected it in front, beating goaltender Braden Holtby for the early lead.

3:00 - Boston 0, Washington 0 - Gregory Campbell had a scoring bid but goaltender Braden Holtby made the stop and defenseman Mike Green cleared the rebound.

1:22 - Boston 0, Washington 0 - Tyler Seguin had a strong scoring chance when he raced down the slot, beating defenseman Mike Green in the process, and backhanded a shot on net. But goaltender Braden Holtby gloved it.

Game 6 is underway here at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. The Bruins must win today to keep their season alive.

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

Good afternoon from TD Garden, where the Bruins will try to claim a 3-2 series lead over the Capitals.

The Bruins introduced changes to all four lines in practice yesterday. Like the Capitals, the Bruins have scored only seven goals in four games. They are desperate for some offense.

Puck drop: 3 p.m.

TV/radio info: NBC,98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Capitals 2-2, Bruins 2-2

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Brian Rolston
Daniel Paille-Patrice Bergeron-Rich Peverley
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Tyler Seguin
Brad Marchand-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk
Greg Zanon-Joe Corvo

Tim Thomas
Anton Khudobin

Healthy scratches: Jordan Caron, Mike Mottau

Projected Capitals lineup (courtesy of the Washington Post):

Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Brooks Laich
Marcus Johansson-Keith Aucoin-Alexander Semin
Matt Hendricks-Jay Beagle-Mike Knuble
Jason Chimera-Mathieu Perreault-Troy Brouwer

Karl Alzner-John Carlson
Roman Hamrlik-Mike Green
John Erskine-Dennis Wideman

Braden Holtby
Michal Neuvirth

Healthy scratches: Dmitry Orlov, Jeff Schultz

Storylines: According to the Washington Post, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom could be reunited today. They have not played together in the playoffs. Backstrom has been Ovechkin’s most regular centerman … The Bruins are 0 for 12 on the power play. One wrinkle they’ve yet to try: Zdeno Chara down low. They tried that move in last year’s postseason. They are unlikely to do so this year because Chara never played the net-front position during the regular season … Adam McQuaid (eye/head) will miss his fifth straight game. McQuaid will not play in Game 6 either … Tim Peel and Steve Kozari will be the referees. Shane Heyer and Lonnie Cameron will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

WASHINGTON - It's a final here at the Verizon Center. The Bruins have lost to the Capitals, 2-1, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The series is even at two games apiece with Game 5 on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden.

"The results weren't the ones we wanted," Claude Julien said. "When you shoot 45 shots on net, you would expect your team to get more than one goal. So there's obviously some areas we're not happy with."

Braden Holtby turned back 44 of Boston's 45 shots. But the Bruins weren't pleased with their engagement level in front of Holtby.

“There’s a lot of loose pucks that they cleared and we didn’t get to,” said Julien. “The net-front presence has to be better. But also finding those loose pucks. They’re finding them better than we are. There’s probably not a good enough commitment in that area. Until we get that, we’re going to be struggling to score goals.”

Third period

9:22 - Washington 2, Boston 1 - Bruins' center Patrice Bergeron feeds across a pass to Brad Marchand, who takes a shot from beneath the right circle but it goes right into the breadbasket of goalie Braden Holtby.

7:30 - Washington 2, Boston 1 - The Bruins are trying to get something going but haven't really threatened goaltender Braden Holtby.

Second period
18:43 - Washington 2, Boston 1 - The Capitals made the Bruins pay during the power play. Alexander Semin took a pass along the left-wing boards. He curled into the left circle, patiently looked for help but instead, elected to snap a high shot that beat goaltender Tim Thomas to the far side.

17:53 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Bruins' center Patrice Bergeron has been whistled off for hooking. The Capitals are going on the power play again.

15:39 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - The Bruins are outshooting the Capitals, 26-17, but it's still deadlocked.

10:32 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Capitals defenseman Dennis Wideman had a great back-door opening outside the right post but couldn't cash in.

9:45 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk is heading to the penalty box for hooking. Capitals are going on the power play.

8:23 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Brooks Laich nearly gave the Capitals their second lead of the game. Laich's shot from the slot caromed off the stick of Bruins' defenseman Dennis Seidenberg and rattled off the crossbar.

4:41 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - The Bruins had an opportunistic two-on-one break with Tyler Seguin having a chance from the right circle but goaltender Braden Holtby made a nice save.

1:43 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Bruins' captain Zdeno Chara has a bid from the left side but goalie Braden Holtby snared it with his glove.

1:16 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Terrific chance for Brooks Laich, who tested goalie Tim Thomas on a one-timer. But Thomas made the stop.

First period
20:00 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - The Bruins outshot the Capitals, 14-3, in the first 20 minutes.

19:22 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - The Bruins are back at even strength.

17:22 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Rich Peverley is heading to the penalty box for slashing. Capitals going on the power play.

13:12 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Rich Peverley has tied it up for the Bruins. The Bruins scored on a three-on-two with Peverley beating goalie Braden Holtby from the right circle.

6:39 - Washington 1, Boston 0 - The Bruins dodged a bullet. Benoit Pouliot whacked defenseman Mike Green with an accidental stick across the face but the officials missed it. No call.

5:30 - Washington 1, Boston 0 - The Bruins have put some shots on net - 6 to Washington's 1 - but goaltender Braden Holtby has had no problem seeing all of them.

3:57 - Bruins' forward Tyler Seguin had a bid from the slot but goalie Braden Holtby made a pad save on it.

1:22 - Washington 1, Boston 0 - Forward Marcus Johansson has given the Capitals a 1-0 lead. Brooks Laich, who was skating down the left circle during a two-on-one break, dished the puck across the slot for Johansson, who was in the right circle. Bruins' veteran forward Brian Rolston tried to break up the pass but couldn't and Johansson's shot beat goalie Tim Thomas.

Game 4 is underway here at the Verizon Center. The Bruins can take a commanding 3-1 lead in games with a victory. The Capitals can tie the series at two games apiece heading back to Boston for Saturday's Game 5.

WASHINGTON - It's a final here at the Verizon Center in the nation's capital. The Bruins have taken a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinals on the strength of a 4-3 victory over Washington Monday night.

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara scored the winner with 1 minute 53 seconds remaining in regulation. Game 4 is Thursday night in Washington. Daniel Paille, Rich Peverley, and Brian Rolston also scored for Boston.

Third period
18:07 - Boston 4, Washington 3 - Bruins' captain Zdeno Chara has given his team the lead again late in this one with the teams skating four a side. Chara beat Braden Holtby on a one-timer from the right point that went off the stick of Capitals defenseman Roman Hamrlik before it sailed into the net.

16:46 - Boston 3, Washington 3 - Nicklas Backstrom has been called for crosschecking Brad Marchand. The Bruins are going on the power play.

14:00 - Boston 3, Washington 3 - Brooks Laich has tied the game. Nicklas Backstrom sent a long lead pass up to Laich, who raced in from the right circle, cut into the slot and lifted a forehand shot that rattled off the left post and in past Tim Thomas. You weren't expecting this one to end in regulation, were you?

10:17 - Boston 3, Washington 2 - Dennis Seidenberg was whistled off for roughing. But the Bruins killed it off.

3:01 - Bruins' forward Brad Marchand drew a penalty the hard way, getting slashed in the groin by Jason Chimera. Boston went on the power play but couldn't generate much.

1:02 - Boston 3, Washington 2 - The Bruins have taken their first lead of the game with veteran Brian Rolston beating goalie Braden Holtby from the doorstep.

Second period
20:00 - Boston 2, Washington 2 - Through 40 minutes, the Bruins and Capitals are deadlocked. The teams have already scored a combined four goals, which is more than in either of the first two games. The Capitals are outshooting the Bruins by a 21-19 margin.

13:19 - Milan Lucic and Jason Chimera are both in the penalty box for their sparring session before a faceoff. The teams are skating four a side.

9:28 - Boston 2, Washington 2 - Daniel Paille has tied the game. Defenseman Greg Zanon put the puck on net from the left point. It hit Paille and then goalie Braden Holtby and bounced back to Paille, who backhanded it in at the right post.

6:03 - Washington 2, Boston 1 - Nicklas Backstrom has been called for tripping, nullifying the Capitals' power play and the teams are skating four on four for 1:15. Then the Bruins will have a 45-second power play.

5:18 - Rich Peverley has been called for hooking, putting the Capitals on the power play.

4:19 - Benoit Pouliot had an offensive chance when he skated into the Washington zone and fire a shot from high between the circles but goalie Braden Holtby gloved it.

0:48 - Washington 2, Boston 1 - Capitals' captain Alex Ovechkin answered right back some 13 seconds after the Bruins pulled even. Ovechkin won a foot race to a loose puck and beat Tim Thomas with a shot from the right circle and the Capitals are back on top.

:0:35 - Boston 1, Washington 1 - Rich Peverley tied the game with the teams skating four a side. His shot from the top of the left circle hit off the glove of goaltender Braden Holtby and then glanced off his mask before finding its way into the net.

First period
20:00 - Lots of tempers flaring as the first period came to a close. Chippiness on both teams. Zdeno Chara and Mike Green doing a little dance at the end and Milan Lucic and Nicklas Backstrom getting under each other's skin. Should be an interesting second period now that the Capitals have taken a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

16:00 - Washington 1, Boston 0 - Alexander Semin has put the Capitals on top with a power-play goal.

Apologies for the technical difficulties. There was an issue with the wireless in the press box.

10:05 - The Bruins had a nice offensive flurry with Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand but so far, no scoring to be had.

9:05 - The Bruins nearly had a gift goal in front of the net. Goaltender Braden Holtby went to clear the puck and wound up fanning on it and losing his stick in the process. Defenseman Mike Green struggled to clear it as well and although Daniel Paille was on the doorstep, he couldn't pop it home.

6:00 - John Carlson fired a long lead pass to Marcus Johansson, who tested Tim Thomas from the top of the left circle but Thomas saw it all the way.

3:14 - The Capitals killed off the Boston power play.

1:14 - Alexander Semin has been called for tripping Brad Marchand. The Bruins are on the power play.

0:27 - Alex Ovechkin just delivered a heavy hit to Bruins' defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, trying to set the tone for tonight.

The Verizon Center is awash in red Capitals sweaters but no sign of an Obama mask. Will be on the lookout as the Bruins are now skating onto the ice.

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

Good afternoon from TD Garden where the Bruins will look to take a 2-0 series lead over the Capitals today.

David Krejci is expected to dress. Krejci was struck by a pane of glass after Game 1. Krejci didn’t practice on Friday.

No lineup changes expected for either team.

Puck drop: 3:28 p.m.

TV/radio info: NBC, 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Capitals 0-1, Bruins 1-0

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Rich Peverley
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Brian Rolston
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk
Greg Zanon-Joe Corvo

Tim Thomas
Anton Khudobin

Healthy scratches: Jordan Caron, Mike Mottau

Projected Capitals lineup:

Alex Ovechkin-Brooks Laich-Troy Brouwer
Jason Chimera-Nicklas Backstrom-Alexander Semin
Matt Hendricks-Jay Beagle-Marcus Johansson
Keith Aucoin-Mathieu Perreault-Joel Ward

Karl Alzner-John Carlson
Jeff Schultz-Dennis Wideman
Roman Hamrlik-Mike Green

Braden Holtby
Dany Sabourin

Healthy scratches: Dmitry Orlov, Mike Knuble, Cody Eakin

Storylines: The Bruins will be seeking a better effort from their fourth line. At times, Washington’s fourth unit of Keith Aucoin, Mathieu Perreault, and Joel Ward outplayed Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, and Shawn Thornton … Adam McQuaid (eye/head) will miss his second game of the series. McQuaid’s return is undetermined … Dan O’Halloran and Tom Kowal will be the referees. Steve Miller and David Brisebois will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

By Gary Dzen, Globe Staff

Bruins center Chris Kelly ended a scoreless game 1:18 into overtime, beating rookie goaltender Braden Holtby with a slap shot to give the Bruins a 1-0 win over the Capitals in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series at TD Garden.

Increasingly quiet because of the game's lack of scoring and their team's squandered chances, Bruins fans were allowed to exhale after Kelly's goal. The Garden erupted as the Bruins celebrated on the ice and the Capitals skated off it, a fitting way to punctuate the first game of Boston's Stanley Cup title defense.

The goal developed because of a kick-save by Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas. The puck kicked out to Brian Rolston, who moved it up the wing to Benoit Pouliot, who found a streaking Kelly one step ahead of his defender. Kelly let one rip, and for the the first time all night the puck found the back of the net.

The sight of puck hitting webbing was a welcome one. Neither team created a solid scoring chance in the first 20 minutes. The Bruins out-shot the Capitals, 9-5, in the first period, but they failed to make it difficult for Holtby in his first career playoff start. Each team committed a penalty in the first, but the power plays proved just as bereft of chances as the five-on-five action.

The Bruins did everything but score in the second period, but there's no prize for that. The shots in the second period went 15-12 in favor of the Bruins, but once again the B's failed to find the back of the net. Unlike in the first period, the Bruins didn't lack chances in the second. Daniel Paille's shot in front at the 8:28 mark came minutes after Brad Marchand had a similar chance, but Holtby was up to the task. The Bruins peppered Holtby with six shots on a power play to start the second, but none of them broke through.

The Capitals finally seemed to find their edge in the third, outshooting the Bruins, 9-3. Thomas was tested for the first time in the game, and he reverted to the dominant Thomas of last year's playoffs. Thomas made the second of two tremendous saves during a Capitals power play four minutes into the period. A short time later, Boychuk bailed out his goalie by diving to the ice to cover an open net.

It seemed as if the two teams might play all night, but the Bruins' 30th and final shot of the game was Kelly's. The Capitals finished with 17 shots on goal.

Game 2 is Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. at TD Garden.

OVERTIME:

18:42: Bruins win, 1-0, on a slap shot by Chris Kelly, who streaked down the left side of the ice and put a hard shot on net for the only goal of the game. Holtby went to his right and Kelly's shot went left

THIRD PERIOD

End third: Overtime. Shots are Boston 29, Washington 16.

1:33: One final push here for both teams before potential overtime.

7:33: David Krejci almost gives the game away with a lazy pass in his own zone. Thomas with a stop.

9:43: Johnny Boychuk throws himself in front of an empty net to prevent a goal. Great play. The Bruins have already let this game get into the danger zone. Lots of nervous fans in the building.

14:39: Tim Thomas makes a couple of unbelievable saves during Washington's power play to preserve the tie.

16:48: Penalty on Zdeno Chara for cross-checking.

SECOND PERIOD

End second: The Bruins did everything but score in the second period, but they don't get anything for that. Shots on goal are 26-7 in favor of Boston. Braden Holtby is standing on his head. The Capitals are still in this game despite being badly outplayed.

5:18: The Capitals escape this one, too. Good chances for Boston on that 4-on-3, but no goals to show for it. Not putting one of these shots in earlier could come back to bite the Bruins.

7:17: Roughing penalty on Holtby for knocking down Chris Kelly in the crease. Bruins have a man-advantage.

7:42: Some extracurricular activity behind Washington's net between Milan Lucic and John Carlson results in a four-on-four.

8:28: Great chance out in front for Daniel Paille, but Holtby makes another stop. Give the kid credit, he's keeping Washington in this game.

11:40: There's a flurry of activity now as both teams race end to end. Marchand has a great chance out in front of the goal but has his shot blocked. Shots are climbing for the Bruins, who now have 19 to Washington's five.

17:31: The Bruins don't score, but they pepper Holtby with six shots on the remainder of their power play. Their reward? Another power play. Two minutes for delay of game for Troy Brouwer.

FIRST PERIOD

END first: No score after one here at TD Garden. The Bruins will have 2:27 remaining on a power play to start the second. Shots on goal are 9-5 in favor of the Bruins.

1:33: The Bruins will have their first power play. Double-minor, high-sticking penalty for Jay Beagle.

On the previous shift, both Chara and Seidenberg managed to lay a hit on Ovechkin. The Bruins would obviously like to do more of that.

7:06: And we have our first penalty. David Krejci is called for boarding on everyone's favorite former Bruin, Dennis Wideman.

9:41: As we suspected before the game based on the pairings at this morning's skate, the Bruins are using the defensive pairing of Chara-Seidenberg vs. the Ovechkin line. and Ference-Boychuk vs. the Backstrom line.

13:44: Shawn Thornton delivers the first big hit of the game on Marcus Johansson up against the boards. There's that fourth line coming into play. More complete from top to bottom, the Bruins will do well if they can get production out of that fourth unit.

16:55: No great chances, but shots on goal are 4-0 Bruins. Most of the early action in Washington's end.

19:19: Little scuffle behind the Capitals net between Brad Marchand and Jay Beagle. Faceoff coming for the Bruins in Washington's zone.

Pregame: Jerry York's national champion BC Eagles are in the house.

The Globe's Fluto Shinzawa notes that Zdeno Chara and Johnny Boychuk are starting along with the Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin line. Chara won't be paired with Dennis Seidenberg, at least for now.

Who do you think will win tonight? Who wins the series? What are you looking for right off the bat? Leave a comment, and enjoy the game.

SHOOTOUT

Bruins take it, 4-3. Bergeron connects for only shootout goal among six shooters. Bruins end season with 49-29-4 record, 102 points. Playoff opponent still unknown.

Pominville-- No goal. Forehand cut down by Thomas.

Bergeron -- Goal. Forehand through Enroth 5-hole.

Boyes -- no goal

Seguin -- no goal.

Ennis - no goal.

Krejci - no goal

OVERTIME

Bruins can't score with 5-0 shot advantage. Now on to shootout.

2:25 to go in the 5:00 OT. Bruins with only two shots thus far.

THIRD PERIOD

Tied, 3-3, at 60:00. Short intermission, then overtime.

18:10 -- Sharp save by Thomas off Gerbe LW slapper. Bad pass by Corvo leads to Buffalo break out.

12:21 -- Bruins, 3-3. Marchand tucks in backhander near right post after Bergeron disrupts Buffalo breakout high in zone.

9:56 -- Sabres, 3-2. Seguin hammers in one-timer from high in left-wing circle. Power-play goal.

8:46 -- Sabres, 3-1. Pominville cashes in at right post. Two goals in span of 1:44. Seaon over, Sabres hitting on all cylinders.

7:02 -- Sabres, 2-1. Boyes encore. Skates into hot rebound it slot and roofs backhander over Thomas. First lead of day for WNY.

0:50 -- Marchand denied on shorthanded backhand tuck attempt at end of breakaway.

SECOND PERIOD

Deadlocked, 1-1, after 40:00. Bruins with 23-17 shot lead.

Peverley good shorfhanded bit wsith 17 seconds to go. Denied.

19:16 -- First PP for Sabres. Chara off for tripping Kaleta.

15:45 -- Bruins, 1-1. Sabres tie it with ex-Bostonian Brad Boyes potting one of Thomas' doorstep. Sabres carry puck out of own zone after Lucic fans on shot in slot.

Bruins now 4-for-39 on PP since March 3.

10:27 -- Weber off for interference. Bruins with PP No. 3.

Senators losing right now to Devils, 3-2. Still no telling what team will be here Thursday for start of playoffs.

Midway through period. Bruins still with 1-0 lead.

5 min delay at the 6:09 mark, while pane of glass replaced.

3:15 -- Boston, 1-0. Seguin rushes down slot and bangs in centering pass from Bergeron after Bergeron stops Buffalo breakout through neutral zone.

Underway.

FIRST PERIOD

End Period One. No score.

Bruins have scored only four power-play goals since March 3.

Another solid kill for Sabres.

17:48 -- Stafford off for tripping. Another Boston power play.

Solid kill for Sabres.

14:02 -- Weber off for high-stick. Boston first PP.

12:38 - Thornton hammers on Regehr as a home-for-the-summer going-away present.

Bruins again using Mottau and Zanon on defense. Different pairings. Valuable deadline pickups.

Midway through first. No score.

Bruins also roll with:
Lucic-Krejci-Peverley
Pouliot-Kelly-Caron
Paille-Campbell-Thornton

Peverley with long wrister at 4:28. First Boston shot.

Most of opening four minutes in Boston end. Sabres with 3-0 shot lead.

Bruins open with Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin trio.

Underway.

Ottawa with 1-0 lead over New Jersey. Sens 48 minutes from securing first-round series against Bruins.

About a half-hour to go, blogdogs, before the puck drops between the Bruins and Sabres here on Causeway Street.

Tim Thomas will be in net, with plans that he will play the full 60 minutes or more. ''It's not training camp,'' offered coach Claude Julien.

Also scratched for the Spoked-B: Johnny Boychuk (knee), Brian Rolston (rest/maintenance) and Torey Krug (ineligible for post-season).

Good afternoon from TD Garden, where the Bruins will put a wrap on the 2011-12 regular season against the Sabres.

The varsity lineup should hit the ice. Tim Thomas, Zdeno Chara, and Patrice Bergeron were given breathers against Ottawa on Thursday.

The Bruins are locked into second place. They are awaiting the Ottawa, Washington, and Florida results. If the Senators claim one point, they will take seventh place to set up the first-round showdown.

Puck drop: 4 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama),98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Sabres 39-32-10, Bruins 48-29-4

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Rich Peverley
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Jordan Caron
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Joe Corvo
Mike Mottau-Greg Zanon

Tim Thomas
Anton Khudobin

Healthy scratches: Torey Krug, Brian Rolston

Storylines: Johnny Boychuk and Adam McQuaid will not play. Claude Julien is expecting Boychuk to be available for the start of the first round… Tim Thomas will play the full 60 minutes today… Dan O’Rourke and Francois St. Laurent will be the referees. Brad Kovachik and Tim Nowak will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Ottawa. Paul MacLean given heave-ho in final minute. Sizzling debut for Anton Khudobin.

15:27 3d period: Bruins 3-1
Milan Lucic threads a puck five-hole on Ben Bishop. Nice give-and-go with David Krejci.

12:00 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Adam McQuaid doubtful to return tonight.

8:25 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Anton Khudobin gloves Daniel Alfredsson’s PP one-timer. Wicked shot by Alfredsson.

0:00 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Adam McQuaid not present for start of third period.

20:00 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Ottawa with 34-19 shot advantage. Only one shift for Adam McQuaid in second period. Was on bench. Not sure what that’s about.

18:30 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Ben Bishop’s best stop. Gets over to stuff Shawn Thornton’s one-timer. Real good goaltending tonight.

13:56 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Jason Spezza cuts across grain and snaps a shot off the left post. Puck off iron, hits off Anton Khudobin, cross lines. Heck of a shot.

8:06 2d period: Bruins 2-0
Best stuff from Anton Khudobin yet. Pair of kickouts on Nick Foligno.

7:56 2d period: Bruins 2-0
Anton Khudobin smothers a deflected Erik Karlsson shot. Wally Pipp Tim Thomas getting nervous back home.

6:38 2d period: Bruins 2-0
Anton Khudobin kicks out Colin Greening chance. Another good save.

3:51 2d period: Bruins 2-0
Greg Zanon hits point shot. Rich Peverley might have gotten piece of it.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Ottawa with 17-7 shot advantage. Anton Khudobin doing very well. Playing bigger than he is.

11:33 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Anton Khudobin with a tough glove save on Chris Phillips through traffic. Khudobin’s looked fine so far.

10:36 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Sweet give-and-go between Benoit Pouliot and Brian Rolston. Sweet return sauce by Rolston after puck goes off skate. Erik Karlsson lone man back.

7:16 1st period: 0-0
Greg Zanon back on ice. Didn’t miss a shift.

5:15 1st period: 0-0
Greg Zanon to the room. Looked like he took a puck in the mouth.

4:31 1st period: 0-0
Sharp save by Anton Khudobin on Daniel Alfredsson in tight.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Mike Mottau and Lane MacDermid healthy scratches. Miller Time for Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas, and Patrice Bergeron.

@GlobeFluto

All done in NYC. Bruins clinch Northeast Division.

18:08 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Tim Thomas scrambling. Can’t cover a rolling puck. Has to hustle to stop Derek Stepan.

9:16 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Tim Thomas continues to be atop his game. Has turned back 22 of 23 shots. Best game he’s played all month...

1:09 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Tim Thomas stops Michael Del Zotto point shot. Thomas excellent so far.

20:00 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Action picking up big-time. Lots of heat by Rangers at end of second. Tim Thomas looking very good.

19:07 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Shawn Thornton off for roughing on Brian Boyle. Rare undisciplined penalty by Thornton.

11:52 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Patrice Bergeron scores on the power play. Picks off a puck down low and swings it through Henrik Lundqvist. The NY goalie usually airtight on such plays.

4:00 2d period: 1-1
Dennis Seidenberg’s one-timer beats Henrik Lundqvist. A slight screen on Lundqvist by Patrice Bergeron.

1:40 2d period: Rangers 1-0
Good chance for Artem Anisimov in front with speed. Tim Thomas holds his ground.

20:00 1st period: Rangers 1-0
Aside from Marian Gaborik’s goal, very little offensive heat applied by either team. Both clubs ready to get regular season over with and start the real stuff.

12:10 1st period: Rangers 1-0
Henrik Lundqvist looking sharp. Four saves so far.

6:45 1st period: Rangers 1-0
Jordan Caron back on ice. Didn’t miss a shift.

4:33 1st period: Rangers 1-0
Marian Gaborik goes five-hole on Tim Thomas. Jordan Caron in pain. Zdeno Chara blasts shot off Caron’s left foot.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Dennis Seidenberg and Daniel Paille officially in. Joe Corvo and Gregory Campbell out.

@GlobeFluto

All done on the Island. Bruins too much for Islanders in third.

16:43 3d period: Bruins 6-3
Milan Lucic dangles through the defense. David Krejci scores the net-front goal. Bruins fans at Nassau loving the result.

16:19 3d period: Bruins 5-3
Patrice Bergeron on the rebound. Excellent work by Tyler Seguin in defensive zone to start one-man breakout. Seguin with speed joins the offensive rush.

14:53 3d period: Bruins 4-3
Another goal for PA Parenteau. John Tavares wins puck battle on wall, pass to Matt Moulson, over to Parenteau. Those top-line boys can sling the puck around and finish. Deadly.

10:37 3d period: Bruins 4-2
Tyler Seguin with long-distance wrister past Al Montoya. Partial screen. But Montoya has to stop that. Shot came from the GWB.

7:25 3d period: Bruins 3-2
Bruins juggling lines. Rich Peverley on No. 3 line. Jordan Caron getting shift with Milan Lucic and David Krejci.

3:13 3d period: Bruins 3-2
Brad Marchand with a five-hole goal in front. Nice move to shake off Dylan Reese. Tyler Seguin with good speed into the zone for the helper.

0:30 3d period: 2-2
Johnny Boychuk shaken up. Big collision with PA Parenteau. Boychuk on bench. Looks OK.

20:00 2d period: 2-2
Bruins will have 1:04 left to kill on David Krejci’s slashing penalty to start the third.

14:26 2d period: 2-2
PA Parenteau with easy goalmouth strike. Bruins caught scrambling against No. 1 line. Nobody home in front to pick up Parenteau. Clever John Tavares feed to his linemate.

11:34 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Grade-A save by Al Montoya on Patrice Bergeron. Point-blank shot by Bergeron after Tyler Seguin feed.

4:58 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Al Montoya kicks out Brian Rolston laser. But Chris Kelly picks off Andrew MacDonald’s clearing pass. Kelly goes upstairs on Montoya.

2:56 2d period: 1-1
Gregory Campbell vs. Micheal Haley. Tough scrap for Campbell. Haley busted Chris Clark’s nose during preseason. Haley scores takedown.

1:50 2d period: 1-1
Tough stop for Marty Turco. Changeup from point. Turco looks sharp.

20:00 1st period: 1-1
Not much defense played toward end of first. Claude Julien leaves ice with lemon-sucking face.

19:28 1st period: 1-1
Tyler Seguin missed a wide-open net on a two-on-one rush. Things getting scrambly.

18:40 1st period: 1-1
Kyle Okposo with the equalizer. Lots of speed for the Islanders. Frans Nielsen blows Brian Rolston’s doors off in neutral zone. Sweet snapper by Okposo high glove on Marty Turco.

18:11 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Milan Lucic finds David Krejci in front. Krejci’s shot goes through a mess of bodies. Might have hit something on way in.

16:42 1st period: 0-0
Not many scoring chances for either club.

3:52 1st period: 0-0
Sharp glove stop by Marty Turco on John Tavares.

2:05 1st period: 0-0
Chris Kelly dings the left post.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Former University of Michigan goalies Marty Turco and Al Montoya in nets.

@GlobeFluto

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Good morning from Nassau Coliseum, where the Bruins will start a two-game road swing this afternoon against the Islanders.

The Bruins have clinched a playoff spot. Pittsburgh beat Buffalo last night, which allowed the Bruins to make the playoffs for the fifth time in the last five years.

Adam McQuaid (eye) will not play today. Dennis Seidenberg (leg) could make his return after missing Thursday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Islanders.

Marty Turco could get the nod today. Turco hasn’t played since last Sunday against Anaheim.

Puck drop: 1 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama),98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Bruins 45-28-4, Islanders 33-33-11

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Tyler Seguin
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Rich Peverley
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Brian Rolston
Jordan Caron-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk
Greg Zanon-Joe Corvo

Marty Turco
Tim Thomas

Healthy scratches: Mike Mottau, Daniel Paille, Torey Krug

Storylines: Tyler Seguin will most likely start the game on the first line with Milan Lucic and David Krejci. Late in the last two games, Seguin and Rich Peverley have switched positions, resulting in goals both times… Kyle Okposo has five goals in his last four games. Hard to believe Okposo was a healthy scratch last time the Bruins were on the Island… Johnny Boychuk will appear in his 200th career game today… Old friend Milan Jurcina enters the game with a wicked minus-33. Only see those kinds of numbers in Siberia in mid-January… The Bruins will bus to Manhattan after today’s game.

@GlobeFluto

SHOOTOUT

Final score: Caps, 3-2. Washington wins with 3-2 edge in shootout. Goals by Hendricks, Semin and Laich.

Laich wins it with with backhand lift inside right post.

Peverley denied on forehander top of crdease.

Semin connects on backhander at left post. Tied, 2-2, after three rounds.

Bergeron scores on forehander through five hole.

Thomas stops Ovie at right post.

Seguin brings Bruins even.

Hendricks beats Thomas after Krejci fails at other end.

OVERTIME

Ovechkin nearly picks a post with 25 seconds to go, but it goes to shootout. Tied, 2-2, at 65:00

Mad scramble at Washington net with 45 seconds go. Neuvirth holds fort. Bruins call timeout.

Strong big by Ovechklin with 2:05 left in OT. Stopped by Thomas.

THIRD PERIOD

60 wrapped at 9:27 p.m. Tied, 2-2. On to 5 min OT.

18:44 -- Bruins, 2-2. Ference hammers in 40-foot slapper aftrer Krejci passes in from right wall after cutting off Washington clear attempt.

16:50 -- Caps, 2-1. Chara wrister from blue line deflected in by Krejci.

Bruins down by a pair with 5:00 to go. Looks like three-game win streak will be snapped.

9:54 -- Caps, 2-0 -- Johansson finishs bang-bang play off pass from Ovechkin. Ovie with skille pass through Chara, Johansson with full step ahead of Ference.

7:59 Caps, 1-0. -- Ex-Bruin Wideman wrists in 20-footer with Boychuk and Laich jousting for position at top of crease.

Fun continues at 8:52 p.m.

SECOND PERIOD

40:00 in books at 8:34 p.m. No score.

With 1:49 left, Beagle dish sets up Knuble wrister, good stop by Thomas.

11:08 -- Krejci off for high stick. Caps go on PP, after landing only 6 shots in 31:08.

8:33 Zanon wrister off faceoff hits right post, Bergeron just misses cashing in on backhander.

6:11 more burned off books. Not much to report. Boston with 10-3 shot lead.

Bruins announce early in period that McQuaid will not return. Suspect concusssion from Chimera hit.

Fun resumes at 7:59 p.m.

FIRST PERIOD

First 20:00 in books. No score. Bruins with 7-2 shot lead. Eakin lands last Washington shot at 1243 of period.

18:25 -- Neuvirth replaces Vokoun in Washington net. Game scoreless. No apparent injury. If this were Habs, we would suspect traded, a la Cammalleri.

17:20 -- Lucic gingerly to bench after getting drilled lower leg/foot by Chara blaster.

Bad, stupid hit, Chimera drives McQuaid into rear boards at 14:00. 5:00 and game misconduct and a chat with Shanahan in morning for Chimera. Chimera makes it worse by arguing with refs.

Halfway through period. Bruins with 2-1 shot lead. Action slower than 4:40 to Rockport.

Marchand turnover high in Boston defensive zone leads to Ovechkin wrister. First shot of night at 3:58.

Puck down at 7:08 p.m.

Bruins open with sizzling hot Pouliot-Kelly-Rolston trio. Zanon and Corvo on backline. Thomas in net.

Almost ready to rock 'n' roll here at the Garden, Bruins vs. Caps. Possible berth-clincher for Bruins. Caps fearing a DNQ.

THIRD PERIOD

All Ducks in a row. Bruins win, 3-2. Head home with 2-1-0 record on roadie.

Boston timeout with 1:04 left in reg.

17:31- Bruins, 3-2 -- Visnovsky with wrister from slot, ticks in off Turco's blocker. Unassisted.

13:06 - Bruins, 3-1. Rolston with the bomb from the right faceoff dot, off a Kelly dish. Hiller loses paddle in attempt to stop the unstoppable.

8:30 to go regulation. Bruins clinging to 2-1 lead.

7:22 -- Ducks tying goal, by Beleskey, wiped off board. Cogliano was in crease and right in Turco's vision. Boudreau steaming behind bench.

Bruins still with 2-1 lead. 13:00 left in regulation.

Sorry for delay. Nightly tech meltdown.

Finished with 40:00. Bruins take rare lead into third period.

Less than 5:00 to play in second. Bruins still hold 2-1 lead.

9:11 --Boston, 2-1. On power play, Fowler rips slapper from top of left circle with Chara and Selanne jockeying at top of crease. Finnish Flash credited with goal.

5:59 -- Boston, 2-0 -- Pouliot drills in wrister off rush, left wing, set up by short dish from Kelly. Rolston with second assist, his 10th point in six-game scoring streak.

4:37 -- Boston, 1-0. Chara, unassisted. Snaps off wrister from blue line, deflection by Beauchemin.

Solid effort both sides. Not much open ice. Bruins with 9-6 shot lead after 24 minutes.

Underway.

FIRST PERIOD

All wrapped at 20:00. No score. Each side with six shots on net.

15:08. Two strong stops by Turco, pad off Fowler slapper, glove off Ryan doorstep follow.

14:01. Ference in box. Ducks, one shot so far, go on PP.

Halfway through period, shots are 1-1. Barnburner.

No. 2 PP unit: Lucic-Krejci-Caron with Chara and Rolston at points.

No. 1 PP unit: Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin with Seidenberg and Peverley at points.

Bruins get first crack on power play when Visnovsky goes off for tripping at 5:12.

3:26 -- Great hustle by Bergeron, setting up Peverley alone in slot for quick wrister. Nice glove by Hiller. Boston's first shot.

Caron slips into energy line role with Campbell-Thornton.

Seguin moves up a line, plays with Lucic and Krejci.

Peverley begins career renaissance on right wing wtih Marchand and Bergeron.

0:26 -- Turco registers save on Sbisa wrister. Glove stop.

Underway.

Just a few minutes to go before puck drop here at the Honda Center.

Goaltender Marty Turco is making his second start in a Bruins uniform.

Rich Peverley, sidelined with a knee injury since Feb. 15, is back in the lineup. Danny Paille gets the night off. Paille plays on the energy line, which is not expected to score, but contributed only a lone assist over the last six games.

ANAHEIM -- Greetings again from SoCal, where the Bruins will face the Ducks Sunday to wrap up their three-game Western swing, which now stands 1-1-0 after Saturday night's 4-2 win over the LA Kings at the Staples Center.

Patrice Bergeron (SH), Milan Lucic, Chris Kelly and Brad Marchand (ENG at the final horn) had the goals in LA, the Bruins breaking open the game with the Lucic-Kelly strikes that came only 1:19 apart early in the third period. Zdeno Chara played his 1,000th career game and made a key save in the frantic final moments when the Kings peppered Tim Thomas.

Update: The Bruins announced early Sunday afternoon from their Boston office that Michigan State defenseman Torey Krug, signed to a contract on Saturday, will report directly to the varsity. He will be in Boston Tuesday morning and is eligible to play in NHL games only through the remainder of the regular season. He is small (5-feet-9), and wired for offense.

Look for Thomas (31-19-0) in net again against the Ducks, although it would not be a shock if coach Claude Julien called Marty Turco out of the bullpen. With the Bruins still not among the teams to clinch a playoff spot, though, it's more likely that Julien would stick with Thomas, who was his old Vezina-like self in LA, turning back 40 of 42 shots. Not many of the shots were point-blank, stellar opportunities by the Kings, but they kept up the pressure petty much from start to finish, other than a protracted lull in the first and second periods that had the Bruins outshooting the Kings, 11-0.

Rich Peverley, out the last five weeks with a knee injury, could make his return here at the Honda Center, but Julien said that will be a game-time decision. If he returns, that will mean a night in the press box for either Jordan Caron or Benoit Pouliot. Newcomer/returnee Brian Rolston picked up another assist Saturday night and is 2-7--9 over five games. He has made himself far too valuable to the attack to have him surrender his roster spot.

Puck drop: 8:05 p.m.

Record: Bruins, 43-28-3; Ducks, 32-32-11/

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Projected lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jordan Caron
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Brian Rolston
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Greg Zanon-Andrew McQuaid
Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk

Tim Thomas
Marty Turco

Scratches: Rich Peverley, Trent Whitfield, Mike Mottau and Joe Corvo

Storylines: Hall-of-Famer-to-be Teemu Selanne, who will be 42 in July, leads the Ducks in scoring with 62 points, two more points than Tyler Seguin, who leads Boston's scoring list. The Finnish Flash, who scored 76 goals as a rookie in 1992-'93, hasn't decided if he'll play another season. Selanne's career line: 1,334 games, 660 goals, 1,402 points. ... If the Ducks were to lose, they would be all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. They have six games remaining and likely would need to win all of them. ... A victory likewise would not clinch a playoff berth for the Bruins. ... The Sabres won again Saturday, slipping the Western New Yorkers into the No. 8 seed in the East. With two weeks left to the regular season, it's possible that they snatch the No. 7 seed and open against the Bruins in the playoffs. All of that could be decided April 7 at the Garden when the two clubs wrap up regular-season play in a matinee tilt. ... The Bruins went 0-for-1 on the power play in LA, leaving them without a goal on the man advantage in 9 of their last 11 games. They are 3-for-21 (14.3 percent) on the PP since March 3, averaging fewer than two PPs per game in that stretch of 11 games. Their opponents have gone on the power play 31 times in that same stretch. ... The Bruins have scored first in three of their last four games and have enjoyed substantial lead time (an average of just over 43 minutes) in those three games (all wins). They led for 23:22 in LA. ... Hartford-born Nick Bonino, who played at Avon Old Farms and Boston University, is 1-3--4 in his last two games with the Ducks. ... Patrice Bergeron's goal in LA, a shorty, was his first goal since Feb. 25. ... The Bruins fly home to Boston on Monday, will not practice, then report to the Garden Tuesday morning for that night's game vs. the Bolts. The Caps are at the Garden Thursday night.

THIRD PERIOD

1959: Bruins, 4-2. Marchand with ENG to close it.

Bruins take timeout with 29 seconds to go.

Solid kill by Bruins. 1:30 to go.

30 seconds to go on LA PP.

Caron off for errant high stick on Dougty. LA PP.

14:46 -- Bruins, 3-2. Voynov snaps in wrister from above right wing faceoff circle after Kopitar and Bergeron battle for faceoffr.

6:00 to go. Bruins being outshot, 39-23, but in control of two-goal lead.

5:56 -- Boston, 3-1. Pouliot shot angles in off Kelly's left skate. Goals stands up to video review. Rare two-goal breather for the Bruins.

4:37 -- Boston, 2-1. Lucic snaps in wrister from right wing faceoff dot. Soft goal by Quick, right through five hole. Possible slight screen by Scuderi.

LA's attack rejuvenated here in third period. Now with 28-19 shot lead. Thomas with a couple of key stops to keep it 1-1.

Underway.

SECOND PERIOD

Deadlocked, 1-1, end of 40:00.

Huge save by Thomas, left pad on Voynov, with 1:15 left in period. Keeps it at 1-1.

17:58 -- Chara off for high-stick. Kings third PP of period.

13:17 -- Kings, 1-1. Fraser rips one by Thomas off the rush, Doughty with the key cross-slot pass. Strike comes seconds after Marchand misfires snipe at other end.

11:27 Brown lands first LA shot on net, ending 11-0 Boston run from late in first period.

Midway through period, Kings yet to land shot on net since first intermission.

5:18 -- Boston, 1-0. Bergeron pots shorthhander after Marchand takes puck from Doughty and lands backhander on Quick's doorstep. Bergeron trails in and pots 20th of season into open net.

Kings on attack, force Rolston into holding penalty. Another LA chance with PP.

Kings fail to land shot on man-advantage.

0:41 -- Seguin off for hooking. First LA PP.

FIRST PERIOD

First 20:00 in books. No score.

Bruins land five shots on net during PP, but can't beat Quick. Caron with best bid, but can't put away rebound of Rolston shot.

17:32 -- Williams off for roughing. Boston with first PP of night.

5:00 to go in first period. Bruins with five shots, all by defensemen, all from well above faceoff circles. Tough way to win.

Chris Kelly and Trevor Lewis throw down. Decent scrap. Advantage Kelly.

Nearing halfway point in period. No score. Kings, 7-3, on shots.

Kings with the better energy out of the gate. Own 4-2 shot lead in opening 4:23. Bruins forwards yet to land a shot.

Underway.

Tim Thomas and Jonathan Quick, both of whom backed up Ryan Miller for Team USA at the 2010 Olympics, are tonight's tenders.

Joe Corvo is among the seven Boston backliners to skate in the pre-game warmup. He likely will be scratched for the fourth straight game, his minutes these days going to deadline pickup Greg Zanon.

Both clubs now on ice for pre-game warmup.

Less than an hour to go before puck drop here at the Staples Center.

Rich Peverley, sidelined the last five weeks with a wrenched knee, will participate in the pre-game skate but will not play. He remains a possibility to suit up for Sunday night's game in Anaheim, the wrapup to the three-game West Coast swing for the Bruins.

THIRD PERIOD

All done at the Tank. Sharks win, 2-1. Outshoot Bruins, 27-17. Game lasts only 2:09.

2:00 to go.

15:45 -- Sharks, 2-1. Chara strikes on scramble in Sharks end, Niemi virutally flat on back when Chara sinks low to pot loose puck. Kelly and Rolston the assists.

Half way through third period. Sharks holding comfortable 2-0 lead.

2:17 -- Sharks, 2-0. Winnik snipes in wrister off left wing after Seguin's shot attempt at opposite end thwarted by Andrew Desjardins, triggering San Jose's rush up ice.

SECOND PERIOD

40:00 in books. Sharks ahead, 1-0, after dominating both periods. Bruins fortunate to be within easy striking distance.

17:12 -- Boston's best chance of night, Lucic deflecting a Krejci feed off the crossbar on the rush. Sharks still with 1-0 lead.

Highly ineffective man-advantage for defending Cup champs. One shot, by Chara, gloved by Niemi.

11:27 -- Braun off for slashing. Boston's first PP of eve.

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Sharks keep up heat. Shot margin up to 13-6 in opening 4:30 minutes. Looks like busy night for Thomas who faced only 13 shots Monday night vs. Leafs. He stoned Havlat at left post on Sharks' 13th shot.

Underway.

Sharks finish perid with 1-0 lead and 8-5 shot advantage. Bruins win 58 percent of faceoffs and outhit Sharks, 11-4.

11:10 -- First PP of night goes to Sharks. Campbell, minor penalty.

Lethargic start for Bruins. Down a goal, and outshot, 6-2.

Prior to winning two straight, and scoring first in each game, the Bruins allowed the first goal in seven straight.

3:57 -- Sharks, 1-0. Pavelski pot at right post after Marleau shovel at left post on dish in from behind goal line by Thornton. Scoring play begins by Jumbo picking off Lucic pass and landing quick shot on Thomas.

Interesting note. Seguin with team-high 60 points for Bruins. Just checked with Elias Sports Bureau. In the post-lockout era, Seguin among only 34 first- and second-year players to reach 60 points.

2:35 off the clock, no shots on net.

Underway.

A little more than a half-hour to go before faceoff, Bruins vs. Sharks, here at the Tank.

Tim Thomas will be in net for the Bruins, opposed by ex-Hawks 'tender Antti Niemi.

Hang right here for updates as the Bruins kick off their three-game swing through California.

Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas needed just 13 saves in an easy 8-0 win over the Maple Leafs. Bruins' players discuss the win, and the Boston Globe's Fluto Shinzawa reports from TD Garden.

---

Final: Boston Bruins 7, Toronto Maple Leafs 0

The Bruins closed out the season series against the Maple Leafs in rousing fashion with a dominant 7-0 thumping Monday night before a TD Garden crowd of 17,565. It was Boston's sixth win of the season vs. Toronto, by a combined margin of 36-10.

Boston erupted for four goals in the first to chase Toronto’s starting goaltender James Reimer from the game as Benoit Pouliot recorded his third multiple-point game of the season with an assist on Chris Kelly’s game-opening goal at 2:25 of the first and a pair of goals at 10:58 of the first to make it 3-0 and at 2:31 of the second to make it 5-0.

Brian Rolston tied a career high with 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists). It was the fourth time he had done so in his career, including his first stint with the Bruins when he had 1 goal and three assists Feb. 23, 2003, at the New York Islanders.

Third period

Boston 8, Toronto 0, 18:29. Tyler Seguin tallied his 26th goal of the season from David Krejci and Milan Lucic to put an exclamation point on this rout.

End of second period: Boston 7, Toronto 0 After erupting for four goals in the first, the Bruins continued to pour it on against the hapless Leafs, scoring three more goals in the third on tallies by Benoit Pouliot at 2:31, a power-play goal by Zdeno Chara at 5:45, and by Brian Rolston at 19:25. Through two periods, the Bruins have outshot Toronto, 17-7.

Second period

Boston 7, Toronto 0, 19:25 Brian Rolston, already with three assists to his name, added a goal -- his sixth of the season -- when he took a cross-ice pass from David Krejci and let rip of a hard slap shot from the right circle that beat Gustavsson top shelf on the near side.

Boston 6, Toronto 0, PPG, 5:45: The beat went on for the Bruins as Zdeno Chara scored on a power-play tally just 44 seconds after Clarke MacArthur was sent off for holding. Chara scored his 10th goal of the season on a primary assist from Brian Rolston, who picked up his third helper of the game giving him 11 on the season.

Boston 5, Toronto 0, 2:31: Pouliot, who recorded his third multiple-point night of the season in the first period, tallied his second goal of the night and 12th of the season when he caught Gustavsson out of position and deposited Brian Rolston's pass for an even-handed tally. Pouliout's three-point night (2 goals, 1 assist) tied a career high.

End of first period: Boston 4, Toronto 0 What ... a ... beating. The Leafs ran into a Bruins buzz saw in the first period, as their goaltender, James Reimer, gave up four goals, including a power-play tally by Brad Marchand at 12:42 that got Reimer pulled from the game. To add insult to injury the Bruins won a pair of fistic standoffs between Gregory Campbell and Luke Schenn and Milan Lucic and Mike Komisarek, who picked a fine time to go for the first time this season and absorbed several savage uppercuts from Lucic.

Boston 4, Toronto 0, PPG, 12:42: Twenty-three seconds after Jay Rosehill was sent off for roughing, Brad Marchand (24) made the Leafs pay for running Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas, by chasing Leafs goaltender James Reimer from the game with his harsh-angle roof job from the right side of the net. Marchand, who was posted on the right side of the net along the goal line, took a pretting cross-ice pass from Tyler Seguin and deposited it for the power-play tally. Toronto coach Randy Carlyle saw enough of Reimer to know he wasn't going to do the job and sent in Jonas Gustavsson to mop up the mess.

Boston 3, Toronto 0, 10:58: Benoit Pouliot tallied his 11th goal of the season on a redirect of a Johnny Boychuk blue-line blast from the right half wall. Brian Rolston was also credited with a helper.

Boston 2, Toronto 0, 5:40: After signing Shawn Thornton to a two-year contract extension, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli may want to lock up Gregory Campbell, as well, especially after he gave the Bruins a two-goal lead on a pretty wraparound score. Campbell alertly fished an Andrew Ference shot on goal from the back of the net, the swept around the front of the net and deposited it just inside the right post past a late-arriving Reimer, who, along with defenseman John-Michael Liles, lost sight of the puck.

Boston 1, Toronto 0, 2:25: The price tag for unsigned free agent Chris Kelly just got a little steeper after he tallied his 18th goal of the season to give the Bruins an early lead. Kelly helped keep the puck in the zone when he poked it away from the stick of Luke Schenn, then went to the net to receive a pass from Benoit Pouliot and tucked it past Leafs goaltender James Reimer.

Pregame

Welcome to TD Garden where the Bruins (41-27-3) will host the Maple Leafs (32-32-8) in the sixth and final game between these teams this season. The Bruins, who are 21-13-2 on home ice this season, enter the game on the heels of a stirring 3-2 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers last Saturday. It snapped a four-game losing streak for the Bruins. Two big news items before the game: Rich Peverley participated in Monday morning's pregame skate, but his return from a knee injury remained uncertain; and Shawn Thornton was a signed a two-year, $2.2 million dollar extension. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said there was not likely to be any more signings before the end of the season, leaving unsigned free agents Chris Kelly, Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell still to be dealt with after the season. Rene Rancourt just gave the Garden crowd two fist-pumps after the national anthem. Game on!

THIRD PERIOD

All done and then some. Panthers, 6-2. Bruins Friday night could drop to seventh in East if Senators win. Seems no way out of this.

17:24 -- Panthers, 6-2. Wolski with one more for good measure.

4:00 to go. Just a matter of bookkeeping now.

As one poster just stated, ''There is not bottom to this barrel.''

Third game in a row that Bruins have given up five goals or more.

]7:51 -- Panthers, 5-2. Kopecky, unassisted. Kelly attempt to pass behind own net, ticks off McQuaid's boot and goes to Kopecky at right post for gimme putt.

1:44 -- Panthers, 4-2. Rolston's first goal on Bruin, off one-time slapper during power play, puts Bruins within striking distance.

Underway.

SECOND PERIOD

All over now but the flight home. Panthers by three goals at end of 40:00. For 25th time in last 30 games, Bruins without lead into third period.

Beatdown time has arrived.

15:27 -- Panthers, 4-1. Madden knocks one in from top of crease. Boston backliners allowing easy pickings around net.

Eighth time in nine games the Bruins have allowed three goals or more. One way to avoid shootouts.

6:32 -- Panthers, 3-1. Weiss pots lost puck after Fleischman shot from right wing circle. Corvo and Wolski jam at right post as shot comes in, and Weiss picks up the trash.

4:53 -- Panthers, 2-1. Corvo wrister from above left wing circle cuts FLA lead in half. Bleeding stopped. Maybe.

Two-goal lead has the Panthers very confident with puck, moving it quickly.

0:38 -- Panthers, 2-0. Campbell wrister from blue line tipped in from slot. Plays goes under review, but Goc's stick was not raised above crossbar. Bruins once again in 2-0 hole.

Underway.

FIRST PERIOD

First period a wrap. Bruins down, 1-0. Better period than most of late, but still not looking good on scoreboard.

17:57 -- Panthers, 1-0. Samuelsson with assist by Campell and Weiss. Power play goal. Seventh straight game Bruins go behind, 0-1.

Another FLA PP at 16:58, Thornton off for cross-check. Bruins lucky not to be called for Campbell elbow to Weaver's kisser.

With 4:12 to go, Thomas blocks sizzling wrister by Bergenheim.

Decent chance by Caron at 15:07, but Theodore hangs on to wrister. Bruins wtih 6-3 shot edge. Had only two shots in first period on Tuesday.

Bergeron skating well. No obvious side effects after getting drilled Tuesday night by Boychuk slapper.

Will be interesting to see if big hit wakes up Marchand. His game has been dormant the last 2-3 weeks.

9:50 -- Referees even it up, call Theodore for delay of game Four-on-four play.

9:09 -- Marchand in penalty box after getting dumped big-time in neutral zone by Campbell. Bergeron takes Campbell slightly to task, then Marchand sent off for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Bruins again with issues getting puck out of their zone. Troublesome of late.

5:40 gone. No score. Three shots on Thomas. Three shots on Theodore.

Just had a 4-minute for change of glass behind Boston net. Back in action. No score.

1:28 gone. No score. Improvement already for B's.

Underway

Update: Bergeron is a go. Same for McQuaid.
Boston scratches: Zanon, Mottau, Whitfield.

Roughly 20 minutes to go here before the 7:30 puck drop between the Bruins and Panthers. No word yet whether Patrice Bergeron, stung by a Johnny Boychuk slapper Tuesday night in Tampa, will suit up tonight.

Bergeron skated just now in the pre-game warmup, but so did Trent Whitfield. If Bergeron feels he can't play, Whitfield will slot between Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin.

Adam McQuaid, who sat out Tuesday due to an unspecified injury, also took the warmup here tonight.

Tim Thomas is back in net for the Bruins.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Greetings from the sunny southern end of Florida, where the Bruins continue their spring training for the fast-advancing playoffs Thursday night here against Panthers.

The Bruins, with Tim Thomas expected in net, hope to snap a season-worst three-game losing streak (equal to a similar skid at the end of October). They were knocked around Tuesday night, 6-1, by the Bolts, and awoke Thursday morning to find the Senators within a single point of tying them for the Northeast Division lead. The Bruins after the game here will have only one game in hand over the Senators.

Update: In a rare break from tradition, coach Claude Julien this morning said that Thomas will be the starter.

Patrice Bergeron missed Wednesday's workout here, the consequence of being hit on the back of a leg with a puck late in the game in Tampa. If Bergeron can't go, look for Trent Whitfield to slot between Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin. During the off-day workout here, Jordan Caron moved up to Seguin's right wing spot on the Milan Lucic-David Krejci line.

Update: Bergeron said he was nailed by a Johnny Boychuk slapper at Tampa. After skating in the morning's optional workout, he remained hopeful that he will be able to suit up against the Panthers. Bergeron: ''I tried to get out of the way, but Johnny's got a pretty hard shot.''

Critical for the Bruins: to get a lead, especially early in the contest. They have allowed the first goal in six straight games and 9 of the last 11. They've also been outscored, 25-15, in the opening two periods of the last 9 games (3-6-0).

''We have to be more efficient,'' said coach Claude Julien. ''Not careful, but more aware...not give up so many outnumbered situations. We've had reckless pinches, our forwards not covering up....and those are errors that are costing us right now.''

''Our sharpness and sense of urgency have to go up a bit,'' added power winger Milan Lucic.

The Bruins also desperately need to sharpen their moribund power play, all too reminiscent of last year's playoffs. Entering the game vs. the Panthers, they have gone 1-for-25 on the man-advantage over the last 9 games.

Puck drop: 7:35 p.m. EST

Record: Bruins, 40-26-3; Panthers, 33-23-13.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers).

Projected lineup:
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Caron
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Brian Rolston
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Greg Zanon-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk

Tim Thomas
Marty Turco

Healthy scratches: Trent Whitfield, Mike Mottau.

Injured: Adam McQuaid

Story lines: The Panthers, like the Bruins, have been nursing a bunch of injuries. Two regulars not expected to suit up for the Floridians: ex-Boston prospect Kris Versteeg and former Flyer Scottie Upshall, now with his fifth NHL team. Nashville selected Upshall as the No. 6 pick overall in the '02 draft and he moved on to the Flyers in their '07 swap for Peter Forsberg...Former Bruin Marco Sturm (37 games: 2-1--3) is with the Panthers, but only as a spare forward. This is his third NHL stop since wearing the Spoked-B....Ex-Devil John Madden, acquired as a mid-season pickup to help anchor a checking line, is expected to suit up for the Panthers....Former BC Eagle Scott Clemmensen (11-6-5 after beginning the season with a twisted knee) has been sharing net duties with ex-Canadien Jose Theodore...The Bruins will wait until Friday morning to jet back to Boston and might be given the day off, depending on the outcome here. They face the Flyers in a 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday in Boston.

THIRD PERIOD

All over here. Bruins drop third in a row, 6-1, to Bolts.

2:50 to go. Bolts still with five-goal lead.

10 seconds after Marchand rings left post, Stamkos nails in No. 50 for 6-1 Tampa lead at 11:43. Assists to St. Louis and Lee. Second time Stamkos has notched 50.

8:53 to go. Bolts still with chokehold, 5-1.

Hoping to keep update, too, on Twitter: @GlobeKPD

Experiencing wifi problems here in Tampa. Apologize if there are further delays this eve.

With 6:04 left in this debacle, Bruins with 25-14 shot lead. Bolts with only 3 shots since moving ahead, 5-0, early in second.

1:55 -- Bolts, 5-1. Bruins finally get on board. Caron, parked at top of crease, deflects in Boychuk's shot from mear blue line, above right wing circle.

SECOND PERIOD

Only time Bruins lost three straight this season: Oct. 22-27-29.

Funny math: Bolts now with only 11-10 shot lead with 6:00 to in second. Still ahead, 5-0, on scoreboard.

Yep, white flag. Turco comes back into game with score 5-0. Julien rests Thomas, who likely will start Thursday night in Sunrise.

3:06: Bolts, 5-0. Stamkos with No. 49, flips puck out from behind net, bangs Thomas' stick blade.

Underway here. If Bruins can't cut down on 4-0 deficit quickly, wonder if Julien brings back Turco for some mopup work.

FIRST PERIOD

To quote the late Ned Martin: Mercy! The first period is over. Bolts, 4-0, with 10-2 shot advantage.

16:08 -- Thornton's had enough, picks on Commodore and beats stuffing out of ex-Wing blueliner. Does not cut into 4-0 deficit.

With 4:32 to go in first, Hedman rips in slapper from point slot on power play for 4-0 lead.

Paille off for slash at 13:06. Second TBL PP.

Bruins get first shot on net at 9:25. Whitfield backhand stuff attempt at left post, thwarted by Tokarski.

Thing have settled down a bit. 8:30 gone and the Bolts haven't scored a goal in 4 minutes. Still with 3-0 lead. Bruins yet to get a shot.

Thomas relieves Turco at 4:31. Bolts with 3-0 lead on six shots. Bruins yet to land a shot at other end of the ice.

What a beating. Shannon power-play goal at 4:31 makes it 3-0.

2:26 -- Tampa, 2-0. Turco can't cover at left post. Thompson makes pot after Hall shovels over to top of crease. Two shots, two goals.

1:40 -- Puck by Turco, but goal initially waved off. Now under review. Goal stands. Tampa with 1-0 lead.

Underway.

Update: Bergeon is in the lineup. Also, Danny Paille is back tonight.

We're about 20 minutes from faceoff here in Tampa. Patrice Bergeron was on the ice for the pre-game warmup. No word yet on whether he plays tonight.

Adam McQuaid, like Bergeron injured Sunday in Pittsburgh, did not participate in the pre-game. He will not be in uniform tonight.

All done in Pittsburgh. Bruins beaten and beaten up.

16:07 3d period: Penguins 5-2
Pascal Dupuis on the breakaway. Backhand tuck. Milan Lucic back for Zdeno Chara, goes fishing for puck instead of playing it safe. Good riddance to this game.

15:34 3d period: Penguins 4-2
Johnny Boychuk back on bench.

14:15 3d period: Penguins 4-2
Save of the game. Marc-Andre Fleury gloves David Krejci’s rebound attempt after Joe Corvo shot.

13:29 3d period: Penguins 4-2
Evgeni Malkin off for boarding Johnny Boychuk. Tempers flare. Shawn Thornton in mix.

13:13 3d period: Penguins 4-2
Marty Turco makes tough save through traffic on Craig Adams. Turco keeping his boys within striking distance.

5:07 3d period: Penguins 4-2
Patrice Bergeron not on bench again. Tried but not happening.

2:10 3d period: Penguins 4-2
Joe Vitale partial breakaway. Marty Turco gets a piece of the shot. Big stop.

0:00 3d period: Penguins 4-2
Patrice Bergeron on bench to start third. Took hard spins on ice.

20:00 2d period: Penguins 4-2
After worst start of season, Bruins still knocking on door. All without Patrice Bergeron, Adam McQuaid, Max Sauve. Try figuring this team out.

19:30 2d period: Penguins 4-2
Good looks for Tyler Seguin and David Krejci. Dan Bylsma sure to give it to his club during second intermission.

18:17 2d period: Penguins 4-2
Marc-Andre Fleury kicks out Chris Kelly shot. Bruins getting their chances.

16:49 2d period: Penguins 4-2
Money save by Marc-Andre Fleury on Joe Corvo. Would have been huge goal for Bruins.

13:56 2d period: Penguins 4-2
Tyler Kennedy rings a shot off the post.

11:38 2d period: Penguins 4-2
Still no sign of Patrice Bergeron. Max Sauve also missing. Bergeron would be crippling loss.

10:01 2d period: Penguins 4-2
Milan Lucic wheels around net, finds David Krejci in front. Somehow, Bruins are still in this.

9:07 2d period: Penguins 4-1
Sparkling pad stack by Marty Turco on Evgeni Malkin. Old school stuff.

5:46 2d period: Penguins 4-1
Patrice Bergeron in room again.

4:27 2d period: Penguins 4-1
Chris Kunitz buries dish from James Neal. No chance for Marty Turco.

3:05 2d period: Penguins 3-1
Patrice Bergeron back on ice. Didn’t miss a shift.

1:56 2d period: Penguins 3-1
David Krejci partial breakaway. Goes upstairs on M-A Fleury. A flicker of life.

1:00 2d period: Penguins 3-0
Patrice Bergeron limps off. Takes a Matt Niskanen blast off left foot.

0:00 2d period: Penguins 3-0
Marty Turco in. Tim Thomas out. First NHL appearance since March 17, 2011.

0:00 2d period: Penguins 3-0
Adam McQuaid out for rest of game. Looked like a shoulder injury when he hit James Neal.

20:00 1st period: Penguins 3-0
Disgraceful first period. Could get uglier in second. Bruins playing with zero confidence. On their heels for most of the first. Penguins playing at different gear. Might have to go with Marty Turco to change pace.

19:35 1st period: Penguins 3-0
Dennis Seidenberg trips Evgeni Malkin. Five-on-three for 15 seconds.

18:48 1st period: Penguins 3-0
James Neal with speed, goes far post for PPG. Bruins coming apart at seams.

17:51 1st period: Penguins 2-0
Zdeno Chara off for interference. Five-on-three for 1:25.

17:16 1st period: Penguins 2-0
Milan Lucic off for slashing. This could be curtains if Penguins score.

16:10 1st period: Penguins 2-0
A little better for the Bruins last couple shifts. But Penguins playing at full gas. Putting Bruins on their heels.

11:11 1st period: Penguins 2-0
Shawn Thornton trying to encourage Deryk Engelland to fight. Nothing happening.

7:32 1st period: Penguins 2-0
Third time in week Bruins have given opponent two-spot in first period.

7:12 1st period: Penguins 2-0
Matt Niskanen point shot through traffic beats Tim Thomas. Adam McQuaid in serious pain after checking James Neal. McQuaid to the room.

3:24 1st period: Penguins 1-0
Shawn Thornton deflects Ben Lovejoy shot. Arron Asham jumps on rebound and slips it past Tim Thomas. Another early deficit.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Andrew Ference in. Greg Zanon out.

@GlobeFluto

THIRD PERIOD

All over at Garden. Caps, 4-3. Bruins now 1-11 in games follow their last 12 victories.

2:39 to go, TV break. How soon will B's pull Thomas for extra attacker?

16:47 - Caps, 4-3 -- Boychuk jumps to net and cashes in at left post.

4:00 to go.

Prior Bostonian Knuble hits post wth 7:09 to go. Score remains 4-2, Caps.

Midway through second. Bruins slightly better, but not looking good. Caps take timeout with 10:20 to go.

Very quiet at Garden with 13:30 to go.

Bruins need early burst of energy to get back in this one.

Underway.

SECOND PERIOD

40:00 in books. Caps, 4-2. For 22nd time in 27 games, Bruins enter third period without lead.

17:31 -- Caps, 4-2, PPG. -- Laich gains position on McQuaid, top of crease, deflects home Wideman wrister. Likely won't happen, but Turco option to replace Thomas for third period.

15:34 -- Zanon roughing (elbow) on Perreault gives Caps third PP of period.

11:22 -- Caps, 3-2. Beagle drills in 20-footer from slot off Semin feed out of corner. Puck squibs free in Corvo-Seidenberg collision. Bruins with 0:00 in lead time this afternoon.

8:59 -- Zanon off for holding. Caps power play. Ovechkin at left point.

Bruins, 2-2 -- Marchand, unassisted. Caron solid hit on Ovechkin along wall in neutral zone helps free puck for Marchand to scoop and score. No. 23 for the Li'l Ball o' Hate.

Bruins announce that Pouliot out today with lower-body injury.

Underway.

FIRST PERIOD

Late Lucic goal cuts Caps lead in half, 2-1, into first intermission. Shots, 13-13.

19:54 -- Caps, 2-1 -- Looch collects dead puck in left wing circle off Bergeron-Beagle faceoff and snaps in 12-15 foot forehander.
\
18:14 -- Ten-bell save by Vokoun, flashes left leg to stop Seguin stuff attempt at right post off Krejci feed.

16:03 -- Rookie MacDermid hauled down. Bruins with second PP chance.

11:19 -- Bruins with first power-play chance. PP1: Marchand-Bergeron-Caron with Rolston-Chara at points.

8:41 to go in period. Caps still with two-goal lead, 12-5 shot lead. Bruins slow to perk. Caron begins game on third line, quickly bumped up to Marchand-Bergeron combo.

8:15 -- Caps, 2-0. Hendricks digs puck out of Thomas pads after Brouwer deflects puck on net. Coach Claude Julien calls rare timeout in attempt to help club regain focus.

7:50 -- Caps, 1-0. Semin pots doorstep rebound on forehander. Caps with 10-3 shot lead.

Caps with three shots on Thomas in first three minutes. B's yet to land one on Vokoun.

Underway.

Good afternoon from TD Garden, where the Bruins will shoot for three wins in a row today against Washington.

Andrew Ference (lower body) and Daniel Paille (upper body) skated this morning. Neither will play today, but they will both accompany the team on its three-game road trip to Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and Florida.

Puck drop: 1 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama),98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Capitals 33-28-6, Bruins 40-23-3

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Tyler Seguin
Brian Rolston- Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Jordan Caron
Lane MacDermid-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Mike Mottau-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas
Marty Turco

Healthy scratches: Greg Zanon

Storylines: The Capitals will be without Mike Green. The defenseman was suspended for three games for an illegal hit… The Bruins will depart for Pittsburgh after today’s game. They play on NBC on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. It’s possible Sidney Crosby could make his return against the Bruins… Tim Peel and Brian Pochmara will be the referees. Jean Morin and Steve Miller will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Boston. Back-to-back wins for Bruins for first time in almost two months.

17:53 3d period: Bruins 3-1
Fourth line caught in own zone. Timeout Bruins.

15:54 3d period: Bruins 3-1
David Krejci takes a pass from Milan Lucic, goes hard to the net, scores upstairs on Jhonas Enroth. Good speed all the way up the ice for Lucic and Krejci. That might be curtains for Sabres.

13:23 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Brad Marchand in pain. Belted by Tyler Myers into the wall.

12:56 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Johnny Boychuk with the laser from the right point. What a bomb. First lead for the Bruins. Terrific wall work by Jordan Caron to get the puck going the other way.

10:23 3d period: 1-1
Ten-bell save by Jhonas Enroth on Chris Kelly. Right in front. Kick save after nice Adam McQuaid pass.

9:34 3d period: 1-1
Johnny Boychuk flattens Thomas Vanek. Boychuk hasn’t let up since getting run over by Chris Neil.

2:16 3d period: 1-1
Good shot from slot by Lane MacDermid. Hasn’t looked out of place in three games.

20:00 2d period: 1-1
Very important for Bruins not to be behind after 40 minutes. Bruins with 22-14 shot advantage.

18:09 2d period: 1-1
Gregory Campbell tips Shawn Thornton blast past Jhonas Enroth. Christian Ehrhoff pass skitters off Cody Hogdson’s skate in defensive zone. Thornton jumps on puck and lets one rip.

16:05 2d period: Sabres 1-0
Jordan Caron takes a shift in Brian Rolston’s spot on No. 2 line. Rolston now on third line.

12:50 2d period: Sabres 1-0
Closest chance yet. Dennis Seidenberg rips a slapper off the right post.

8:17 2d period: Sabres 1-0
Tyler Seguin in with speed. Jhonas Enroth with the big pad stop. Excellent pass by Joe Corvo to spring Seguin.

5:21 2d period: Sabres 1-0
Couple good scoring chances so far in second for Bruins. Jhonas Enroth flawless so far.

20:00 1st period: Sabres 1-0
Bruins chasing the game once again. Good shot by Jason Pominville. But a locked-in Tim Thomas stops that shot.

16:39 1st period: Sabres 1-0
Jason Pominville breaking down right wing with speed. Rips a slapper over Tim Thomas’s glove. Good middle drive by Derek Roy.

14:58 1st period: 0-0
Good pace to the game. Bruins getting their sniffs on Jhonas Enroth. Shots 11-4.

10:07 1st period: 0-0
First PP of night. Hooking on Drew Stafford, trying to hold up Milan Lucic driving to net.

4:00 1st period: 0-0
Somewhat surprising Greg Zanon scratched. But Zanon’s best game was his first. Has slipped in every game.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Benoit Pouliot in. Max Sauve reassigned to Providence. Greg Zanon out. Mike Mottau in.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Toronto. Marty Turco joining team on flight back to Boston. Must clear waivers at noon on Wednesday.

15:40 3d period: Bruins 5-4
Tim Thomas gloves Dion Phaneuf’s shot. Bruins need Thomas to be Thomas here.

13:13 3d period: Bruins 5-4
Mikhail Grabovski on two-on-one rush. Makes no mistake. Looked like bad line change by Bruins.

8:37 3d period: Bruins 5-3
Great SH chance for Nikolai Kulemin. Tim Thomas comes up big.

5:21 3d period: Bruins 5-3
Mikhail Grabovski with a chance. Tim Thomas with a pad stop. Tougher save than it looked like.

2:39 3d period: Bruins 5-3
Another golden chance for Milan Lucic in front. No luck for Lucic.

0:57 3d period: Bruins 5-3
Layup for Milan Lucic in front. Can’t get blade on puck.

20:00 2d period: Bruins 5-3
At end, brief scrap between Brad Marchand and Tim Connolly. Quick takedown for Connolly. Bruins with rare lead after 40 minutes.

19:46 2d period: Bruins 5-3
Goalie top necessity for Leafs. Jonas Gustavsson not ace material.

16:09 2d period: Bruins 5-3
Tyler Seguin raps a half-slapper past Jonas Gustavsson. Softie. Gustavsson leaning wrong way.

13:34 2d period: Bruins 4-3
Jordan Caron buries a Zdeno Chara dish. Sweet cross-crease feed from Chara to back post. Slam dunk of a goal for Caron.

9:52 2d period: 3-3
Tim Thomas gets most of Phil Kessel’s shot. But dribbles over line before Thomas can squeeze it shut. Thomas has to keep that one from going over line.

9:35 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Toronto timeout. Critical kill.

8:56 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Tripping on Patrice Bergeron. Two-man advantage for 1:40.

8:36 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Dennis Seidenberg vs. Colby Armstrong. Seidenberg doesn’t like Armstrong hit. Adam McQuaid tries to jump in, but Seidenberg fights his own fight. Sends Armstrong off to the room dripping blood.

2:45 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Off the draw, Shawn Thornton vs. Jay Rosehill. Rosehill starts strong, Thornton better in end. Gutsy fight for Thornton, whose forehead is still showing marks of Eric Boulton’s fists.

2:43 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Power move by Jordan Caron to take puck to net. Denied, but Chris Kelly scores on rebound.

2:02 2d period: 2-2
Zdeno Chara with a nice-looking goal. Takes a pass from David Krejci, blows past Phil Kessel, goes high glove on Jonas Gustavsson. Dangle, dangle.

0:57 2d period: Leafs 2-1
Tim Thomas stops first shot from left circle. But kicks rebound to stick of John-Michael Liles. Layup.

0:31 2d period: 1-1
Brad Marchand off for hooking. First PP of the night.

20:00 1st period: 1-1
Tyler Seguin hits post in final 10 seconds. Bruins with 11-7 shot advantage.

15:55 1st period: 1-1
Brad Marchand and Mike Komisarek having a chat. Neither would win popularity contest.

14:37 1st period: 1-1
TV timeout. Thank goodness. Can catch a breath between swearing.

13:58 1st period: 1-1
Apologies for the slow start here. IT issues. Jordan Caron ties it up. How did that happen? Didn’t see. Too busy cursing the computer.

10:48 1st period: Leafs 1-0
Jordan Caron goes wide left. Good shift for Caron.

3:01 1st period: Leafs 1-0
Carl Gunnarson with the point shot. Traffic in front keeps Tim Thomas from getting bead on shot. Greg Zanon tangling with a Toronto forward in front. Again, playing from behind.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
No lineup changes for Bruins. Mike Mottau healthy scratch.

@GlobeFluto

All done on Broadway. Bruins lose second straight.

16:11 3d period: Rangers 4-3
Joe Corvo takes puck in cheek. Looks OK.

13:45 3d period: Rangers 4-3
Delay of game on Stu Bickel. Critical PP.

12:21 3d period: Rangers 4-3
Derek Stepan snipes high glove on Tim Thomas. Heck of a shot. But Thomas makes that save when he’s on. Easy entry for Rangers. Killer goal.

11:42 3d period: 3-3
David Krejci takes a dish from Milan Lucic and hits the back of the net. Good speed on rush for Tyler Seguin to initiate the play. Seguin drives to net to create seam. Lucic pass off Dan Girardi’s stick.

10:05 3d period: Rangers 3-2
Derek Stepan with a great chance in front. Wide right. As expected, Rangers pushing. Bruins running out of jump.

6:43 3d period: Rangers 3-2
Brad Marchand just misses on backhand.

3:14 3d period: Rangers 3-2
Marian Gaborik, foiled by Tim Thomas on first take, buries his second chance. Dennis Seidenberg caught pinching up ice. Then was running around at other end.

20:00 2d period: 2-2
Dominant second for Bruins. Wearing out ice in New York zone. Unlucky not to get goal. Bruins must be wary of Rangers pushback in third. Rangers awful in second.

13:58 2d period: 2-2
Bruins with 21-10 shot advantage. Controlling pace.

11:50 2d period: 2-2
Gregory Campbell, on second whack, hits right post.

9:39 2d period: 2-2
Too many men on Rangers. Fortunate for Bruins. NYR had them on ropes.

9:17 2d period: 2-2
Dan Girardi smokes Milan Lucic along boards. Wicked thump.

1:40 2d period: 2-2
Jordan Caron picks off Dan Girardi pass. Slaps one through Girardi screen and past Henrik Lundqvist. Two picks by Caron lead to two goals. Lundqvist looks mortal, though Caron’s shot might have ticked off Girardi.

20:00 1st period: Rangers 2-1
Twenty minutes finally in books. Bruins with some pushback.

18:30 1st period: Rangers 2-1
Brad Marchand with a backhand off the bar. Good dangle by Marchand. Post, back of Henrik Lundqvist’s right leg, post.

17:07 1st period: Rangers 2-1
Period over. Glass cracked behind Henrik Lundqvist. Teams sent to room.

15:38 1st period: Rangers 2-1
Gregory Campbell vs. Stu Bickel. Fight away from puck. Even scrap.

7:59 1st period: Rangers 2-1
Off the draw, Milan Lucic vs. Brandon Prust. Lucic ends the fight with some nasty lefts in front of the Boston bench. Round 2 goes to Lucic (Prust had won previous scrap).

7:57 1st period: Rangers 2-1
Excellent stick by Jordan Caron leads to chance in front. Benoit Pouliot buries the shot. Great forechecking by Caron and Chris Kelly on Anton Stralman to force giveaway.

7:04 1st period: Rangers 2-0
Rangers putting foot down. Bruins dreadful with puck management in own end.

6:15 1st period: Rangers 2-0
Rangers get another. Looked like Brandon Dubinsky got a piece of it. Fling out front by Carl Hagelin. Dubinsky gets to net before Gregory Campbell. Might have ticked off Greg Zanon before beating Tim Thomas. Timeout Bruins.

5:05 1st period: Rangers 1-0
Anton Stralman with the long-distance goal through traffic. Bruins had killed off Zdeno Chara penalty but couldn’t clear zone.

2:30 1st period: 0-0
Lane MacDermid vs. Mike Rupp. Welcome to the NHL, Lane. Takes some big rights from Rupp, but hangs in and scores the takedown.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Mike Mottau is the healthy scratch. Ryan Callahan out.

@GlobeFluto

Good afternoon from TD Garden, where the Bruins will face off against the Islanders today. It will be the first game for Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau against their old teammates since the trade that brought them to Boston on Monday.

Andrew Ference (lower body) will not play. Johnny Boychuk will be a game-time decision.

Puck drop: 1 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama),98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Islanders 26-29-9, Bruins 33-21-3

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Tyler Seguin
Brian Rolston- Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Jordan Caron
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Greg Zanon-Adam McQuaid

Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Healthy scratches: Mike Mottau

Storylines: The Bruins will travel to New York after today’s game. They will face off against the Rangers tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. on NBC… The Bruins worked primarily on their power play during practice yesterday. They haven’t scored a man-up goal in the last two games… Jean Hebert and Marc Joannette will be the referees. Brad Kovachik and Derek Nansen will be the referees.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Boston. David Krejci with hat trick.

20:00 2d period: 3-3
Bruins with a point. Fortunate given how poorly they played in second period.

14:26 3d period: 3-3
Chris Kelly replaces Brian Rolston on No. 2 line. Rolston having hard time fitting in.

9:15 3d period: 3-3
Chris Kelly rings a shorthanded shot off the post. NJ gives up shorties like candy.

8:57 3d period: 3-3
Andrew Ference to the room. Had left earlier and returned to the bench. Might be done for the night.

5:30 3d period: 3-3
All tied up. David Krejci whacks puck past Martin Brodeur from sharp angle. Zdeno Chara down low causing havoc.

20:00 2d period: Devils 3-2
Rotten second for Bruins. Zero pressure on goal, hardly any puck possession. Joe Corvo’s night may be over. Benched after Patrik Elias’s second goal. Bruins rotating five defensemen.

17:46 2d period: Devils 3-2
David Clarkson jams puck through Tim Thomas. Has to stop that shot.

14:03 2d period: 2-2
Patrik Elias scores on doorstep. Rebound of Anton Volchenkov shot off Tim Thomas to Elias’s blade. NJ owning Bruins in second.

13:28 2d period: Bruins 2-1
David Clarkson pegged by Marek Zidlicky slapper off the leg. In pain.

8:37 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Alex Ponikarovsky with punishing hit on Andrew Ference. Devils continue to push.

6:27 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Two-on-one rush for Devils. Ilya Kovalchuk with sweet saucer pass over Dennis Seidenberg’s to Zach Parise, who makes no mistake. Zero energy for Bruins so far in second.

4:30 2d period: Bruins 2-0
NJ really pushing. Bruins need more time with puck.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 2-0
One of best first periods in recent memory for Bruins. David Krejci’s line flying. Good energy all around.

16:05 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Greg Zanon lays solid lick on David Clarkson. Zanon fitting in already. Can’t say that about Brian Rolston. Struggling.

14:51 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Shawn Thornton back on the bench. Had gone to room for repairs following scrap.

11:28 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Sprawling stop by Martin Brodeur on David Krejci’s shorthanded breakaway. Brodeur pulling out all stops so far.

8:10 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Tyler Seguin, robbed earlier in first, beats Martin Brodeur. Terrific work by Milan Lucic to fight off Mark Fayne’s check, spot Seguin, and get the puck to the sniper.

5:43 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Martin Brodeur reaches back to keep Gregory Campbell’s shot off the line.

4:23 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Highlight save by Martin Brodeur. Right-pad kickout on Tyler Seguin at point-blank range. As good as you’ll see.

2:11 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Shawn Thornton vs. Eric Boulton. Heavyweight scrap between two standup tough guys. Thornton to the room.

1:13 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Immediate chemistry between Tyler Seguin and David Krejci. Seguin carries the puck into offensive zone with speed. Finds Krejci cutting to middle. Krejci slips puck past Martin Brodeur.

0:00 1st period:0-0
Brian Rolston on Patrice Bergeron’s right wing. Tyler Seguin away from Bergeron for first time (other than suspension) since Oct. 28.

@GlobeFluto

THIRD PERIOD

All done on Causeway. Senators take it, 1-0.

With 4:04 to go, Thomas stones Zack Smith on breakaway. Senators have enough solid chances tonight for a 6-0 lead. Still 1-0.

Bruins getting a few more shots this period. Close gap to 37-28. But still can't solve Lehner.

7:00 to go. Status quo.

Two more Thomas stops by Thomas around the 9:00 mark. Two-time Vezina winner sole reason Bruins still have a sniff.

Bruins were blanked, 3-0, by Rangers in last game on Causeway, Feb. 14. Now into their sixth period without a goal on Causeway St.

Bruins get second chance of night with power play at 5:13. Put only one shot on net. Senators remain out front, 1-0.

4:00 into third, Bruins still can't get any offense going. Rolston now out with
Thornton and Pouliot. Caron off line.

Bruins need a kickstart. Or maybe a kick.

SECOND PERIOD

Second verse, same as the first. Ottawa, 1-0, after 40. For 17th time in last 21 games, Bruins will enter third period without lead.

3:20 to go before break. Ottawa still working with 1-0 lead. Outshooting Bruins, 30-14.

12:39 -- Lucic decks Turris in Boston end at end of delayed penalty (slashing) against Lucic. Turris dealt Corvo bad hit Saturdcay night in Ottawa.

Lehner turns back good Thornton offering from right wing circle.

Thomas loses stick in collision with Turris around the 9:45 mark. Manages to keep puck out of net.

8:26. Condra misses wideopen net with 10-foot forehand. Incredible that he missed it.

Thomas now with 19 saves, while Bruins able to get only 9 chances on Lehner. Lopsided night for Spoked-B.

5:38 -- Near skirmish between Neil and Thornton. On-ice officials douse flames.

5:00 gone in second. Ottawa still with 1-0 lead.

Underway.

Senators hold 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. Also own impressive 13-7 shot lead. Impressive work by Thomas keeps it one-goal game.

Ottawa wins 16 of the 25 faceoffs in first 20:00. Poor period all around by the Bruins, who are without core players Horton, Peverley and Boychuk.

Bruins show little on their only power play of period, awarded at 16:56. Rolston gets brief time at left point, with Chars manning right.

14:44 -- Senators, 1-0. Karlsson hammers in slot-point slapper on Ottawa's second power play of night. Most of the period has been played in Boston's end. Short work commute from Bruins bench.

Senators get first chance on PP when Rolston goes for tripping at 9:41. Wonderful to see Sens work puck on PP. Quick, light touches. Globetrotter-like.

Thornton not on Boston bench. Rolston takes his turn on fourth line at 9:30. Thornton returns to bench before shift ends. Strongman Shawn has been ailing of late.

Lehner gloves Boston's first shot, a long Seidenberg slapper at 6:56.

Thomas holds fort at 5:15 mark after losing stick in crease. Senators increase shot lead to 4-0. Still no score.

Shawn Thornton back in lineup, riding with familiar Fourth Freres, Campbell and Paille.

Bruins first-unit D has Chara with Ference.

90 seconds in, Rolston centers Pouliot and Caron. Considers Berlitz classes.

Mottau with McQuiad in No. 3 D pairing.

Underway.

Newcomers MIke Mottau and Brian ''Redux'' Rolston in for Bruins.

20-year-old Swede Robin Lehner in net for Sens. Ex-Bruin Alex Auld took the 5-3 loss to Bruins Saturday night in Ottawa.

Less than a half hour to go before faceoff, Bruins-Senators, and the Way Back Machine has Brian Rolston sportin' No. 12 for the home team.

Stay tuned. Could be a John Wensink sighting before night's end.

Good morning from TD Garden, where the new-look Bruins will square off against Ottawa tonight.

Newly acquired Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau are present for the morning skate. They are expected to play tonight. Greg Zanon is not here. Zanon was scheduled to fly from Minnesota this morning.

Max Sauve is also present. Sauve was assigned to Providence yesterday. Sauve might be here in case Shawn Thornton can’t play. Thornton, who has been ill, is participating in the skate.

Puck drop: 7 p.m. ET

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama),98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Bruins 36-20-2, Senators 26-27-7

Projected Bruins lineup:

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Milan Lucic-Chris Kelly-David Krejci
Benoit Pouliot-Brian Rolston-Jordan Caron
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Adam McQuaid
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Mike Mottau-Andrew Ference

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Healthy scratches: none

Storylines: Rolston will wear No. 12. Tomas Kaberle will be having a word with his former employer… Johnny Boychuk (concussion) will not play tonight. This will be the second game Boychuk will miss this season. Boychuk sat out one game because of flu-like symptoms… We could see Joe Corvo pursue Kyle Turris. Corvo didn’t like Turris’s hit on Saturday… Dan O’Rourke and Francois St. Laurent will be the referees. Greg Devorski and Bryan Pancich will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

THIRD PERIOD

19:41 -- Bruins, 5-3 -- Bergeron with lone shot into empty net.

17:52 -- Bruins, 4-3 -- Alfredsson with another one-toim bomb.

16:15 Bruins, 4-2 -- Alfredsson with one-time bomb.

Big man battle with 7:00 to go, Chara vs. Neil. Chara lands better shots, but slips to end bout, with Neil successfully fighting temptation to pound Chara while he's down on ice.

10:24 -- Bruins, 4-1. Krejci with more icing on cake. Turning into a sweet night for B's.

Bad hit by Turris on Corvo. Earns Turris 5:00 for boarding.

Boychuk to room after getting clobbered in heavy check by Neil. Bone-rattler.

Underway.

SECOND PERIOD

Bruins go into second break with 3-1 lead. Chance to head home with 3-2-1 mark on road trip.

Period ends with Chara jawing at Carkner. Gentle, giants.

6:25 to go. Game remains very loose. Senators with frequent coughups and turnovers. Puck management lacking.

10:29 -- Thomas smothers sharp wrister by Michael, keeps it 3-1. Boston with 23-14 shot edge.

Bruins already with three goals. Only scored 11 times in other five games of this trip. Return to bountiful.

3:57 -- Bruins, 3-1. Camper's first career goal. Knocks it home from short range after McQauid's shot from above left wing circle bangs around in slot.

2:17 -- Auld repels Seguin mash attempt.

Play resumes.

FIRST PERIOD

First 20:00 in books. Bruins with 2-1 lead and 13-9 shot advantage. Loose game. Bruins skating well, given it's end of a long roadie.

16:13 -- Boston, 2-1. Marchand, on fly, snaps in wrister from just above left wing circle. Bergeron and Chara each with second points of night.

4:15 to go. Still tied, 1-1. Bruins with 10-5 shot lead.

Good hand from crowd when PA announcer intros ex-Bruin Rick Smith, here in audience.

Outstanding glove save by Thomas off Greening's blistering wrister at 12:39. Keeps it 1-1. The olde Thomas on that one. Brilliant.

Bruins kill Chara's cross-checking penalty. Allow no shots. 8:30 to go.

Jordan Caron rides with fellow former WannBs Hennessy and Camper.

3:46 -- Bruins, 1-1 -- Bergeron with equalizer. Parks top of crease and makes forehand pot of rebound off Chara's long one-time slapper.

1:10 -- Senators, 1-0. Karlsson wrists first OTT shot of the night by Tim Thomas.

Ex-Bruin Alex Auld in net for Sens.

Minutes from puck drop. Helmets on. Chinstraps snug.

Shawn Thornton, ailing with flu-like symptoms, is a late scratch for the defending Cup champs. Bay Stater Josh Hennessy back in the lineup.

All done in Buffalo. Derek Roy ends it in shootout.

5:00 OT: 1-1
Shootout time. Ryan Miller looking pretty good through 65. Tuukka Rask a bit scrambly.

2:38 OT: 1-1
Tuukka Rask gloves the puck to halt the action. Furious pace down low by the Sabres. Zdeno Chara gets in front of Thomas Vanek’s chance.

20:00 3d period: 1-1
Bruins will have 1:37 remaining on Thomas Vanek’s high-sticking penalty in overtime. Bruins will take the point. Bruins at their best in the third.

6:05 3d period: 1-1
David Krejci tip goes just wide. Bruins finally pushing.

5:19 3d period: 1-1
Good backchecking hustle by Johnny Boychuk. Derek Roy had a chance after blocking Zdeno Chara shot, but Boychuk hustled to bust it up.

3:36 3d period: 1-1
Zdeno Chara with the PPG. Shot goes through double screen of Milan Lucic and Tyler Myers. Ryan Miller never going to see the puck with that kind of beef in front.

2:58 3d period: Sabres 1-0
Glittering SH chance for Patrick Kaleta. Puck goes wide with Tuukka Rask down and out.

0:36 3d period: Sabres 1-0
Big Johnny Boychuk block on Jordan Leopold blast. Boychuk limping after that one.

20:00 2d period: Sabres 1-0
Bruins chasing the game heading into the third. Very easy night for Ryan Miller through 40 minutes.

18:20 2d period: Sabres 1-0
Ryan Miller smothers Chris Kelly shot. Bruins not getting any sustained pressure on Miller.

15:46 2d period: Sabres 1-0
Another tripping call on Corey Tropp. At the least, Bruins have to create some momentum.

14:44 2d period: Sabres 1-0
Andrej Sekera goes high blocker on Tuukka Rask. Good wall work by Sabres to get Sekera the puck. Nice shot.

13:54 2d period: 0-0
Nothing on PP. Bruins out of practice.

11:54 2d period: 0-0
Corey Tropp off for tripping. First PP for Bruins in last two games.

7:42 2d period: 0-0
Ryan Miller gloves David Krejci’s short-range bid. Miller looking sharp.

1:00 2d period: 0-0
Good chance for Tyler Seguin. Picks off Paul Gaustad pass and goes high on Ryan Miller. Shot goes over net.

20:00 1st period: 0-0
Not many scoring chances for either club through 20 minutes.

8:15 1st period: 0-0
Zdeno Chara’s slapper tipped by Gregory Campbell off the post.

5:44 1st period: 0-0
Boos for Brad Marchand. Surprised he’s even playing. Should have been floored with food poisoning.

0:53 1st period: 0-0
Terrific chance for Derek Roy in front. Tuukka Rask scrambles to keep puck in front of the line. No stick for Johnny Boychuk.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
No lineup changes. Josh Hennessy and Andrew Bodnarchuk out.

@GlobeFluto

All done in St. Louis. Huge win for Bruins.

9:14 3d period: Bruins 4-2
Brad Marchand scores on the breakaway. Fakes forehand, tucks backhand five-hole. Blues caught up the ice. Nice pass off wall by Tyler Seguin.

5:19 3d period: Bruins 3-2
Brad Marchand with Chris Kelly and David Krejci. Milan Lucic with Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin.

4:50 3d period: Bruins 3-2
Bruins shortening bench. Gregory Campbell between Benoit Pouliot and Shawn Thornton.

20:00 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Blues with 23-10 shot advantage. Bruins will pack it in even more during the third. Should be interesting to see if they can weather what will be Blues’ hardest push.

19:47 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Very tough save by Tim Thomas on Kris Russell through traffic. Quick glove.

11:42 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Only two shots on goal for Bruins. Not good enough.

7:34 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Johnny Boychuk strikes iron. Hits off two sticks. No goal after review.

5:25 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Referee Ian Walsh to the locker room. Cut during scrum along wall. Leaking blood during play.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 3-2
Hardly a shred of defense played by either team in first period. Very uncharacteristic. Blues with 9-6 shot advantage. Everybody needs to calm down.

19:20 1st period: Bruins 3-2
Chris Kelly all alone in front. Another nice dish from Milan Lucic. Huge goal for Bruins.

18:30 1st period: 2-2
Chris Stewart ticks a shot off the post. Tim Thomas scrambling like mad.

16:49 1st period: 2-2
Very good PK by the Bruins. First show of defense all night.

12:15 1st period: 2-2
B.J. Crombeen scores on the rebound. Blues all over the Bruins on the forecheck. Tim Thomas having trouble spotting puck.

7:17 1st period: Bruins 2-1
Chris Stewart on the rebound. Strange deflection off Jason Arnott’s shot leads to bouncing rebound. Stewart buries the shot.

6:19 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Joe Corvo with the blast from the right point. Tipped by Milan Lucic. Bruins playing with pace. David Krejci starts the play by flattening Kris Russell on the forecheck behind the Blues net.

2:38 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Adam McQuaid vs. B.J. Crombeen. Big-boy dustup. McQuaid starts out strong, using reach and size. Crombeen comes back at end. Tough lads.

2:29 1st period: Bruins 1-0
A rare first goal for the Bruins. Brad Marchand picks Kevin Shattenkirk’s pocket. Goes high glove on Brian Elliott.

0:40 1st period: 0-0
Right-pad kickout by Brian Elliott on Chris Kelly. Good feed by Milan Lucic. Uncharacteristic for St. Louis to give up so much room in slot.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Shawn Thornton and Carter Camper in. Josh Hennessy out.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Minny. Bruins lose two straight for first time in over month.

18:30 3d period: Wild 2-0
Timeout Bruins. O-zone faceoff coming with Tim Thomas out of net.

11:30 3d period: Wild 2-0
Good goaltending at both ends. Tim Thomas kicks out Dany Heatley’s chance. At other end, Nik Backstrom gets a piece of Joe Corvo’s shot.

9:51 3d period: Wild 2-0
Nik Backstrom with his best save so far. Glove stop on Milan Lucic down low. Little higher and that’s a goal by Lucic.

5:20 3d period: Wild 2-0
Jeff Taffe with a shot off the crossbar.

4:44 3d period: Wild 2-0
Mad flurry by Wild on Tim Thomas. Jed Ortmeyer with first attempt. Chad Rau also has a sniff. Thomas down and out.

4:00 3d period: Wild 2-0
Line changes for Bruins. Chris Kelly up with David Krejci and Milan Lucic. Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Caron flanking Josh Hennessy.

2:15 3d period: Wild 2-0
Finally, Shawn Thornton vs. Matt Kassian. Kassian with the early flurry, then hangs on to hold off Thornton late. Long scrap. Kassian wanted that one for a while.

0:44 3d period: Wild 2-0
Tyler Seguin with two in-close chances. Can’t break through.

20:00 2d period: Wild 2-0
Another stinker of a second by the Bruins. Minnesota 20 minutes away from ending a seven-game losing streak.

16:32 2d period: Wild 2-0
Two-on-one for Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley. Tim Thomas with the desperation save. Bruins are leaking big-time now.

15:30 2d period: Wild 2-0
Clean breakout by Wild leads to Matt Cullen PPG. Cullen fans on first shot, but snaps second one past Tim Thomas. Splits Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg with ease. Given Bruins’ lack of pop, that might be enough.

10:15 2d period: Wild 1-0
Chad Rau down left wing with speed. Beats Tim Thomas with off-wing wrister. At that angle, Thomas usually stops it.

20:00 1st period: 0-0
Shots tied up, 13-13. More life for Minnesota in second half of first. Bruins with some good looks but no finish. Very little on power play, which has been the norm lately.

19:14 1st period: 0-0
Andrew Ference goes down low on power play. Nik Backstrom there to kick out Ference’s bid.

13:33 1st period: 0-0
Bruins with 11-4 shot advantage. Looks similar to first period against Winnipeg. Very thorough. We know how that ended.

8:55 1st period: 0-0
Big-time blocker save by Niklas Backstrom on Daniel Paille. Partial break for Paille. Lots of jump for No. 20.

5:50 1st period: 0-0
Nik Backstrom sharp early. Two kick saves on Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Andrew Bodnarchuk is the healthy scratch.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Winnipeg. Jets with commanding win.

7:13 3d period: Jets 4-2
Ondrej Pavelec gloves short-range Patrice Bergeron shot. Game-changing save.

6:20 3d period: Jets 4-2
Bryan Little strikes again. Great pass by Blake Wheeler through the slot to Little at the far post. Winnipeg’s top line working the Bruins over.

4:16 3d period: Jets 3-2
Tuukka Rask stops Blake Wheeler’s shot. But rebound for Bryan Little in front. Little buries shot. Nice kick to his own blade by Little.

0:49 3d period: 2-2
Broken stick by Dustin Byfuglien leads to Boston rush. David Krejci takes pass from Tyler Seguin and beats Ondrej Pavelec.

20:00 2d period: Jets 2-1
Better second by Jets. Bruins not getting enough offensive looks on Ondrej Pavelec. Need to pay price in dirty areas.

18:22 2d period: Jets 2-1
Ondrej Pavelec smothers Andrew Ference’s one-timer. Jets have momentum.

15:50 2d period: Jets 2-1
Blake Wheeler takes a drop pass from Dustin Byfuglien and threads a shot five-hole on Tuukka Rask. Bruins did nothing on power play prior to Wheeler’s goal.

6:10 2d period: 1-1
Jordan Caron snaps a shot through Ondrej Pavelec. Chris Kelly causes turnover in neutral zone. Caron’s shot might have gone in off Mark Stuart. At other end, Tuukka Rask turns back Tim Stapleton with kick save off two-on-one rush.

1:59 2d period: Jets 1-0
Alexander Burmistrov snaps a riser over Tuukka Rask. Nice shot by Burmistrov.

20:00 1st period: 0-0
Bruins with 13-4 shot advantage. Very solid road first for Bruins. Claude Julien will be happy with two more periods like that. Need to dig a little deeper around Ondrej Pavelec to jack up the scoring chances.

19:14 1st period: 0-0
Ondrej Pavelec stands tall on Brad Marchand’s slot shot. Good feed off wall by Patrice Bergeron.

10:56 1st period: 0-0
Chance for Jordan Caron in front of an empty net. Can’t get stick on puck. Bruins pushing hard.

9:00 1st period: 0-0
Not many scoring chances for Bruins. But dominating puck possession. Only one offensive look for Jets so far. Excellent start for road club.

1:06 1st period: 0-0
Big-time kick save by Tuukka Rask on Bryan Little. Blake Wheeler starts the rush with an interception in Winnipeg zone.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Andrew Bodnarchuk is the healthy scratch.

@GlobeFluto

SHOOTOUT

Tyler Seguin scores lone goal in extra sessions. Bruins win, 4-3.

OVERTIME

Bruins with 7-3 shot lead in OT. Can't dent Price. Tied, 3-3, into shootout.

Marchand rings post wtih 2:21 to go in regulation, sharp wrister.

Price holds up under heavy pressure. 3:58 to go.

PERIOD THREE

Regulation over, headed to OT

Habs with 10-2 shot lead in period with 2:00 remainig in regulation.

4:00 to go, still tied, 3-3.

11:13, Montreal, 3-3. Chara gives puck to Cole in right wing circle and ex-Cane finishes with backhand lift at right post. 5/5. Unassisted.

6:14 -- With Thomas out of net on scramble, Chara fronts net and uses chest to deflect Cole shot. Boston still with 3-2 lead.

Bruins, 3-2 -- Pacioretty snaps home 24th of season from mid-slot. Thomas gets piece of shot, but puck bleeds over goal line.

Important for Bruins to keep pressing the puck.

SECOND PERIOD<

Bruins carry 3-1 lead into break.

Second period ends with patented Marchand clip to Emelin's knee. Two-minute minor.

14:33 -- Boston, 3-1. Snipe at left post by Bergeron, after he walks off goal line and lifts puck by Price on short side. Power play, 5/4.

8:08 to go. Bruins with 2-1 lead. Both teams with man in penalty box.

5:17 -- Boston, 2-1. Pouliot turns Campoli inside-out and snaps home 15-foot wrister. Dazzling goal. Kelly springs with nice feed in neutral zone.

1:39 -- Montreal, 1-1. Darche rushes to top of crease and bangs home laser feed off right wall by Subban. Shorthanded. Lucic fails to rub out Subban along wall.

Chara on Boston bench to start period. Chin bloodied.

strong> FIRST PERIOD

Bruins with 1-0 lead at first intermission.

Period ends with Plekanec clear attempt, puck smacking Chara in face and dropping Bruins captain. Blood on ice. Chara gets up and leaves under own strength. Bloodthirsty crowd loves it.

17:59 -- Bruins go on 4:00 PP when Eller high stick clips Krejci.

17:09 -- Boston, 1-0. Ference snaps in wrister from right wing circle. Gill with screen. Even strength, 4/4.

Pacioretty bangs into Thomas, negates 1:34 of Montreal PP.

15:16 -- Seidenberg off again for minor penalty.

14:15 -- Call Ralph Nader. Big man's bout between McQuaid and White at the side of Boston's net. Both land heavy shots. Rumble in the Phone Booth.

11:40 -- Thomas stops Cole on a jailbreak, following McQuaid miscue at Montreal's defensive blue line.

Campoli with heavy slapper at 11:00 mark. Good stop by Thomas. No score.

9:11 (note the time) -- Habs with first power play.

Bruins could use reward for early work. Stands to reason they will lose energy later, after playing last night.

Strong skating by Bruins. Own 3-0 shot lead in opening 4:38.

Bruins rolling with familiar lines. Status quo.

Less than a half-hour to go here before puck drop, Bruins vs. Habs.

Based on the warmup, it looks as if Tim Thomas will get his second start in net in as many nights, with Tuukka Rask relegated to backup duty for the fifth time in Boston's last six games.

MONTREAL -- Bonjour from this beautiful city, where tonight the bedraggled Bruins (3-5-0 in their last 8 games) will try to rebound against the Habs after suffering a 3-0 shutout at the hands of the red-hot Rangers Tuesday night on Causeway St.

The Bruins decided to scrap their routine day-of-game workout and won't report to the Bell Centre until a couple of hours prior to the 7:35 faceoff.

Given that his squad has scored only once at even-strength in its last three games (including two shutouts), coach Claude Julien might scramble his lines tonight. Although, without a morning workout, it's more likely he'll open with more customary trios, including the Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin combination and the ''energy'' line of Danny Paille-Greg Campbell-Shawn Thornton.

The Bruins outshot the Rangers, 42-20, but again had trouble putting intense scoring pressure on the opposition's netminder, Henrik Lundqvist. They squeezed out a 4-3 shootout win vs. Nashville on Saturday, while also piling up a 41-22 shot advantage through 65 minutes. Lots of shots, few scoring chances.

Three things your faithful puck scribe would try:

1. Moving Tyler Seguin off right wing and to center, his natural position. Time to shake up all combinations.

2. Sit the ineffective Joe Corvo and try rookie Andrew Bodnarchuk on the back line.

3. Start Tuukka Rask in back-back starts for first time since late-December. Tim Thomas allowed six goals in starts Saturday and Tuesday, facing only 42 shots (a substandard .857 save percentage). The Bruins play again Friday night in Winnipeg.

Puck drop: 7:35 p.m. EST

Record: Bruins, 34-18-2; Canadiens, 23-25-9

TV/radio info: NBC Sports Network; 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Projected lineup:

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Milan Lucic-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley
Benoit Pouliot-David Krejci-Jordan Caron
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid

Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Healthy scratches: Josh Hennessy, Andrew Bodnarchuk

Storylines: The Bruins had a rocky 1-4-0 run at the start of Feb. '11, then rattled off seven straight wins. The run included a 6-0 record on the road, the first time since 1972 that they swept a half-dozen on a roadie....The Bruins tonight will see old pal Hal Gill on defense. The behemoth blue liner, who will be 37 in April, is believed to be on Boston's shopping list with the Feb. 27 trade deadline approaching. In 52 games, Pal Hal is 1-7--8 and a minus-6....Max Pacioretty has rebounded well from the shattering hit he took from Zdeno Chara here last year and leads the Habs in scoring with 23-20--43. Ex-Canes winger Erik Cole is next with 21-21--42. Losing Cole to free agency last summer could convince the Canes to cling desperately to Tuomo Ruutu, who is also headed to UFA on July 1. Ruutu, another to be rumored on Boston's deadline shopping list, suffered a core injury Monday night here in Montreal. His status is day-to-day...Nathan Horton will miss his ninth straight game tonight while still recovering from concussion-related symptoms. Ample dashes of Marc Savard and Horton could help a team with only one even-strength goal in three games. It had to catch up at some point...Thomas started four of the last five games for Boston and went 2-2-0 in the four starts....Cup-winning Tomas Kaberle ranks third for assists (23) among all Canadiens. He picked up some of those while toiling as a Cane, before being flipped here for Jaro Spacek (also now on Boston's shopping list). Kaberle is averaging 17:50 TOI and is carrying an eyesore minus-16...David Krejci, a near-bankrupt 0-1--1 over his last eight games, has dipped to a minus-5 ranking. He is a minus-9 since Jan. 7.

Final: Rangers win, 3-0.

10:01, third period, 3-0 Rangers: Seidenberg's shot appears initially to find the net, but replay confirms that it went just to the left of the pipe and got stuck in the netting. No goal.

2:53, third period, 3-0 Rangers: Artem Anisimov makes it a three-goal game with his 10th of the season, coming during 4-on-4 play. He had Del Zotto to his left on a 2-on-1 (Dennis Seidenberg back), but kept it himself and beat Thomas blocker side.

1:04, third period, 2-0 Rangers: Lucic and Brandon Prust yapping at each other as they make their way toward the bench, with Lucic getting in a little shove. That's enough for both to get sent off for unsportsmanlike conduct.

End of second period, 2-0 Rangers: Bruins outshot the Rangers, 14-6, that period, and really controlled the action. At this point, they'll take a positive anywhere they can find one.

17:40, second period, 2-0 Rangers: Lucic doesn't appreciate being shoved to the ground by Marc Staal, with Peverley quickly coming to his linemate's defense. Staal and Peverley sent to the box for roughing. Maybe the Bruins will have better luck 4-on-4.

15:32, second period, 2-0 Rangers: Thomas barely gets his glove on a blast by Brad Richards, just the third shot of the period by the Rangers. Bruins have carried the play here this period, but can't slip one past Lundqvist,

11:00, second period, 2-0 Rangers: Bruins are stringing together some great shifts, with Marchand and Lucic stoned by Lundqvist in a 60-second span.

8:05, second period, 2-0 Rangers: New York finally records a shot in the second period. Two, in fact, both turned away by Thomas. Brandon Dubinsky and Callahan both had close0in chances.

4:46, second period, 2-0 Rangers: First good chance in a while, it seems, for the Bruins, as Chara's shot was deflected in front but still stopped by Lundqvist. The way he's playing in goal, one goal might have been enough. Coming back from 2-0 down seems like an especially tough task.

19:48, first period, 2-0 Rangers: Fluky goal by Ryan McDonagh, who puts one on net and watches it ricochet off Zdeno Chara and past Thomas for the unexpected unassisted goal. Sums up the first period for the Bruins, who were sloppy defensively.

14:51, first period, 1-0 Rangers: Lundqvist turns another one away, this time Krejci near the crease after a great feed from Peverley.

10:09, first period, 1-0 Rangers: Ryan Callahan makes the Bruins pay for Chara's penalty, the recipient of great passes from Michael Del Zotto and Marian Gaborik. Thomas had no chance.

9:21, first period, 0-0: Chara, drilled from behind, gets sent off to the box for delay of game (closing his hand on the puck). First PP of the night.

4:33, first period, 0-0: Patrice Bergeron's wrister gloved by Lundqvist, who has faced more scoring chances so far than counterpart Tim Thomas.

2:00, first period, 0-0: Good one-time try by newly-extended Johnny Boychuk stopped by Henrik Lundqvist.

Pregame: Late-arriving Valentine's Day crowd at the TD Garden for a matchup between teams sitting first and second in the Eastern Conference standings. Last home game for the Bruins before a six-game road trip, which starts tomorrow in Montreal.

All done at the Garden. Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron score in the shootout.

5:00 OT: 3-3
Shootout time. Bruins with 41-22 shot advantage. Regardless of result, Bruins must be happier about their game.

4:44 OT: 3-3
Brad Marchand with a very good look. Goes high on Pekka Rinne. Approaching shootout.

20:00 3d period: 3-3
Furious action at end. Brad Marchand with two great looks. Pekka Rinne down and out. Bruins will take the point.

18:53 3d period: 3-3
Bruins finally break through on PP. Rich Peverley snaps shot wide right off end boards. Milan Lucic scores on the rebound.

16:28 3d period: Predators 3-2
Mike Fisher peels behind net. Scores on backhand between Tim Thomas’s pads. Stoppable shot.

11:48 3d period: 2-2
Brandon Yip with the iron strike. Nashville banging on door.

9:33 3d period: 2-2
Sergei Kostitsyn goes through Andrew Ference. Kostitsyn finds Patric Hornqvist driving to the net. Hard, heavy play by Predators.

8:23 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Kevin Klein one-times puck off right post. Serious dinger.

2:55 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Give-and-go between Daniel Paille and Shawn Thornton down low. Excellent wall work by the two in the left corner. Paille’s backhand beats Pekka Rinne.

0:45 3d period: 1-1
Big stop by Pekka Rinne on Milan Lucic in front.

20:00 2d period: 1-1
Bruins with 26-13 shot advantage. Not as high-tempo in the second as it was in the first. Bruins need to continue mucking in the danger areas. Pekka Rinne on top of his game.

18:11 2d period: 1-1
Tim Thomas with the close-range stop on Sergei Kostitsyn. Pace has slowed.

7:32 2d period: 1-1
Shea Weber with the PP one-timer. Absolutely launched through Tim Thomas.

3:54 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Jordin Tootoo quiet so far. Rare.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Bruins with 16-6 shot advantage after 20 minutes. Very good first.

16:00 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Terrific down-low work by Brad Marchand. Holds onto the puck, waits for Patrice Bergeron, splits Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, and finds his linemate. Backhand dish to Bergeron, who goes high blocker on Pekka Rinne for the shortie.

4:12 1st period: 0-0
Pekka Rinne stands tall on Tyler Seguin slap shot. Both goalies sharp so far.

2:27 1st period: 0-0
Good kick save by Tim Thomas on Ryan Suter. Bruins with better pace early.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Steven Kampfer out. Brian McGrattan, Matt Halischuk, Ryan Ellis out of uniform for Nashville.

@GlobeFluto

THIRD PERIOD

Beat down complete. Sabres, 6-0, in Bruins' worst loss of season.

18:58 -- Sabres, 6-0. -- Stafford with final dagger.

Lots of nonsense to sort out with 2:23 to play. Means nothing to context of game, or score.

Kelly centers Caron and Peverley.

Julien tries line of Lucic-Krejci-Pouliot.

Bruins have not lost a game by more than three goals this season. This stands to be their fourth shutout.

1:18 -- Sabres, 5-0. Pominville backhand flip from doorstep. Beatdown continues.

Puck down. Bruins open with Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin.

SECOND PERIOD

Two periods done. And so are the Bruins. Sabres, 4-0.

18:11 -- Sabres, 4-0. Kaleta snaps in wrister from left wing circle. Thomas fails to close five hole. Turning into a pasting.

Point-blank slapper by Roy stopped by Thomas at 16:37. Sabres ahead on shots, 18-17, for first time tonight.

Julien might have to consider giving his lines a shake. Not much going on here.

Closing in on midway point, Sabres with cozy three-goal lead. Bruins doing little with puck this period.

4:00 -- Chara sent off for big bump (interference) on Kaleta.

1:52 -- Sabres, 3-0. Ennis connects with short backhander off rush, ahead of Seidenberg's stick. Julien gives Rask the hook and orders Thomas to the net.

Underway.

FIRST PERIOD

First period a wrap. Sabres with 2-0 lead. Bruins ahead on fights, 2-0, and shots, 12-9. But ...

14:49 -- Sabres, 2-0 -- Pominville connects at right post off of Leino's gorgeous spin and backhand dish from bottom of left wing circle. Bruins ahead, 2-0, on fights. Down by two on scoreboard.

Lucic hammers on Kaleta at latter's invite at 12:16. Both sent off for five minutes.

Bruins denied tying goal at 8:20. Lucic tipped in Kelly shot, but goal waved off because of Peverley interference, top of crease, with Miller.

6:23 -- Sabres, 1-0 -- Ehrhoff wrister from above LW circle deflected in by Boston's Campbell.

2:26 -- Thornton and McCormick square off. Not much of a bout, few punches connect.

Puck down. We're off.

Less than an hour to go here at First Niagara Center, where the Bruins are about face their old Adams Division buds, the Buffalo Sabres.

Clear cold night here at the edge of Lake Erie. No chance of lake effect snow or the sighting of a prehistoric monster (unless retired sportswriters storm the joint).

Much like Montreal, it's a somber hockey mood here, the locals sensing that only some 60 days remain in the NHL season. The Sabres tonight have only a 1-point lead over the cellar-dwelling Canes and trail the No. 8 seed, Ottawa, by 11 points.

All done in DC. Bruins halt two-game slide.

19:19 3d period: Bruins 4-1
Rich Peverley with the ENG. Impressive day for Bruins.

13:23 3d period: Bruins 3-1
Sharp Tim Thomas kickout of a short-range Keith Aucoin shot. Dangerous.

12:04 3d period: Bruins 3-1
Marcus Johansson’s cross-crease pass goes in off Dennis Seidenberg. Caps broke out far too easily.

6:38 3d period: Bruins 3-0
Tyler Seguin gets piece of Brad Marchand pass. Good body position on Dennis Wideman.

4:31 3d period: Bruins 2-0
Matchups continue into third. Patrice Bergeron’s line against John Carlson and Karl Alzner.

1:52 3d period: Bruins 2-0
Mathieu Perreault hits the crossbar with a wrister.

20:00 2d period: Bruins 2-0
For a change, Bruins submit very good second period. Taking lead into third for first time in 11 games.

15:41 2d period: Bruins 2-0
Zdeno Chara zings a slapper off Tomas Vokoun’s mask. Scary.

14:28 2d period: Bruins 2-0
Brooks Laich back on the bench.

12:00 2d period: Bruins 2-0
Brooks Laich in a lot of pain. Favoring left leg. Tangled with Dennis Seidenberg behind net.

11:21 2d period: Bruins 2-0
Good seam pass by Dennis Wideman to spring Keith Aucoin for partial break. Aucoin blasts slapper wide.

4:39 2d period: Bruins 2-0
Caps with better legs so far. Bruins need to match their intensity.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Bruins very pleased with that period. Strong on walls and in danger areas around net.

18:46 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Adam McQuaid vs. Matt Hendricks. McQuaid with several punches. Hendricks with takedown.

18:38 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Brad Marchand with short-angle backhander past Tomas Vokoun. Strong forechecking by Patrice Bergeron on Karl Alzner.

17:33 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Partial break for Alex Semin. Tim Thomas gets right pad on Semin’s shot.

10:45 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Great speed by Milan Lucic going over blue line. Blows past Dennis Wideman. Takes pass from Rich Peverley and goes upstairs on Tomas Vokoun. Terrific play by the two forwards.

10:27 1st period: 0-0
Patrice Bergeron’s line going against Brooks Laich, Matt Hendricks, Troy Brouwer. Not being used against Alex Ovechkin.

5:15 1st period: 0-0
Another shift for David Krejci with third-liners. Looks like a line for now.

1:30 1st period: 0-0
Chris Kelly between Milan Lucic and Rich Peverley.

0:44 1st period: 0-0
David Krejci centering Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Caron.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Zach Hamill out. Jordan Caron in.

@GlobeFluto

THIRD PERIOD

Penguins 2-1 winners. Bruins now 1-3 since White House visit.

Corvo to room, injuried, with 2:15 to go. Returns with 1:43 left.

6:00 to go. Bruins still in need of goal to force OT.

6:45 -- Penguins, 2-1 -- Corvo nails in long wrister through screen from blue line.

Two days later, it's Ground Hog Day again.

1:53 -- Peguins, 2-0. Cooke pots loose puck in crease. Corvo fishes for puck, fails to take him out.

Bruins open with Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin line. Sam ol', same ol'.

SECOND PERIOD

40:00 in books. Pens, 1-0. Bruins now five scorerless periods, 0-for-67 with shots.

Big Z around Pittsburgh net today a couple of times during 5/5 play.

Bruins with five shots on net during 4min. PP. No goal. Pens still ahead, 1-0.

10:31 -- Fleury turns back Corvo at right post.

8:56 -- Four minute penalty on Dupuis for high stick on Seguin. Boston's first chance on man-advantage. Bruins 6-for-30 over last 10 games.

5:57 -- Second power play chance for Pens, Pouliot off for hooking.

Bergeron and Seguin miss net on two primo chances in first minute.

5:57 -- Second power play chance for Pens, Pouliot off for hooking.

Bergeron and Seguin miss net on two primo chances in first minute.

FIRST PERIOD

Pens carry 1-0 lead into first period. Bruins with 10-6 shot lead but again with very little presence around net.

1951 -- Penguins, 1-0. Malkin pots free puck at left post after puck trickles through crease on shot from above right wing faceoff circle.

First penalty of day (Peverley slash on Malkin) at 19:16.

Bruins with 9-3 shot lead through 15:00. No score.

Halfway through first. No score. Skating/passing game. Boards unbruised.

Opening 8:00 very quiet. Funereal. Shots, 2-2.

Puck down.

Thomas, winner of his last three starts, in net today for Bruins.

Less than an hour to go here at TD Garden before the Bruins-Penguins matchup.

Jordan Caron recalled from WannaBs prior to today's tilt, but not expected to play until tomorrow (in D.C.) at the earliest.

THIRD PERIOD

A wrap here on Causeway Street. Canes, 3-0. Bruins 4-4-1 in last nine. Mid-winter mediocre.

3:00 to go. Canes, 3-0.

Marchand slashing minor takes Bruins out of power play after only 8 ticks of the clock.

With 5:53 to go, Bruins with one more crack with sputtering PP.

8:00 to go. Looks like Bruins will go quietly to 32-15-2.

Bruins on power play with 12:06 to go. A little bingo?

3:13 -- Canes, 3-0. Sutter spares 17,565 prospect of a shootout chicanery by canning his wrister.

This is the ninth straight game the Bruins have entered third period without a lead.

SECOND PERIOD

End 40:00 on Causway. Bruins will enter the third with 2-0 deficit.

16:41 - Canes, 2-0. Ruutu pops in two-goal lead, into open left side, after Sutter makes steal off Ference-to-McQuaid attempt high in Boston's defensive end.

Rask robs Dwyer, glove hand, off 15-foot snap from slot. Preserves 1-0 deficit at 15:59.

5:14 to go. No change on the scoreboard. Bruins now with 27-19 shot lead. Always lots of goals when Dr. Shinzawa blogs games. Beginning to think he must makes up the score.

Midway through period. Tropical Depression still with 1-0 lead.

Nearly 6:00 gone, Bruins still without a shot this period.

Bruins win 13 of 16 faceoffs in first period. Outshoot Canes, 22-8. Add it all up: one-goal deficit. Hockey.

Boychuk on ice prior to start of period.

FIRST PERIOD

End 20:00. Canes, 1-0. Boychuk remains hors de combat. Awaiting word from Dr. Recchi.

15:33 -- Krejci to penalty box for boarding. First PP of eve.

11:51 -- Bruins may have lost Boychuk for night. Nailed in corner by Ruutu on Staal goal. Looked to have injured right wrist or arm up against glass.

11:51 -- Canes, 1-0. Staal pots one-time at right post off Tlusty feed from near LW corner.

10:40 gone. No score. Bruins with better pressure, 13-4 shot lead. Can't dent Ward.

Still 0-0 with timeout at 8:08. Bruins with 6-4 shot lead.

Marchand misses wide right with backhander near right post after Seguin tosses pass cross slot at 7:32.

Carolina with excellent scoring chance at 4:59. McBain backhand lift hits crossbar.

Proud American Rene Rancourt handles honors, wearing red-white-and-blue vest.

Rask leads out Bruins. Will start. Puck drop just a couple of minutes away.

Less than an hour to go here tonight for the Bruins-Canes tilt. Lots of NHL scouts in attendance, picking over the Carolina carcass.

Andrew Ference back in after serving his three-game penance for bad hit on NYR's Ryan McDonagh. Steven Kampfer will be up here in the press box.

Nathan Horton (concussion) remains sidelined. The club is offering no timeline as to his return.

All done in Boston. Far better and tighter third period by Bruins. Dennis Seidenberg with game-winning muffin.

10:24 3d period: Bruins 4-3
Craig Anderson slams door. Partial break for Milan Lucic. But Anderson shuts down five-hole entrance.

7:09 3d period: Bruins 4-3
Dennis Seidenberg tees up shot from red line. Beats Craig Anderson clean as whistle. Merry Christmas.

2:20 3d period: 3-3
Another PPG. Craig Anderson gets a bead on Joe Corvo’s first shot. But Brad Marchand attacks and taps in rebound over Anderson’s glove.

20:00 2d period: Senators 3-2
Late life from Bruins. But Ottawa still controlled majority of second. Bruins need more determination in third to make this a game.

19:15 2d period: Senators 3-2
Milan Lucic takes pass from Rich Peverley and snaps a puck past Craig Anderson. Big goal. Good net drive by David Krejci to open up shooting lane for Lucic. Zdeno Chara starts rush with clearing pass to Peverley on right side.

13:28 2d period: Senators 3-1
Erik Karlsson and Chris go away on two-on-one rush. Karlsson takes Neil feed and wings a shot past Tim Thomas. Turnover by Brad Marchand at offensive blue line gives Senators numbers going other way.

12:36 2d period: Senators 2-1
Ottawa really rolling now. Bruins need to make sure this game doesn’t get out of reach now. Senators flying.

7:43 2d period: Senators 2-1
Senators go up ice with speed. Kyle Turris snaps shot high on Tim Thomas from left circle. Nice breakout and cross-ice pass from Daniel Alfredsson. Not sure why Gregory Campbell didn’t go for line change there.

3:40 2d period: 1-1
Craig Anderson stops Tyler Seguin. Several sniffs for Seguin during shift. Pass to Brad Marchand just off.

20:00 1st period: 1-1
Shots even, 12-12. Didn’t see Shawn Thornton on bench at end of first. Might have been getting right hand looked at. Was icing it in penalty box after fight with Chris Neil.

18:40 1st period: 1-1
Colin Greening on the rebound. Tim Thomas kicks out point shot. Big rebound to Milan Michalek, who finds Greening in front.

14:16 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Adam McQuaid vs. Zenon Konopka. Not sure how that started. Another big-time tussle. McQuaid loses hat in fight.

12:38 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Shawn Thornton vs. Chris Neil. Neil scrapes off Thornton’s helmet early. Thornton comes back strong. Heavyweight tilt.

11:57 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Zdeno Chara with left-point PP slapper. Good net-front presence by Milan Lucic. Completes good work by both units.

10:09 1st period: 0-0
Brad Marchand hooked down. PP coming up. Good legs for Marchand so far.

8:54 1st period: 0-0
Another great chance for Benoit Pouliot. Dangles through traffic, dings backhand off left post.

6:18 1st period: 0-0
Good chance for Benoit Pouliot off Zdeno Chara shot. Craig Anderson standing tall.

3:40 1st period: 0-0
Decent heat by second line. All starts with Zdeno Chara rubbing out Milan Michalek deep in Boston zone.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Nathan Horton (concussion) out for second straight game. Andrew Ference (suspension) banished for third and final game.

@GlobeFluto

The Bruins got back to work this afternoon with a 2 p.m. practice at TD Garden.
Coach Claude Julien made it back from Ottawa in time for the workout but goaltender Tim Thomas, defenseman Zdeno Chara and forward Tyler Seguin were excused because they participated in the NHL's All-Star Weekend.
Another person who was absent was Nathan Horton, who continues his recovery from a concussion suffered on January 22.
``He is getting better,’’ said Julien. ``He’s still at the point where he hasn’t ridden the bike yet but he is getting better believe it or not. When you have a concussion, it’s about headaches and everything else and everything is kind of going in the right direction right now. Until he is symptom-free, he can’t do anything. It will probably be at least two days and possibly three before he starts being symptom-free. We just kind of keep our fingers crossed and hope that he gets better quickly but it’s something that not even our medical staff can predict.’’

All done in DC. Dennis Wideman with game-ending ENG.

7:18 3d period: Capitals 4-3
Hat trick for Mathieu Perreault. Scores on rebound of Roman Hamrlik point shot. Second straight opposing hat trick.

6:47 3d period: 3-3
Alex Semin goes wide on partial break. Bad turnover by Adam McQuaid.

20:00 2d period: 3-3
Bruins with 25-18 shot advantage. Good push by second-liners.

17:42 2d period: 3-3
Brad Marchand with the short-range PPG. Great stops by Tomas Vokoun on Patrice Bergeron and Dennis Seidenberg. But no help from teammates on Marchand?s bid.

14:23 2d period: Capitals 3-2
Bad turnover by Johnny Boychuk. Mathieu Perreault picks pocket and goes high blocker on Tuukka Rask.

12:21 2d period: 2-2
Tyler Seguin picks off John Carlson pass and goes high on Tomas Vokoun. Bad turnover by Carlson. Good work by Seguin at end of shift.

2:55 2d period: Capitals 2-1
Give-and-go between Mathieu Perreault and Alex Semin. Nice fake shot and dish by Semin.

2:14 2d period: 1-1
Tuukka Rask stops Cody Eakin's shot. But puck rolls over Rask's right arm and over the line.

0:00 2d period: Bruins 1-0
David Krejci is present for the start of the second.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 1-0
With David Krejci unavailable, Bruins now without two-thirds of first line.

17:46 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Makeshift line punches through. Rich Peverley, skating with Patrice Bergeron and Milan Lucic, scores off Karl Alzner's stick.

15:15 1st period: 0-0
David Krejci not on ice nor on bench. Took John Carlson slapper off right foot earlier in first.

14:18 1st period: 0-0
Caps buzzing. Handful of excellent scoring chances. Bruins defense leaky.

11:46 1st period: 0-0
Tuukka Rask tall on Mathieu Perreault close-range shot. Rask sharp so far.

8:35 1st period: 0-0
Tuukka Rask kicks out short-distance Matt Hendricks chance.

6:49 1st period: 0-0
Bruins with 5-1 shot advantage. Best chance was David Krejci in tight. Glove save by Tomas Vokoun.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
First line starting for Bruins.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Philly. David Krejci and Tyler Seguin score in shootout.

5:00 OT: 5-5
Shootout time. Bruins can't do anything with overtime PP.

20:00 3d period: 5-5
Overtime for second straight game. Bruins will take the point. Flyers better team today.

10:38 3d period: 5-5
Matt Carle with PP blast from point. Looks like Max Talbot with the tip.

9:11 3d period: Bruins 5-4
Chris Kelly slow to get up. Put down by Scott Hartnell, who comes in with high shoulder. Shawn Thornton challenges Hartnell.

8:11 3d period: Bruins 5-4
Nathan Horton will not return. No reason given.

4:59 3d period: Bruins 5-4
Daniel Paille with wraparound. Gregory Campbell gets a piece from in front.

3:21 3d period: 4-4
Nathan Horton neither on ice nor bench.

1:19 3d period: 4-4
Rich Peverley with long-distance flip. David Krejci appears to get a piece.

19:13 2d period: Flyers 4-3
Bruins outshot, 15-6, in second period. Three straight goals by Scott Hartnell, all assisted by Claude Giroux. Bruins completely outclassed in second.

19:13 2d period: Flyers 4-3
Both teams have left ice. Remaining time will be added onto start of third period.

19:13 2d period: Flyers 4-3
Hat trick for Scott Hartnell. On power play, snaps one-timer past Tim Thomas. Another slick dish by Claude Giroux. Magic connection.

7:28 2d period: 3-3
Shawn Thornton vs. Jody Shelley off draw. Mostly lefts by Thornton. Have to believe Thornton asked.

7:25 2d period: 3-3
All tied up. Scott Hartnell high blocker on Tim Thomas. Heavy forechecking heat by Flyers. Thomas might have been screened by Adam McQuaid.

3:23 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Scott Hartnell wings PP shot past Tim Thomas. Good setup by Claude Giroux, nice shot by Hartnell, typical ill-advised Nathan Horton penalty to put Bruins down.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 3-1
Good to see Steven Kampfer return after getting clobbered. Thought he'd be hearing tweetie birds for next month.

14:36 1st period: Bruins 3-1
Steven Kampfer back on bench.

12:43 1st period: Bruins 3-1
Roughing on Ilya Bryzgalov. Took a swipe at Brad Marchand after collision.

12:30 1st period: Bruins 3-1
Milan Lucic cuts to middle and beats Ilya Bryzgalov high blocker.

9:37 1st period: Bruins 2-1
Steven Kampfer groggy. Walloped by Brayden Schenn as he came around the net. Chris Kelly challenges Schenn. Kampfer to locker room. Kampfer, who had hit Tom Sestito earlier in shift, has concussion history. Unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Kelly.

9:01 1st period: Bruins 2-1
Bruins finally break through on power play. Patrice Bergeron wins puck battle behind net. Dishes to Tyler Seguin in front.

2:05 1st period: 1-1
Own goal by Dennis Seidenberg. Nice tip of a Maxime Talbot cross-ice feed intended for Jakub Voracek. Tough luck.

1:24 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Milan Lucic vs. Tom Sestito. Sestito with the pre-draw inquiry, Lucic accepts. Lucic feeds Sestito with successive rights. Hard to believe Sestito stayed on skates after that flurry.

0:50 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Patrice Bergeron over Ilya Bryzgalov's glove. Nice cross-ice feed from Brad Marchand. Good net drive by Bergeron.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Zach Hamill is the healthy scratch.

@GlobeFluto

OVERTIME

All over here with 3.6 second left in OT. Gaborik the goal. Backhand lift, doorstep, loose puck. Rangers take it, 3-2.

17 seconds from shootout.

1:50 -- Ference 5m charging. Bad hit on McDonagh. Game misconduct. Good chance Ference will be having chat with league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan.

THIRD PERIOD

60:00 done. Tied, 2-2. On to OT.

1:00 to go

Now 2:40 away from OT.

15:29 -- Kelly off for trip. Second NYR PP.

NYR with only one shot on PP. Near shorthander for Bruins on a Peverley-Marchand attempt, 2-on-1.

10:46 -- Krejci trips Boyle. Rangers first power play.

Bruins now 0-for-4 on PP. Bad overall run, 3-for-27.

2:22 -- Prust off for boarding Chara. Partial face plant into glass by Chara. But remains out for man left point, PP1.

Still 2-2. Rangers yet to have crack at man-advantage.

Underway.

SECOND PERIOD.

40:00 in books. Tied, 2-2. Bruins with 24-21 shot lead. Better legs should win it. Bruins rolled up four goals, 3P, in 4-1 win Thurs. at New Jersey.

19:11 -- Bruins, 2-2. McQuaid snaps in wrister from outer edge of right wing circle. Kelly at right post for screen. Ference picks up second point of day with second assist.

15:26 -- Rask loses helmet/mask on Richards shot. Tough room to work, Rodney.

14:30 -- Rangers, 2-1. Gaborik drives in one-timer, left circle, walks into gift bounce off Seidenberg.

Marchand wrister at 11:52. Bruins ahead, 11-5, on shots this period.

10:06 -- Corvo and Prust each off minor penalties. Corvo for tripping. Prust for faking. Refs need to call out the fake artists more often.

Peverley hits post at 9:30 mark. Pouliot-Kelly-Peverley with good pressure in NYR end.

Lundquvist turns back Bergeron from LW faceoff dot at 8:52. Bruins ahead on shots, 15-12.

7:52. Video board shows Marc Savard in luxury booth he has donated to Children's Hospital.
Savvy likely retired. Too many blows to head.

3:28 -- Bruins tie, 1-1. Ference rushes slot on transition, collects pass off right wing by Krejci, provides quick backhander to beat Lundqvist. Obvious jump from Thornton-Rupp fight.

2:44-- Fight. Thornton vs. Rupp. Took a little longer than I expected after dull P1. Rupp huge. Thornton handles self well, per usual. Tussle ends when Rupp loses footing.

1:31 -- Rangers, 1-0. Callahan nails in wrister, left wing circle, short side on Rask. Soft goal by today's standards. Rask should have had it. Caught cheating into middle, fearing pass.

Underway. Second verse same as first?

FIRST PERIOD

Period over. No score. Classic New NHL Go-kart hockey. Lots of back and forth, speed, little puck control, lots of hitting.

One good scoring chance, Gaborik turned back by Rask at 1127. Clubs tied in shots, 8-8. Look for a fight early in second period. Game in need of a brick through picture window.

Varstiy game. Heavy hits along boards. No one lingers in scoring areas. Shooters beware.

4:00 to go -- Still no score. Crowd fairly quiet.

Bruins again scoreless on PP. Nothing happening for them with extra man. Began day 3-for-23 in last 7 games.

PP1 has Horton out with Krejci and Lucic.

12:33 -- Boston with second PP chance. Gabroik brings down Chara, minor penalty.

Richards, only one goal in light eight games, turned back on harmless shovel at right post. Rangers with 5-4 shot lead.

Big save by Rask, 11:27. Gaborik with 20-foot one-timer in slot.

9:00 gone -- Still no score.

Slight wrinkle on Boston PP2. Marchand,not Horton, skates with Krejci and Lucic.

5:46 -- Boston with first chance on PP. Dubinsky off for roughing.

Peverley and Dubinsky rough each other up before opening draw. No calls.

Rask in net for Bruins. Lundqvist for the Blueshirts.

Puck about to drop here at the Garden. Light snow out on Causeway Street. Gallery Gods finishing their last draught at the Iron Horse.

THIRD PERIOD

Over here. Strong comeback win for Bruins, 4-1, after doing next to nothing through two periods

47 seconds to go --Bruins, 4-1. Kelly empty-netter.

1:05 to go -- Time out Devs. Brodeur left net with 1:45 to go.

2:00 to go. Bruins have turned Rock into a luxury suite.

4:30 to go. Bruins in control with 3-1 lead.

Devils have gone dormant. Trailing by two goals, wihtout a shot halfway through period.

7:45 -- Boston, 3-1. Campbell knocks in rebound of Thornton shot at end of excellent shift. Three goals in span of 4:44.

7:10-- Boston, 2-1. Krejci pass from right circle ends up in net. Lucic credited with goal on PA, but it was Horton who knocked it home. PPG.

5:37 - Clarkson off for hooking. Boston's first power play of the night. PP1 with Pouliot, Bergeron and Seguin. With Seidenberg, Corvo at points

3:01 -- Bruins, 1-1. Ference rips in one-timer off Thornton pass that ricochets off left wing wall. Rare goal by Boston defense. First for Ference since Nov. 21.

2:10 -- Brodeur glove robs Pouliot at doorstep after Bruins winger receives slap pass from Ference.

1:10 -- Ex Providence Friar Mark Fayne rings post. Score remains 1-0.

Back in biz at the Rock.

SECOND PERIOD

First 40:00 closed. Devs, 1-0. New Jersey with nearly double shot total, 23-12.

With 1:15 to go, Thomas gloves Clarkson rebound shot from in close after Foster blast from up high stays hot.

13:28 -- Thomas holds fort with Kovalchuk, Parise and Mills jamming crease after Fayne fires from RW circle.

Two squads exchange ringing posts. Zalewski at Boston end at 11:18. Pouliot at Devils end at 11:30.

Halfway through P2. Seidenberg gets rare shot through from high above RW circle. Brodeur holds. NJ wtih 19-11 shot lead. Bruins with little action.

6:25 gone. NJ still with 1-0 lead and now with 17-8 shot lead.

Underway again at Rock.

FIRST PERIOD.

First 20:00 a wrap. Devs, 1-0, on strength of 10-6 shot lead. Bruins with minimal presence in attack zone.

18:29 -- Devils, 1-0. Sykora quick forehand pop from slot after Zubrus wins 1/1 battle vs. Seidenberg behind net. Six seconds after faceoff to Thomas' right.

Finally, some fog on the mirror here. Mills and Campbell fight. Thought it would be Thornton and Janssen, who lined up for same faceoff at 14:31.

Still 0-0 with 5:32 to go in first.

7:18 -- Horton misfires high with 20-footer from slot, set up by Krjeci feed.

6:48 gone, still no score. Bruins look more likes selves with return of Marchand, Peverley.

Great chance by Kelly at 4:22, but Brodeur turns back his doorstep backhander--feed off right side by Peverley. No. 1 shot of game.

Squirrely start for Bruins. Horton sent off for tripping Kovalchuk at 1:18.

Less than 15 minutes to go before puckdrop, Bruins vs. Devils at the Rock.

Tim Thomas back in net for the Bruins.

Scratches: Jordan Caron, Zach Hamill and Steven Kampfer.

Coach Claude Julien will open with the Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin trio.

All done in Tampa. ENG for Steven Stamkos.

17:01 3d period: Lightning 4-3
Pad stop by Mathieu Garon on Milan Lucic. Big save.

16:15 3d period: Lightning 4-3
Dominic Moore fires a slapper high glove on Tim Thomas. Heck of a shot.

10:53 3d period: 3-3
Daniel Paille on the PK. Slows down, backhander upstairs on Mathieu Garon. Finally buries his opportunity.

10:00 3d period: Lightning 3-2
Sharp kick save by Mathieu Garon on Daniel Paille slapper.

4:58 3d period: Lightning 3-2
Dominic Moore gets piece of puck in front of net. Rattles around Tim Thomas before going in. Joe Corvo turnover to Nate Thompson, who finds Moore in front.

1:27 3d period: 2-2
Breakaway for Daniel Paille. Glove save by Mathieu Garon.

20:00 2d period: 2-2
Big save by Tim Thomas on Teddy Purcell shot to close out second. Bruins will have 1:24 remaining to kill on Dennis Seidenberg’s penalty.

16:48 2d period: 2-2
Nathan Horton wings in rebound of Andrew Ference point shot. Two goals for Horton. Starts with David Krejci faceoff win.

14:11 2d period: Lightning 2-1
Tim Thomas stops Steve Downie. But Tom Pyatt in position for the rebound.

12:33 2d period: 1-1
A rare varsity for Bruins. Good looks for Johnny Boychuk and Patrice Bergeron. Mathieu Garon gloves puck to settle things down.

9:42 2d period: 1-1
Three-on-one for Lightning. Steven Stamkos’s shot gets by Tim Thomas but doesn’t cross line.

5:34 2d period: 1-1
Replay shows Tim Thomas stopping Brett Connolly’s shot with mask.

4:28 2d period: 1-1
Nathan Horton taps home own rebound. Did it all on same play – took puck off wall, dragged into slot, took shot, banged in rebound. Guess Horton got the message.

20:00 1st period: Lightning 1-0
Tampa with 11-6 shot advantage. Only one decent scoring chance in final minute for Bruins. Not much going through 20 minutes.

13:14 1st period: Lightning 1-0
Zero presence on second power play. Bruins out of synch. Step behind too often.

7:40 1st period: Lightning 1-0
Tampa with 9-2 shot advantage. Bruins remain in a cloud.

7:11 1st period: Lightning 1-0
Vincent Lecavalier scores with Tim Thomas out of position. Nice look by Matt Gilroy backdoor. Johnny Boychuk had a chance to clear but couldn’t. Starts with block in Tampa D-zone.

3:59 1st period: 0-0
One shot for Bruins on power play. Not enough heat.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Steven Kampfer is the healthy scratch.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Sunrise. David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron with the shootout goals.

5:00 OT: 2-2
Shootout time. Great chance for Kris Versteeg at end. Dennis Seidenberg hustles back. Puck gets through Tuukka Rask, but Zdeno Chara there to hold the line.

0:36 OT: 2-2
Patrice Bergeron to the penalty box for hooking. Great chance for Panthers.

20:00 3d period: 2-2
Overtime. Bruins will take the point.

19:00 3d period: 2-2
Michael Repik goes just wide on the breakaway.

10:12 3d period: 2-2
Great chance for Gregory Campbell on the doorstep. Scott Clemmensen holds the line.

5:56 3d period: 2-2
Tuukka Rask gloves Mikael Samuelsson’s slapper.

20:00 2d period: 2-2
Better execution by Bruins in second period. Need to keep up pressure in third.

15:54 2d period: 2-2
Shawn Matthias steps out of box, gets behind Andrew Ference, and goes five-hole on Tuukka Rask. All tied up. Terrific pass by Tomas Kopecky to spring Matthias.

14:40 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Patrice Bergeron redirects a Tyler Seguin feed. Nice high curl by Seguin to find Bergeron in front. Second strike of the night for Bergeron.

13:58 2d period: 1-1
Huge stop by Scott Clemmensen on Patrice Bergeron’s net-front PP chance.

12:42 2d period: 1-1
Ed Jovanovski done for night with upper-body injury.

12:42 2d period: 1-1
Finally some offensive pressure by Bruins. Penalty on Panthers.

8:28 2d period: 1-1
Jason Garrison winds up from left point. Hits something in front of Tuukka Rask and rolls over the line. Panthers winning battles in Boston zone. Not a good shift for Joe Corvo.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Excellent work by Tuukka Rask in final minute to keep net clear of pucks. Tough save on point shot, then desperation save while on ice. Not much offensive pressure from Bruins.

17:09 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Daniel Paille vs. Ed Jovanovski. Temper, temper. Paille didn’t like Jovanovski’s elbow. Both remove hats and go at it. Took guts for Paille to challenge the bigger Jovanovski.

7:46 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Tuukka Rask with the stop on Shawn Matthias’s breakaway. Andrew Ference caught up the ice. Panthers with 9-1 shot advantage.

1:20 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Long-distance Patrice Bergeron wrister beats Scott Clemmensen. Soft goal.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Steven Kampfer is the healthy scratch.

@GlobeFluto

SUNRISE, Fla. – Good morning from the BankAtlantic Center, where the Bruins will play the Panthers tonight. Expect Tuukka Rask to get the nod in goal.

Puck drop: 7:30 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama),98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Bruins 28-12-1, Panthers 21-14-8

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Benoit Pouliot-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Jordan Caron-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley Zach Hamill
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid

Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Healthy scratches: Zach Hamill, Steven Kampfer

Storylines: The Panthers have all kinds of injured players, including Jose Theodore and Jacob Markstrom. Old friend Marco Sturm is also on the shelf, which isn’t much of a surprise… This will be the fourth game of Brad Marchand’s suspension. Marchand will sit out tomorrow’s game against Tampa Bay, then be eligible to play against New Jersey on Thursday… Brad Meier and Brian Pochmara will be the referees. Steve Miller and Mark Shewchyk will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Raleigh, Eric Staal with ENG to finish it off.

18:30 3d period: Hurricanes 3-2
From the left point, Jay Harrison beats Tim Thomas. Lots of traffic in front. Good grinding by Carolina.

13:58 3d period: 2-2
Good goal, upon review. Justin Faulk hits slapper from right point. Faulk credited with goal. Guess Jiri Tlusty didn't get a piece. Good work by Tim Brent to force turnover with forecheck.

4:51 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Don DelNegro tending to Adam McQuaid on bench. Looked like McQuaid took puck off right arm.

1:55 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Bad Jamie McBain turnover leads to Daniel Paille chance. Cam Ward bails out his boy.

1:21 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Milan Lucic goes high blocker on Cam Ward. David Krejci assists to stretch scoring streak to 11 games.

20:00 2d period: 1-1
Both goalies sharp. Will be hard to beat either cleanly in third.

13:09 2d period: 1-1
Milan Lucic hits the crossbar. Second iron strike for first line this period.

10:30 2d period: 1-1
Brandon Sutter with the shot from the point. Hit something on the way in. Patrick Dwyer credited with goal.

8:47 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Another rebound off Johnny Boychuk ripper. Cam Ward gets a piece of David Krejci’s followup bid.

7:51 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Big Tim Thomas stop on Brandon Sutter. Bad turnover by Rich Peverley at offensive blue line leads to rush.

6:13 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Cam Ward stops Johnny Boychuk’s point blast. But Patrice Bergeron, driving to net, puts in rebound. Good work by Bergeron to muscle off Bryan Allen.

0:59 2d period: 0-0
David Krejci one-times puck off left post.

20:00 1st period: 0-0
Not a good first for either club. Bruins dusting puck. Giving viewers few reasons not to change channels to Patriots.

18:00 1st period: 0-0
Point-blank chance for Alexei Ponikarovsky. Not sure how that puck didn’t go in.

14:25 1st period: 0-0
Sharp stuff from Cam Ward. Stops Johnny Boychuk point shot, then Benoit Pouliot on rebound.

8:41 1st period: 0-0
Nothing doing on two power plays for Bruins. Little heat on Cam Ward.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Zach Hamill and Steven Kampfer are the healthy scratches.

@GlobeFluto

RALEIGH – Good morning from the RBC Center, where the Bruins will kick off a four-game road swing against the Hurricanes tonight. This should be the friends-and-family game, considering that little football game that will commence an hour after puck drop.

Puck drop: 7 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama),100.7 WZLX (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Bruins 28-11-1, Hurricanes 15-23-7

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Benoit Pouliot-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Jordan Caron-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid

Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Healthy scratches: Zach Hamill, Steven Kampfer

Storylines: David Krejci brings a 10-game scoring streak into tonight. Krejci has five goals and 10 assists during the streak… Jeff Skinner and Joni Pitkanen are on injured reserve. Both are sidelined with concussions… The Hurricanes have a pair of wins over the Bruins this season. Carolina always plays the Bruins tough… This will be Boston’s first look at Carolina under Kirk Muller, who is undoubtedly relieved his paychecks aren’t signed by the Molsons anymore… Steve Kozari and Marcus Vinnerborg will be the referees. Brian Murphy and Jay Sharrers will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

17:57 3d period: Bruins 2-1
An amazing kick save by Carey Price to give his team a chance to tie it in the closing minutes. Both teams really going at it on the backcheck.

17:28 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Some great defense by Benoit Pouliot to help Tim Thomas keep a one-goal lead.

12:46 3d period: Bruins 2-1
The Canadiens cut the deficit in half, and snap the shutout, on Yannick Weber's power-play goal. The final 6 minutes should be intense and feature some good hockey.

12:17 3d period: Bruins 2-0
A fight sends Andrew Ference and P.K. Subban to the box.

10:09 3d period: Bruins 2-0
The Bruins almost just put the Canadiens right back in it. The puck hit off a Bruins player's leg and Tim Thomas had to dive on top of the puck to secure the save.

7:43 3d period: Bruins 2-0
A power-play goal here for the Bruins would likely put this game out of reach.

3:43 3d period: Bruins 2-0
Milan Lucic received a pass from Nathan Horton in front of the net and, after almost losing his balance, backhanded the puck into the net. Two goals probably looks like a mountain to the Canadiens with Tim Thomas in net, eying his fifth shutout of the season.

David Krejci picked up an assist on the play, giving him a 10-game point streak which is a career best as well as the longest such streak in the NHL this season.

2d intermission: Bruins 1-0
The Bruins are 0-for-2 on the power play tonight and are at 18.8 percent for the season. Pretty clean, and quiet, game.

END of 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Bruins still clinging to a 1-0 lead heading into the final frame. The Canadiens are outshooting the Bruins, 22-20, and that odd bounce in the game's opening minutes is the difference. Sorry about the delay, technical difficulties.

12:35 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Bruins with a strong 2-on-1 scoring chance, but the shot sailed wide. An insurance goal would be huge the way this game is going.

15:05 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Great series of stops by Carey Price. Looks like this one could be a low-scoring affair with these two hot goaltenders.

1st intermission: Bruins 1-0
It's unusual to see Patrice Bergeron go 0-for-5 on faceoffs.

END of 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Tim Thomas had a monster 1st period with 16 saves. His counterpart, Carey Price, stopped 12. It would be an even game if it weren't for a random hop off the boards early on.

2:19 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Finally, we have a penalty. The Bruins go on the power play after Lars Eller gets called for holding.

2:30 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Big stop by Tim Thomas after Andrei Kostitsyn intercepted a Dennis Seidenberg pass. Best scoring chance for the Canadiens so far, and Thomas deflected it away.

3:45 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Another pair of players exchanging words, but no escalation. Shawn Thornton and Lars Eller, this time. Still no penalties.

8:42 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Daniel Paille just put a nice check on Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty. It looked like the two exchanged words after before going to their benches.

8:42 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Daniel Paille just put a nice check on Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty. It looked like the two exchanged words after before going to their benches.

10:47 1st period: Bruins 1-0
The Bruins may have a slight edge in good scoring opportunities, but it's a pretty even game at this point. No penalties yet for either team. Hard not to feel lucky about their early goal.

18:37 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Johnny Boychuk sent the puck down the boards and as Canadiens goaltender Carey Price went to stop it, it took a funny bounce right to Jordan Caron, who put it in easily.

20:00 1st period: 0-0 Welcome from TD Garden. We'll provide in-game updates and analysis in this post tonight. Puck is set to drop in just a few minutes. Some pregame notes:

• Tonight's lineups
• Zdeno Chara, Tyler Seguin named All-Stars

All done at Garden. Bruins bust through for three in third.

13:05 3d period: Bruins 5-3
Bruins’ experience and depth showing in third. Winnipeg running out of gas.

6:41 3d period: Bruins 5-3
Benoit Pouliot whacks in second attempt on PP. Rich Peverley sets up with speed through center ice.

3:06 3d period: Bruins 4-3
Tyler Seguin approaches with speed and beats Ondrej Pavelec with a backhander. Excellent chip by Patrice Bergeron to spring Seguin.

0:08 3d period: 3-3
Nathan Horton buries dish from David Krejci on doorstep. Immediate impact by Krejci line.

20:00 2d period: Jets 3-2
Better second for Bruins. Not as many good scoring chances for Jets as they had in first. Need more from David Krejci’s line. Quiet second period.

16:35 2d period: Jets 3-2
Glove save by Tuukka Rask on Tim Stapleton PP one-timer. Good save.

11:11 2d period: Jets 3-2
Eric Fehr sharp-angle wrister through Tuukka Rask. Turnover by Joe Corvo. Might have skimmed off something.

10:17 2d period: 2-2
Shawn Thornton vs. Mark Stuart. Not even close. Thornton tunes up ex-Bruin and former Charlestown neighbor. Thornton good friends with Stuart. Tough business.

5:16 2d period: 2-2
Penalty shot Shawn Thornton. Fake forehand, lifts backhand high blocker. Chance out of box. Hooked by Tim Stapleton.

4:38 2d period: Jets 2-1
Andrew Ference off for hooking. Five-on-three for 28 seconds.

2:30 2d period: Jets 2-1
Zach Hamill centering fourth line.

0:37 2d period: Jets 2-1
Gregory Campbell between Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley. Looks like Zach Hamill’s off that line.

0:31 2d period: Jets 2-1
Tobias Enstrom floats shot from left point. Looked like Blake Wheeler got a piece of the shot.

20:00 1st period: 1-1
Important late goal for Bruins. Winnipeg controlling pace for most of first period.

19:40 1st period: 1-1
Milan Lucic with cross-crease pass to Nathan Horton for easy tap-in. Perfectly executed breakout. Clever dish by David Krejci to spring Lucic.

16:53 1st period: Jets 1-0
Zach Bogosian point shot tipped by Andrew Ladd. Jets dominating Bruins in offensive zone and center ice.

16:14 1st period: 0-0
Jim Slater rattles a slapper off the post. Tanner Glass off for repairs. Cut over left eye after slamming into glass.

16:00 1st period: 0-0
Tuukka Rask giving up big rebounds. Bruins in good position to clear pucks away.

9:27 1st period: 0-0
Tuukka Rask stops Jim Slater and Chris Thorburn in tight. Jets getting very good looks on Rask.

5:55 1st period: 0-0
Tuukka Rask closes door on Chris Thorburn penalty shot. Tried to go backhand. Rask slides left to right for save. Thorburn hooked on partial breakaway.

3:31 1st period: 0-0
Dennis Seidenberg hammers PP one-timer. Stop by Ondrej Pavelec. Benoit Pouliot sniffing for rebound.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Steven Kampfer is the healthy scratch.

@GlobeFluto

It wasn't pretty, but a sellout crowd of 17,565 saw the Bruins fall to the Canucks, 4-3, in a Stanley Cup Final rematch.

The Canucks converted on 4 of 11 power-play opportunities, while the Bruins failed in all seven tries. Rich Peverley, David Krejci and Brad Marchand scored for the Bruins.

More from the locker rooms coming up.

Third period

19:10, Canucks, 4-3: The Bruins pulled Tim Thomas from net to try and send this game into overtime with a 6-on-5 advantage.

12:40, Canucks, 4-3: Minimal fighting this period, as it seems both teams care more about what the scoreboard says than what each other is saying.

1:51, Canucks, 4-3: David Krejci answered Hodgson's goal 42 seconds later on a second-effort rebound goal.

1:09, Canucks, 4-2: Hodgson gave Vancouver a two-goal lead on a slap shot from the point off the pipe. That's two goals in an 81-second span for the Canucks.

Second period

The Bruins have spent more minutes in the box (53-46) and the Canucks are making them pay. The frequent man-advantage has allowed the Canucks to get more opportunities, too, as they lead in shots, 26-20.

Bruins left wings Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic won't play in the third period.

19:48, Canucks, 3-2: Henrik Sedin gave the Canucks a 3-2 lead on another power-play opportunity. Alexandre Edler slap-passed it to Sedin, who tipped it past Thomas. Sedin is now the NHL's leader in points (49).

15:21, 2-2: Canucks center Cody Hodgson beat Tim Thomas on a wrister from the point to even the score, again. Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg was directly in Thomas's line of sight. Update: Alex Burrows deflected Hodgson's shot and was credited with the power-play goal. Hodgson picks up an assist instead.

7:12, Bruins, 2-1: Center Rich Peverley scooped up a loose puck and quickly shot it past Schneider from the point. Left wing Benoit Pouliot was credited with an assist.

2:55, 1-1: Fight 3: Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid and Canucks right wing Jannik Hansen scuffled behind the Bruins' net. McQuaid (roughing), Hansen (high-sticking), and Canucks left wing Mason Raymond (high-sticking) were penalized.

0:23, 1-1: Henrik Sedin tripped up Daniel Paille, and Paille was awarded a penalty shot. Schneider kept the score even with a glove save on Paille's wrist shot.

First period

Twenty minutes of hockey, 18 penalties dished out by the referees. Unsurprisingly, it's a playoff atmosphere at TD Garden and tension levels are at the max. The opening frame took nearly one hour to unfold.

The Bruins have fought 29 times this season, twice in the first period, which is second to the Rangers, who the B's trailed by three points in the Eastern Conference heading into today's action.

14:57, 1-1: Marchand faked Canucks goalie Cory Schneider, then slipped it under his pads on a backhand to even the score. A fight between Maxim Lapierre and Gregory Campbell broke out minutes later.

5:41, Canucks, 1-0: Ryan Kesler put the Canucks up early on the power play following the fight, assisted by Sami Salo and Daniel Sedin.

3:54, 0-0: Not even five minutes into the game and 10 players' gloves are off. Nathan Horton and Dale Weise fought individually while the other eight brawled on the ice near the benches. Referees are discussing the potential penalties now.

Unsurprisingly, Marchand is in the starting lineup.

Pregame

Welcome to TD Garden. The Bruins and Canucks are about to square off in a Stanley Cup Final rematch that you'll only see once this regular season.

There is still plenty of season left on the schedule, but both teams have jumped to the top of their respective conferences after recent surges. The Bruins (26-10-1), winners of nine of their last 10, host the Canucks (25-13-3), who are 7-2-1 in their last 10.

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault made a surprise move by going with Marblehead native Corey Schneider in net over Roberto Luongo, who had difficulties -- to say the least -- at TD Garden during the seven-game series. Bruins coach Claude Julien said the move is "their business."

"I think they choose to run their team the way they want, and as far as I know, I think they feel the same way we do about our goaltending tandem," Julien said.

Julien will go with Conn Smythe Trophy winner and this year's All-Star Game starter Tim Thomas, who shut out the Canucks in Vancouver in Game 7. But Julien trusts his backup, too.

"To be honest with you, I would have no issues with putting Tuukka Rask in net today with the way he's played," said Julien, referring to Rask's five-game winning streak and three shutouts in his last 11 starts.

Lots of fighting (photos) in the first period at TD Garden in the Stanley Cup Final rematch.

Update: Soon after Brad Marchand tied the score at 1, Bruins center Gregory Campbell and Canucks center Maxim Lapierre dueled with their gloves off on ice. Both got five minutes for fighting, while Shawn Thornton and Dale Weise each served two minutes in the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct.

---
Not even five minutes into the game and 10 players' gloves are off.

Nathan Horton and Dale Weise fought individually while the other eight brawled on the ice near the benches.

Penalties roundup:

Vancouver
Maxim Lapierre -- 2 minutes for roughing, 2 minutes for slashing
Dale Weise -- 5 minutes for fighting

Boston
Milan Lucic -- 10 minutes for game misconduct, 2 minutes for roughing (served by Tyler Seguin)
Shawn Thornton -- 2 minutes for roughing, 2 minutes for slashing
Nathan Horton -- 5 minutes for fighting

By Lenny Neslin, Boston.com Staff

Brad Marchand, who missed Thursday's drubbing of the Flames, is a game-time decision, Bruins coach Claude Julien said.

"He's feeling better," Julien said, "so we'll give him the opportunity to go into warm-ups and make sure he's 100 percent."

Marchand is in fact skating during warm-ups.

The 23-year-old had 19 points in the playoffs last season, and already has 31 points this season.

THIRD PERIOD

Over here at the Rock. Bruins win it, 6-1.

14:23 -- Boston, 6-1. Thornton connects with help from Paille.

4:50 -- Boston, 5-1. Krecji deflects in long wrister by Seidenberg. Lucic has assisted on last two goals.

2:13 -- Boston, 4-1. Alone in slot, Bergeron drills in short-range one-timer off clean feed into middle by Marchand.

Back in action.

SECOND PERIOD

Bruins win 24 of 31 faceoffs in first two periods, for impressive 77 percent efficiency. Krejci goes 12-for-15, 80 percent. Patrik Elias a woeful 1-for-10. Adam Henrique 1-for-8. Might be better just to try to kick puck.

40:00 in the books. Bruins, 3-1.

Bruins do little with two power play in period. Not much offense mounted by either side. Bruins doing strong job at faceoff circle.

4:02 -- Bruins, 3-1. Bergeron pots unassisted goal, after breaking out alone when rookie Larsson fans on shot at opposite blue line.

And away we go.

FIRST PERIOD

End 20:00. Bruins, 2-1, and picked up shot pace in last five minutes. Devils with 16-11 lead.

13:17 -- Boston, 2-1. Horton with forehand pot at left post, off Krecji pass by Parise and Fayne. PPG. Horton with only 4 points in previous 11 games.

Bruins cobbled together only 20 shots Saturday in Dallas. Only two in first 10 min.s here. Devils with eight.

8:15 -- Bruins, 1-1. Ference slapper from above left wing circle deflects by Brodeur off of Campbell's skate. Second Boston shot on net.

4:24 -- Devils, 1-0. Clark snaps wrister to top right corner off rush. Breaks in, 2-on-1, with Parise for PPG.

Thornton and Janssen drop gloves at 2:07 and exchange a load of big right hands to one another's kissers. Good bout. Not much relevance so early, but good shots.

Underway.

The Bruins and Devils are on the ice here at the Rock for their pre-game warmup. New Jersey will have Martin Brodeur in its net, with Tim Thomas between the pipes for the defending Stanley Cup champs.

Steve Kampfer and Zach Hamill are on the ice for the Bruins in the warmup. Both will be scratches.

Faceoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

The Bruin are back at work tomorrow night with the Calgary Flames on Causeway Street. The Flames are 18-18-5 and currently not among the top eight seeds in the Western Conference.

All done in Dallas. Stars stop Bruins' seven-game winning streak.

“It was us,” Claude Julien said. “We didn’t play a very good game from the get-go. They got some early goals. Before we settled down a little bit and came out better in the third, the damage was done. From the first guy to the last guy tonight, I don’t think we had a very strong game. It’s unfortunate. Again, those are things that will maybe help us get better in the upcoming games. We understand we have to bounce back.”

1:08 3d period: Stars 4-2
Milan Lucic one-times the puck in from the high slot. Might have skimmed off Brenden Morrow.

20:00 2d period: Stars 4-1
Second period ends with Claude Julien yelling at referees Stephane Auger and Mike Leggo. Zdeno Chara has words with Steve Ott. Everybody in Black and Gold frustrated, as they should be.

19:00 2d period: Stars 4-1
Odd-man rush for Stars. Tom Wandell drives to net and taps in Adam Burish feed.

15:22 2d period: Stars 3-1
Gregory Campbell vs. Jake Dowell. Starts with Dowell laying solid but clean check on Campbell. Even scrap.

13:09 2d period: Stars 3-1
Not enough from Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. Must be heavier on puck.

7:19 2d period: Stars 3-1
Shawn Thornton off for retaliatory slash. Stars continue to agitate Bruins effectively.

4:45 2d period: Stars 3-1
Couple chances in close by Benoit Pouliot. Kari Lehtonen very active and sharp.

20:00 1st period: Stars 3-1
Near-perfect period by Stars. Bruins undisciplined. Not enough puck possession for visiting club.

19:20 1st period: Stars 3-1
Power-play goal for Michael Ryder. Sweet stuff from the ex-Bruin. Fakes forehand to pull Tim Thomas out. Then goes backhand.

18:31 1st period: Stars 2-1
Interference on Zdeno Chara. Piledrives Brenden Morrow in front of net.

16:59 1st period: Stars 2-1
Tim Thomas makes the initial save on Trevor Daley. Puck hops over Thomas and over goal line.

15:41 1st period: 1-1
Tyler Seguin hits the right post.

11:39 1st period: 1-1
Tied up. David Krejci puts a puck on goal from the slot. Tyler Seguin appears to tip the shot past Kari Lehtonen. Good work by Seguin in front to establish position.

9:58 1st period: Stars 1-0
Another PP for Dallas. Brad Marchand to the box for holding the stick. Very good start for Stars. Taking the game to the Bruins.

3:21 1st period: Stars 1-0
Loui Eriksson with the PP snipe. Bruins have 54 seconds remaining on PK.

2:15 1st period: 0-0
Five-on-three for 1:53 for Stars.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Rich Peverley in. Zach Hamill and Steven Kampfer out.

@GlobeFluto

Brad Marchand scored his first career hat trick and the Bruins thrashed the Panthers, 8-0.

The Bruins had a step on the Panthers from the start, and they never took their foot off the gas. Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg, and Tyler Seguin had multi-point games for the Bruins and Tuukaa Rask stopped all 30 shots that he faced for his second shutout of the season.

The Bruins play the Coyotes in Phoenix on Wednesday.

10:53 3d period Bruins 8, Panthers 0: It's raining hats! Brad Marchand with goal No. 15 of the season and his first career hat trick. Assisted by Tyler Seguin and Adam McQuaid.

3d period Bruins 7, Panthers 0: Brad Marchand matches career high with four points on the night (he had 2 goals and 2 assists last season at Colorado). The Bruins have 13 different players on the score sheet tonight with more than 15 minutes of hockey left to play.

1:53 3d period Bruins 7, Panthers 0: Brad Marchand with his second goal of the game on what looked like it was supposed to be a centering pass that was deflected up and in by Florida goaltender Scott Clemmensen. Assisted by Zdeno Chara and Tyler Seguin.

2d intermission Bruins 6, Panthers 0: Bruins fans get two shows for the price of one, Rene Rancourt serenading the Garden with Christmas carols during the intermission. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

19:00 2d period Bruins 6, Panthers 0: Bruins fans chanting "Merry Christmas!" At least the Panthers and their fans can take solace in shorts and sunglasses when the inevitable Nor'easter hits Boston, because that is about all they have going for them right now.

15:50 2d period Bruins 6, Panthers 0: And there it is...36 seconds into the PP Patrice Bergeron throws it into traffic from the right circle and it finds the back of the cage. Assists to Zdeno Chara and David Krejci.

15:14 2d period Bruins 5, Panthers 0: Florida can't stay out of the box, the Bruins need to cash in and put this one further out of reach than it already is. Erik Gudbranson, two minutes for cross-checking.

12:16 2d period Bruins 5, Panthers 0: Dmitry Kulikov catches Zach Hamill int he face with a high-stick. Bruins with another two minute man-advantage.

3:50 2d period Bruins 5, Panthers 0: It's Philly all over again! Greg Campbell with a wrister from the high slot beats Scott Clemmensen cleanly. Assists to Brad Marchand and Andrew Ference.

0:42 2d period Bruins 4, Panthers 0: Another PP for Boston, Dmitry Kulikov sent off for hooking.

0:00 2d period Bruins 4, Panthers 0: Jose Theodore does not return tot he crease for the 2d period, Scott Clemmensen in.

1st intermission Bruins 4, Panthers 0: Bruins cruising. Outshot the Panthers 14-6 in the first...two power plays for each side, Boston 1-for-2 and Florida 0-for-2...Benoit Pouliot with a highlight reel goal and scores from Brad Marchand, Milan Lucic and Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruins are 8-1-0 when leading after the first period this season.

0:00 1st period Bruins 4, Panthers 0: It's going to be a long night for the Panthers. Dennis Seidenberg puts the Bruins up by four heading into the first intermission with 57.2 seconds remaining in the period. Assisted by Joe Corvo and Brad Marchand.

19:02 1st period Bruins 3, Panthers 0: Benoit Pouliot pots his seventh goal of the season on a dazzling solo play off a defensive zone faceoff skating four-on-four with Bergeron in the box for tripping. Assist to Chris Kelly.

17:43 1st period Bruins 2, Panthers 0: Bruins on the PP again. Kris Versteeg, 2 minutes for cross-checking. Bruins 1-1 on the PP so far tonight.

17:28 1st period Bruins 2, Panthers 0: Greg Campbell goal waved off by the official, they reviewed it and the play stands. Officials got it right, the puck never crossed the goal line.

13:42 1st period Bruins 2, Panthers 0: Shawn Thornton drops the gloves with Krys Barch. No strangers to each other or the fisticuffs. Five minutes each for fighting.

13:40 1st period Bruins 2, Panthers 0: Milan Lucic strikes on the PP. Patrice Bergeron with a blast from the point intentionally wide, Lucic got a stick on it and then stuffed in the rebound off the endboards.

12:51 1st period Bruins 1, Panthers 0: Bruins get first PP opportunity. Ed Jovanovski 2 minutes for roughing.

8:32 1st period Bruins1, Panthers 0: Jose Theodore makes a magnificent save on a one timer from Nathan Horton to Milan Lucic right in front of the crease to keep it a one-goal game.

5:56 1st period Bruins 1, Panthers 0: Brad Marchand short-handed goal from the right circle, assisted by Patrice Bergeron and Dennis Seidenberg.

5:42 1st period: Panthers PP, Gregory Campbell to the box, 2 minutes high-sticking.

0:00 1st period: Bruins control the opening draw. Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Nathan Horton, Dennis Seidenberg, and Joe Corvo on the ice for Boston.

Tim Thomas was first off the ice at the Bruins morning skate but Tuukka Rask (6-4-1) gets the start in net. Jose Theodore (13-7-4) gets the nod for Florida.

Greetings and happy holiday wishes from the TD Garden. The teams are on the ice for warmups and we're minutes away from dropping the puck.

It's a final here at TD Garden. The Bruins have beaten the Canadiens, 3-2, winning their fifth in a row and 19th of 22.

18:46 - 3d period - Boston 3, Canadiens 2 - Erik Cole has closed the Habs to within one.

14:14 - 3d period - Boston 3, Canadiens 1 - Brad Marchand has given the Bruins a two-goal cushion. Marchand beat Price on a backhand shot, giving him 12 goals on the season.

7:44 - 3d period - Boston 2, Canadiens 1 - The Bruins have killed off the penalty to Hamill.

5:44 - 3d period - Boston 2, Canadiens 1 - Zach Hamill has been called for cross-checking, giving Montreal a power play.

2:27 - 3d period - Boston 2, Canadiens 1 - The Habs call a timeout after an icing. Time to regroup.

20:00 - 2d period - Boston 2, Canadiens 1 - The Bruins head into the second intermission with 20 shots on goal to 18 for the Habs. Boston is 16-0-0 when leading after two periods and hope to add to that tonight.

16:23 - 2d period - Boston 2, Canadiens 1 - Louis Leblanc's high stick caught Bruins' center Patrice Bergeron in the face and Leblanc was assessed a double minor for high sticking. Bergeron went to the bench for some medical attention during the power play.

13:24 - 2d period - Boston 2, Canadiens 1 - Nothing doing on the power play for Boston. The Habs didn't give them anything and the Bruins didn't take it.

11:24 - 2d period - Boston 2, Canadiens 1 - Defenseman Josh Gorges whistled off for interference. Bruins on the power play for the first time in the game.

8:02 - 2d period - Boston 2, Canadiens 1 - Montreal center Petteri Nokelainen nearly tied the game when his shot from the left circle rattled off the goal post.

5:50 - 2d period - Boston 2, Canadiens 1 - The Bruins did an excellent job on the penalty kill, not allowing the Habs so much as a look at an offensive chance.

3:50 - 2d period - Boston 2, Canadiens 1 - Nathan Horton was assessed the first penalty of the contest and is in the box for hooking.

2:42 - 2d period - Bruins 2, Canadiens 1 - The Bruins have retaken the lead. Center David Krejci has potted his sixth of the year. Defenseman Andrew Ference centered a pass to Krejci. The puck bounced off the left skate of Krejci and into the net to the stick side of Carey Price.

20:00 - 1st period - Bruins 1, Canadiens 1 - Both teams finished the opening period with nine shots apiece. There has yet to be a penalty called.

13:26 - 1st period - Bruins 1, Canadiens 1 - Tomas Plekanec has tied the game. Mike Cammalleri made a deft centering pass through the legs of Bruins' captain Zdeno Chara to Plekanec, who beat goaltender Tim Thomas for his seventh score of the year.

12:13 1st period - Bruins 1, Canadiens 0 - The Bruins have taken the lead on a goal by Benoit Pouliot. Center Rich Peverley beat Habs' pivotman Petteri Nokelainen cleanly in the right faceoff circle, pushing the puck forward. He dished it to Benoit Pouliot, who fired it past goalie Carey Price for his sixth goal of the season.

9:50 1st period - Bruins 0, Canadiens 0 - The Canadiens had an offensive chance when David Desharnais took a shot from the left circle. Max Pacioretty charged in for the followup but Bruins' goalie Tim Thomas took away any opportunity for a rebound.

5:00 1st period - Bruins 0, Canadiens 0 - Gregory Campbell is on the ice, playing his first game after missing three because of a fractured foot.

01:30 1st period - Boston 0, Canadiens 0 - The Bruins are battling the Canadiens without left wing Milan Lucic because of a one-game suspension. Daniel Paille has been given the duty on the left side with center David Krejci and right wing Nathan Horton.

The Canadiens are on Causeway Street this evening to face the Bruins, renewing one of the game's greatest rivalries.

The Habs cashiered coach Jacques Martin on Saturday and replaced him with ex-Forever .500 winger Randy Cunneyworth, prior to losing to the Devils, 5-3, at the Bell Centre. If the playoffs were to begin today, the Habs would be on vacation, a post-season DNQ for the first time since 2007.

The Bruins are awaiting word on whether Milan Lucic will be available for tonight's action. He has a hearing today with Brendan Shanahan (@NHLShanahan), the legue's chief disciplinarian, for his hit from behind on the Flyers' Zac Rinaldo during Boston's 6-0 win at Philly Saturday afternoon.

The Bruins have won four straight games and have only lost two games in regulation since the end of November. They are 18-2-1 over the last six weeks, banking 84.1 percent of the 44 points to be had in those 21 games. As of today, they are tied for first with Philly in the Eastern Conference (each with 43 points) and tied for third in the league's overall standings.

Along with being uncertain about Lucic's availability, the Bruins also don't know if Greg Campbell or Rich Peverley, each nursing niggling injuries, will be suitable for action. For the latter two, their availabilities might not be known until after the pre-game warmup. All of which makes the projected lineup listed below only a matter a guesswork.

Puck drop: 7:05 p.m. EST

Record: Bruins, 21-9-1; Canadiens, 13-13-7.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Projected lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley
Daniel Paille-Greg Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Scratches: Jordan Caron, Steve Kamper, Zach Hamill

Storylines: Head coach Claude Julien made Boston's morning workout optional. Tuukka Rask was among the handful of Bruins who skated, while most of the players loosened up by kicking a soccer ball around the hallway outside the dressing room. Given that Rask was on the ice, it's likely that Tim Thomas (15-5-0) gets the start against Carey Price (12-10-7)....Following tonight, the Bruins play only once more this week, facing the Panthers at the Garden on Friday night before going on Christmas break. Their first game back after the holiday is Dec. 28 in Phoenix....The Bruins went 4-1-0 around the Christmas break last season and only had a minor slump, 1-4-0 in February, over the remainder of the season....The Bruins have outscored the opposition, 19-5, over the four-game win streak and also have gone a sizzling 6-for-17 on the power play. The needed bump on the man-advantage has moved them to No. 9 overall in the league at 19 percent efficiency. They are third overall (88.5) in penalty killing, behind only the Devils and Canadiens. The Habs are a lowly 28th on the power play, connecting at only 12.5 percent. Lafleur weeps...Tonight's guys in stripes: referees Paul Devorski and Rob Martell; linesmen Pierre Champoux and Bryan Pancich.

All done in Philly. Bruins in first place in the East.

12:12 3d period: Bruins 6-0
Tyler Seguin snaps a shot past Sergei Bobrovsky. Seguin back with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

1:59 3d period: Bruins 5-0
Zac Rinaldo off for chirping Brad Marchand.

20:00 2d period: Bruins 5-0
Bruins with 27-23 shot advantage. Will have 1:21 remaining to kill on Milan Lucic's major.

16:21 2d period: Bruins 5-0
Milan Lucic out for game. Good call.

16:21 2d period: Bruins 5-0
Bad boarding penalty by Milan Lucic on Zac Rinaldo. Sparks Nathan Horton vs. Rinaldo. Rinaldo gets best of Horton.

7:06 2d period: Bruins 5-0
Ilya Bryzgalov kicks out Zdeno Chara’s PP point shot. Nathan Horton tucks in rebound. Bryzgalov out, Sergei Bobrovsky in.

2:10 2d period: Bruins 4-0
Sean Couturier (head) will not return.

0:00 2d period: Bruins 4-0
Ilya Bryzgalov remains in goal.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 4-0
Some late life by Philly. Tim Thomas scrambling to keep puck out of net. Might be time for goalie change for Flyers to start second.

19:11 1st period: Bruins 4-0
Sean Couturier down. Blasted by Kimmo Timonen shot off left side of head.

18:12 1st period: Bruins 4-0
Tim Thomas gets some help from the post. Under review.

17:48 1st period: Bruins 4-0
Scott Hartnell flattens Brad Marchand. Johnny Boychuk comes calling. Hartnell with early punches, Boychuk lands a late uppercut. Shawn Thornton might inquire with Hartnell later.

17:10 1st period: Bruins 4-0
Milan Lucic redirects a Joe Corvo slap pass past Ilya Bryzgalov. Sweet hands by Lucic.

11:41 1st period: Bruins 3-0
Tim Thomas way out to stop Scott Hartnell on PP.

8:08 1st period: Bruins 3-0
Zdeno Chara with a PP slapper from left point. Flyers sleepwalking.

7:41 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Big stop by Ilya Bryzgalov on Chris Kelly. Shorthanded rush by Kelly after Rich Peverley feed.

2:50 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Daniel Paille scores on the rebound. Ilya Bryzgalov fighting puck. Timeout Philly.

2:13 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Zdeno Chara vs. Jody Shelley. Had jousted prior to faceoff. Some bunny punches by both fighters and a takedown by Chara.

0:27 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Opening shift, Benoit Pouliot crashes the net and bumps in a Rich Peverley feed. Good net drive by Pouliot.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Flyers without Chris Pronger and Claude Giroux.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Ottawa. Not a three-goal game. Bruins capitalized on Ottawa's mistakes.

18:55 3d period: Bruins 5-2
Daniel Paille hammers a slapper over Craig Anderson’s glove. Goodnight.

15:55 3d period: Bruins 4-2
Jason Spezza wires a shot high blocker on Tim Thomas. Too many good looks for Senators all night.

5:50 3d period: Bruins 4-1
Shawn Thornton springs Daniel Paille for a breakaway. Paille goes five-hole on Craig Anderson. Terrific pass by Thornton.

4:54 3d period: Bruins 3-1
Patrice Bergeron dekes Craig Anderson to score on breakaway. Flub by Erik Karlsson in defensive zone leads to Bergeron’s chance.

20:00 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Late fireworks. Bruins don’t care for Zack Smith shot after whistle.

19:11 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Two big stops by Tim Thomas on Daniel Alfredsson. Senators pushing on five-minute PP.

17:45 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Adam McQuaid off for kneeing Nick Foligno. Cut-and-dried five-minute kneeing major. McQuaid sent to room. Foligno goes off with help.

13:47 2d period: Bruins 2-1
Chris Kelly scores on the rebound of a Johnny Boychuk shot. Kelly paying the price in front of the net. Nobody home to clear Kelly out of the danger area.

4:23 2d period: 1-1
Daniel Alfredsson takes a feed from Jason Spezza and beats Tim Thomas with a wrister. Slick pass across the grain by Spezza, deadly finish by Alfredsson. Starts with Craig Anderson kickout of a Milan Lucic slapper.

2:20 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Tim Thomas turns back Chris Neil partial breakaway. Ottawa comes out flying.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Ottawa with 13-6 shot advantage. Bruins looking slightly better in second half of first. Better legs.

17:30 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Zach Hamill with a close-range bid. Craig Anderson moves from left to right to foil Hamill.

12:10 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Rich Peverley dangles through Ottawa defense over blue line and snaps a wrister through Craig Anderson. Nice moves from Peverley. Bruins get early spike after Lucic-Carkner scrap.

11:46 1st period: 0-0
Milan Lucic vs. Matt Carkner. Lucic lands early right that rocks Carkner. Ottawa defenseman hangs in keeps firing. Big-time scrap between two big boys.

11:30 1st period: 0-0
Senators with 9-2 shot advantage. Bruins can’t find their legs.

8:14 1st period: 0-0
Tim Thomas covers on an Erik Karlsson rush. Bruins careless with the puck, which is leading to Ottawa chances.

0:36 1st period: 0-0
Huge save by Tim Thomas on Colin Greening. Cross-ice feed by Daniel Alfredsson out front after Johnny Boychuk giveaway. Thomas tracks it all the way.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Jordan Caron healthy scratch. Zdeno Chara and Gregory Campbell unhealthy scratches.

@GlobeFluto

OTTAWA – Good morning from Scotiabank Place, where the Bruins will look for their third straight win tonight against the Senators.

Zdeno Chara (knee) is scheduled to skate this morning along with Jordan Caron, who was a healthy scratch last night. No word yet on Chara’s availability for tonight. Gregory Campbell (foot) will not play. The rest of the players have the morning off.

Milan Michalek, the league’s leading goal scorer, may not be available for the Senators. Michalek suffered an upper-body injury last night after colliding with teammate Erik Karlsson.

Puck drop: 7 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Bruins 19-9-1, Senators 14-13-4

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley
Daniel Paille-Zach Hamill-Shawn Thornton

Dennis Seidenberg-Johnny Boychuk
Andrew Ference-Joe Corvo
Steven Kampfer-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Healthy scratch: Jordan Caron

Storylines: Dougie Hamilton has made Team Canada’s World Junior Championship roster. Hamilton, the No. 9 overall pick of the 2011 draft, should be in Canada’s top-four mix. Ryan Spooner was in the running for a roster spot, but he was diagnosed with mononucleosis… Ottawa is coming off a 3-2 win over Buffalo last night. Craig Anderson stopped 27 shots to score the overtime win… Marc Joannette and Tom Kowal will be the referees. Steve Barton and Lonnie Cameron will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

THIRD PERIOD

All done on Causeway. Bruins 3, Kings 0

First shutout of season for Rask. Two goals for Marchand.

Kings have now lost five straight. Bruins dashing out of here to play in Ottawa Wednesday night.

Just 2:34 to go. Bruins closing in on fourth shutout of season, first for Rask

16:35 -- Kampfer second minor (holding) of night.

Now 9:17 to go in period. Will Rask earn his first shutout of the season?

5:35 -- Bruins, 3--0. Second of night for Marchand. Cute backhand lift at top of crease after he slips ahead of Johnson. Toasting and coasting.

Underway.

SECOND PERIOD

Bruins win 21 of 31 faceoffs (68 percent) through two periods. Kings land only 21 of their 51 shots on Rask. Bruins land 19 of 39 against Quick and pot two for the 2-0 lead.

Now 40 minutes complete. Bruins, 2-0. Looks like easy passage to win No. 19.

Kings now with brief 5-on-3 PP chance.

Kampfer in box with 4:30 to go in period. Bruins still with 2-0 lead.

Kings need to exhibit some pushback here or will seal their fifth straight defeat.

7:43 -- Boston, 2-0. Marchand snaps one-timer by Quick after Bergeron schools Fraser on faceoff in circle to Quick's right.

6:10 gone. Bruins still with 1-0 lead. Kings look a little better, but still not able to take advantage of the fact Chara is out of Boston's lineup.

Underway.

FIRST PERIOD

First 20 minutes in the books. Bruins with 1-0 lead and Kings playing like a bunch of misfit toys.

Bruins come up empty on another power-play chance. Bruins using combination of Ference-Peverley and Seidenberg-Corvo at points. Obvious absence of Chara.

Bruins fourth line tonight: Paille-Hamill-Thornton.

6:32 -- Bruins, 1-0. Peverley with easy forehand tap in open right side off clean feed by Hamill. Good cycling by Bruins. Peverley's first goal since Nov. 12, second since Oct. 18.

4:15. Ex-UMaine star Dustin Penner misses wide open right side of net on 2-on-0 break with Gagne. Brutal.

Bruins get nothing with early PP chance. No. 1 unit with Peverley and Ference at points, followed by Seidenberg and Corvo.

Underway.

Ex-UMass-Amherst star Jonathan Quick in net for Kings. Tuukka Rask for B's.

Slight surprise. Jordan Caron scratched. Danny Paille and Zach Hamill both in lineup for Bruins.

About 10 minutes from puck drop, Bruins vs. Kings, here at TD Garden.

Steve Kampfer in team captain Zdeno Chara.

No one wearing the 'C' tonight for Bruins. Chris Kelly, Patrice Bergeron and Andrew Ference all wearing the alternate captain's 'A'.

@GlobeFluto has moved into coffeehouse position in Ottawa, awaiting arrival of Bruins for match there tomorrow night vs. Senators.

All done in Columbus. Bruins lucky to get two points. Awaiting news on Zdeno Chara's injury.

19:34 3d period: Bruins 5-3
Chris Kelly goes upstairs on the power play to seal the win.

16:33 3d period: Bruins 4-3
Bruins playing far tighter defensively in the third. Goalie change helped stabilize team.

6:44 3d period: Bruins 4-3
Joe Corvo with another blast from point on power play. Benoit Pouliot working hard in front.

4:20 3d period: 3-3
Big stop by Tuukka Rask on Jeff Carter.

0:00 3d period: 3-3
Tuukka Rask replaces Tim Thomas. Thomas on bench.

0:00 3d period: 3-3
Zdeno Chara is out for the night. No reason provided.

20:00 2d period: 3-3
Bruins will have 1:54 to kill on Milan Lucic’s penalty to start third. Zdeno Chara missed the last five minutes of the second.

16:05 2d period: 3-3
RJ Umberger muscles off Dennis Seidenberg and goes five-hole on Tim Thomas. Ugly all around.

13:03 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Bad goalie interference call on Derek Dorsett. Not even close. Hurt on play.

12:08 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Adam McQuaid clears a puck from the Boston crease. Tim Thomas springing some leaks tonight.

11:00 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Joe Corvo having words with Derek Dorsett. Corvo scrapped for only first time in career earlier this month.

0:58 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Zdeno Chara scores on the power play. Slap shot from left point high glove on Curtis Sanford.

0:40 2d period: 2-2
Curtis Sanford with his best save so far. Gets a glove on Benoit Pouliot’s backhand.

20:00 1st period: 2-2
Thus ends one of the uglier first periods. Strong counterpunch by Bruins after looking down and out for 18 minutes.

19:11 1st period: 2-2
Nathan Horton ties It up. Fast-moving wrist shot from slot. Good pass by Milan Lucic.

18:26 1st period: Jackets 2-1
Joe Corvo from the right point. Traffic in front. Looked like it hit off James Wisniewski, who was jousting with Nathan Horton. Much-needed goal.

17:15 1st period: Jackets 2-0
Vinny Prospal very close to scoring on backhand. Tim Thomas stretches out glove to stop puck.

14:08 1st period: Jackets 2-0
Milan Lucic off for slashing, cross-checking. Deserved all four PIMs. Was dumped by RJ Umberger and retaliated. Selfish as they come.

11:09 1st period: Jackets 2-0
Tim Thomas on his stomach, trying to stop Derick Brassard. With Thomas down and out, Jeff Carter goes high on the backhand on the power play. Rotten start for Bruins.

5:46 1st period: Jackets 1-0
Rick Nash slips behind Zdeno Chara. Nash goes five-hole on the breakaway. Wastes little time getting shot off.

2:57 1st period: 0-0
Shawn Thornton vs. Jared Boll. Thornton gets bucket off, connects with lefts and rights. Takedown for Thornton. No late punches, which was what ticked Thornton off last time.

0:50 1st period: 0-0
Rich Peverley hits the left post.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Steven Kampfer is the healthy scratch.

@GlobeFluto

All done at Garden. Bruins drop second straight.

19:18 3d period: Panthers 2-0
Kris Versteeg closes out the night with an ENG.

17:28 3d period: Panthers 1-0
Bad rebound by Tim Thomas on initial shot. Tomas Kopecky crashed net and puts home rebound.

15:30 3d period: 0-0
Rare busy work for Tim Thomas. Good stop on Jack Skille, then turns back Marco Sturm.

9:30 3d period: 0-0
Jose Theodore under siege. Bruins really hammering pucks on goal now.

4:09 3d period: 0-0
Best save of the night by Jose Theodore. Gloves Milan Lucic’s high-slot chance. Theodore aggressive and cutting down angles.

20:00 2d period: 0-0
Both teams getting good sniffs through 40 minutes. Bruins with four posts.

14:30 2d period: 0-0
Johnny Boychuk vs. Jack Skille. Skille challenges Boychuk after the D-man drops Mike Santorelli at red line. Boychuk gets best of Skille. Didn’t have to fight. Good, clean hit.

11:28 2d period: 0-0
Joe Corvo blasts a PP slapper off left post. Fourth pipe hit for Bruins.

7:19 2d period: 0-0
Great PP chance for Nathan Horton. Right in front of the net. Jose Theodore stays square to stuff Horton.

6:27 2d period: 0-0
Chance for Shawn Thornton. Gregory Campbell on doorstep. Jose Theodore smothers Thornton’s shot. Theodore looks sharp.

2:51 2d period: 0-0
Brad Marchand off for elbowing. Looked like he accidentally clipped Tim Kennedy while leaping for puck.

0:00 2d period: 0-0
Daniel Paille not present for start of second period. Paille is out for the night.

20:00 1st period: 0-0
Bruins hit three posts in first. No sign of Daniel Paille after taking wicked wallop from Krys Barch. Paille looked wobbly after the blast. His night might be over.

19:41 1st period: 0-0
Tim Thomas with stop on Kris Versteeg’s close-range stop. Not much action for Thomas.

14:07 1st period: 0-0
Bruins with 10-4 shot advantage. Not including three posts – Adam McQuaid, Dennis Seidenberg, Patrice Bergeron.

9:19 1st period: 0-0
Patrice Bergeron with the post job.

8:47 1st period: 0-0
Dennis Seidenberg strikes iron. Hits left post with point shot.

2:25 1st period: 0-0
Doesn’t look like Daniel Paille is on bench. Took big thump from Krys Barch, which triggered the fight.

2:17 1st period: 0-0
Shawn Thornton vs. Krys Barch. Both land their punches. Thornton with the takedown.

1:37 1st period: 0-0
Sure looked like Adam McQuaid’s point shot went in. Shawn Thornton missed on the rebound.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Jordan Caron and Steven Kampfer are the healthy scratches.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Winnipeg. Great effort by Jets. First regulation loss since Oct. 29 for Bruins.

16:04 3d period: Jets 2-1
Tuukka Rask smothers a Dustin Byfuglien slapper. Last pause before big finish.

12:00 3d period: Jets 2-1
Both teams pushing hard. Great intensity for regular season.

6:48 3d period: Jets 2-1
Tuukka Rask robs Evander Kane in front. Game-saving stop.

4:50 3d period: Jets 2-1
Bryan Little wins draw, then goes off for go-ahead goal. Rich Peverley beaten on faceoff. Joe Corvo caught leaning wrong way.

4:44 3d period: 1-1
David Krejci belts Mark Stuart into wall. Looked like boarding call.

3:16 3d period: 1-1
All tied up. Shawn Thornton in front off Daniel Paille feed. Gregory Campbell starts sequence by winning puck in offensive zone.

2:59 3d period: Jets 1-0
Great chance for Carl Klingberg after Zdeno Chara giveaway. Tuukka Rask with pad stop.

20:00 2d period: Jets 1-0
Bruins will have 16 seconds remaining on David Krejci’s slashing penalty to start third. Ondrej Pavelec difference-maker in game so far. Bruins getting good scoring chances.

17:38 2d period: Jets 1-0
Johnny Boychuk hurting. Blasted by Zach Bogosian slapper off right leg.

14:48 2d period: Jets 1-0
Very good pressure by Bruins power play. But Ondrej Pavelec puts end to it by stopping Zdeno Chara slapper. Pavelec excellent tonight.

13:41 2d period: Jets 1-0
Tim Stapleton off for hooking. Weak call.

6:06 2d period: Jets 1-0
Best sequence for Ondrej Pavelec yet. Stops Zdeno Chara long-distance shot. Then bats away David Krejci short-range rebound.

5:17 2d period: Jets 1-0
Bruins getting good looks on power play. Ondrej Pavelec very good so far at shutting Bruins down. Sixteen stops so far.

20:00 1st period: Jets 1-0
Late chance for Andrew Ladd. Adam McQuaid pinches, giving Jets an odd-man rush. Andrew Ference helps busts up chance.

18:22 1st period: Jets 1-0
Off the rush, Andrew Ladd whistles a wrister over Tuukka Rask short side.

11:42 1st period: 0-0
Strong shift for Jordan Caron with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Throwing around body.

8:49 1st period: 0-0
Rough play so far. Milan Lucic belts Chris Thorburn. Earlier, Mark Stuart tangled with Shawn Thornton.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Rich Peverley replaces Tyler Seguin on No. 2 line.

@GlobeFluto

Tyler Seguin has been scratched for tonight’s game. Seguin missed a team breakfast and team meeting this morning.

“Honest mistake,” said GM Peter Chiarelli. “But we have team rules. He has to abide by them.”

Chiarelli said Seguin has had several such incidents during his career.

“I don’t see it as a problem,” Chiarelli said. “I see it as a young player who sometimes forgets to set his alarm.”

@GlobeFluto

THIRD PERIOD

Over here at CONSOL. Bruins, 3-1. Embarrassment-of-riches run goes to 14-0-1.

With 3:00 to go, Krejci just misses potting 4-1 lead.

5:00 to go here in the third. Bruns still in control of 3-1 lead, even with much of the momentum swung Pittsburgh's way. Shots: Pens, 35-26.

11:08 -- Campbell and ex-NU star Vitale tried a series of over-the-top right hands in good bout after melee follows crash into Thomas.

Not so fast. Pens get on board at 10:54, cut lead to 3-1. Dastardly Matt Cooke makes pot at left post off feed from Vitale.

10:00 to go. Bruins should button this down tight.

8:42 -- Rare visor-to-visor collision between Malkin adn Paille leaves Malkin bloody around nose--leaves for stitches.

If Pittsburgh remains scoreless, it will be Boston's fourth shutout since big streak began at start of November.

Bruins don't connect for knockout blow. Now 11:48 to go, still with 3-0 lead.

4:39 -- Kunitz tripping minor. Chance here for Bruins to end it.

1:07 -- Bruins, 3-0. Seguin makes pot with quick rip at left post, off pass from Bergeron. PPG. Staal in box for interference.

SECOND PERIOD

40:00 in book. Bruins with 2-0 lead. Pens have taken 23-19 shot lead. Lots of ticky-tack penalties, both sides.

Bruins kill the 2:00 5-on-3, allowing three shots. Sullivan fails to make easy pot in open left side at 16:58 after he collects rebound of Malkin shot from right dot.

16:06 -- Peverley, Pouliot each sent off for minors. Penguins with another 2:00 worth of 5-on-3 advantage.
\
\ 8:38 to go in period. Bruins in command with 2-0 lead. Penguins with 12 shots over 31:22.

7:18 -- Bruins, 2-0. Pouliot snaps wrister to top right corner, off rush, after Peverley transitions in with puck from neutral zone. Pouliot's best game in Spoked-B.

Bruins escape 1:10 worth of shorthanded time, allowing only two shots on net -- Crosby at 4:36, Malkin at 5:12.

Bruins now in heap of penalty trouble.

2:57 -- Bruins, 1-0. Campbell with mash at right post after Paille centers out from behind goal line. Heavy work by fourth line. Paille outworks Bortuzzo. Campbell with step ahead on Adams.

Underway.

FIRST PERIOD

End of 20: NO SCORE.

Bruins finish period with 11-6 shot lead.

2:00 to go in period. Still scoreless. Bruins with 11-6 shot lead. Play very tight.

Pens with top PP line of Neal-Crosby-Malkin. Impressive.

12:19 -- Campbell off for interference.

11:41. Crosby can't cash prime chance top of crese, in trade of passes. Ran out of room to handle biscuit.

10:46. Dupuis overswings on free puck, top of crease. No goal. Primo chance.

8:25. Despres off for slashing. Another ticky-tack call against 'Guins.

Poor PP for Bruins. Reminiscent of playoffs. Spend very little time in offensive zone. Dupuis with great chance out of penalty box at 7:74, long wrister forces Thomas kick save (and a beauty).

5:27 -- Dupuis sent off for holding. Boston PP.

2:18 McQuad shot above right circle goes in net. Ruled no goal. Kelly and Bortuzzo collided with Fleury, essentially blowing play dead.

Near ready to rock 'n' roll here in Steel City, Bruins vs. Penguins.

Bruins taking 12-minute ice baths all day in preparation of trip later tonight to Winnipeg. Don't fix color on your television. They've earned those ruddy cheeks.

@GlobeFluto making his way now to Winnipeg. Has asked for hotel room near ice-maker. Rookie.

THIRD PERIOD

All over at TD. Bruins win, 4-1. Now without a regulation loss in 14 straight games: 13-0-1. Next into the hurt locker: the Penguins Monday night in Pittsburgh.

2:25 to go. Win No. 16 being inked in the book.

14:26 -- Bruins, 4-1. Horton provides knockout punch with hard wrister from high inner edge of left wing circle. Adds to a dominating period.

Leafs call time out at 11:10 after being pinned in their own zone, 5-on-5, for slightly more than two minutes.

Once more, very limited showing thus far by Kessel against his former team. Dynamic speed. But those Spoke-B sweaters are garlic to him.
\
6:28 -- Chara off for hooking. Chance for Leafs to cut Boston lead in half.

3:06 -- Bruins, 3-1. Boychuk bomb from top edge of right wing circle. Master blaster. His third of the season.

Lots of stops and starts in first 2:30. Bruins still with one-goal lead.

Underway.

SECOND PERIOD.

Second set complete. Bruins with 2-1 lead. Very even game. Bruins with 19-18 shot lead.

Good PK for the Bruins. Rask under some heavy pressure at end. Boston retains 1-0 lead.

15:33 -- Krejci off for holding. Another TOR PP.

13:11 -- Bruins, 2-1. Kelly with easy forehand post at left post off of sweet dish from right wing by Peverley. On prior shift, Seguin and Marchand nearly connect for goal.

12:00 gone by. Still 1-1.

8:11 -- Chara sent off for tripping Crabb. Ticky-tack call. Leafs PP. Kessel free to skate with Z in sin bin.

5:08 -- Leafs tie, 1-1. Grabovski rips in vicious one-timer from outer edge of right wing cicle, set up by a Gardiner skating clinic.

4:20 -- Bruins, 1-0. Krejci pots go-ahead strike, rushing into slot for Horton feed from goal line. Kessel bumped off puck along right wing wall in heavy action with Lucic.

More of same. Lots of skating. Not a lot of playmaking. Still 0-0 with 3:30 gone.

Underway.

FIRST PERIOD

First 20:00 wrapped up. No score. Bruins with 10-7 shot edge. Neither side with great chances or sustained pressure, but excellent skating pace. Top-end go-kart hockey, the trend in New NHL.

Clubs skating four men apiece, aftrer LUcic (17:49) and MacArthur (18:11) send off for minors.

Paced has backed off a bit. Neither side with significant threats. Still nil-nil.

Boisterous Toronto contingent in sellout crowd. Canadians taking advantage of stronger dollar, living large in Hub.

11:48 -- Bergeron nearly cashes in on bang-bang feed in from Marchand from right wing circle. Still great pace. No score. Bruins, 7-3, on shots.

Halfway through period. 0-0.

8:10 -- McQuaid slapper through crowd stopped by Reimer.

7:00 -- Kessel, booed every shift, takes hit in corner from Chara.

Schenn uses stick to break up 2-on-1 attempt that had Peverley attempting to dish left to Kelly around the 5:30 mark.

Outstanding pace, both sides.

Abougt 1:30 mark before Kessel appears on ice for Leafs. Chara over boards for first shift for Bruins.

Rene Rancourt just double dipped on the anthem. Game on.

Bruins tonight wearing the sweaters formerly known as home whites, now known as road whites.

Closing in on Bruins-Leafs puck drop here at TD Garden.

Betting in the press box is that Tuukka Rask gets the start tonight in the Boston net, opposed by James Reimer. Reimer is back after a long layoff due to concussion. Rask led his fellow boys of winter out of the dressing room for the pre-game skate.

A win tonight by the Leafs would be their 15th, equalling the Bruins' total (15-7-1). It also would give the Leafs 32 points for the season. The Bruins begin the night with 31 points, good for first overall in the Northeast Division standings.

Unless the Leafs fashion a crash of Red Sox '11 proportions, they will qualify for the playoffs this season for the first time since 2003-'04.

Sophomore phenom Tyler Seguin has scored only one goal for the Bruins in the last eight games. He had been sizzling hot for much of November, hitting the back of the net seven times in a span of four games.

Ex-Bruin Phil Kessel, the league's leading point-getter (16-16--32) into tonight's action, has gone four straight without a goal since potting a pair vs. the Canes Nov. 20.

All done in Toronto. Bruins close out near-perfect November by jumping into first place in division.

19:08 3d period: Bruins, 6-3
Bruins close out night with Brad Marchand ENG.

15:21 3d period: Bruins, 5-3
Milan Lucic with second of night. Parked in front. David Krejci waits behind net for Leafs to commit. Comes out and finds Lucic in front. Lucic gains position on Luke Schenn and muscles puck in.

9:12 3d period: Bruins, 4-3
Tim Thomas recovers with tough stop on John-Michael Liles. Fought through traffic to get puck.

6:00 3d period: Bruins, 4-3
Matt Frattin with bad-angle goal. Rare softie on Tim Thomas.

3:03 3d period: Bruins, 4-2
Benoit Pouliot with an even-strength goal high blocker through screen. Four seconds after Leafs killed Jake Gardiner penalty.

20:00 2d period: Bruins, 3-2
Bruins a period away from near-perfect month.

15:30 2d period: Bruins, 3-2
Zdeno Chara joins the rush and threads a wrister through Jonas Gustavsson. Great setup by Nathan Horton off David Krejci entry. Krejci line playing its best game in long time.

7:00 2d period: 2-2
Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul go on two-man rush. Kessel with sweet feed for Lupul one-timer at back post.

3:33 2d period: Bruins, 2-1
Nathan Horton attacks net with speed. Jonas Gustavsson with first save, but David Krejci scores on rebound. Very good transition game by Bruins.

20:00 1st period: 1-1
Good pace to first period. Bruins will have 32 seconds remaining on Keith Aulie goaltender interference.

16:00 1st period: 1-1
Breakaway for Phil Kessel. Tim Thomas stuffs Kessel in close. Turnover by Joe Corvo and Dennis Seidenberg.

15:08 1st period: 1-1
Milan Lucic takes a cross-ice pass from Tyler Seguin, waits for Jonas Gustavsson to go down, then goes top shelf. PPG. Good puck movement by Bruins on power play.

14:40 1st period: Leafs, 1-0
Jonas Gustavsson standing tall during five-on-three Boston PP. Stops on Tyler Seguin and Zdeno Chara.

7:29 1st period: Leafs, 1-0
On the power play, Mikhail Grabovski taps in a far-post puck. Nice pass to open up Grabovski by Clarke MacArthur.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Steven Kampfer and Jordan Caron out. Joe Colborne in. First game for Colborne against old club.

@GlobeFluto

Final: Bruins 4, Jets 2

They may have had their 10-game winning streak snapped Friday in shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings, but the Bruins extended their point streak to 12 games (11-0-1) in tonight's 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets before a TD Garden crowd of 17,565 (the 99th consecutive home sellout).

Chris Kelly tallied a pair of second-period goals to help the Bruins erase a 2-1 first period deficit. Kelly got his eighth goal of the season on a short-handed tally to tie it, 2-2, at 7:28 of the second and followed with an even-handed slapper at 16:38 to give the Bruins a one-goal lead.

Tim Thomas, who gave up a pair if first-period goals by Evander Kane and Dustin Byfuglien 39 seconds apart, perserved that lead, making 40 saves before Brad Marchand's unassisted empty-netter at 18:51 enabled the Garden crowd to exhale.

Third period

Bruins 3, Jets 2, 14:40

Timeout. Jets have tightened things on the Bruins, limiting their scoring chances. Shots on goal: WPG 36, BOS 31.

Bruins 3, Jets 2, 2:11

The Jets managed to erase the remainder of Eric Fehr's double minor in the second. The Bruins had several scoring opportunities on the man advantage, but were turned away by Ondrej Pavelec.

Second intermission

Bruins 3, Jets 2, end of 2d period

Chris Kelly tallied a pair of goals on just three shots, including a short-handed tally that tied it at 7:28 and the go-ahead score at 16:26, to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead after two periods. It was Kelly's eighth and ninth goals of the season. It was Kelly's second multiple-goal game of the month after scoring a pair of goals vs. the New York Islanders Nov. 19.

Second period

,Bruins 3, Jets 2, 18:11

Eric Fehr was hit with a double minor for hooking and unsportsmanlike conduct behavior towards Brad Marchand (imagine that) at 18:11, which put the Bruins on the power play for the remainder of the second period and guaranteed them the man advantage for the first 2:11 of the third.

Bruins 3, Jets 2, 16:26

Chris Kelly (9), who was tallied the tying goal at 7:28, gave the Bruins a go-ahead score on a pretty goal from the right point off a pretty point-to-point feed from Benoit Pouliot, who threaded a pass through heavy traffic in the slot to Kelly, who beat Pavelec with a hard slapper. It redeemed the B's after they squandered a 5-on-3 opportunity at 13:32 when Alexander Burmistrov was sent off for boarding after crumpling Zdeno Chara.

Jets 2, Bruins 2, SHG, 7:28

Chris Kelly (8) tied the game on a shorthanded tally (after Nathan Horton was sent off for tripping at 5:52) when he stuffed home a loose puck in the crease left there for him by Rich Peverley, who recorded the 100th assist of his NHL career. Peverley broke into the zone, outracing Zach Bogosian for a loose puck and then tangling with Dustin Byfuglien as he swooped in from the right point. Peverley left the puck in the crease for Kelly who swatted it home for the tying goal.

Jets 2, Bruins 1

End of first period: Jets 2, Bruins 1

The Jets got on the board with a pair of quick first-period goals by Evander Kane (10) and Dustin Byfuglien (5) just 39 seconds apart, but the Bruins responded with a power-play goal by Zdeno Chara (4) at 16:38, just 38 seconds after Byfuglien was sent off for interference. Shots on goal after one period: Boston 15, Winnipeg 12.

First period

Jets 2, Bruins 1, PPG, 16:38

Thirty-eight seconds after Dustin Byfuglien was sent off for interference, Zdeno Chara (4) made the Jets pay with his power-play tally. Chara's hard slap shot from the right point was redirected by Mark Stuart's stick, which sent it sailing past Winnipeg goaltender Ondrej Pavelec.

Jets 2, Bruins 0, 10:10

Thirty-nine seconds after being credited with the primary assist on Kane's game-opening goal, Dustin Byfuglien (5) let rip of a hard slap shot that beat Tim Thomas top shelf to give the Jets a 2-0 lead. Jim Slater (2) and Jason Jaffray (1) were credited with assists. Byfuglien picked up his second point of the night (1 goal, 1 assist). The Bruins called timeout to gather themselves. A timely move by Claude Julien.

Jets 1, Bruins 0, 9:31

Evander Kane (10) potted a backhander off Dustin Byfuglien's centering pass to give the Jets a 1-0 lead. Blake Wheeler was credited with a secondary helper.

Jets 0, Bruins 0, 4:26

Tyler Seguin sent off to serve a bench minor for too many men on the ice, putting Winnipeg on the power play for the first time in the game. The Bruins killed off the penalty, allowing only two shots on goal by the Jets.

Pregame

Welcome to TD Garden where the Bruins will attempt to keep their 11-game point streak (10-0-1) alive tonight vs. the visiting Winnipeg Jets. Tim Thomas (10-4-0, 1.85 GAA) will be in goal tonight for the Bruins. He will be opposed by Winnipeg's Ondrej Pavelec (7-7-4, 3.21 GAA).

Both teams enter the game with 4-0-1 record in their previous five games.

Healthy scratches: Ron Hainsley, Tim Stapleton, Winnipeg; Jordan Caron, Steven Kampfer, Boston.

Good morning from TD Garden, where the Bruins will attempt to start a new winning streak tonight against the Jets. This is Winnipeg’s first visit to Boston since the Thrashers relocated to Manitoba.

Puck drop: 7 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Jets 9-9-4, Bruins 13-7-1

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Healthy scratches: Jordan Caron, Steven Kampfer

Storylines: Winnipeg is coming off a 3-1 road win over Carolina last night… Milan Lucic will appear in his 300th game tonight… Tonight will mark Benoit Pouliot’s 200th game… Tim Thomas has won his last seven starts… Gord Dwyer and Chris Rooney will be the referees. Derek Amell and Tony Sericolo will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

All done at TD Garden. Todd Bertuzzi and Pavel Datsyuk with the shootout goals.

5:00 OT: 2-2
Bruins with better looks in overtime. Shootout for second straight game.

20:00 3d period: 2-2
Bruins with 41-30 shot advantage. Hard-earned point for Bruins. Lots to like about game today.

10:47 3d period: 2-2
Bruins rolling now. Fourth line chips in with terrific shift. Bruins have to watch Detroit’s counterattack.

7:52 3d period: 2-2
Patrice Bergeron scores on a turnover. Good forechecking heat causes Henrik Zetterberg to cough up the puck. Bergeron goes high on Jimmy Howard.

20:00 2d period: Wings 2-1
Professional period by Wings. Detroit punches through on counterstrike after Daniel Paille’s goal. Bruins probably deserving better given quality of scoring chances so far today.

10:58 2d period: Wings 2-1
Detroit getting its legs back. Boston with 17-14 shot advantage.

4:40 2d period: Wings 2-1
Pavel Datsyuk takes a chip pass from Todd Bertuzzi and splits Tuukka Rask’s wickets. Datsyuk kicks puck to stick. Soft pass by Bertuzzi.

4:05 2d period: 1-1
Daniel Paille tucks a backhander five-hole on Jimmy Howard. Helper to Nathan Horton. Howard tried to clear puck to Jonathan Ericsson. Horton picks off pass.

1:10 2d period: Wings 1-0
Niklas Kronwall busts up odd-man rush for Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin. Marchand must be quicker to shoot.

20:00 1st period: Wings 1-0
Bruins outshoot Wings, 13-6. Detroit punches through on counterattack. Usually the other way around. Wings traditionally the puck-possession team.

12:43 1st period: Wings 1-0
Give-and-go between Valtteri Filppula and Henrik Zetterberg. Filppula takes returns pass and goes up stairs on Tuukka Rask. Sweet mitts.

10:35 1st period: 0-0
Nathan Horton several PP whacks in close. Off Zdeno Chara rebound. Lots of heat on Jimmy Howard.

4:33 1st period: 0-0
Detroit matching Nicklas Lidstrom and Ian White against Patrice Bergeron line.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Jordan Caron and Steven Kampfer out.

@GlobeFluto

SHOOTOUT

Benoit Pouliot, the 10th shooter, scores only goal in shootout. Bruins win, 4-3, for their 10th victory in a row.

OVERTIME

5:00 expired. On to shootout.

Thomas with nice stop off Gerbe with 57 secs left.

Horton stoned at right post with 1:24 left. Feed by Krejci.

THIRD PERIOD

Good clear by Bergeron with 9 secs to go. Game goes to OT

Ehrhoff slapper deflected, stops clock with 15.6 secs to go.

With 1:03 to go, Krejci off for hooking. Sabres PP.

Wtih 5:21 to go in regulation, Bruins with 34-27 shot lead. Buffalo's game has shrunk, Bruins expanded.

7:21 remaining in regulation. All fisticuffs distant memory. For now.

4:24 -- Roy bats puck in net off Stafford rebound. But no goal. Point of puck's contact with his stick was well above crossbar.

3:35 -- Bruins, 3-3. Chara drills in long slapper during power play. No. 3 for Big Z. First time Bruins even since 11:56 P1.

Underway.

SECOND PERIOD

Two periods in books. Sabres clinging to 3-2 lead.

18:36 -- Ference-Stafford skirmish after Stafford jams into Thomas in rush to net.

16:00 -- Buffalo, 2-3 -- Marchand zips forehander to top shelf, collecting puck near right post with Enroth still down in butterfly position. Assists Bergeron, Seguin. Even strength.

Bruins fritter away another power-play chances (Ehrhoff interference, 12:14).

11:02 -- Sabres, 3-1 -- First career goal for TJ Brennan, quick one-timer from inner edge of right wing faceoff circle.

Wtih 7:12 goal, Chara prevents Vanek shot from crossing goal line with Thomas down 'n' out.

3:37 -- Sabres, 2-1 -- Seguin unloads one-time bomb from top of left-wing circle for power-play goal, cutting Buffalo lead in half. No. 12 for Seguin. Perfect cross-slot feed by Bergeron. Tropp in box for hooking Paille.

Underway here for the second set of 20:00

FIRST PERIOD

First 20:00 in books. Sabres with 2-0 lead and 16-12 shot edge. Bruins with little in way of offensive threat.

15:22 -- Sabres, 2-0 -- Vanek snaps in 12-15 wrister on power play with Boychuk backing up toward net. Another power-play strike. Will be interesting to see if Sabres go up by three goals and night turns ugly.

11:56 -- Sabres, 1-0 -- Ehroff connects with bomb from right point, fed pass by Stafford off of right halfway. Second assist Gragnani. Power-play goal, with Bruins picking up extra minor for skirmish at 11:33.

11:33 -- Lots of fireworks on rear boards behind Thomas, with a featured bout between Zdeno Chara and Robyn Regehr. The bigger Chara drops Regehr and stops punching when the former Flames defenseman falls to the ice. Had to be hard for Chara to resist temptation to fire more punches. Mayhem begins when Marchand takes a run at Gerbe on rear boards. McQuaid with some big punches into the crowd.

9:11 (favorite time in Montreal) -- Lucic sent off for roughing Pominville. Ticky-tack call.

6:21-- Both Lucic and Gaustad leave sin bins without incident.

1:21 -- Lucic takes ice, received by sound booing. Two seconds after faceoff to Thomas' left, Lucic and Gaustad square off, each removing helmets for title bout. Skirmish goes about 30 seconds, ends with Gaustad going down after a couple of stiff rights by Lucic. Not much of a tussle. Easy decision for Lucic. Neither combatant harmed.

Bruins open with line of Paille-Campbell-Thornton

Sabres take the ice to the old Stones tune, ''Street Fighting Man.''

Roughly 5 minutes to go here before the Bruins take on the Sabres at First Niagara Center, with the Bruins looking to extend their league-best winning streak to 10 games.

The Sabres, tied with the Bruins with 24 points in the Eastern Conference standings, could be looking for revenge after seeing their top goalie, Ryan Miller, get hit by Bruins winger Milan Lucic when the clubs last faced each other on Nov. 12 at the Garden.

''We didn't like how we responded,'' said Sabres coach Lindy Ruff, reflecting on the Nov. 12 game. ''That won't happen again.''

Miller reamins sidelined with a concussion that he suffered in the Nov. 12 game. Jhonas Enroth will man the Sabres net tonight, opposed by Tim Thomas.

As expected, Jordan Caron and Steve Kampfer not suited up for the Bruins.

Bruins win ninth straight. Very fortunate. Tim Thomas first, second, and third star.

18:58 3d period: Bruins 1-0
Another Tim Thomas stop on Erik Cole in front.

12:19 3d period: Bruins 1-0
Wide-open chance for Milan Lucic. Sticked aside by Carey Price.

7:00 3d period: Bruins 1-0
Big stop by Tim Thomas on Erik Cole. Thomas far and away Bruins’ best player.

5:37 3d period: Bruins 1-0
Mike Cammalleri fans on a point-blank shot. Pass from Brian Gionta.

20:00 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Canadiens will have 2:47 remaining on PP in third period.

18:57 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Huge stop by Tim Thomas on Mike Cammalleri. Thomas looking very sharp.

18:47 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Another penalty on Benoit Pouliot. Off for high-sticking P.K. Subban in face.

13:57 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Benoit Pouliot with stupid hooking penalty. First PP for Montreal.

10:45 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Carey Price gloves Nathan Horton’s shot. Bruins looking livelier.

6:41 2d period: Bruins 1-0
Bruins getting very little from Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Nathan Horton. Power line has to do better given Montreal’s lack of defensive depth.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Bruins with only goal of first. But Tim Thomas having to make tougher saves than Carey Price. Not much offensive pressure by Bruins other than Andrew Ference’s goal.

15:41 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Andrew Ference goes high glove under the bar. Two goals in two games for Ference. Cross-ice feed from Rich Peverley.

11:31 1st period: 0-0
Tim Thomas with a sharp lunging stop on Erik Cole.

7:24 1st period: 0-0
Joe Corvo shaken up. Left leg. Lost an edge while trying to keep puck in during PP.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Steven Kampfer and Jordan Caron out.

@GlobeFluto

All done on Dry Island. Bruins win eighth straight.

18:15 3d period: Bruins 6-0
Zdeno Chara joins rush and goes upstairs. Second time Bruins have put up six-spot vs. NYI. JV effort by Islanders tonight.

12:54 3d period: Bruins 5-0
Chris Kelly showing some sweet mitts in front of the net. Good dish by Milan Lucic. Stopped on first shot, but Kelly stays with it and goes upstairs.

10:25 3d period: Bruins 4-0
Andrew Ference with a slapper from the left point. Traffic in front prevents Anders Nilsson from getting a bead on Ference’s shot.

9:30 3d period: Bruins 3-0
Tim Thomas with his sharpest work. Shorthanded stop on Matt Martin, then snuffs Jay Pandolfo.

6:53 3d period: Bruins 3-0
Chris Kelly off for tripping. NYI right back in it with a PPG.

20:00 2d period: Bruins 3-0
Bruins with 19-13 shot advantage. Not an aesthetically pleasing game. Anders Nilsson solid as Rick DiPietro’s replacement.

11:04 2d period: Bruins 3-0
Still not much life in NYI. Islanders shouldn’t be this sluggish. There’s some talent on the roster.

0:00 2d period: Bruins 3-0
Anders Nilsson replaces Rick DiPietro. No surprise there.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 3-0
NYI fans giving it to their team. Bruins with 13-2 shot advantage. Dominating puck possession. Islanders doing nothing in front of Rick DiPietro. But DiPietro not helping his team either. Two softies.

18:45 1st period: Bruins 3-0
Chris Kelly beats Rick DiPietro clean with slapper. Not a good night for DiPietro.

15:44 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Bruins with 11-1 shot advantage. Zero offensive presence for Islanders.

12:24 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Giveaway by Rick DiPietro. Picked by Nathan Horton, who goes glove side with long-distance wrister. Very bad stuff.

7:08 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Tyler Seguin turns on turbos for outside speed. Spots Patrice Bergeron driving to middle. Bergeron beats Rick DiPietro upstairs. Not many players with that kind of speed and hands in league.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Steven Kampfer and Jordan Caron out.

@GlobeFluto

Final: Bruins 2, Blue Jackets 1 (2-1, shootout)

The Bruins closed out their five-game homestand in dramatic fashion, winning their seventh game in a row in a 2-1 shootout victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Rich Peverley and David Krejci beat Columbus goaltender Curtis Sanford in the shootout while Tuukka Rask stopped Rick Nash and Antoine Vermette, to seal the victory for the Bruins.

Krejci was credited with the game-winning goal in the shootout while Adam McQuaid was credited with the game-tying goal in the second period after he tallied his first goal of the season at 4:24.

Overtime

Blue Jackets 1, Bruins 1, 4:08

Andrew Ference is sent off for boarding, giving the Blue Jackets the man advantage. The Bruins kill it off to send it to a shootout. At the end of overtime, Columbus led the Bruins in shots on goal, 31-27.

Blue Jackets 1, Bruins 1, 1:05

Antoine Vermette was sent off for slashing, giving the Bruins a huge power play opportunity. The B's, however, failed to convert on three prime scoring chances.

Third period

Blue Jackets 1, Bruins 1, end of third

The Bruins had their chances -- and plenty of them, too -- to end this in regulation. Their best, perhaps, came with a little more than half a minute remaining, when the B's started a three-man rush on Curtis Sanford, who ventured outside the crease to battle David Krejci for a puck that caromed over their heads. The puck landed in front of the crease and danced across the goal mouth, just out of the reach of Andrew Ference's blade. Overtime.

Blue Jackets 1, Bruins 1, 1:57

Benoit Pouliot is sent for for a roughing minor, giving Columbus its second power-play opportunity of the game. The Bruins, however, manage to erase the penalty.

Second intermission

Blue Jackets 1, Bruins 1, end of 2d period

Both teams traded goals in the second period, with Derek MacKenzie scoring on a power-play tally at 2:49 and Adam McQuaid scoring the equalizer on his first goal of the season at 4:24. The Blue Jackets outshot the Bruins in the period, 11-8, to take a 19-14 advantage in shots on goal after two periods.

Second period

Blue Jackets 1, Bruins 1, 8:35

Shawn Thornton and Jared Boll were both sent off for fighting majors after they duked it out at mid-ice. The hockey fight judges scored the Thornton-Boll heavyweight bout as a draw.

Blue Jackets 1, Bruins 1, 4:24

Trailing 1-0, the Bruins responded by going on the offensive and getting the equaliizer from Adam McQuaid, who tallied his first goal of the season on an unassisted tally at 4:24. The goal had originally been credited to Rich Peverley, who appeared to redirect McQuaid's rifle shot from the left point past Columbus netminder Curtis Sanford..

Blue Jackets 1, Bruins 0, PPG, 2:49

Derek MacKenzie puts Columbus on the board when he redirected Nikita Nikitin's rifle shot from the right point.. McKenzie put the puck past a well-screened Tuukka Rask to give the visitors a 1-0 lead with one second remaining on a power play (Gregory Campbell, high sticking at :50 seconds).

First intermission

Bruins 0, Blue Jackets 0, end of 1st period

Billed as the worst team in the NHL, the Blue Jackets played like anything but after battling the Bruins to a scoreless draw after the first period. The Bruins had six shots on goal, but the Blue Jackets countered with five of their own and stymied Boston on its sole power-play opportunity, allowing nary a single shot on net.

First period

Bruins 0, Blue Jackets 0, 14:15

Bruins go on power play for the first time in the game after the Blue Jackets are called for too many men on the ice. Vinny Prospal served the bench minor for Columbus. The Jackets' PK erased the penalty.

Pregame

Welcome to TD Garden where the Bruins (9-7-0) will attempt to wrap up this five-game homestand by extending their winning streak to seven games in tonight's contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets (3-13-1). Tuukka Rask (2-3-0, 2.62 GAA) will be back in goal for the B's while Curtis Sanford will be making his first start of the season for Columbus.

Andrew Ference (lower body injury) and Daniel Paille (broken nose) are back in the lineup for the Bruins while Johnny Boychuck (flu-like symptons) and Jordan Caron (healthy scratch) are out.

Good morning from TD Garden, where the Bruins will be seeking their seventh straight win tonight against Columbus. The sad-sack Jackets are coming off a 4-2 loss to Minnesota.

Andrew Ference (lower body) and Daniel Paille (nose) are day-to-day. For now, we’ll assume the same lineup from Tuesday’s 4-3 win over New Jersey.

Puck drop: 7 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Blue Jackets 3-13-1, Bruins 9-7-0

Projected Bruins lineup:

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley
Jordan Caron-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Steven Kampfer-Adam McQuaid

Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Healthy scratches: none

Storylines: The Bruins wrap up their five-game homestand tonight. This will be the 13th home game of the first 17 matches. Lots of road time for the Bruins later in the season as a result… Brad Marchand has scored four goals and five assists in the last six games… Want two good reasons why Columbus is the worst team in the league? Special teams. Power play is 28th overall (11.7 percent). Penalty kill is 29th (74.2)… Dennis LaRue and Dean Morton will be the referees. Jonny Murray and Dan Schachte will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

All done at the Garden. Six straight wins for Bruins.

16:59 3d period: Bruins 4-3
Benoit Pouliot scores on the rebound. After Bruins win o-zone draw, Joe Corvo puts shot on goal. Blocker save by Johan Hedberg, but rebound into slot.

15:55 3d period: 3-3
Scramble in front of Tim Thomas. Devils protesting that Patrice Bergeron covered the puck.

12:50 3d period: 3-3
Nathan Horton hits the right post after a Milan Lucic feed.

6:56 3d period: 3-3
Nick Palmieri scores his second of the night. Turnover by Johnny Boychuk in neutral zone. Then Adam Henrique blows Steven Kampfer’s doors off. Ugly.

3:40 3d period: Bruins 3-2
Shawn Thornton bats in a close-range backhander. Gregory Campbell chases down dump, Jordan Caron feeds in front. Best two games of Campbell’s season.

2:08 3d period: 2-2
Nick Palmieri with the goalmouth strike. Andy Greene with the helper after picking Adam McQuaid clear off the boards.

0:06 3d period: Bruins 2-1
Brad Marchand, benched for most of second, opens scoring with a quick-strike snipe on Johan Hedberg. Coaching genius.

20:00 2d period: 1-1
More energy from Bruins late in second. Only one shift for Brad Marchand after roughing penalty on Adam Henrique. Replaced by Benoit Pouliot during five-on-five play. Chris Kelly skates in Marchand’s spot on power play.

14:52 2d period: 1-1
Chris Kelly in front to tie the game. Forecheck by Gregory Campbell on Johan Hedberg creates the chance.

14:02 2d period: Devils 1-0
Tough save for Johan Hedberg on Johnny Boychuk point shot. Lots of traffic in front. Bruins getting very few scoring chances in second.

10:46 2d period: Devils 1-0
David Clarkson with the five-on-three PPG. One-times the puck through Tim Thomas. Looked like Thomas got over in time, but puck sneaks through.

6:24 2d period: 0-0
Brad Marchand with a backdoor chance. Heels the shot.

5:32 2d period: 0-0
Big save by Tim Thomas on Mattias Tedenby. Joe Corvo had jumped up, giving NJ an odd-man rush.

20:00 1st period: 0-0
NJ with 12-8 shot advantage. Bruins with higher quality scoring chances.

18:40 1st period: 0-0
Johan Hedberg busy. First stops Zdeno Chara shot, then gets piece of David Krejci attempt.

17:02 1st period: 0-0
Solid play from freshman D-man Adam Larsson. Not playing like rookie. Tough and skilled.

6:54 1st period: 0-0
Tim Thomas gloves a close-range David Clarkson shot. So far, NJ matching Anton Volchenkov and Bryce Salvador against David Krejci’s line. Andy Green and Adam Larsson vs. Patrice Bergeron’s line.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Andrew Ference (lower body) and Daniel Paille (nose) out. Ilya Kovalchuk (groin) out for NJ.

@GlobeFluto

Good morning from TD Garden, where the Bruins will seek to stretch their winning streak to six games tonight against New Jersey.

Andrew Ference (lower body) will most likely miss his second straight game. The Bruins will have Milan Lucic, who escaped suspension yesterday for his hit on Ryan Miller last Saturday. No word yet on the availability of Daniel Paille (nose).

Puck drop: 7 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Devils 8-6-1, Bruins 8-7-0

Projected Bruins lineup:

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley
Jordan Caron-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Steven Kampfer-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Healthy scratches: none

Storylines: Tyler Seguin has seven goals in his last four games. Seguin was named First Star of the Week yesterday… The Devils have the second-worst power play in the league (10 percent). They have the No. 2 penalty kill (93 percent)… Eric Furlatt and Don VanMassenhoven will be the referees. Steve Miller and Tony Sericolo will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

Final: Bruins 6, Sabres 2

The Bruins (8-7-0) climbed above .500 for the first time this season with a convincing 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres before a TD Garden sellout crowd of 17,565.

The Bruins extended their winning streak to five consecutive games -- outscoring the opposition 30-7 -- by erasing a 1-0 first-period deficit with three goals in the second and third periods each.

Tyler Seguin (11) led the way with a pair of goals at 13:29 of the second and 7:11 of the third as the second-year player matched his goal total of a year ago in his first 15 games this season to extend his goal streak to four consecutive games and point streak to six games.

Tim Thomas, back in net after Tuukka Rask backstopped the Bruins to victories over the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers, picked up the win after making 21saves.

Third period

Bruins 6, Sabres 2, PPG, 13:20

Marc-Andre Gragnani got one back for the Sabres when he tallied his first goal of the season on a power-play opportunity after Zach Hamill was sent off at 11:50 for roughing.

Bruins 6, Sabres 1, 9:52

What a beating! Bruins continued to pour it on Enroth, who gave up his third goal of the period on Brad Marchand's severe-angle backhander from the right post at 9:52. Seguin (9) and Chara (11) picked up the assists.

Bruins 5, Sabres 1, 7:11

Just 1:43 after Kelly's score, Seguin (11) tallied for the second time in the game, converting on Patrice Bergeron's centering pass.

Bruins 4, Sabres 1, 5:28

Chris Kelly, camped out on the right post, tucked a pretty goalmouth feed from Rich Peverley to beat backup goalie Jhonas Enroth with a backdoor chip to give the Bruins a three-goal lead. It gave Kelly and Peverley each a goal and an assist for the night.

Second intermission: Bruins 3, Sabres 1

Bruins struck for three goals in the second period, the last two by Tyler Seguin (10) and Nathan Horton (5) just 16 seconds apart at 13:29 and 13:45, respectively. Rich Peverley (4) got things going when he tallied the equalizer at 7:40.

Through 15 games, the Bruins have outscored the opposition in the second period, 15-7. The Bruins outshot Buffalo, 10-9, in the second period. Through two periods, shots on goal: Boston 22, Buffalo 16.

The Sabres will start a new goalie in the third period, Jhonas Enroth, in place of Ryan Miller (19 saves), who was not spotted on the Sabres bench at the start of the third period.

Second period

Bruins 3, Sabres 1, 13:45

Sixteen seconds after Seguin's tally, Nathan Horton gave the Bruins a two-goal lead, beating Miller with a goalmouth chip for his fifth goal of the season. Johnny Boychuk (3) and Zdeno Chara (10) were credited with assists.

Bruins 2, Sabres 1, 13:29

Tyler Seguin became the first Bruin to score 10 goals when he potted his 10th on a pretty goalmouth feed by Brad Marchand (6), who started the play with a neutral zone takeaway from Tyler Myers. Seguin how has a four-game goal streak and a six-game streak with a point.

Sabres 1, Bruins 1, 7:40

Rich Peverley tied it when he swooped in from the left wing, leaving Jason Pominvile and Tyler Myers in his contrails, and tucked the puck past Miller -- 5-hole -- at 7:40. It was Peverley's fourth goal of the season. Chris Kelley was credited with the helper.

First intermission: Sabres 1, Bruins 0

Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller made a 1-0 lead stand, turning away all 12 shots on goal the Bruins put on him, twice getting flattened in the period. Milan Lucic drew a charging minor at 13:12 when steamrolled Miller, who came out of the crease to retrieve a loose puck. Tyler Seguin then crashed into the net as he tried to gather a rebound of Brad Marchand's shot on goal. Ville Leino drew a hooking minor on the play, but the Bruins, who were 0-for-3 on the man advantage in the period, were unable to capitalize on the power play.

First period

Sabres 1, Bruins 0, 13:12

Milan Lucic put Buffalo on the power play when he was sent off for a charging minor after he flattened Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, who ventured well beyond the crease to retrieve a loose puck that had gotten away from Lucic as he broke into the zone after blocking a shot by Vanek.

Sabres 1, Bruins 0, 5:38

Thomas Vanek put Buffalo on the board when he put his own rebound off the inside of Tim Thomas's right skate. It was Vanek's 11th goal of the season, snapping Thomas's shutout streak at 80:34. Thomas's previous goal allowed was a Jared Cowen tally at 5:04 of the third period of Boston's 5-3 win over Ottawa Nov. 1. Vanek now has 24-21=45 totals in 41 career games vs. Boston. Jason Pominville was credited with his 14th assist of the season.

Pregame

Neat moment before the official drop of the puck. In honor of Veteran's Day, Daron and Lori Jacobs of Pembroke, Mass., the parents of Lt. Charlie Jacobs, who had been stationed in Afghanistan for the past seven months with the 182d Infantry of the Massachusetts National Guard, were surprised by their son's return from deployment during a pregame ceremonial puck drop.

The Jacobses, no relation to the Bruins ownership family, were at center ice and stunned when their son, with puck in hand, emerged from the Zamboni entrance and walked across the ice to thunderous applause from the Garden. Jacobs met his parents and shared a poignant group hug with them at center ice. They were joined by Bruins captain Zdeno Chara and Sabres captain Jason Pominville for the ceremonial puck drop.

"I thought we were just out there to be suppporting family members, you know?'' Daron Jacobs said. "I didn't think he'd be showing up -- didn't think about it. And then all of a sudden, the crowd got a ittle bit louder, and I'm trying to look up at the Jumbotron -- I see nothing, but I thought, `What's going on?' and I listened to the announcement, and they said they had someone who wanted to help us drop the puck.''

Said Charlie Jacobs, who bought the tickets for his parents to attend the game, "It was one of the most exciting moments of my life. I was shaking. My heart was coming out of my chest. It was so unreal. I almost jumped the gun, and they had to hold me back. I saw them walking out there, and I just wanted to see them.''

All done at TD Garden. Bruins win fourth straight.

17:57 3d period: Bruins 6-3
Brad Marchand rolls over blue line with speed and rockets a shot high glove on Devan Dubnyk. Game over.

17:13 3d period: Bruins 5-3
Joe Corvo pinches down low on PP. Finds Milan Lucic in net-front position. Bang-bang play. Best offensive game from Corvo as a Bruin.

15:18 3d period: Bruins 4-3
Ryan Smyth with his second of the night. Shovels in Eric Belanger feed. Parked in front on PP. Can’t move him.

20:00 2d period: Bruins 4-2
Bruins with 22-17 shot advantage. Edmonton hanging tough. Still very much in it. Bruins need an early goal in third. Andrew Ference played only 1:58 in second period. Not seen on bench nor ice late in second. Might be unavailable for third period.

6:24 2d period: Bruins 4-2
Tyler Seguin shoots puck off end boards. Puck caroms back out and booted back toward net by Corey Potter. Might have hit Tom Gilbert en route to back of net. Seguin credited with goal.

3:50 2d period: Bruins 3-2
Brad Marchand tips a Joe Corvo shot past Devan Dubnyk. First goal in last 10 games for Marchand.

20:00 1st period: 2-2
Prompt comeback by the Oilers after Bruins score twice. Bruins letting Oilers cycle too much in offensive zone. Not good backchecking on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins's goal.

12:31 1st period: 2-2
Taylor Hall enters o-zone with speed, then finds Ryan Nugent-Hopkins trailing in the slot. Kid makes no mistake. Starts with bad puck management at other end by Bruins.

12:02 1st period: Bruins 2-1
Theo Peckham flips shot from left point. Goes in off Ryan Smyth, of course. Smyth a magnet for net-front pucks.

8:55 1st period: Bruins 2-0
Zach Hamill with his first assist of the year. Hamill threads a pass into the slot for Jordan Caron, who slips the puck past Devan Dubnyk. Hamill starts play by picking off pass in offensive zone.

7:11 1st period: Bruins 1-0
Blast from the right point by Johnny Boychuk gets through traffic. Terrific cycling by first line prior to goal. David Krejci takes a wicked lick along the boards prior to the goal.

6:21 1st period: 0-0
Adam McQuaid with the rare jump up into the play. Takes a feed from Tyler Seguin for a close-range shot. Devan Dubnyk covers. Closest McQuaid might have gotten to an opposing net.

0:34 1st period: 0-0
Ryan Smyth strikes iron on partial breakaway. Left post.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Rich Peverley out. Zach Hamill in.

@GlobeFluto

Good morning from TD Garden, where the Bruins will appear in the second date of their five-game homestand. On tap: the streaking Oilers, backstopped by the best goalie in the league in Nikolai Khabibulin.

Zach Hamill was recalled on an emergency basis yesterday. Rich Peverley practiced yesterday, so we’ll assume the ex-Thrasher forward will play tonight.

Puck drop: 7 p.m.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Oilers 9-3-2, Bruins 6-7-0

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Jordan Caron-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley
Benoit Pouliot-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Healthy scratches: Steven Kampfer, Zach Hamill

Storylines: Patrice Bergeron has a seven-game scoring streak. Bergeron has three goals and six assists during the streak… Tyler Seguin has five goals and one assist over the last four games. Tonight will mark the second time Seguin and Taylor Hall will face off as professionals. They were the first two picks of the 2010 draft… The Bruins have killed 13 straight penalties… Dan O’Rourke and Justin St. Pierre will be the referees. Jean Morin and Mark Shewchyk will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

Final: Bruins 6, Islanders 2

The Bruins extended their winning streak to a season-high three straight games with a convincing 6-2 victory over the New York Islanders before a TD Garden crowd of 17,565.

The Bruins scored in bunches, getting back-to-back goals by Nathan Horton (2 goals, 1 assist) and Tyler Seguin 29 seconds apart in the first period to take a 3-1 lead. It forced Islanders coach Jack Capuano to pull starting goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, who gave up three goals on four shots, from the game after Seguin's goal at 14:07.

With Al Montoya in net for the Islanders, the B's potted another pair of back-to-back goals by Milan Lucic and Horton 49 seconds apart in the third period to make it 5-2, as the Bruins had 11 players score points, including a four multiple-point scorers: Horton (2 goals, 1 assist), Lucic (1 goal, 2 assists), Zdeno Chara (2 assists) and David Krejci (1 goal 2 assists).

Krejci tallied an insurance goal at 16:12 to put the game out of reach.

In this three-game winning streak, the Bruins have outscored their opponents, 18-5, after scoring just five goals in a three-game losing streak.

Third period

Bruins 5, Islanders 2, 5:23

Forty-nine seconds after Lucic's tally, Nathan Horton (5) scored his second goal of the night when he shoveled a backhander past Montoya at 5:23. Joe Corvo and Dennis Seidenberg were credited with assists, giving the Bruins 11 players who have scored a point, including two (Horton and Krejci) who have multiple points.

Bruins 4, Islanders 2,,4:34

Milan Lucic reaped his just reward on this one when he hit Nathan Horton with a centering pass as they broke into the zone. Horton made a rush on net, then made a brilliant goalmouth pass to Lucic (7), who stuffed it home past Montoya. Horton (4) and Krejci (4) were credited with assists.

Bruins 3, Islanders 2, 3:09

Scary moment. Daniel Paille is felled when he is hit on the face by Steve Staios' slap shot. Paille immediately went down, clutching his head, a pool of blood forming on the ice. He was helped off and walked to the room under his own power, a towel pressed to his right eye/forehead.

Second period

Bruins 3, Islanders 2, end of 2d

The Bruins manufactured several scoring chances in the period, but failed to convert against Montoya, who turned away all 16 shots he faced during the period. The Lucic-Krejci-Horton line was particularly active, buzzing the net each time their line drew a shift. The Seguin-Bergeron-Marchand line also tested Montoya early, with Seguin and Marchand getting turned away on the doorstep. After two periods, the Bruins have outshot the visitors, 31-20.

Interesting note: The Bruins are 4-0-0 this season when they lead after the second; The Islanders are 0-4-0 this season when trailing after two periods.

Bruins 3, Islanders 2, 14:28

Zdeno Chara sent off for hooking. Isles on the power player for the second time in the period.

Update, 16:28: Bruins kill off yet another penalty as the Isles go 0-for-3 on the power play.

Bruins 3, Islanders 2, 5:32

Milan Lucic, who tangled with Travis Hamonic at the end of the first period, was sent off for roughing Hamonic, who did a P.K. Subban-like flop after getting thumped by Lucic behind the Islanders' net. New York is 0-for-1 on the power play.

Update, 7:32: Bruins kill off penalty. Isles now 0-for-2 on man advantage.

First period

Bruins 3, Islanders 2, end of 1st

After Matt Moulson answered Benoit Pouliot's game-opening tally to tie it, the Bruins seemed to pull away with back-to-back goals within 29 seconds, the first on a power-play opportunity. The second, by Tyler Seguin, chased New York's starting goaltender, Evgeni Nabakov, from the game. Michael Grabner found the net at 18:36 to cut Boston's lead to one goal at the end of the first period. The Bruins outshot New York, 15-8, in the first period.

Bruins 3, Islanders 2, 18:36

Michael Grabner (4) unloaded on Rask from the slot, pulling the Islanders within one. John Tavares was credited with the primary assist.

Bruins 3, Islanders 1, 14:35

Chris Kelly gave the Islanders their first power-play opportunity of the night when he was sent for slashing, but the Bruins PK erased New York's man advantage.

Bruins 3, Islanders 1, 14:07

Twenty-nine seconds after the Bruins capitalized on their first power-play opportunity of the night, Tyler Seguin (8), who recorded the first hat trick of his NHL career in Saturday's 7-0 romp of the Maple Leafs in Toronto, tallied on a nice feed from Patrice Bergeron (8), who has scored points in seven straight games. Seguin, meanwhile, extended his point streak to four consecutive games. Islanders make change in goalies, going with Al Montoya after starter Evgeni Nabokov gave up three goals on four shots.

,Bruins 2, Islanders 1, PPG, 13:38

Nathan Horton (3) converts on a rebound of Zdeno Chara's blue-line blast, burying the puck to give the Bruins a power-play goal. David Krejci was credited with an assist on the tally.

Bruins 1, Islanders 1, 12:11

Bruins go on power play for the first time in the game after Travis Hamonic is sent off for
cross-checking. The Bruins are 7-for-48 on the man advantage (6-for-36 at home).

Bruins 1, Islanders 1, 5:52

Matt Moulson put the Isles on the board with his redirect of Steve Staios's blue-line blast, tying the game at 5:52. It was Moulson's third goal of the season and Staios' third assist of the season. Michael Grabner was also credited with a helper.

Bruins 1, Islanders 0, 1:32

Benoit Pouliout, back in the lineup for the first time in three games, tallied his first goal of the season, chipping in a centering pass from Jordan Caron.
Adam McQuaid and Matt Martin drop the gloves in a fistic exchange that got the Garden crowd roaring. Both were sent off for fighting majors at 1:35.

Pregame

Welcome to TD Garden, where the Bruins (5-7-0) will host the New York Islanders (4-5-2). Tuukka Rask (0-3-0) will make his fourth start of the season in goal for the Black-and-Gold while Evengi Nabakov (1-2-0) will start for the Isles.

THIRD PERIOD

The beating is done. Bruins, 7-0, win consecutive games for first time this season, inch closer to .500 (5-7-0). First career hat trick for Tyler Seguin. Two goals for Milan Lucic. Phil Kessel and entire Leafs squad the Invisible Men.

Phaneuf explodes on Kelly around the 11:00. View from stands: looks like Phaneuf targeted his head. No call. Kelly springs right back on feet.

6:12 -- Bruins, 7-0. Mercy. Thornton adds extra point, firing in shot from right wing on gift turnover by Steckel. Toronto sports talkshow hosts leave dinner parties around city and head to repsective studios to sharpen cutlery.

5:44 -- Bruins, 6-0. Beat goes on. Lucic pots his second with quick snap from slot off of Krejci feed. Touchdown.

Underway at 9:06 p.m.

SECOND PERIOD

Period is a wrap at 8:48 p.m. Bruins, 5-0. Had this been in Montreal, MPD would be beseiged by 911 calls.

Gustavsson relieves the frayed Scrivens in Toronto net. Scrivens apologies to teammates as he skates by bench.

15:15 -- Boston 5-0. Krejci polishes off near right post. Leafs a shipwreck in their own end. Hard to believe they entered the night with best record in NHL. Surprised ACC sprinkler system hasn't triggered.

15:01 -- Boston, 4-0 -- Seguin hat trick. First of career. Connects with lethal snap to top right corner, short side on Scrivens. Another assist for Bergeron, who starts play by winning battle on left wing board. Seguin 3, Kessel 0. A real whuppin'.

11:45 -- Seguin makes way slowly to Boston bench after getting drilled in nose by Joey Crabb elbow. Looks like he will shake it off.

A little life out of Kessel on shift out of timeout. Chara not on ice, giving the ex-Bruin a few feet of operationg room. Chara has become his oversize ankle bracelet.

Halfway through regulation time. Bruins still with 3-0 advantage. Leafs can't get any kind of bingo going. Even with healthy advantage, Bruins not getting much out of Krejci or Horton.

Kessel virtually invisible thus far. As if he has been draped by the the magic cape from Harry Potter. Where'd he go?

1:42 -- Boston, 3-0. Leafs defensemen caught on siesta. Only 8 seconds after Seguin strike, Lucic walks in from blue line with Chara feed and beats Scrivens through 5-hole with doorstep snap. Odd, but Leafs coach Ron Wilson does not call for time out. Rare three-goal lead for Bruins.

1:34 -- Boston, 2-0. Seguin again, this time forcing turnover outside blue line and rushing to slot to bat in Bergeron feed from right wing. Seguin's stick was high, but play withstands video review. Seguin 2, Kessel 0.

Underway at 8:11 p.m.

FIRST PERIOD

First period in books. Bruins with 1-0 lead on Seguin's fifth goal of season. Not much offense from either side. TO with slight 7-5 shot lead.

14:00 -- Bruins still with 1-0 lead. Each side with shorts landed on net.

Very little presence in offensive end by Leafs. Look as if they are watiing for a power-play chance to obtain visa for that end of ice.

10:15. Strong backcheck by Seguin prevents possible good scoring chance for top-seeded Leafs.

6:23 -- Boston, 1-0. Seguin drills in one-timer from left wing cirlce, off Peverley cross-slot pass from right wing halfwall. Bergeron second assist. Power-play goal. Seguin 1, Kessel 0.

4:45 -- Gardiner opts not to clobber Bergeron in open ice. Bergeron had head down. Had it been Phaneuf, Bergeron might have been in huge trouble. Scary.

Whistle at 3:32. No score. Good pace. Kessel with a shot off right wing on his first shift. Some chatter between Thornton and Phaneuf.

Underway at 7:17 p.m.

About ready to go here at the ACC.

Tim Thomas starts in net for the Bruins, against ex-Cornell standout Ben Scrivens.

Steve Kampfer and Benoit Pouliot will spend the night in the pressbox, offering spare verbs, adjectives and gerunds to overworked, undernourished scribes.

TORONTO -- Good afternoon from the chilly Air Canada Center, where tonight the Bruins will try for a season-high second win a row when they take on the red-hot Maple Leafs, led by ex-Bruin Phil Kessel, who leads all NHL scorers with 10 goals and 21 points

The Bruins came out of an 0-3-0 tailspin Tuesday with a 5-3 win over the Senators, with Johnny Boychuk and Danny Paille providing the capping goals.

The Leafs, tied with Pittsburgh for the Conference lead, each with 19 points, have won two straight and four of their last five. They slapped a 4-1 loss on the Blues Jackets on Thursday, leaving the 2-10-1 Jackets at the precipice of a coaching-management extreme makeover/resurrection.

The Bruins are back at it Monday night when the Islanders visit Causeway Street.

Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. EST

Record: Bruins, 4-7-0; Maple Leafs, 9-3-1.

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Projected lineup:

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Jordan Caron-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Healthy scratches: Benoit Pouliot, Steve Kampfer

Storylines: It's always about Kessel when these two sides meet. Phil the Thrill was blanked when the Leafs visited Boston Oct. 20 and suffered a 6-2 loss, the Garden crowd serenading him with familiar chants of, ''Thank you, Kess-el.'' Kessel scored seven goals in the Leafs' first five games this season. He enters tonight's match with figures of 0-3--3 in his last three games and 1-4--5 over his last five games...In recent days, Bruins winger Rich Peverley and defenseman Dennis Seidenberg each took ''maintenance'' days off. Both were on the ice for the late-morning workout here and both are expected to suit up this evening...Young Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn hasn't had much offensive presence (13 games, 0-3--3) this season and his overall game has been in a funk....Boston defenseman Adam McQuaid, who missed four games last month with concussion-like symptoms, said after the morning workout that he suspects his lingering related symptoms ''probably will be on and off for a while.''...St. Mike's, a local high school here that has fed many players to the NHL, has instituted recent policy that does not allow its concussed athletes to return immediately to the classroom. Those with these brain injuries initially remain out of classes, allowing their heads to clear, then ease their way back into academics, adding classroom hours as the days and weeks go by....Boston captain Zdeno Chara, 1-5--6 in 11 games, and Boychuk, 1-2--3 in 11 games, are the only Boston defensemen to score goals this season. The other five backliners have gone a collective 0-12--12 in 41 games....Tonight's guys in stripes: referees Gord Dwyer (19) and Kevin Pollock (33); linesmen: Greg Devorski (54) and Jean Morin (97).

THIRD PERIOD

It's a wrap here at 9:43 p.m. Bruins snap three-game losing streak with 5-3 win. Recover from slow start in first period. More closely resemble team that won Cup in June. Far better team effort. Very strong night for team captain Zdeno Chara (two assists).

17:18 -- Campbell and Smith fight after faceoff. Each land decent shots in a short bout.

Less than 5:00 to go. Bruins on verge of snapping three-game losing streak.

Solid kill by the Bruins against the league's top PP unit.

12:03 -- Marchand penalty (holding stick) gives Ottawa PP.

7:18 -- Bruins, 5-3. Paille streaks in alone on breakaway and connects with short forehander. Set up with Thornton chip pass from behind his own blue line. Rare two-goal lead.

6:41 -- Bruins, 4-3 -- Boychuk strikes with slapper from blue line, above right circle, after Kelly feeds him with short pass.

5:04 -- Ottawa ties, 3-3. Long wrister by rookie Jared Cowen finds way through crowd of four bodies around Thomas net. Boston's lead time ends at 7:04.

Underway at 9:04 p.m.

SECOND PERIOD

Second period compelte. Bruins on top, 3-2. Outshooting Sens, 2-1 (32-16) for the night.

19:14 -- Neil off for slashing.

18:00 -- Bruins, 3-2. First lead of night comes off Kelly's 35-foot one-time blast, set up by Peverley. Peverley carries over line on right wing, swoops behind net and makes perfect dish from nearl goal line after he swings out from behind net.

14:49 -- Neil sent off for interference. Bruins PP chance to move ahead on scoreboard for first time tonight.

Horton shows some presence, but called for boarding Smith at 11:32.

Timeout with 9:30 to go. Bruins with substantial 29-16 shot lead. Some decent chances, but not sustained pressure on Anderson.

Bruins fail to make hay on PP. Have yet to hold lead tonight, now halfway through second period.

Bruins show some emotional spark after tying. Pressure on net results in power-play opportunity at 6:30 (Spezza hooking).

4:21 -- Bruins, 2-2. Bergeron smacks in one-timer from slot off of Seguin feed from right wing. Goal generated off rush after Bruins win puck battle in own end.

Underway at 8:08 p.m.

FIRST PERIOD

First 20:00 complete. Senators, 2-1. Boston with 17-9 shot lead.

Around the 16:15 mark, Seguin shifts around Karlsson at blue line with move that thrills Garden crowd. Chara joined rush on play. No goal.

With 5:41 to go, Bruins with 13-7 shot lead, but Sens still on top, 2-1.

13:15. Lucic stout hit on Cowen in Ottawa's end. Bruins need more of that engagement.

7:40 -- Ottawa goes on power play after Campbell and Smith scrap. Bruins with an excellent kill, Ottawa unable to get a shot on net.

7:28 -- Senators, 2-1. Only 16 seconds after Boston equalizer, DaCosta pots go-ahead strike, set up by pretty Foligno dish at the side of the crease. Total buzzkill for B's.

7:12 -- Bruins tie, 1-1. Lucic with backhand lift high into net, while parked off right post. Anderson down and out in crease. Rare power-play

5:31 -- Another Gonchar minor (hooking).

5:23 -- Off of faceoff following goal, Thornton and Konopka battle at center. Each tagged with 5 minutes in fighting.

5:19 -- Ottawa, 1-0 -- Foligno pushes one-handed shot on net. Puck pops up and goes in net before it gets dislodged in traffic.

Bruins don't score on man-advantage. First unit has Marchand-Seguin-Peverley up front with Corvo and Bergeron at points.

1:46 -- Senators Gonchar off for hooking.

Underway here at the House that Jeremy Built at 7:09. Tim Thomas in net for the Bruins, Craig Anderson for the Senators.

Julien roles out his energy line, Paille-Campbell-Thornton to start the night.

Greetings from the upper reaches of the TD Garden, where tonight (7 p.m.) the slow-to-get-it-going Bruins (3-7-0) will take on the streaking Senators (winners of six straight).

The Bruins have lost three in a row, all in regulation, matching their worst skid of last season--defeats to the Red Wings (2) and Leafs in mid-February. It was that losing streak, in fact, that compelled GM Peter Chiarelli to look for help at the trading deadline, which resulted in the additions of Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley and Tomas Kaberle.

The Bruins have failed to take a lead in six of their last eight games, and have amassed a total lead time this season of 106:03, averaging just over 10 minutes per game. Said another way, they've been behind or even in games about 83 percent of the time this season.

Tim Thomas is expected in net tonight for the Bruins, likely opposing Ottawa's Craig Anderson. Thomas led the Bruins out for their pre-game skate, starting just before 6:30.

Benoit Pouliot, 0-0--0 in eight games, is not on the ice for the warmup. He skated in morning workout, which makes him a healthy scratch tonight. Jordan Caron, 0-0--0, will play for the sixth time this season.

Brian Gionta and David Desharnais scored power-play goals and Carey Price made 26 saves as Montreal extended its winning streak to three with a 4-2 win over the Bruins.

Lars Eller and Tomas Plekanec also scored for the Canadiens, who won 2-1 in Boston on Thursday night. Montreal improved to 4-5-2 after winning only one of its first eight games.

Tyler Seguin scored with 54.4 seconds remaining to draw the Bruins within one. Milan Lucic also scored for the reigning Stanley Cup champions, who lost their third in a row. Tuukka Rask stopped 23 shots in his third start.

20:00 2d period: Canadiens 3-1
Claude Julien giving ref Dave Jackson the business as they go off. Bruins buying into P.K. Subban’s stuff.

18:51 2d period: Canadiens 3-1
Milan Lucic off for slashing P.K. Subban. Subban suckers Bruins into two penalties in second.

16:28 2d period: Canadiens 3-1
Milan Lucic hits a slap shot over Hal Gill. Far side on Carey Price. Good work by first line to create offensive-zone turnover.

12:23 2d period: Canadiens 3-0
David Desharnais sneaks into the slot and scores on the rebound. Nobody home on backcheck. Ugly.

8:06 2d period: Canadiens 2-0
Carey Price holds his ground on a Chris Kelly chance. Good seam pass by Zdeno Chara to open up Kelly. Too much one-and-done for Bruins. No sustained pressure.

7:45 2d period: Canadiens 2-0
Shawn Thornton vs. Travis Moen. Starts with Lars Eller in middle of scrum after whistle. Surprised Moen engaged. Thornton doing anything he can to spark teammates.

3:09 2d period: Canadiens 2-0
Adam McQuaid takes his semi-regular dangerous tumble. Shoved into net by Lars Eller.

20:00 1st period: Canadiens 2-0
Far too many good scoring chances for Montreal. Tuukka Rask under assault. Loose gaps giving Canadiens lots of room in high slot. At other end, no sustained pressure other than spare shifts by fourth line. David Krejci’s line invisible until late in first.

16:42 1st period: Canadiens 2-0
Lars Eller snaps a wrister past Tuukka Rask high glove.

15:26 1st period: Canadiens 1-0
On the power play, Tomas Plekanec lets a slapper go from the point. Might have gone off something. Tuukka Rask didn’t get a good look at the shot. Lots of traffic in front.

13:42 1st period: 0-0
Brad Marchand pings a wrister off the left post. Good speed over blue line.

1:55 1st period: 0-0
Rich Peverley’s backhand goes off the left post. Shades of Marco Sturm. Tons of chances but no finish for Peverley.

1:13 1st period: 0-0
First shift together for Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg. Power pair reunited.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Benoit Pouliot out. Jordan Caron in. Steven Kampfer healthy scratch.

@GlobeFluto

THIRD PERIOD

All done on Causeway. Habs win, 2-1.

Price freezes again with 7.5 seconds to go.

Price freezes puck with 19.1 seconds to go.

Horton, alone at top of crease with 3:23 to go, can't provide forehand lift to beat Price.

Bruins not showing any presence at the north end of the ice. 5:10 to go. Montreal, 2-1.

Just under 8:00 to go. Habs still with 2-1 lead.

10:46 -- Montreal, 2-1. Plekanec connects with sharp wrister from right circle after McQuaid blocks initial shot. Scoring play begins with McQuaid's pass being cut off.

Thornton stirs it up with big hit on Subban at 6:20 and yapping with Darche near the 7:00 mark. More fireworks to come.

If B's don't get a point or two out of this one, they'll have to point to their many failed power plays. Lack presence.

Habs played last night. Will they sag in the final 20:00 or 25:00?

SECOND PERIOD

All tied, 1-1, after 40:00. Technically not a great game, but as is often the case, spicied up by the rivalry -- and Marchand vs. Subban hate-a-thon.

17:55 -- Finally, Marchand and Subban go sweet science, dropping gloves as they leave penalty box. Much smaller Marchand holds own, after Subban falls to ice when trying to land first punch. Both get in a couple of good shots, but highlight is Subban repeatedly missing with wild rights, which Marchand cleverly ducks. Moe, Larry...the cheese! Bruins come out of it with two-minute power play.

15:53 -- Subban and Marchand again try to date. Both sent off again, this time delay of game. Linesemen won't allow them to engage. Might have to rent a hall in Southie.

14:23 -- Peverley stoned by Price at doorstep, after Bruins winger breaks in all alone from blue line.

13:47 -- Marchand and Subban tussle briefly in the Montreal end, each sent off for holding. Holding? Maybe aggravated hugging. Or dancing too closely. But holding?

10:27 -- Canadiens tie, 1-1. Cole makes tip in left faceoff circle on a quick swat by Spacek above the circle. Darche with key screen at left post. Boston's lead time stopped after 16:22. Only second time in seven games the Bruins have had lead.

8:13 -- Cole off for slashing, handing Boston its fifth PP chance.

8:10 -- Sensational Thomas save, left pad, on Cammalleri breakaway, triggered by Corvo's broken stick in the Montreal end. Preserves Boston's 1-0 lead.

Bruins fail to increase lead with the 52 seconds of power play time they have on backside of Pacioretty call.

5:40 -- Pacioretty hauls down Chara in Boston slot, negating final 1:08 of Montreal's 5-on-4 PP. Pacioretty just can't win when he's around Big Z.

4:48 -- Seidenberg off for slashing. Habs wtih 5-on-3 power play for 48 seconds.

3:35 -- Montreal's first PP chance when Campbell sent off for tripping Nokelainen. Thornton serves minor as Campbell needs to go to dressing room, for injury or equipment repair.

Ference back on Boston bench to start period.

FIRST PERIOD

First period is a wrap. Bruins with 1-0 lead on 10-6 shot advantage. Ference misses final 13:00 minutes of period, departing ice immediately after a scramble around the Boston net. On the NESN broadcast, it appeared that Eller's stick caught Ference in the face.

Bruins hosing Habs at faceoff dot, winning 10 of 16 drops, for 63 percent win factor. Begeron's goal came on one of his five wins (vs. two losses). The Bruins fired off 26 shots (including 10 blocks and 6 misfires) in the period, while the Habs mustered only 11 attempts.

16:37 -- Plekanec sent off for interference. Boston's third PP opportunity.

14:05 -- Boston, 1-0. Bergeron scores it off the draw vs. Plekanec. Puck sails from left wing faceoff dot and into net, ricocheting off inside of Price's right skate. Goalie caught napping. Zzzzzzzz.

14:04 -- Ex-Bruin Nokelainen to penalty box for interference. Second Boston chance on PP.

Just under 8:00 to go in scoreless first, still no sign of Ference returning from dressing room.

10:28 -- Thornton attempts to engage Blunden in fight, but Habs wingers wants no part of it. More pushing at shoving at whistle at 10:55. Hal Gill steps in, prevents any punches. Moments later, Gill booed when word comes over PA that he played his 1,000th career game last week. Hal hate. Something different. Kessel denied monopoly.

9:01 -- Marchand just misses with laser pass to Peverley at right post. Bruins need to bury those chances.

7:00 -- Ference leaves ice and heads to room. Does not appear to be an equipment issue.

2:49 -- Subban off for roughing. First Boston power play.

Tim Thomas led the Bruins out for warmups, and gets the start tonight. It's his seventh start in nine games.

Adam McQuaid, sidelined with concussion-like symptoms since taking a nasty fall in Carolina on Oct. 12, is on the ice for warmups as one of seven defensemen. He is likely to play, but Boston coach Claude Julien said he would make that decision following the pre-game skate.

''The probably of [McQuaid] playing,'' Julien said late in the morning, ''is probably very good.

Sure enough, McQuaid is in the lineup. Steve Kampfer gets the night off. Julien rolls him out in second pairing with Andrew Ference.
Following tonight's action, the Bruins will work out at the Garden this morning and then catch a flight later in the day for Montreal, where Saturday night they will face the Habs at the Bell Center.

Off to their worst start in 70 years, the Habs Wednesday night polished off the Flyers, 5-1, in Montreal. The goal scorers included Yannick Weber, Andrei Kostitsyn, Max Pacioretty (2), and Mike Cammalleri.

Defensive stalwart Hal Gill is on the backline for the Habs. Pal Hal, who began his NHL careeer with the Bruins in 1997, played his 1,000th career game last week.

Another ex-Bruin, Petteri Nokelaien, is playing his third game for the Habs after being acquired last week from Phoenix.

All done at the Garden. Bruins can't finish rally.

8:48 3d period: Sharks 3-2
Benn Ferriero scores off rebound. Tim Thomas stops Jim Vandermeer point shot. But Ferriero gets step on Steven Kampfer and bangs in rebound.

3:12 3d period: 2-2
Tyler Seguin takes cross-crease dish from Milan Lucic. Buries feed. Starts with turnover at blue line. Quick-strike stuff from Lucic, Seguin, Chris Kelly.

2:43 3d period: Sharks 2-1
Antti Niemi kicks loose puck behind him and off post. Before Niemi can recover, Milan Lucic pokes puck home.

20:00 2d period: Sharks 2-0
Bruins with a spark of life late in the second. But otherwise second to pucks and not putting any sustained pressure on the San Jose net. Teammates have wasted an excellent Shawn Thornton scrap.

10:23 2d period: Sharks 2-0
Shawn Thornton vs. Jim Vandermeer. Thornton mixes up rights and lefts. Fight ends with Thornton getting Vandermeer’s shirt over head. Vandermeer tough customer. Gave Milan Lucic a good bout last year. Surprised Vandermeer accepted Thornton’s invite.

8:54 2d period: Sharks 2-0
Logan Couture buries a shot from in front. Martin Havlat wins puck battle along wall and dishes out front to Couture. Sharks hungrier for puck.

20:00 1st period: Sharks 1-0
Couple good scoring chances for Bruins. Tyler Seguin strikes iron. Antti Niemi kicks out a Nathan Horton partial breakaway. Not much sustained offensive pressure, though.

1:12 1st period: Sharks 1-0
Joe Pavelski goes one-on-one against Andrew Ference and snaps a shot high glove on Tim Thomas. Turnover off the wall in the neutral zone leads to Pavelski’s chance. Helper to Joe Thornton. Zdeno Chara couldn't get on ice.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Jordan Caron is the healthy scratch.

@GlobeFluto

All done at the Garden. Strong performances all around.

12:33 3d period: Bruins 6-2
Mikhail Grabovski uncovered in slot. Goes upstairs on Tim Thomas. Silences “Thank You Kessel” chant.

11:43 3d period: Bruins 6-1
Milan Lucic sets up Tyler Seguin in slot. Sizzling snap shot by Seguin. All coming together for Bruins tonight.

10:08 3d period: Bruins 5-1
Sick snipe by Patrice Bergeron. High glove on Jonas Gustavsson. Barreled over blue line with speed.

2:08 3d period: Bruins 4-1
Milan Lucic drives to net, takes a dish from Tyler Seguin, and scores his first of the year. Seguin blows through Dion Phaneuf, taking the defenseman’s stick with him.

0:45 3d period: Bruins 3-1
Jonas Gustavsson stones Patrice Bergeron on two close-range chances.

20:00 2d period: Bruins 3-1
Tim Thomas closes out second with kick save on David Steckel and stick stop on Phil Kessel. Toronto pushing back. Bruins have to keep grinding in third.

8:43 2d period: Bruins 3-1
Tim Thomas stones Mikhail Grabovski on a PP breakaway. Grabovski had stepped out of box when David Krejci sent him an errant backhand pass. Thomas flashes left pad for save.

20:00 1st period: Bruins 3-1
Terrific first for Bruins. Leading in shots, 18-7. Skating well and putting pucks and people at the net.

17:49 1st period: Bruins 3-1
Chris Kelly second-effort backhand over Jonas Gustavsson. Slick dish from Milan Lucic to Kelly, who kicks puck to his stick. Gustvasson looking very beatable.

16:05 1st period: Bruins 2-1
Another power-play goal. Bad-angle one-time snipe by Zdeno Chara. Two PP helpers for Andrew Ference.

10:32 1st period: 1-1
Jonas Gustavsson gets a pad on Zdeno Chara’s PP slapper. Nathan Horton bangs in rebound for second goal of year. Poor rebound control by Gustavsson.

7:29 1st period: Leafs 1-0
David Steckel catches Tim Thomas leaning wrong way. Steckel’s shot skims off Chris Kelly’s blade.

1:54 1st period: 0-0
Shawn Thornton vs. Colton Orr. Right off the draw, the two go at it. Heck of a scrap between the veteran chuckers. First fight of year for Thornton.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
David Krejci and Steven Kampfer in. Jordan Caron out.

@GlobeFluto

Ugly night at Garden finally over.

16:16 3d period: Hurricanes 4-1
Game DQ for Claude Julien. Follows Milan Lucic to room.

14:58 3d period: Hurricanes 4-1
Tuomo Ruutu with the backdoor PPG. Guess Bruins crossed the line. Hope rest of game stays calm.

13:26 3d period: Hurricanes 3-1
Eric Staal with five-on-three PPG. Lots left to kill.

11:30 3d period: Hurricanes 2-1
Nathan Horton rag-dolling Tim Gleason in front of Carolina net. Gleason doesn’t do much to respond. Four-minute PP for Hurricanes. Not timely.

10:59 3d period: Hurricanes 2-1
Rich Peverley snaps a power-play shot past Cam Ward. Some PP life. Sharp puck movement at top, good screen by Brad Marchand.

10:30 3d period: Hurricanes 2-0
Chris Kelly vs. Brett Sutter. Kelly with the convincing win. Starts with Milan Lucic having words and jousting with Tim Gleason and Bryan Allen. First scrap as a Bruin for the mild-mannered Kelly.

2:00 3d period: Hurricanes 2-0
Three new lines for Bruins. Benoit Pouliot with Tyler Seguin and Nathan Horton. Jordan Caron with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Chris Kelly centering Milan Lucic and Rich Peverley.

20:00 2d period: Hurricanes 2-0
Urgency on the ice, urgency behind bench. No PP time for Nathan Horton, Milan Lucic, or Brad Marchand. Benoit Pouliot and Chris Kelly getting looks.

14:19 2d period: Hurricanes 2-0
Finally, some tempers. Jay Harrison and Nathan Horton trade shots in front of Carolina net. Zdeno Chara jumps in and starts throwing with Harrison. Tuukka Rask doesn’t like Cam Ward getting into middle of mix. Rask skates from net and has a chat with Ward. Bruins desperately needed some emotion.

10:10 2d period: Hurricanes 2-0
Joni Pitkanen carries the puck into the offensive zone and blasts a slapper through Tuukka Rask. Should be stopped if puck goes in clean.

0:46 2d period: Hurricanes 1-0
Brandon Sutter hits the left post. Slipped past Joe Corvo.

0:00 2d period: Hurricanes 1-0
Joe Corvo is on the bench to start the second.

20:00 1st period: Hurricanes 1-0
Not much pop from Bruins despite 13-10 shot advantage. Joe Corvo absent for final 10 minutes of first. Coaching staff has little trust in Matt Bartkowski, so Bruins down to four defensemen. Best for all parties if Bartkowski is assigned to Providence sooner rather than later.

15:21 1st period: Hurricanes 1-0
Tuukka Rask steps out to make a big-time stop on Chad LaRose. Zero signs of urgency in Bruins’ game.

12:44 1st period: Hurricanes 1-0
Jordan Caron hits the post. Good play by Zdeno Chara to initiate scoring chance.

10:00 1st period: Hurricanes 1-0
Brandon Sutter drills Joe Corvo into corner. All weight of hit on Corvo’s right shoulder. Corvo to the room.

2:47 1st period: Hurricanes 1-0
Tuukka Rask makes several tough stops. But Anthony Stewart on doorstep to go upstairs with rebound. Matt Bartkowski can’t clear puck.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Adam McQuaid and David Krejci out.

@GlobeFluto

All done in Raleigh. Bruins pushed hard in third. Not so for first.

UPDATE: Claude Julien does not have an update on Adam McQuaid's condition.

16:35 3d period: Hurricanes 3-2
Brad Marchand scores a six-on-five goal. One-timer from the right circle.

13:32 3d period: Hurricanes 3-1
Defensive-zone turnovers lead to scoring chance in slot. Jiri Tlusty buries it.

11:09 3d period: Hurricanes 2-1
Adam McQuaid to the room with trainer Don DelNegro. Didn’t take a shift after getting hurt.

8:16 3d period: Hurricanes 2-1
Adam McQuaid on bench. Very woozy after spill into boards.

4:07 3d period: Hurricanes 2-1
Tyler Seguin roofs a bad-angle shot high glove on Cam Ward. Heck of a shot. Very rare you see such goals scored on Ward. Seguin came way back on breakout to generate speed through NZ.

3:42 3d period: Hurricanes 2-0
Anthony Stewart slips a wrister on goal. Looked like Tim Brent got a piece of the puck. Bruins losing battles all around the boards prior to goal.

20:00 2d period: Hurricanes 1-0
Far too many marshmallows in Bruins’ game. Need more bite. Not emotionally engaged.

12:58 2d period: Hurricanes 1-0
Johnny Boychuk off for goalie interference. Bruins looking very detached.

11:05 2d period: Hurricanes 1-0
Hooking on Chad LaRose. Carolina doing its best to give the Bruins all the chances they want. Up to Bruins to take advantage.

0:42 2d period: Hurricanes 1-0
Joni Pitkanen shoots from right-side wall. Might have hit Eric Staal on way in. Dennis Seidenberg fails to clear Staal from in front of net. PPG.

0:00 2d period: 0-0
Bruins will have 48 seconds to kill on Chris Kelly’s hooking.

20:00 1st period: 0-0
Another bleah period by the Bruins. Need some kind of spark. Maybe a scrap?

18:48 1st period: 0-0
Massive pileup in front of Tim Thomas. Brad Marchand involved. Chris Kelly off for hooking.

12:34 1st period: 0-0
Johnny Boychuk flattens Eric Staal in neutral zone. Boychuk might be Bruins’ best at throwing such hits.

9:56 1st period: 0-0
Brad Marchand jousting with Jeff Skinner. Would be a very entertaining lightweight scrap.

9:00 1st period: 0-0
Very little pop on either power play. Failing to get clean entries.

3:54 1st period: 0-0
Looked like Milan Lucic hit left post. Lots of jam in front of net.

1:34 1st period: 0-0
First shift for third line. Benoit Pouliot starts on right side.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Matt Bartkowski is the healthy scratch.

@GlobeFluto

RALEIGH – Good morning from RBC Center, where the Bruins will play their first road game of 2011-12. They’ll be playing against Carolina and old friend Tomas Kaberle.

David Krejci will not play tonight. Krejci suffered an undisclosed injury in practice yesterday at Ristuccia Arena. Jordan Caron, a healthy scratch the last two games, will be back in tonight’s lineup. Tyler Seguin could get a shot on the first line between Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton.

Puck drop: 7:30 p.m.

TV/radio info: Versus (Mike Emrick, Ed Olczyk, Pierre McGuire), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)

Records: Bruins 1-2-0, Hurricanes 0-2-1

Projected Bruins lineup:

Milan Lucic-Tyler Seguin-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Rich Peverley
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Jordan Caron
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

Healthy scratch: Matt Bartkowski

Storylines: This will be Joe Corvo’s first game against his old club. Corvo was often paired with Tim Gleason on Carolina’s No. 1 duo… Old friend Dave Lewis is behind the Carolina bench. Lewis, the Bruins’ head coach in 2006-07, is in his first year as an assistant to Paul Maurice… Jeff Skinner (1-4—5) has scored in every game so far… Francois St. Laurent and Mike Leggo will be the referees. Brian Murphy and Jean Morin will be the linesmen.

@GlobeFluto

All done at the Garden. Very little pop from Bruins.

"I think we took today's game way too lightly," Milan Lucic said.

7:57 3d period: Avalanche 1-0
Milan Hejduk slips a wrister through Tuukka Rask. Bad defense from first line. Chasing puck instead of winning battles.

20:00 2d period: 0-0
Sleepy times continue for Bruins. Outshot 26-18. Tuukka Rask bricking up net. Good time to be going on road trip tomorrow.

10:46 2d period: 0-0
Tuukka Rask (22 saves) has been excellent. Had to be. Not getting much help from mates. Avs getting very good looks.

20:00 1st period: 0-0
Uncharacteristic period for Bruins. Bullied by Avs on home ice. Ryan Wilson laid out Tyler Seguin with a clean open-ice hit along the boards. Shawn Thornton asked Wilson later in the period, but the Colorado defenseman was at the end of his shift. Bruins need to generate some more snarl. Tuukka Rask has been excellent.

9:12 1st period: 0-0
Avs with 9-4 shot advantage. Bruins having trouble with Colorado’s forecheck.

1:56 1st period: 0-0
Tussle between Zdeno Chara and Ryan O’Byrne. Chara doesn’t care for an O’Byrne thump. Chara retaliates with a cross-check. Not smart.

0:00 1st period: 0-0
Jordan Caron and Matt Bartkowski out.

@GlobeFluto

All done here on Causeway Street. Bruins improve record to 1-1 by breezing to 4-1 win over the Bolts.

Two goals for Rich Peverley. One each for Dan Paille and David Krejci.

Easy win for Tim Thomas.

THIRD PERIOD

15:32 -- Matching minors, Horton and Moore. Play rolls at 4-on-4. Bruins with 42-22 shot edge. Mercy.

Less than 7:00 to go here. Bruins still with the commanding three-goal lead. Cruising.

8:43 --Boston, 4-1. Second of the night for Peverley, cashing it at an open right side after Bergeron's attempt from left side deflects at top of crease.

3:07 -- Bruins, 3-1. Krejci knocks in forehander from inner edge of left wing circle after Garon stops Lucic's initial attempt from down low. Krejci beats Thompson to the rebound. Boston's first two-goal margin of season.

1:15 -- Thomas with mask save on Purcell attempt.

<strong>SECOND PERIOD

All done through two periods. Bruins with 2-1 lead and 30-16 shot advantage.

Strong period for the Bruins. Good jump, feisty at times.

Bruins 30-2-2 last season when leading after 40 minutes.

Bruins take 57 shots in first two periods, 30 make it to net. Total 12 get blocked, another 15 go off net. Bolts land 16 of their 26 attempts.

19:52 -- Boychuk minor for tripping.

14:06 -- Connolly off for minor, giving Bruins 4-on-3 edge for 1:17, but Black 'n' Gold fail to score. Bruins still wtih 2-1 edge.

4:58 -- Bruins, 2-1. , Paille, standing in front with Kelly, connects off of McQuaid's 35-40 foot wrister. Assists to Seguin and Paille. Goal originally awarded McQuaid.

3:20 -- Tampa ties, 1-1. St. Louis on breakaway from mid-ice, finishes with short-range wrister on Thomas, his former UVM teammate.

2:04 -- Boston, 1-0. Peverley knocks in loose puck near right post after Marchand's wrister from left circle takes a chunk out of pipes. First of season for Peverley. Even strength. Marchand and Boychuk the helpers.

FIRST PERIOD

First period is wrapped. No score. Bruins with 15-9 shot lead, but each side with roughly a handful of good opportunites. Thomas needed to be sharp on 2-3 stops. About the same for Garon.

Bruins uncharacterstically weak at the faceoff dot, losing 14 of 24 drops. Dominic Moore wins 6 of his 7 draws for the Bolts. Chris Kelly and David Krejci a combined 3-for-8 on faceoffs.

Zdeno Chara leads all Boston shooters with three shots in first period. Stamkos connects three times for Bolts. Tampa blocks seven Boston shots. Bruins only block one.

Through four periods this seson, Bruins have Brad Marchand's power-play strike as their lone goal.

16:31 -- Lucic sent off for slashing Kubina's stick to bits. Looch's first minor penalty of season.

13:39 -- Bruins with another shot on PP. Connolly to sin bin for tripping.

13:09 -- Another strong showing by Thomas, holding off Pyatt jam at top of crease, feed by Thompson.

11:00 -- Big save by Thomas off of Stamkos bullet slapper from left faceoff dot. Feed by Lecavalier. Still 0-0.

10:28 -- Boychuk off for slashing. TB with 4-on-3 edge for 46 seconds.

9:53 -- Lecavalier lands first TB shot during 4-on-4 play (Marchand and Downie off for roughing. Boston ahead on shots, 9-1.

9:13 -- Bruins land eighth shot of night on Garon. Bolts yet to get rubber to Boston net.

Bruins unable to score on PP. Last 13 seconds of advantage have hybrid line of Kelly, Pouliot and Thornton out there.

4:21 -- Gilroy off for holding Marchand. Boston's first PP.

3:00 -- Neither side with a shot on net. Pouliot skating RW on line with Seguin and Kelly.

Tim Thomas gets the call in net vs. the Bolts. The second straight start for the Conn Smythe Trophy winner, who gave up two goals in a 2-1 loss to the Flyers on Thursday night.

Mathieu Garon between the pipes for the Bolts, giving senior statesman Dwayne Roloson the night off.

The Bruins will have Adam McQuaid and Benoit Pouliot in the lineup. Matt Bartkowski and Jordan Caron are the scratches.

Greetings from the TD Garden, where the Bruins and Bolts are now skating in their pre-game warmups.

Tim Thomas led the Bruins onto the ice, which could indicate he will get the start, his second in two games this season.

Benoit Pouliot, the ex-Hab, also is on the ice. Pouliot did not skate in Thursday's pre-game warmup, so it's possible the he will get the call tonight against the club the Bruins erased, 4-3, in the Cup semis this past spring.

The Bruins also have seven defensemen in uniform for the warmup. One will have to sit, be it Adam McQuaid or Matt Bartkowski.

The Bruins are likely off on Sunday and won't play again until their visit Wednesday night in Raleigh, N.C. Ex-Hub blueliner Tomas Kaberle made his Canes debut Friday night in a loss to TB. Kaberle managed two shots on net.

Final score: Flyers, 2-1
Late first-period goals by Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek made the difference. The Bruins celebrated their Stanley Cup victory with a pre-game ceremony, then took the lead on a Brad Marchand goal.

14:34, 3d period: Flyers, 2-1
Flyers go on the power play as Johnny Boychuk is penalized.

14:34, 3d period: Flyers, 2-1
Bruins failed to capitalize on a power play, a Nathan Horton shot blocked by Kimmo Timonen.

End of 2d period: Flyers, 2-1
Flyers have outshot the Bruins, 25-12.

15:29 2d period: Flyers, 2-1
Bruins have a power play opportunity as Scott Hartnell is penalized for tripping.

19:57 1st period: Flyers, 2-1
Jakub Voracek broke the tie just before the end of the first period.

19:10 1st period: Bruins 1-1
Claude Giroux ties the score on a power play.

9:42 1st period: Bruins 1-0
The Bruins are perfect on the power play. Tyler Seguin, from behind his own blue line, threads a tape-to-tape pass to Brad Marchand. Marchand slips behind Kimmo Timonen, fakes forehand, and tucks a backhander five-hole on Ilya Bryzgalov.

@GlobeFluto

As anticipated, the Bruins made a number of roster moves, just announced now at approximately 10:25 p.m.

Top draft pick Doug Hamilton has been returned to his junior team (Niagara Ice Dogs), and the same goes for Alexander Khokhlachev (Windsor), Jared Knight (London) and Ryan Spooner (Kingston).

The following have been assigned to Providence (AHL): Andrew Bodnarchuk, Ryan Button, Marc Cantin, Carter Camper, Craig Cunningham, Josh Hennessy, Kirk MacDonald, Nathan McIver, Kevan Miller and Mamie Tardif,

In all, that's a total of 14 players released, making for a much more nimble training camp contingent.

It appears a slam dunk that Rich Peverley (1-3--4 tonight) will start the season on right wing with Brad Marchand (LW) and Patrice Bergeron. Following Boston's 6-3 win tonight, coach Claude Julien noted the increased speed Peverley brings to the line that last year had Mark Recchi on the right side.

''That's not disrespect to Rex,'' said coach, noting Recchi's experience and grit and what it meant to the trio. ''Peverley gives us an element of a little more speed. There's some chemistry there.''

THIRD PERIOD

All over. Bruins win, 6-3, on strength of 36-16 shot advantage.

Bruins now 1-0-1 on pre-season.

Thank you, sir, I'll have another. After getting three assists on the night, Peverley finally pots one himself, unassisted. Bruins, 6-3, with 4:00 to go.

Bruins kick it up to 5-3 lead at 15:14 mark. Boychuck connects with low, hard slapper from above the right circle.

Marchand gives Bruins 4-3 lead with 8:17 gone. Left alone off right post, put puck away with ease of dropping a BB into the Grand Canyon. Second straight goal with assists by Bergeron and Peverley.

Tied, 3-3, at 4:11. Seidenberg gambles down low from right D spot and cans forehand shovel at right post, off cross-slot feed from Peverley. Second power-play goal in five chances.

Attendance -- 16,555.

Nilsson takes over Islander net to start third period. Thomas still in Boston cage. Khudobin is his backup.

SECOND PERIOD

Period ends with Isles back in front, 3-2. Bruins with lopsided 22-10 shot advantage through 40 minutes.

With 2:01 to go, Frischmon knocks in 3-2 lead for Isles from top of crease after Thomas stops Marincko shot. Second assist to Burlington's Jay Pandolfo.

Bergeron knots it, 2-2, with quick snap from right circle after Marchand carries behind nete and centers out from behind right post. Only 64 seconds after Krejci's goal. Bruins with 17-6 shot lead and all the momentum.

Bruins cut lead to 2-1 at 8:17 when Krejci slides in doorstep backhander after Lucic stuff attempt at right post. Second assist: Peverley. Power play goal.

Hamill flasing some clever moves in offensive end. Sets up Arniel low in left circle, but Arniel can't pot it.

Not helping their cause: Jared Knight minus-2 for first period; Zach Hamill lost three of four faceoffs.

If interested in watching tonight's action at the Garden, go to: bostonbruins.com. Showing live. Play-by-play and commentary by 98.5's Dave Goucher and Bob Beers.

FIRST PERIOD

First 20:00 in the books. Isles, 2-0. Bruins with 11-6 shot advantage.

Lafleur-like blast off right wing by Dylan Reese, his second strike of the night, gives Isles 2-0 lead at 18:18. Two goals on five shots against Thomas.

5:05 left in first. Bruins about to go on second power play, still trailing, 1-0.

Ex-BU Terrier, and goalie for life, Rick DiPietro in net for Isles.

Only 67 seconds into the action, former Crimson standout Dylan Reese rips home a one-time slapper to hand the Isles the 1-0 lead.

Tim Thomas in net for the Bruins. He is expcted to remain between the pipes all night.

Greetings from the Garden, where tonight the Bruins play their second game of the 2011-'12 preseason, taking on the Islanders in the first game on Causeway Street since the Bruins won the Stanley Cup 100 days ago in Vancouver.

Tonight's lines:

xx - Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Rich Peverley
xx -- Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jared Knight
xx -- Jamie Arniel-Zach Hamill-Daniel Paille
xx -- Lane MacDermid-Alexander Khokhlachev-Benoit Pouliot

Tonight's defensive pairings:
Zdeno Chara-Steve Kampfer
Dennis Seidenberg-Zach McKelvie
Matt Bartkowski-Johnny Boychuk

The Bruins are expected to make at least a few roster cuts later tonight, following the game. We'll have those for you here as soon as they are available.

The Bruins posed for the traditional team shot after winning the Stanley Cup. (Barry Chin/Globe Staff)

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

Scratch that. Make it "last hoisted the Stanley Cup" before tonight. Thanks to the two-goal performances of Marchand and linemate Patrice Bergeron, as well as another spectacular performance in net by Tim Thomas (37 saves), the Boston Bruins are at last rejoicing again.

The victory was the Bruins' first here during the series in three tries here in Vancouver, which had won Games 1, 2, and 5 here despite scoring a total of just five goals on their home ice and eight overall in the series. The Bruins won all three games at the Garden by a 17-3 advantage, but winning in Vancouver was a tall challenge.

Of course, these Bruins, on determined path since blowing a three-game lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Philadelphia Flyers last postseason, have been up for every tall challenge they have faced during this playoff run, beating the rival Montreal Canadiens in seven games in the first round, avenging the previous loss to the Flyers with a sweep, then taking down the talented Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games to reach the Cup Finals against the gifted Canucks.

Tonight's challenge was also one they proved up to almost immediately, with Bergeron flipping a one-timer past beleagured Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo at the 14:37 mark of the first period to give the Bruins the crucial first goal.

The play was set up by the relentless rookie Marchand, who boosted the Bruins lead to 2-0 in the second period with a wraparound goal after beating Luongo to the far post at 12:13 of the second period.

Bergeron got his second of the night a little more than five minutes later on a shorthanded break in in which the puck trickled past Luongo as Bergeron and defenseman Christian Ehrhoff crashed into the net. Marchand iced the cake with an empty-netter at 17:16 of the third period.

The winning effort was typical of these Bruins, with so many players contributing to the clinching victory. Tireless defenseman Dennis Seidenberg had two assists. The fourth line of Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton was stellar defensively. Mark Recchi, the classy 43-year-old future Hall of Famer, had an assist in the final game of an NHL career than began in November 1988. Andrew Ference . . . David Krejci . . . Milan Lucic . . . Johnny Boychuk . . . and on it goes.

But it will be the 37-year-old Thomas who is remembered the most for what happened tonight. The Conn Smythe award winner as the MVP of the postseason, the affable goalie allowed the Canucks -- the highest scoring team in the NHL this season -- just eight goals in the seven games while setting a record for saves by one goalie in a single postseason. Until this postseason, Gerry Cheevers was the most beloved goalie in franchise history.

Tonight, he has company. And so do the rest of his teammates on those cherished 1970 and '72 champions.

The 2010-11 Boston Bruins have made some history of their own.

Final score: Bruins 4, Canucks 0: The gloves and sticks are on the ice. The arms are in the air. And Tim Thomas has been engulfed by his teammates. It looks exactly like you imagined all these years, Bruins fans.

The 39-year wait is over. Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand each scored a pair of goals, and the Boston Bruins are the 2010-11 Stanley Cup champions. Once more, with emphasis: The Boston Bruins are the 2010-11 Stanley Cup champions.

Stay right here at Boston.com for much, much more tonight.

19:00: The Bruins are one minute away from winning the Stanley Cup. How's that look typed out?

17:16, Boston 4, Vancouver 0: The Canucks pull Luongo, and Marchand makes them pay, scoring his second of the night. Safe to say it's over yet? We'll say it. The Bruins are less than three minutes from being Stanley Cup champions. How does that sound?

13:34: Penalty killed. Canucks are outshooting the Bruins, 34-19. The Bruins are outscoring the Canucks, 3-0.

12:54: Marchand nearly gets one shorthanded, but the puck kicks wide of Luongo.

11:34: Milan Lucic called for hooking. The crowd awakens from it's slumber. The Paille line takes the ice.

10:09: Thomas covers up in front with Maxim Lapierre buzzing around. Twenty-eight for 28 so far. With his last save, he surpassed Kirk McLean for the second-most saves in one Cup Final. McLean was Vancouver's goalie in their seven-game loss to the Rangers in '94. Johnny Bower of the '64 Canadiens had 233 saves in the Final, four more than Thomas has at the moment.

9:30: Thomas gives up a long rebound on a Kevin Bieksa fling at the net, but the Bruins clear it away.

8:06: Daniel Sedin gets one of the Canucks' best chances of the night on a mini-breakaway after a Bruins turnover in the neutral zone, but his backhander is smothered by Thomas, who tips sideways to make sure the puck doesn't bounce loose. Twenty-five Canucks shots, 25 Thomas saves.

6:50: Not much going on for the Bruins on the power play, though Ryder nearly surprises Luongo with a quick wrister. Bruins are perfectly content to play their disciplined defensive game and let the clock tick.

5:33: First penalty on the Canucks, with Jannik Hansen banished to the box for interference.

3:17: Chris Higgins fires off a close range shot on Thomas that doesn't appear to make it to the net. The Canucks are desperate to get a goal, obviously, and they are playing like it.

0:40: Roberto Luongo, with 10 saves on 13 shots, is still in net for the Canucks, in case you were wondering if we might see Cory Schneider.

Start of the third period, Bruins 3, Canucks 0: First line out there for the Canucks, second line for the Bruins. And here we go.

Second intermission notes and quotes: Inspirational messages scrolling across the scoreboard: "If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it" . . . "It's a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness" . . . "Pain is temporary, victory is forever." . . . Unfortunately for Canucks fans, those who could use the inspiration most remain in the home locker room . . . The teams are 19-19 on faceoffs, with Vancouver outshooting the Bruins, 21-13 . . . The Sedins are each minus-3, meaning they've both been on the ice for all three of Boston's goals . . . Dennis Seidenberg leads the Bruins with 17:54 of ice time, while Johnny Boychuk is second (15:26). Zdeno Chara is relatively rested by his standards (16:34).

End of the second period, Bruins 3, Canucks 0: Twenty minutes. That's all that stands between the Bruins first Stanley Cup championship since the days of Orr and Espo in 1972. Patrice Bergeron has two goals, Brad Marchand a goal and an assist, and Tim Thomas has stopped all 21 Vancouver shots he has faced as the Bruins have scored as many goals through two periods as they have in the previous three games combined here in this series. We don't count our Stanley Cups before they've hatched around here, and neither do the Bruins, who are playing their usual disciplined game tonight. But . . . 20 minutes. I'll be back with some second period stats and the start of the third period shortly. Do not move, don't change the channel, and stay right here.

17:35, Bruins 3, Canucks 0: Goal. And it's suddenly very, very quiet in here.

17:35, Bruins 3, Canucks 0 . . . pending review, apparently: This could be the pivotal moment of the night right here. Patrice Bergeron appears to score his second goal of the night, this one in a shorthanded situation, when the puck trickles past Luongo as he's being hauled down by Christian Ehrhoff.

17:24: After a puck deflects into the stands, Kevin Bieksa raises his arms in frustration. Didn't like something there.

16:07: We have our first penalty more than 36 minutes into the game when Chara is banished to the box for interference. Coming off a TV timeout, the Canucks go with the Sedins/Burrows line. Huge, huge two minutes here for both sides. The Bruins have their fourth line out there after Chris Kelly wins the faceoff and is replaced immediately by Daniel Paille. Seidenberg and Boychuk are the defensemen to begin the penalty.

15:47: The Kesler line gets two or three golden opportunities on Thomas after Adam McQuaid loses his stick, but there's still nothing to show for it.

14:21: The goal is Marchand's 10th of the playoffs, building on his franchise rookie record for postseason goals.

12:13 second period, Bruins 2, Canucks 0: . . . and seconds later, Brad Marchand silences the Rogers Arena crowd, collecting a rebound of a Dennis Seidenberg shot to Luongo's left, slipping behind the net, and wrapping it inside the right post before Luongo could recover. It appeared that Luongo was impeded by Henrik Sedin, who banged into the goalie while trying to get to Marchand. Mark Recchi also picked up an assist.

11:47: Luongo slaps away a shot by Michael Ryder breaking into the zone . . .

11:02: The Canucks have outshot the Bruins, 6-2, this period, and two of the Bruins shots have come from fourth-liner Gregory Campbell.

10:15: With his stop of a Ryan Kesler shot at the 1-minute mark, Thomas set the all-time record for saves in a single postseason.

9:23: Chara turns the puck over to Alex Burrows in front of Thomas, then gets recovers to make the save when the goalie slides too far out of the net to try to defend the shot glove side. Could have been a brutal mistake by Chara, but he covered for his own blunder just in time.

5:30: Canucks hold a 13-5 shots advantage. Not an entirely accurate representation of how the game has gone, and not just because the Bruins are up a goal. Boston is playing its usual disciplined defensive game.

4:24: Another strong shift by the Bruins' fourth line. Meanwhile, the crowd is cheering any little thing they can to try to jump-start the Canucks, such as a rudimentary Henrik Sedin check of Chara. The seeds of desperation are planted.

2:01: Thomas with three sharp stops in the span of a minute against the Canucks' top line of Sedin, Sedin, and Burrows. Vancouver is playing determined offensive hockey right now.

1:15: Luongo bats away a close-range bid by Marchand, who navigated around Alex Edler. Great chance.

Start of the second period, Bruins 1, Canucks 0: The Peverley-Krejci-Lucic trio get it started for the Bruins.

First intermission notes and quotes: Haven't emphasized enough the quality play from the Bruins' fourth line of Gregory Campbell, Daniel Paille, and Shawn Thornton, who accounted for three of Boston's five shots in the first period . . . The Bruins outhit the Canucks, 22-20, with Milan Lucic leading the way with five. That's a major improvement for Claude Julien's squad over Game 5 here, when Vancouver seemed to catch the Bruins by surprise by setting the early tone physically . . . The Bruins won 53 percent of the faceoffs, with Mark Recchi, David Krejci, and Rich Peverley combining to win 5 of 6.

End of the first period, Bruins 1, Canucks 0: The Canucks controlled play for the majority of the period, outshot the Bruins, 8-5 . . . and yet the Bruins have to be pleased with where they stand. Patrice Bergeron's goal at 14:37 off a beautiful and perhaps fortuitous pass from Brad Marchand, who appeared to be targeting Mark Recchi. Scoring first was crucial for the Bruins tonight, and after weathering Vancouver's early energy, outplayed the home team in the second half of the period. So what's the key for the Bruins' in the second period? How about getting the second goal of the game.

19:47: If further evidence is required that anything short of maiming will not be called tonight, it was just presented right around the blue line in the Boston zone. The Canucks' Chris Higgins collided with an unsuspecting Zdena Chara high and hard while Vancouver's Kevin Bieksa was rushing the puck. Under most circumstances, it was probably interference, and Chara sold it as such. Under Game 7 circumstances, it's no harm, no penalty.

14:37, Bruins 1, Canucks 0: It's been said time and again that the Bruins need to score first here tonight. And they have. Patrice Bergeron one-times a feed from Brad Marchand past Luongo, and the Bruins have the lead. The goal is Bergeron's fifth of the playoffs, while the assist, which came after a deft spin move by Marchand along the sidewall, is his eighth. The pass appeared to be targeted for Mark Recchi, but it got through to Bergeron, who scored before Luongo could do anything about it. How important might this be? The team that has scored first has won all six games in this series.

14:29: No penalties so far, which benefits the Bruins given their significant advantage over the Canucks in 5 on 5 play this series. The referees, Dan O'Halloran and Stephen Walkom, also handled Game 7 of the Lightning series, when no penalties were called during the entire game.

14:05: This feels remarkably similar to the start of the previous three games here -- lots of energy, a few good chances, and no results on the scoreboard.

11:59: The Marchand-Bergeron-Recchi line did a nice job controlling play on their last shift. Luongo now has four saves.

10:29: Hansen has fit right in with Kesler and Higgins on the Canucks' second line, generating creative scoring chances.

8:10: The Canucks have outshot the Bruins, 6-3, and that's pretty indicative of how they've controlled play. Thomas has had to make 2-3 spectacular saves so far.

7:40: Rogers Arena shakes to its foundation when Mason Raymond, wearing a brace covering his full torso, is shown on the scoreboard exhorting the Canucks. The Canucks' in-house TV team reported he would not be here tonight, remaining behind in Boston after suffering a compressed verterbrae in his back when he was checked into the boards in Game 2, but he is in the building. The atmosphere is very similar to when injured Bruins forward Nathan Horton was shown on the Garden scoreboard during Game 6.

7:27: The Bruins' fourth line makes Luongo work, with Daniel Paille having the best opportunity glove-side on the Vancouver goalie.

5:37: Brad Marchand has been everywhere so far. You get the feeling that if the Bruins win, he'll be on the short list of reasons why. Meanwhile, Canucks fans let out a roar every time their team gains control of the puck.

4:05: David Krejci and Henrik Sedin swap quality close-range chances. Luongo and Thomas match each other with quality close-range saves. The tension is palpable.

2:18: Jannik Hansen, moved up to the second line to replace the injured Mason Raymond, gets a quick shot in the slot on Thomas but fires wide. Good chance. Seconds later, Luongo makes his first save, bringing chants of "Loooooo."

Start of the first period: The Canucks control play early, with their first shot on Tim Thomas coming at 18:03. Vancouver has come out flying in the previous three games here in this series, so the energetic start is no surprise. It's crucial that the Bruins get through the first five minutes or so without allowing the Canucks to get on the scoreboard.

Pregame: Bruins will start with the Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Mark Recchi line, with Vancouver public enemy No. 1 Johnny Boychuk and Zdeno Chara on defense. Tim Thomas is in net, of course.

The Canucks will open with their second line of Ryan Kesler and Chris Higgins, with Jannik Hansen moving up to take over for the injured Mason Raymond. Sami Salo and Christian Ehrhoff are the defensive pairing, and Roberto Luongo is in net.

Mark Donnelly does a stirring rendition of "O, Canada." The guy who sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" might as well have done it in fast forward. And we're almost ready to go here in Game 7.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- What could be better than a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final?

Wait . . . I guess the answer is obvious, isn't it?

Winning a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final. Bringing the Stanley Cup back to Boston for the first time since those big, bad golden days in '72. Proving that Boston is again and always will be a hockey town. Building a lasting legacy for Tim Thomas and Mark Recchi and Patrice Bergeron and . . .

There we go, getting ahead of ourselves. It's just that it's difficult not to ponder the possibilities should the Bruins defeat the Vancouver Canucks tonight at Rogers Arena. But for the Bruins, there can be no anticipation of what's to come should they finish with the bigger number on the scoreboard tonight.

They must stay focused, knowing that the task is not easy -- Vancouver is 3-0 here during the Final, while the Bruins are 3-0 at the Garden. The Canucks clearly receive a jolt of energy from their remarkably dedicated fans, which is why it's imperative that the Bruins refuse to let the Canucks capture the momentum in the first few minutes; they've come out flying in each of the previous three games here, and each time the Bruins have withstood the onslaught.

The Bruins' best chance to seize the Cup on Vancouver ice tonight is an obvious one: Score on Roberto Luongo early, and get him thinking about his failures (15 goals allowed in essentially six periods in Boston) rather than his successes (two home shutouts). The Bruins also cannot allow the Canucks to establish physical play early, as they did during Game 5 here. The Bruins are the tougher team. They need to remind the Canucks of as much early and often tonight while remaining out of the penalty box.

The Bruins feature the same lineup as in Game 6. The Canucks are without talented second-line forward Mason Raymond, who suffered a compressed vertebrae when he was checked into the boards by the Bruins' Johnny Boychuk early in Game 2. Jeff Tambellini will replace him in the Vancouver lineup, with Jannik Hansen moving from the third to second line.

The rumors that Nathan Horton would be in the lineup tonight for the Bruins are not true, shot down adamantly by Claude Julien earlier today. The rumors that Nathan Horton poured Boston water on the Vancouver ice earlier tonight . . . well, it is Game 7. Anything to establish your turf is fair game.

Stay right here at Boston.com for updates throughout and after the game.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

Of course it's going to a Game 7. In this series, would any other ending be appropriate?

In the final game of the season on the Garden ice, the Bruins made it a memorable one, defeating the Vancouver Canucks, 5-2, tonight in Game 6 of their Stanley Cup Final showdown.

The Bruins evened the series, 3-3, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 Wednesday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

The wildly compelling series held to form tonight, with the Bruins routing the Canucks on the Garden ice for the third time in this series. Boston chased Canucks starting goaltender Roberto Luongo, whose tires looked entirely deflated as he skated off the ice just 8:35 into the game, having allowed three goals in the span of 3:04 in the first period.

And that was all for Luongo.

Luongo, who had griped that Bruins goalie Tim Thomas wasn't complimentary enough of his play, allowed three goals on eight shots before being replaced by former Boston College goalie Cory Schneider.

Michael Ryder scored his eighth goal of the playoffs just a minute and 10 seconds after Schneider entered the game.

Schneider was otherwise steady, allowing just David Krejci's 12th postseason goal -- the first-line center leads all scorers this postseason with 23 points -- in the third period while stopping 30 of 32 shots.

Henrik Sedin (power play) and Maxim Lapierre scored in the third period for the Canucks.

While Schneider was far more stable than Luongo tonight, it's hard to believe Vancouver will start anyone other than their regular netminder Wednesday.

While Luongo has been abysmal at the Garden, allowing 15 goals in Games 3, 4, and 6, he's been stellar on his home ice, allowing just three goals in three games, all Vancouver victories.

The Bruins have solved him on their ice, outscoring the Canucks 17-3 at the Garden in this series.

And with their sensational performance tonight, they'll get the ultimate chance to solve him on his turf.

In Game 7. Of course.

Final score: Bruins 5, Canucks 2: And we'll see you at Game 7. The Bruins got goals from five different players, Mark Recchi had three assists, Roberto Luongo was chased before the first period was half complete, and Tim Thomas stopped 35 shots as the Bruins forced a winner-take-all game Wednesday at Vancouver.

18:29: Garden scoreboard shows the Bruins' Stanley Cup banners, then the spot for the next one. Nice touch.

17:34, Bruins 5, Canucks 2: Maxim Lapierre gets one back for the Canucks.

11:32: Recchi penalized for tripping. Vancouver is 1 for 3 on the power play tonight.

6:59: Bergeron sent off for cross checking, Burrows for slashing. At least there was no biting this time. The penalty is Bergeron's fourth of the game.

6:59 third period, Bruins 5, Canucks 1: Beautiful pass from Mark Recchi at the far post to playoff scoring leader David Krejci on Schneider's right, and there's nothing the goalie can do. For Krejci, it's his 12th goal and 23d point of the postseason. The assist is Recchi's third of the game.

6:11: The Bruins will have a 5 on 3 for 1:13 thanks in large part to Tyler Seguin's speed. Breaking in on Schneider, he's hauled down in the crease, with Andrew Alberts getting busted for cross checking. The Bruins use their timeout, emphasizing the importance of this.

5:23: Raffi Torres sent off for tripping Rich Peverley. The Bruins are 1 for 3 on the power play tonight.

3:17: A crucial break for the Bruins. The Canucks celebrate what looks like their second goal in less than a minute when Jannik Hansen beats Thomas stick-side. But the red light never goes on, and a replay shows the puck hit the far post without every crossing the line. Bullet dodged, but the Bruins need to start matching the Canucks' energy.

2:45: Vancouver has caught up to the Bruins in shots -- they're tied at 27 apiece. The Canucks are controlling play early in the period, and the Bruins need Thomas to be at his best over the next few minutes to halt the momentum.

0:22 third period, Bruins 4, Canucks 1: So much for the,shutout -- Henrik Sedin gets the Canucks on the board, assisted by his brother Daniel and Christian Ehrhoff. The goal is Vancouver's second on the power play in the series.

Second intermission quick notes: The Canucks outshot the Bruins in the period, 11-8, but the Bruins hold a 27-22 advantage in the game . . . Dennis Seidenberg leads the Bruins with 14:02 of ice time, while Zdeno Chara is at 13:26. It'll be interesting to see if Claude Julien limits their workload in the third period . . . The Bruins have outhit the Canucks, 32-29. Vancouver outhit them in Game 5, 47-27 . . . Jannik Hansen has had the brunt of the shifts on the second line, replacing the injured Mason Raymond . . . Fifteen Bruins are plus-1. Fifteen Canucks are minus-1.

End of the second period, Bruins 4, Canucks 0: Sensational in the first period, steady in the second, the Bruins are 20 minutes from forcing a Game 7 Wednesday in Vancouver. Back with a few key stats in a moment.

19:08: Bergeron sent off for elbowing. Vancouver is 0 for 2 on the power play tonight. Vancouver is 1 for 27 on the power play in this series.

18:58: Krejci nearly connects on a left-to-right pass to Peverley, but No. 49 can't control the puck. Said it before tonight, but those two have generated plenty of good chances tonight on the first line.

18:03: Schneider with back-to-back saves, giving him 18 stops in 19 shots. Would the Canucks dare bench Luongo in Game 7? Or do they bank on him playing well at home again?

16:42: Henrik Sedin is stoned at close range by Thomas, and the rebound is swept away. Twenty-one Vancouver shots, 21 Thomas saves.

14:47: Adam McQuaid blasts Maxim Lapierre. This time, no acting was required when the Canucks' forward hit the ice.

14:15: Bruins kill it off, with Peverley generating a decent shorthanded chance for the Bruins.

12:15: Dennis Seidenberg called for interference after crushing Chris Higgins in the neutral zone. (Marchand came in to hit Higgins and deliver a few bruises of his own.) Vancouver is 0 for 1 on the power play.

10:47: Chants of "Looooo-ong-go!" fill the building. The scoreboard obliges by showing him on the Canucks' bench.

9:54: Bruins hold a 24-15 shots advantage. Pace has slowed, and if there's any urgency on the Canucks' part, the Bruins are doing a fine job countering it.

5:02: Kesler breaks in on Thomas -- he looked pretty healthy on that play -- but the Bruins goalie stops him point blank.

3:45: Bruins kill the penalty, and David Krejci is everywhere on the ensuing shift.

2:04: Daniel Sedin bangs one off the pipe after a scrum in front of Thomas. You could hear the sound of a missed opportunity on that one.

Start of the second period: The Canucks get their first power-play of the game when Bergeron is called for goalie interference 25 seconds into the period.

First intermission quick notes: The Bruins' four goals in a span of 4:41 in the first period set a Stanley Cup Final record for the fastest four goals by one team, eclipsing the old mark of 5:29 set by the Canadiens against the Red Wings on March 31, 1956 . . . Brad Marchand's ninth goal of the playoffs broke the club record for a Bruins rookie, topping the eight scored by Bobby Joyce in 1988 and Mike Krushelnyski in '83 . . . Mason Raymond, injured in the first period, has been taken to the hospital with an undisclosed injury . . . The Bruins outshot the Canucks, 19-11 . . . Roberto Luongo's scoreless streak endedat 65:31. Suppose that kind of goes without saying.

End of the first period, Bruins 4, Canucks 0: Thomas stops Jannik Hansen on a breakaway with 45 seconds left, and the Bruins leave the ice to raucous cheers to close out a sensastional first period. They outshoot the Canucks, 18-11, chase Roberto Luongo with three goals on eight shots, score another on backup Cory Schneider, and now are plus-15 on the Canucks during the three games played at the Garden. Now it's just a matter of keeping up the intensity through the final 40 minutes.

18:45: Bruins power play looks much better, though the crowd is still imploring them to shoot more. Lucic nearly had a couple of open looks on the doorstep, but the passes didn't quite connect.

17:09: Bruins are back on the power play with Raffi Torres sent to the box to serve a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty.

15:28: Alex Burrows misses an open net. Bruins fans enjoy that outcome. The Canucks are buzzing Thomas, but he's on his game, with nine saves so far.

15:09: Still no sign of Mason Raymond.

14:29: Vancouver kills the penalty, but the Bruins' first line continues to be at its active best, with Krejci and Peverley working together like they've been linemates all season.

10:32: Ryan Kesler sent off for holding. We'll see if the Bruins have any momentum on the power play after Ference's goal.

10:31: If you're keeping score at home -- and we know you are -- the Bruins have now outscored the Canucks, 16-1, at the Garden in this series.

9:45 first period, Bruins 4, Canucks 0: How well are things going for the Bruins at the moment? Even Tomas Kaberle is in on the fun. The maligned defenseman's blast from just outside the right point is deflected by Michael Ryder, and the puck eludes the helpless Schneider. This is just as you drew it up in your mind so far, right, Bruins fans?

8:35 first period, Bruins 3, Canucks 0: Andrew Ference scores the Bruins third goal in the last three-plus minutes -- on the power play, no less -- and like that, Leaky Luongo is out, and former BC netminder Cory Schneider is in. The tally for the Canucks' netminder: Three goals allowed. Five saves. And 17,500 Bruins fans letting him hear about it. (Assists to Ryder and Recchi.)

7:55:Alex Edler sent off for boarding after crushing Peverley into the boards. Bruins' power-play immediate stirs in front of Luongo.

7:55: Wisdom that must be shared from my colleague @GlobeFluto: "Luongo leaking. Has to stop that Lucic shot. Somebody pump his tires."

7:27: Bruins flash a "Win It For Horton" sign on the scoreboard, then show No. 18 smiling in the tunnel, looking perfectly healthy and waving a Bruins towel. If you're a Bruins fan, it's absolutely chill-inducing.

6:12 first period, Bruins 2, Canucks 0: Looks like Bad Roberto has shown up for the first period. Milan Lucic scores the Bruins' second goal in less than a minute, taking a gorgeous drop pass from Rich Peverley and beating Luongo five-hole. The Bruins couldn't have wished for a better start.

5:31 first period, Bruins 1, Canucks 0: And they do. Brad Marchand, the player Canucks fans regard in the same manner Bruins fans think of Alex Burrows, makes it happen, getting behind the Canucks defense and firing a quick shot high past Luongo. It's his ninth goal of the playoffs, and arguably his most important. Dennis Seidenberg and Mark Recchi pick up the assists.

3:33: Each team with one shot so far, but Luongo looks a bit jittery. If the Bruins can get to him in the next few minutes . . .

:56: Zdeno Chara sent off for interference, while Henrik Sedin is called for unsportsmanlike conduct. Both teams are trying to establish the physical game immediately.

:20: Johnny Boychuk rides Mason Raymond into the boards, leaving the Vancouver forward face-down while being tended to by team personnel. After roughly a minute he's helped off the ice, hunched over. Raymond hasn't done much this series, but he's had his chances, and he's struck us as one of the few honorable Vancouver forwards. If he can't go, it's a significant blow to the Canucks.

Start of the first period: Rene Rancourt brings his A game during the National Anthem -- along with the rare triple-fist-pump, Bourque-style -- and we're underway.

Pregame: Bruins will start with start with the Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Mark Recchi line. Andrew Ference and Johnny Boychuk form the defensive pairing, while Tim Thomas is pumping up no one's tires in net.

For the Canucks, the Chris Higgins-Ryan Kesler-Mason Raymond line will open, with Kevin Bieksa and Christian Ehroff the defensive pairing. Roberto Luongo is in net.

As expected, Milt Schmidt, introduced with the tag "He's been a Bruin for seven decades," does the Fan Banner duties. It's tough to top Bobby Orr's appearance in Game 4, but Mr. Schmidt gets the building roaring.

* * *

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

What we know for sure is that the Bruins are about to play their final home game of the 2010-11 season.

What is to be determined, over the next 60 minutes of hockey, is whether the Bruins can extend their season to one more winner-take-all game.

Everyone in this hockey-mad city knows the stakes: With a victory tonight, the Bruins will force a Game 7 Wednesday at Vancouver, with the Stanley Cup the prize. A loss, and the Canucks, a truly aggravating nemesis, will celebrate on the Garden ice.

Given how the series has gone so far -- the Canucks have won all three games at Rogers Arena, the Bruins are 2-0 at home, having outscored the Canucks, 12-1, at the Garden -- it's easy to be confident in the Bruins' chances tonight.

Not only do they have the last line change -- an important tactical advantage, as Fluto Shinzawa writes here -- but a quick early goal or two against the Canucks' talented by occasionally erratic goalie Roberto Luongo would go a long way to forcing a Game 7.

According to pregame warmups, here are the Bruins lines. Most notably, Rich Peverley, who had two goals in Game 4, is on the first line with Milan Lucic and David Krejci.

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Rich Peverley
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Mark Recchi
Tyler Seguin-Chris Kelly-Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk
Tomas Kaberle-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas

Rumor is Milt Schmidt will do the honors with the fan banner tonight. Stay right here for live updates throughout the game.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The magic number for the Vancouver Canucks is apparently one.

Three one-goal wins on their home ice, the latest coming in their 1-0 victory tonight.

A one-game advantage over the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final.

And one more victory necessary for the first title in the franchise's 41 years.

Maxim Lapierre scored the game's lone goal at 4:25 of the third period, and goaltender Roberto Luongo, so beleaguered during the Canucks' Games 3 and 4 losses at Boston when he allowed 12 goals, stopped all 31 shots he faced to give the Canucks a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

If there's any solace for Bruins fans tonight, it's that Game 6 is Monday in Boston, where the Bruins thoroughly dominated Luongo and the Canucks, outscoring them 12-1.

The Bruins have outscored the Canucks 14-6 in the series thus far, but that does them no good at the moment. Vancouver won tonight in much the manner they took Games 1 and 2 at Rogers Arena, finding the net in a pivotal moment when the Bruins could not late in the game to win a game that could have gone either way.

Lapierre, a thorough pest to the Bruins in this series, scored the game's lone goal by being in the right place at the right time, collecting a shot by Kevin Bieksa that ricocheted behind the boards and punching it past Thomas.

The Bruins goalie stopped 24 of 25 shots he faced. But Luongo, who played so poorly in Boston that there was some talk he'd be replaced in net by Cory Schneider, found the form he showed in the first two games of the series.

Through five games of the series, no home team has lost. All the Bruins can do now is hope to keep that streak alive in Game 6, then break it here in Game 7.
.
Final score, Canucks 1, Bruins 0: Maxim Lapierre scored the game's lone goal at 4:25 of the third period, goalie Roberto Luongo made 31 saves, including 10 in the final period, and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Bruins, 1-0, in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Arena tonight. The Canucks now lead the best of seven series, 3-2. We'll be back with more in a moment.

18:56: Bruins pull Thomas. They've had their chances, with 31 shots tonight, 10 this period.

17:30: Johnny Boychuk with a bullet from the point off the faceoff that Luongo stops with his glove, and the Canucks clear out the rebound.

16:22: Tomas Kaberle with pass to Peverley at the right post, but Luongo is in perfect position for the stop.

15:31:Lucic-Krejci-Seguin out there for the Bruins.

14:14: Bruins kill the penalty, and Peverley's speed leads to a quality shot by Seidenberg, but the deflection goes wide of Luongo.

12:09: Rich Peverley off for tripping Mason Raymond. The Rogers Arena crowd smells blood.

10:07: The Canucks are killing the Bruins on faceoffs, with Manny Malhotra just winning his sixth in seven tries in the Canucks' zone.

7:35: Luongo is giving up rebounds, but the Bruins haven't been in the right spot so far. Boston is outshooting Vancouver, 25-23.

4:25 third period, Canucks 1, Bruins 0: And the first goal goes to Vancouver . . . 44:25 into the game. Maxim Lapierre is in the right place at the right time, collecting a Kevin Bieksa shot that had ricocheted off the boards behind the net and punching it stick-side past the goalie as he lunged to his right. Lapierre nearly scored seconds earlier off a feed from Torres in nearly the same spot.

3:10: Chris Higgins breaks in stick-side on Thomas but fires the shot into the goalie's midsection. Vancouver is getting better looks than the Bruins, but it's not a signifcant advantage at the moment.

2:24: Burrows shoots wide in the slot after a clever drop pass from Henrik Sedin.

Start of the second period, Bruins 0, Canucks 0: Both teams with a decent opportunity in the first minute, Burrows for the Canucks and Marchand for the Bruins.

Second intermission quick stats: Tim Thomas's shutout streak is at 1 hour 6 minutes 7 seconds . . . Roberto Luongo has 21 saves tonight. He had 16 in Game 4 . . . The Canucks are 0 for 3 on the power play tonight and are now 1 for 24 in the series . . . The Bruins are 0 for 4 on the power play . . . Patrice Bergeron leads all players with five shots . . . The Canucks outshot the Bruins in second period, 12-9 . . . Vancouver has won 60 percent of faceoffs.

End of the second period, Bruins 0, Canucks 0: At the rate we're going tonight, the first team to score could be the last team to score. There have been 39 shots -- 21 by the Bruins -- and not a puck has eluded either Tim Thomas or Roberto Luongo. The Canucks have to lament Tanner Glass's missed opportunity when he whiffed on the puck while staring at an open net with seven minutes left in the period. Back with a few stats in a moment.

17:59: The puck trickles away from Thomas after a Burrows shot, but Andrew Ference clears away a fat rebound. And that's as good as it got for the Canucks on that penalty, with the Daniel PPaille-Greg Campbell-Shawn Thornton group doing the dirty work effectively as usual.

15:56: Bergeron sent off for holding after the Sedins create havoc in front of Thomas. This could be a pivotal moment.

12:44: Best chance of the night for either team when Tanner Glass has a wide-open net from about 12 feet out. The pucks trickles out to him alone on the right side after Thomas had made a save on the left side, but Glass whiffs on the shot and ends up shoveling in a backhand that Thomas smothers. Bruins catch a major break there, and it could haunt the Canucks.

11:02: Now the Bruins are buzzing, led by Marchand, who has had two good chances right on the doorstep. And Chara unleashed a laser from the high slot off a Marchand rebound that the apparently fearless Sami Salo dove to block. The Canucks defenseman had a tough time getting up and is doubled over on the bench after his shift.

8:43: The Canucks keep Thomas busy, but Rich Peverley kills a few seconds by pulling the puck back in the defensive zone when he could have gone 1 on 2, and the Bruins survive the onslaught.

7:22: The Canucks have their first power play when Adam McQuaid is called for holding Chris Higgins, who had a step on him in the Boston zone. Looked like McQuaid took Higgins down by checking him in the hip with his head, but it didn't look good.

7:11 Nothing doing on the power play, and the Bruins are now 0 for 4 with an extra man.

6:24: The arena fills yet again with "Yankees ----!!!" chants. Apparently the fans here know what happened in the Bronx the previous three days? (Some in the press box they're actually chanting "Refs, you ----!" Which is just as weak.)

5:19: Not much happening again on the power play. Lucic's shot from the slot is gloved almost casually by Luongo, who has 17 saves.

4:18: Possible break for the Bruins here. Ryan Kesler is sent to the box after appearing to charge into Tim Thomas, who banged his head on the post and stayed down for a few seconds. Replay showed it was Chara who hit the goalie.

3:38: In the big hits highlight reel aired on the scoreboard during the last TV timeout, close to half ended with the Canucks player down.

2:39: Vancouver's third line is controlling play in the Boston end, with the best opportunity coming on a Jannik Hansen slapper from the right point.

1:09: Daniel Sedin sneaks in for a close-range bid on Thomas that seems to materialize out of nowhere, but his shot is poked wide. The Canucks are buzzing out of the break.

Start of the second period, Bruins 0, Canucks 0: The second frame begins with Burrows and Lucic in the box for 1:28 apiece. Remember, during the two games in Boston, the Bruins outscored the Canucks, 6-0.

First intermission quick stats: The Canucks have clearly made a conscious effort to be the aggressor and go for the big hit, and it's reflected in the stats: Vancouver has 23 hits to Boston's 13, with Alex Edler leading the way with five . . . Zdeno Chara led the Bruins in ice time (9:14, with Seidenberg at 9:00), while Kevin Bieksa paced the Canucks at 8:53 . . . The Canucks have won 13 of 19 faceoffs (68 percent), with Maxim Lapierre and Manny Malhotra combining to go 5 for 5.

End of the first period, Bruins 0, Canucks 0: Well, those who agreed with the conventional wisdom that the team to score first would have a signficant advantage tonight might still be correct. But they're going to have to wait beyond the first period to find out which team it will be. The Bruins outshot the Canucks in the period, 12-6, and the best opportunity for either side was Patrice Bergeron's rebound on the doorstep with five minutes left in the period that Roberto Luongo stopped with his blocker. He's been sharp after two disastrous games in Boston, while Tim Thomas has stopped everything aimed his way, though he has given up some dangerous rebounds.

19:28: Great job by the officials, who get Lucic and Burrows for matching penalties after they were jostling for position in the faceoff circle. Lucic hooked Burrows's skate, and Burrows went down like Lucic hit him with a forearm shiver. Lucic gets a tripping penalty, Burrows is called for unsportsmanlike conduct, and the crowd disapproves of the correct call.

18:58: Chara gives Maxim Lapierre a tap with his stick. Lapierre doubles over like he needs immediate surgery and possible amputation. The men in stripes aren't fooled.

18:05: Canucks are definitely attempting to be the agitators. Henrik Sedin sprayed Tim Thomas after the whistle a moment ago, and Chris Higgins got the crowd roaring with a decent hit on Marchand, who Canucks fans seem to loath just a little more than they fear.

16:22: Bruins are now 0 for 3 on the power play, though they had their chances on that one against Luongo (10 saves).

15:09: Luongo stands tall on a great opportunity for the Bruins, stopping Patrice Bergeron's redirection of a Dennis Seidenberg slapper, then using his blocker to stone Bergeron point-blank on the rebound.

14:13: Andrew Alberts sent to the box for roughing after taking a shot at Patrice Bergeron's head. Shawn Thornton tells him not to do that again, though probably not in those particular words. Third power play coming up here for the Bruins.

13:11: Rookie Tyler Seguin is skating with David Krejci and Milan Lucic on the top line on this shift. Thus far, the Bruins are outshooting the Canucks, 8-3.

9:18: Vancouver kills the penalty, and generates a decent opportunity when Henrik Sedin fires one on Thomas coming out of the box that the goalie juggles and then nearly leaves the net open when trying to corral the rebound.

7:50: Bruins' first power-play unit of David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron, Seidenberg, and Tomas Kaberle doesn't do much with the man-advantage.

6:54: The Bruins get their second power play of the night when Henrik Sedin is sent off for interference. We'll let you know if Mike Milbury has comment on the call. Both Sedins have been extra chippy so far, at least by their usual standards.

5:03: Great opportunity for the Canucks when Mason Raymond dekes around a Bruins defensemen who dove to block a shot and skates in stick-side on Thomas, but his shot is deflected high behind the net by the Boston goalie.

4:05: A bullet dodged for Luongo, and a tough break for the Bruins. The Canucks goalie can't get a glove on Chris Kelly's shot from inside the right faceoff circle but the puck ricochets off the crossbar.

3:40: Canucks kill off the penalty. Three shots, but no real quality opportunities for the Bruins on Roberto Luongo.

1:39, first period: The first penalty is on Vancouver. Raffi Torres sent off for interference after shoving Gregory Campbell in the chest. The Canucks are clearly trying to match the Bruins' physical approach.

Start of the first period: Fans are anticipating a scoring opportunity every time the Canucks touch the puck, but the Bruins haven't let the energy in the building affect them.

Pregame: No surprises in either lineup. The Bruins start with the Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Mark Recchi line, with Dennis Seidenberg and Zdeno Chara in front of goalie Tim Thomas.

The Canucks go with the Sedin twins/Alexandre Burrows line, with Sami Salo and Christian Ehrhoff on defense. Roberto Luongo is greeted by cheers of "Looooooooo!" when introduced as the starting goalie. A couple of early goals by the Bruins could change that first consonant.

The guy who sings the "Star-Spangled Banner" here can't get through it fast enough. If this comes back for a Game 7, I'm betting on him skipping a verse.

* * *

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Greetings from an extremely loud Rogers Arena, where the Bruins are set to faceoff in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final with the Vancouver Canucks. Shane Hnidy, Jordan Caron, and Steve Kampfer are warming up on the ice along with the regulars, but there are no changes in the Bruins lineup tonight. Rookie Chris Tanev is in for Keith Ballard on the Canucks' blue line.

You don't have to search too far to find a prevailing trend in this riveting series. The home team has won all four games thus far, with the Canucks taking Games 1 and 2 here, the first on a goal with 18.5 seconds left, the second with a winner just 11 seconds into overtime.

The tough losses could have been hard for the Bruins to swallow, but if there's anything Boston fans are certain about regarding this team right now, it's that it is resilient. Lo and behold, the tide shifted when the series headed to Boston, the Bruins routing the Canucks, 8-1, in Game 3, then taking Game 4, 4-0, in a matchup that was not as close as the score indicated.

The common theme and conventional wisdom entering tonight's Game 5 is that it's absolutely imperative to get the first goal. Should Boston score first, it will quiet the Rogers Arena crowd while also leading to further questions about Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo, who looked frazzled in Boston, allowed 12 goals in two games and being pulled from Game 4. But if the Canucks score first, the confidence they seemed to lose in Boston when confronted by the Bruins' physical play could return and carry them through.

Also, if warm sentiments and thoughtful gestures are your thing, you'll like this: The Bruins have brought Nathan Horton's jersey with them, and it hangs in a stall adorned with his No. 18 in the locker room.

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

If the Bruins intended to get even with the Vancouver Canucks for the violent hit that ended Nathan Horton's season in Game 3, they did it in the most worthwhile way possible.

They got even in the series.

Rich Peverley, who replaced Horton on the first line, scored twice, Brad Marchand and Michael Ryder also scored, and the Bruins tied their Stanley Cup Final series with the Canucks at two games apiece with a 4-0 victory tonight at TD Garden.

The Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the first period on Peverley's third goal of the playoffs, added two more in the second, and chased beleaguered goalie Roberto Luongo in the third on Peverley's second tally.

Luongo stopped 16 of 20 shots before being relieved by Cory Schneider at 3:39 of the third period. Luongo, who gave up all eight goals in Boston's 8-1 victory in Game 3, has allowed goals on 11 of the last 44 shots he has faced in this series.

Meanwhile, his Bruins counterpart, Tim Thomas, stopped all 37 shots he faced in another performance that was both steady and spectacular.

The Bruins, led by tireless defensemen Dennis Seidenberg and Zdeno Chara, again shut down the high-scoring Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, who combined for 198 points in the regular season. And Vancouver's power play was 0 for 5, meaning it is now 1 for 21 in this series after converting at a 24.3 percent rate during the regular season.

With little more than a minute remaining, Thomas got the crowd roaring by whacking the Canucks' Alex Burrows with his stick as he set up near the crease. Burrows, of course, was the Canuck who bit the Bruins' Patrice Bergeron during Game 1, then flaunted the fact that he got away with it after scoring the winning goal in Game 2.

The message has been sent: The Bruins aren't putting up with the Canucks' antics anymore.

Game 5 is Friday in Vancouver.

Final score: Bruins 4, Canucks 0: And the Bruins get even with their second straight sensational performance. Rich Peverley scores twice, David Krejci has two assists, and Tim Thomas stops 37 shots as the Bruins head back to Vancouver tied at 2-2. We'll be back with more right here in a moment . . .

18:09: Tim Thomas makes his feelings clear about Canucks pest Alex Burrows, whacking him in the leg with his stick as the Vancouver forward sets up in front of the net. Burrows got a few swings in on Thomas before Dennis Seidenberg planted him on the ice. Bruins fans are unanimous in their approval.

17:33: Good scrap going between Chara and Christian Ehrhoff after Brad Marchand flips Daniel Sedin along the boards. Keith Ballard gets the rest of the night off after coming after Marchand. Adam McQuaid was also in the middle of the fun.

11:07: Bruins will have a man advantage for 1:11 in eight seconds when Recchi comes out of the box. Ryan Kesler is off for slashing.

9:14: Mark Recchi sent off for high sticking Kevin Bieksa, who acts like he lost at least three eyeballs on the play.

7:00: Great stat you might have just heard on Versus: On 5-on-5 hockey this postseason, the Bruins are plus-25, the Canucks minus-2.

3:39 third period, Bruins 4, Canucks 0: The Bruins' first line has mercifully put an end to Roberto Luongo's night. Rich Peverley scores his second of the game, essentially crashing the puck into the net after Milan Lucic threw it on net while breaking in along the right boards. David Krejci made the play happen, chipping it ahead to Lucic and sending him on his way. Luongo was pulled, much to the crowd's satisfaction, after giving up four goals on 20 shots, with former BC netminder Cory Schneider coming in in relief.

2:43: Michael Ryder makes a terrific defensive play to poke the puck away from Mason Raymond as he breaks in on Thomas. Fine all-around game for No. 73 tonight.

0:52, third period: Henrik Sedin sent off for slashing as Rich Peverley stickhandles into the offensive zone. Looked like he was falling down anyway. Bruins are 0 for 1 on the power play.

Second intermission: Couple of quick stats: The Bruins have eight players who are plus-one, while Chara and Seidenberg are plus-two. No one is in the minus category . . . Seidenberg and Chara have combined to play 33 minutes with 20 shifts apiece. . . Chris Kelly has won 7 of 11 faceoffs . . . Ryan Kesler has won 12 of 18 and Maxim Lapierre 8 of 9 for Vancouver . . . Seidenberg has a team-high four hits and is tied with Boychuk with two blocked shots . . . Vancouver is 0 for 3 on the power play tonight and 1 of 19 in the series. Vancouver converted 24.3 percent of its power plays during the regular season.

End of second period, Bruins 3, Canucks 0: The second period comes to a close on another savvy play by Daniel Paille to clear the puck out of the zone on the power play, and the Bruins take a three-goal lead and all the momentum into the locker room. The Bruins scored three goals on 12 shots in the period and have now outscored the Canucks in the second period over the past two games, 6-0. The penalty kill has been outstanding, Tim Thomas has stopped all 25 shots he's seen, and three different players have scored. Pretty much the way Claude drew it up, no?

18:49: Boychuk sent to the box for delay of game.

15:01: My colleague Kevin Paul Dupont points out that Luongo has allowed 11 goals in the last 4 1/2 periods. That's also 11 of the last 44 shots he's faced. If you wondered why such a talented goalie has reputation for getting rattled at times, you're seeing why now.

13:29 second period, Bruins 3, Canucks 0: Suddenly, Roberto Luongo has to be having Game 3 flashbacks. The Bruins score their second goal in little more than two minutes when Marchand takes a chip in front from Bergeron and backhands it high glove-side past the Canucks goalie. Bergeron made the play happen, first beating Henrik Sedin in a battle for the puck along the boards, then hustling over to beat Ehrhoff to the loose puck. The goal came in a 4 on 4 situation after Peverley and Andrew Alberts were in the box on matching penalties.

11:11 second period, Bruins 2, Canucks 0: And the Bruins get what could be the pivotal second goal . . . and Canucks fans will probably regard it as a softy. Michael Ryder fires a quick wrister just inside the left faceoff circle that zips under Luongo's glove. It was a pinpoint shot by Ryder, but Luongo had a good look; it didn't appear as though the goalie was screened. Tyler Seguin, who made the cross-ice pass to the open Ryder, picks up an assist, as does Chris Kelly. The goal is Ryder's seventh of the playoffs.

10:40: Another strong shift for Paille-Campbell-Thornton.

10:08: Chara with a bomb from the high slot that Luongo covers. As the goalie juggles the puck, Marchand gets a few jabs in on a fallen Henrik Sedin. No word if Daniel also felt the pain.

7:41: Mason Raymond sent off for high sticking, putting the Bruins on the power play for the first time tonight.

7:41: Hard to believe, but Vancouver is outshooting the Bruins, 20-7. The Canucks were credited with three blocked shots in the first period, but it seemed like more.

7:16: Recchi chips one from the left circle to Bergeron in front, but he can't get his stick on it. Had he been able to, it might have been 2-0 given Luongo's late reaction.

5:14: Tomas Kaberle with a good bid on Luongo.

3:21: Strong shift for the fourth line, particularly Thornton, who is hitting anything in blue, green, and white.

Start of second period, Bruins 1, Canucks 0: Curious to see if the Canucks come out flying or if the Bruins continue to essentially impose their will.

End of the first period, Bruins 1, Canucks 0: The crowd roars its approval after the Bruins take the advantage into the first intermission. The Canucks are outshooting the Bruins, 12-6, but Tim Thomas has been outstanding, the Bruins' chances have been of high quality, and Zdeno Chara is leading a Boston defensive corps that is punishing the Sedins at every opportunity. Hard to believe anyone in the Bruins locker room would have complaints about the first 20 minutes of this one.

18:41: Bruins kill off Vancouver's second power play of the game. Boychuk with a big hit, and Sami Salo failing to keep the puck in the zone a minute into it led to it stalling.

16:10: Marchand called for cross-checking Kevin Bieksa. Not saying he dove, but it's either that or he's on roller skates out there.

14:46: Tyler Seguin, using his speed to put the Canucks on their heels, nearly hits Ryder in stride at the left post. Nothing comes of it, but it's a flash of brilliance out of the kid.

11:43 first period, Bruins 1, Canucks 0: And suddenly, Claude Julien looks pretty shrewd for putting Peverley on the first line. Sent in on a beautiful pass chipped ahead by David Krejci, he beats Luongo five-hole. Chara also picked up an assist. For Krejci, its his 10th assist and 21st point of the playoffs, while the goal is Peverley's third of the postseason. Pretty much everyone in the building not wearing a Canucks jersey is chanting, "Loooo-on-go! Loooo-on-go!" They're not saying "Youuk."

11:37: Marc Savard gets a nice hand when he's shown on the scoreboard.

9:42:The Bruins kill the penalty, then pepper Luongo immediately after Ryder hopped out of the box. Decent looks were blocked by Maxim Lapierre and Keith Ballard before they got to the goalie. Bruins are playing with great energy.

8:34: Marchand grabs Henrik Sedin by the back of his jersey during a break in the action. Sedin wobbles backward. When an official approaches Marchand, the Bruins pest wobbles backward to mock Sedin, then does it again in front of the Bruins bench. He's in full-nuisance form tonight.

6:58: First penalty of the night -- Michael Ryder sent off for tripping Ryan Kesler. Looked legit from here.

5:37: After a sequence in which the Canucks hit the post and a close-range bid by Henrik Sedin is smothered by a sprawling Thomas, Chara belts the Canucks captain to the ice, then gives him a "stay down" shove when he tries to get up. If any further evidence were required that the Bruins think that physical play will get to the Sedins, that should cover it.

4:36: Luongo deflects away a blast from just inside the blue line by Michael Ryder off a Krejci feed.

3:01: Peverley has been active so far on the first line, a moment ago digging the puck out of the corner and feeding David Krejci for a backhander that nearly fooled Luongo.

2:11: Daniel Paille, who played a superb Game 3, gets the crowd roaring with a hit on Victor Oreskovich on the backcheck.

1:01: Henrik Sedin with the first shot of the night, and it's a decent chance from the slot after both Bruins defensemen play the pass, but Thomas stops it with no suspense.

Start of the first period, Bruins 0, Canucks 0: Scoreboard shows a fan wearing Nathan Horton's No. 18. Judging by the reaction, this crowd is beyond ready.

Starting lineups: The Canucks start the Chris Higgins-Ryan Kesler-Mason Raymond line, with Ballard and Kevin Bieksa on defense. Roberto Luongo is in net.

For the Bruins, it's the Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Mark Recchi line, with Andrew Ference and Johnny Boychuk on defense. Tim Thomas is in goal, and for now, Vigneault, in his crease.

No. 4 it is: The scoreboard introduces tonight's fan banner captain as "The Most Revolutionary Talent in Hockey History." Let's just say it ain't Gretzky they're talking about. Bobby Orr has the building roaring. (My colleague Fluto Shinzawa points out that Orr was waving a Nathan Horton banner. Horton is a client of Orr's.)

Pregame: Couple of lineup changes: Rich Peverley, who has two goals and seven assists in 21 games this postseason, will replace Nathan Horton on the Bruins' top line, joining David Krejci and Milan Lucic. As expected, both Tyler Seguin and Shawn Thornton are active. For the visitors, Tanner Glass, a former Dartmouth standout who has 18 penalty minutes in 16 games this postseason, is in for Jeff Tambellini. Veteran defenseman Keith Ballard is in the lineup for the suspended Aaron Rome.

Stay tuned for No. 4 momentarily . . .

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

Hello from TD Garden, where as you may have heard, the Boston Bruins will try to even their Stanley Cup Final series with the Vancouver Canucks tonight at two games apiece.

The Bruins routed the Canucks in Game 1 -- seven different players scored on beleaguered goalie Roberto Luongo in Boston's 8-1 victory -- and the buzz from that victory is still palpable. Bruins fans are ready, few more so than the fan behind the Canucks net who is holding up an enlarged photo of Brad Marchand's highlight-reel shorthanded goal in Game 3. There's your early front-runner for fan of the game.

The Canucks have engaged in some gamesmanship leading in to tonight's match. Coach Alain Vigneault revealed he complained to league officials about Bruins goalie Tim Thomas's penchant for straying out of the crease. Presumably one of the league officials Vigneault spoke to reminded him that Thomas was well within his own territory when he clocked Canucks forward Daniel Sedin in Game 3.

Nathan Horton is of course out for the Bruins, having suffered a severe concussion on a violent hit by Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome early in Game 3. Horton, whose headaches have lessoned, according to general manager Peter Chiarelli, is out for the remainder of the series. So is Rome, who was slapped with a four-game suspension, but it's hardly an eye for an eye. Horton, who will probably be replaced on the Bruins' top line by Michael Ryder (goal, two assists in Game 3), is second on the Bruins in goals this postseason (8). Rome is a sixth defenseman who is expected to be replaced by arguably a superior player, Keith Ballard.

If you're wondering which Bruins legend will unveil the fan banner tonight -- Cam Neely did the honors before Game 3 -- there have been sightings of a guy who used to wear No. 4 in the building tonight. How they'd top Bobby Orr for a presumed Game 6 at the Garden is anyone's guess, but for tonight's crucial Game 4, it's probably wise to lean on the good karma of No. 4

Thanks for checking in, and stay right here for updates throughout the game.

By Chad Finn, Globe/Boston.com Staff

The date marks not just his birthday -- he turned 46 years old yesterday, and looks like he could still deliver a Gordie Howe hat trick if his legs would allow it -- but also the anniversary of his trade from the Vancouver Canucks to the Bruins 25 years ago.

The Canucks hold a 2-1 advantage in the series, but every ounce of momentum is with the Bruins heading into Game 4 Wednesday.

Mark Recchi scored twice, including on the no-longer-maligned power-play for the second straight game, Brad Marchand scored a spectacular shorthanded goal (one of two on the night for the Bruins), and Tim Thomas stopped 40 shots as the Bruins put on a show that seemed possible entering the game only in the minds of their most optimistic fans.

After losing two heartbreaking one-goal games to the Canucks in Games 1 and 2 in Vancouver, the Bruins battled their Final nemesis to a draw through the first period tonight. The night did not start well for the Bruins, who lost first-line forward Nathan Horton to injury at the 14:53 mark of the first period after a vicious hit by Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome that left Horton prone on the ice for nearly 10 minutes. Horton was taken to Mass General hospital, where he has movement in all of his extremities, but will be held overnight for observation.

There was concern in the early going not only for Horton, but how he would be replaced in the Bruins' lineup since he has eight goals, including three winners, this postseason. But his teammates answered that question with a four-goal onslaught in the second period.

Defenseman Andrew Ference started the scoring 11 seconds into the period -- coincidentally, it was 11 seconds into overtime Saturday that Alex Burrows scored to beat the Bruins in Game 2. Then it was the rejuvenated Rechhi on the power play at 4:22, Marchand's shorthanded goal at 11:30, and David Krejci punctuated the explosive second-period performance with his NHL-leading 11th goal of the postseason at 15:47.

The Bruins continued the onslaught in the third period, scoring four more times on suddenly shaky Canucks star goalie Roberto Luongo, who stopped 30 of 38 shots. Daniel Paille (shorthanded), Recchi, Chris Kelly, and Michael Ryder (power play) did the scoring honors in the third for the Bruins, who gave Neely a heck of a present.

Final score: Bruins 8, Canucks 1: And it's officially a series. Mark Recchi scored twice, six other Bruins found the net, and Tim Thomas made 40 saves as the Bruins clobbered Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight, 8-1. What a spectacular performance all-around by the Bruins, who scored twice shorthanded, twice on the power play, and gained all the momentum heading into Game 4 Wednesday. We'll be back with more momentarily.

19:29: Bruins 8, Canucks 1: Spoke too soon, Michael Ryder adds what we really think is the punctuation mark. Wonder if this is going to carry over for Luongo.

18:06, Bruins 7, Canucks 1: Chris Kelly adds what we think is the puntuation mark, beating Luongo again. Paille, who has played a spectacular game, made it happen.

17:39 third period, Bruins 6, Canucks 1: Mark Recchi gets his second goal of the night and third in two games. R-O-U-T.

13:53 third period, Bruins 5, Canucks 1: The Canucks get one back on a nice cross-ice feed from Raffi Torres to Jannik Hansen. File under: Too little, way too late.

11:38 third period, Bruins 5, Canucks 0: If there had been any question remaining, the rout is officially on. Daniel Paille scores his third of the postseason, breaking in shorthanded, fending off a pair of Canucks defensemen, and while sprawling head-first, slides the puck past Luongo.

11:16: If you're a Bruins fan, you couldn't have imagined Game 3 going any better than this. The lastest evidence: Milan Lucic pointing his finger in Alex Burrows's face after a scrum (daring him to bite it, perhaps?), then Dennis Seidenberg and Ryan Kesler dropping the gloves and wrestling each other to the ground. Every one of the Bruins has shown up tonight.

10:00: Thomas smothers a Chris Higgins bid on a mini-breakaway. Brilliant night for the Bruins goalie.

9:11: Kesler off for boarding. Bruins will have a power play for 1:13 if they kill off the last 10 seconds of Thornton's penalty.

7:58: Starting to get a little feisty here. Daniel Sedin and Ference get 10-minute misconduct penalties, while Shawn Thornton is also hit with a 10-minute misconduct for roughing. His penalty will be served by Michael Ryder. Vancouver is 0 for 6 on the power play and down a Sedin.

6:49: Henrick Sedin gets his best look of the night after a turnover in front, but Tim Thomas blasts him out of the crease, and while he's down, Dennis Seidenberg gives him a sly tap of the stick. Seconds later, Daniel Sedin puts Andrew Ference in a brief chokehold, leading to a brief scrum.

5:16: Michael J. Fox draws a huge roar when he's shown on the scoreboard. At some point Canucks fans will catch on that the British Columbia native is a Bruins fan because of his friendship with Neely.

3:46: Thomas makes it look easy with a glove save on a Christian Ehrhoff one-timer. Thirty-four saves so far for the the Bruins netminder.

3:33: Chara and Alex Burrows both hit with unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

2:50: Ryder sent off for roughing.

Start of the third period, Bruins 4, Canucks 0: Roberto Luongo remains in net for the Canucks. Thought former BC netminder Cory Schneider might give Luongo the rest of the night off with a four-goal deficit.

Second intermission: A couple of quick stats: Ryan Kesler is minus-3 for the Canucks and has been on the ice for all four goals. Hard to believe he's had a game this ineffective all season . . . With four goals in the second period, the Bruins finished one shy of the Stanley Cup Final record for goals in a period, set by the '42 Leafs, '73 Blackhawks, and '94 Canucks) . . . The Bruins have an 8-1 record when scoring the first goal this postseason . . . Seidenberg continues to lead the Bruins with 18:16 of ice time . . . the Bruins have 33 hits so far. They had 31 in each of the first two games. Ference leads the way in Canuck-bruising with six hits . . . Patrice Bergeron is 6 for 6 on faceoffs, while David Krejci is 5 for 6, but the Canucks have won 24 of 37 overall.

End of second period, Bruins 4, Canucks 0: Well, if a Bruins fan drew up an ideal period of play, it would probably look quite a bit like that. Mark Recchi scores a power play goal, Brad Marchand scores a dazzling shorthanded goal, David Krejci scores his postseason-high 12th, and Andrew Ference gets it all started with an ice breaker that serves as a reminder why Vancouver doesn't entirely trust gold-medal-winning goalie Roberto Luongo. The Bruins dominated on special teams, Tim Thomas faced just enough challenges to keep sharp, and suddenly all the Canucks fans in Boston might be wonder if all that loot they shelled out to come here is worth it. The Canucks will begin the third on the power play for a minute and 36 seconds, while the Bruins will be looking to carry all of their momentum from the momentous second period into the third.

18:00 Marchand tangles with Ryan Kesler after the whistle, the first real confirmation tonight that Kesler is indeed on the ice.

17:36: Johnny Boychuk gets a four-minute double minor for high sticking the Canucks' Victor Oreskovich. A decent chance here for Vancouver to stem the tide.

17:15: Krejci is now the NHL playoff leader with 11 goals.

15:47, Bruins 4, Canucks 0: And the Bruins continue to pour it on. David Krejci gets his 11th goal of the playoffs, rifling a rebound from the right faceoff circle past a suddenly shaky Luongo. Krejci ended up with the rebound right on his stick after Luongo deflected a shot from the slot by Michael Ryder, who stickhandled into shooting position around a Canucks defenseman. Zdeno Chara also picked up an assist. The Canucks are outshooting the Bruins, 24-20, but make no mistake. This game has been all Bruins since Horton's injury.

11:30, Bruins 3, Canucks 0: . . . and Brad Marchand makes sure the Bruins keep the momentum with a sensational individual effort that will be on all the highlight packages at the end of the playoffs. Outmaneuvering two Canucks for the puck in the neutral zone, he reverses direction, flips the puck off the right boards past Edler, breaks in on Luongo and waits for him to commit before flipping the puck over his pads at the left post for his seventh goal of the playoffs. The Bruins' special teams have been spectacular tonight, and no play signifies that more than Marchand's play right there.

10:30: Lucic sent off for slashing. Bruins still have all the momentum.

8:22: Fantastic penalty kill by the Bruins, limiting Vancouver to just a couple of harmless shots while generating a couple of decent shorthanded chances by Gregory Campbell and David Paille. The energy in the building and on the ice is palpable right now.

8:10: Scoring change on the second goal. Recchi gets credit -- it's his fourth of the playoffs and second on the power play in the past two games -- while Ryder and Ference get the assists. So in a way, Ference picked up an assist while sitting in the penalty box.

6:22 Ference gets two minutes of solitary for tripping Alexandre Burrows. The Canucks are 0 for 1 on the power play so far.

4:22, second period, Bruins 2, Canucks 0: Who says the Bruins don't have a power play? The Bruins capitalize on Jeff Tambellini's hooking penalty at the 2:42 mark when Rich Peverley scores his third of the postseason. He punched the puck between Luongo's pads after taking a nice feed from Michael Ryder. The Bruins moved the puck nicely on that power play, with Mark Recchi also picking up an assist.

0:11, second period, Bruins 1, Canucks 0: If you had Andrew Ference as the player who would score first tonight, congratulations. The Bruins defenseman notched his third goal of the playoffs on a play that initiated when Canucks defenseman Alex Edler's pass trickled off his stick to David Krejci, who immediately broke in gloveside on Roberto Luongo. His shot richocheted around the boards to Rich Peverley -- replacing the injured Nathan Horton on the top line -- and he quickly fed Ference for a one-timer from just inside the blue line that wobbled past Luongo. What is it about goals 11 seconds into periods in this series, anyway?

First intermission: A couple of quick stats: The Bruins lead the Canucks in hits, 15-14. Andrew Ference has three to lead the Bruins, while a trio of Canucks (Ryan Kesler, Raffi Torres, Jeff Tambellini) have two. Patrick Bergeron is 5 for 5 on faceoffs and David Krejci is 4 for 5, while Henrik Sedin is 0 for 4 for the Canucks, who have lost nine of 13. Dennis Seidenberg, who might be a robot, has played a Bruins-high 8 minutes and 43 seconds. Alex Edler leads Vancouver with 8:13 of ice time.

This is the 10th time this postseason the Bruins have been held without a goal in the first period. They are 4-5 in those games. The Canucks are 4-0 this postseason after playing a scoreless first period, and are 7-3 in games in which they've entered the second period without a goal.

End of first period, Bruins 0, Canucks 0: The big news of an eventful but scoreless first period is the injury to Bruins forward Nathan Horton, who has eight goals this postseason, including three winners. Horton was belted by Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome at the 5:07 mark and had to be carted off the ice and taken to Mass General. The Bruins reported he is moving all extremities, posting the update on the scoreboard here at the Garden. How the Bruins replace him on the ice tonight remains to be seen. Michael Ryder took his place on the first line alongside Milan Lucic and David Krejci.

The Canucks have outshot the Bruins, 12-7, but the hosts played a strong first period. Tim Thomas made two sensational saves near the 2-minute mark on Mason Raymond, and the Bruins' power play got six shots (all of them decent opportunities) on the 5-minute man-advantage for Rome's penalty. If they can play the final 40 minutes with the intensity of the first period, Bruins fans should feel good about their chances.

17:06: The Bruins announced Horton has been taken to Mass General and is moving his arms and legs. Sorry for the lack of updates -- TD Garden wireless is brutal. Catching up, Vancouver killed off the penalty -- Mark Recchi had a couple of a good chances on the power play -- then the Bruins killed off a penalty on Andrew Ference. Recchi has given Vancouver's Maxim Lapierre at least two face-washes that we've seen (we're betting he goes for the face-wash hat trick), and Tim Thomas has been absolutely sensational in the last few minutes as Vancouver has outshot the Bruins, 12-7.

5:07: Frightening scene at the Garden at the moment. Bruins forward Nathan Horton, skating down the middle into the Vancouver zone, was blindsided by Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome and crumbled awkwardly to the ice, his arm pointed skyward. The Bruins training staff tended to him for nearly 10 minutes before he was carted off the ice. Rome was given a five-minute interference penalty and a game misconduct. We'll keep you updated right here when we hear more about Horton's condition.

First period: Mr. Rancourt has about 17,500 dedicated backup singers tonight. Beautiful. And we're ready to go, with the Marchand-Bergeron-Recchi trio out there to get the Bruins started.

Pregame: If you're into karma and symmetry, then you'll like the Bruins' choice for the former player to bring out the fan banner tonight -- it's none other than franchise all-time playoff goals leader Cam Neely, currently the team president. Neely was acquired from the Canucks 25 years ago today. It also happens to be his 46th birthday today. A win tonight would surely make the perfect gift.

Pregame: Rookie Tyler Seguin, who did not register any statistic on the scoresheet in Game 2 other than minutes played, is scratched for the Bruins, with Shawn Thornton inserted on fourth-line duty. Beware, Maxim Lapierre.

* * *

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

It's a Stanley Cup playoffs adage so familiar that it long since has become a cliche.

A series hasn't really begun until the home team loses a game.

Of course, like most cliches, it originated as a keen insight. And tonight, the Boston Bruins, home at TD Garden at last after dropping the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final at Vancouver, will do their best to keep the series from beginning tonight.

The Bruins have found consistent success on the Garden ice this postseason, winning 7 of 10 games -- and perhaps more tellingly, 7 of 8 after dropping their first two games of the Montreal series at home.

Almost immediately after their 3-2 overtime loss to the Canucks Saturday at Rogers Arena, the Bruins cited their ability to comeback from that 0-2 deficit against Montreal as a reason they can do it here.

It won't be easy against the potent Canucks, who are 5-3 on the road this postseason. But if there's anything we've learned for sure about the 2010-11 Bruins, it's that they're a resilient lot. Maybe they will delay the unofficial start of this series, if you catch the drift, until they are on Vancouver ice,

The Who's "Baba O'Riley" is blaring over the P.A. system. The crowd is already playoff-level loud, though there are more than a few Canucks jerseys dotting the seats. It's almost time to drop the puck. Stay right here for live updates all throughout the game.

Bruins goalie Tim Thomas was caught far behind the net as Alexandre Burrows tucked home the game-winning goal with defenseman Zdeno Chara on his hip. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff)

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

Burrows scored a pair of goals -- including a spectacular winner just 11 seconds into overtime -- and added an assist as the Canucks defeated the Bruins, 3-2 in overtime, in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final here at Rogers Arena.

Instead of sitting, he stole the show. The pesky first-line forward who works so well with twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin earned the first star of the game, and largely because of his efforts the Canucks are two wins from their first Stanley Cup in their 42-year history.

Burrows gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead on the power play at 12:12 of the first period, beating Bruins goalie Tim Thomas (30 saves) shortside.

The Bruins rallied to take a 2-1 lead in the second period, with Milan Lucic potting his fourth goal of the playoffs at the 9-minute mark, then Mark Recchi giving the Bruins the lead 2:35 later on a much-needed power play goal. Recchi's tally was his third this postseason.

But Vancouver, just as in Game 1, was relentless in the third period, outshooting the Bruins, 11-5, and after peppering Thomas, Daniel Sedin finally broke through, scoring his ninth of the playoffs on a feed by Burrows.

Not too much later, Burrows got his ninth of the postseason, and the Bruins head home having lost the first two games of this series in agonizing fashion.

FINAL: Canucks 3, Bruins 2: And like that, 11 seconds into overtime, it's over. Alexandre Burrows makes a sensational individual play after a Bruins turnover following the faceoff. Skating down the left side, he fakes a shot that sends Tim Thomas sprawling, slips around the back of the net, and tucks it around the post on the far side with Zdeno Chara on his back. Burrows finishes with two goals and an assist, and the Bruins will go back to Boston in a 2-0 hole. We'll be back here with more in a moment.

Awaiting overtime: One stat that Bruins fans will like and probably are already telling themselves: Boston is 4-0 in OT this postseason. You know, Nathan Horton has been pretty quiet tonight so far . . .

End of the third period, Bruins 2, Canucks 2: And we're going to have some bonus hockey at Rogers Arena, which is not exactly what the Bruins were thinking having entered the period with a 2-1 lead. But Vancouver is a gifted offensive team, the tying goal was well-earned, and Tim Thomas held up well under their tireless attack. As they did in Game 3, the Canucks had more energy in the third period, outshooting the Bruins 11-5 in the frame (and 16-5 since the Bruins took the lead). Boston needs to find its legs and play at a more comfortable pace in OT. Who's going to be their Raffi Torres?

17:30:Creative move by Krejci, who uses some sleight of hand to deke a Vancouver defenseman but shoots wide shortside on Luongo.

15:10: The Canucks have outshot the Bruins in the third period, 10-5. Vancouver's third-period energy is starting to be reminiscent of Game 1.

14:07: Adam McQuaid makes perhaps the defensive play of his career, sprawling to break up a 2-on-1 pass from Daniel to Henrik Sedin and smothering the puck when Daniel tried to stickhandle around him.

10:23 third period, Bruins 2, Canucks 2: The Canucks have been relentless, and they finally got their reward. Daniel Sedin ties it on a beautiful feed from the slot by Burrows, who is en route to becoming public enemy No. 1 in Boston. The goal is Sedin's ninth of the playoffs, and it starts when his brother Henrik wins a battle with Chara for the puck behind the net, then passed out to the blue line to Alexander Edler, who put the puck on net, rebound bouncing to Burrows. It's what the fans in Rogers Arena were anticipating, and the Bruins can't let the energy and momentum overwhelm them.

9:16: The Sedin boys and Burrows are absolutely peppering Thomas, with Sami Salo launching the occasional bomb from the point. Vancouver has four shots on goal this period. It feels like about a dozen.

By the way, if you missed it, here's what NBC's Mike Milbury had to say about Burrows not being suspended for biting Patrice Bergeron in Game 1: "If I had known in the late ‘70s that it was okay to pig out on human flesh, I would have eaten Guy Lafleur…this is a disgraceful call by the league…this guy should have been suspended. They’re impacting this series by a non-call. It was not very courageous." Say what you mean, Mike.

6:45: Andrew Ference with the sliding shot-block with Thomas out of the crease. That officially makes up for his mistake on the Canucks' goal.

4:38: Kevin Bieksa, Vancouver's energetic defenseman, goes down after appearing to take a whack to the ankle by Rich Peverley. Looked like he was in some pain, but skated off on his own power. With Dan Hamhuis already out, Bieksa is about the last guy the Canucks can afford to lose.

3:07: The Bruins kill it off. Vancouver is 1 for 2 on the power play. Christian Ehrhoff did have a decent bid just after the penalty expired, but Thomas batted it away.

0:52: And like that, the Canucks are on the power play. With eight seconds left in the man-advantage for the Bruins, Seidenberg is called for tripping Lapierre. Important kill here from the Bruins.

Start of the the third period: Bruins have 59 seconds on the power play.

End of the second period, Bruins 2, Canucks 1: A fantastic period all around for the Bruins. They score one on the power play. Recchi and Lucic, perhaps the two Bruins forwards who have struggled the most recently, both find the net, Lucic capturing the intensity of the moment by slamming his stick down after scoring. Tim Thomas stops 10 shots, several of them on golden opportunities for the Canucks. And suddenly, Roberto Luongo is reminded that he's mortal. The Canucks are relentless, but the Bruins have a minute left on the power play entering the third, and a great chance to build momentum.

18:59: Aaron Rome sent off for his second interference penalty of the game. Can the Bruins score on two power plays in a row?

18:05: While the Bruins have taken a lead and that last power play may at some point regarded as a pivotal moment in this series, the Canucks have not let them seize the momentum. Daniel Sedin nearly tied it a moment ago on a pass from Kesler that slipped through Chara. This team is relentless.

15:29: Tim Thomas has seven saves this period, at least three have been downright spectacular, and at least two have had to be made because of mistakes by his defensemen (the suspects this time are Boychuk and Kaberle). On another chance, Maxim Lapierre had a loose puck waiting for him on the edge of the crease but couldn't get his stick on it in time before Chara swept it away, Thomas may have given up a soft goal early. But he's been sensational this period.

11:35, Bruins 2, Canucks 1: The Bruins have scored a power play goal. Repeat: The Bruins have scored a power play goal. Mark Recchi does the honors, ending his own personal playoff drought by scoring the same way he's scored probably 150 of his 577 NHL goals -- with a deflection. The play began with a Bergeron right-to-left pass to Chara, who fired it on net. The puck eluded Tyler Seguin en route, but Recchi was situated perfectly to deflect it past Luongo.

10:26: The Bruins get their second power play of the night when Aaron Rome is called for holding Patrice Bergeron. Let's see if they can continue the momentum . . .

9:00, second period, Bruins 1, Canucks 1 After nearly 4 1/2 scoreless periods in this series, the Bruins finally break through against Luongo. Milan Lucic gets his fourth goal of the postseason, pouncing on a rebound of a Johnny Boychuk slapper and beating a sprawling Luongo at the left post. The play originated behind the net when David Krejci won the battle for the puck and fed Boychuk with a long backhanded pass. Once again, Andrew Alberts was in the middle of the play, and not in a good way for the Canucks.

6:10: The Bruins are actually outshooting the Canucks, 16-14, and two of their best chances came on the last shift by the first line. Luongo stopped a Lucic blast short-side off a nice pass from Nathan Horton, then Kaberle (really) put one on the goalie from inside the blue line that almost handcuffed Luongo.

3:57: The final tally on the Bruins' power play: Twenty-two passes. Two shots.

1:03: The Bruins get their first power play when Kevin Bieksa is called for interference. You judge whether that's a good or bad thing. The Bruins do get a golden chance with Recchi point-blank on Luongo about a minute-and-a-half into it, but somehow the puck doesn't get past the Canucks netminder. The Canucks kill off the penalty, and the Bruins' power play goal total this postseason remains stuck on five.

Start of the second period, Canucks 1, Bruins 0: One quick note here as Kesler and Patrice Bergeron await the faceoff. Dennis Seidenberg is a machine, playing nearly half of the first period (9:49, to be exact). And Tomas Kaberle is officially buried, seeing the ice for just 3:15.

End of first period, Canucks 1, Bruins 0: Well, that wasn't what the Bruins' were looking for. While the Bruins played with energy, Chara's penalty, Ference's mistake, and Thomas's inability to come up with a save he should have made have the Bruins in a one-goal hole.

Both teams have 11 shots, but the Bruins can't have more than two legitimate chances, and the Vancouver defensemen have done an outstanding job of poking the puck away from the Bruins' forwards when it looks like something might develop. The Bruins are still looking for their first goal four periods into the series, and have one in their last seven including Game 7 against Tampa Bay.

18:23: Raffi Torres shaking his hand on the bench after a collision with Daniel Paille.

12:12 first period, Canucks 1, Bruins 0: And the Canucks capitalize. Alexandre Burrows (ol' chompers himself) scores his eighth goal of the postseason, beating Thomas short-side. Sami Salo made the play, digging the puck out along the boards and preventing Andrew Ference from clearing it. When Thomas is accused of letting in soft goals from time to time, that's what people are talking about.

10:24:Chara sent off for interference on Kesler. A rare undisciplined play by Z.

9:39: Great chance for the Bruins, thanks in part to old friend Andrew Albers. Michael Ryder breaks in on a 2-on-1 with Tyler Seguin on the left wing after Albers steps up to hit Chris Kelly. Ryder's shot from inside the right faceoff circle hits Luongo in the mask, knocking it off. The mask-less Luongo covers the puck. Jacques Plante would not approve.

7:53: Shots are 7-3 Vancouver so far as Thomas catches a bid by Victor Oreskovich. Seems about right. Both teams are playing with better flow than in Game 1.

7:14: Keep an eye on Ryan Kesler. He took a wallop on his last shift from Johnny Boychuk and got looked at by trainers on the bench.

7:04: Lots of hits both ways so far. The Canucks' third line, which played so well in Game 1, has been flying around, Maxim Lapierre got an open look from the slot but the puck trickled off his stick.

4:51: The Canucks nearly get the first one on a Sami Salo rocket from the right point. Thomas stops it, but it deflects over his shoulder and bounces in the crease. Fortunately for the Bruins, Dennis Seidenberg is on the scene and swats it away with Jannik Hansen closing in. Big exhale for the Bruins there.

2:03: Malhotra takes his first shift since his gruesome injury March 16. The crowd approves, loudly

0:30: Marchand nearly gets something started with a nifty move in the right slot, but he can't get much stick on his shot and Kevin Bieksa dives to cover it.

Pregame: Anthem singer Mark Donnelly turns over the second verse of "Oh, Canada" to the crowd. Extremely impressive rendition.

Starting lineups: Bruins will open with the Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Mark Recchi line, with workhorses Dennis Seidenberg and Zdeno Chara paired on defense. Tim Thomas is in net.

Vancouver goes with Chris Higgins-Ryan Kesler-Mason Raymond, with a defense tandem of Sami Salo and Alexander Edler. Roberto Luongo is in net.

Also, Andrew Alberts gets the call to replace the injured Dan Hamhuis on the Vancouver blue line. Keith Ballard, who makes $4.2 million, is scratched in favor of the former BC Eagle and Bruin. Losing Hamhuis is huge for the Canucks. He's not only terrific defensively, but coach Alain Vignealt said he's as good as the Canucks have at getting the puck out of the zone against the forecheck.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The Bruins and Canucks are a few minutes from dropping the puck for Game 2 here at Rogers Arena.

It's fair to say there's no underestimating the importance of this one for the visitors, who are attempting to return home to Boston with a split after losing Wednesday's Game 1, 1-0, to the heavily favored Canucks.

While one of the Bruins' endearing characteristics this postseason has been their ability to come back after falling behind in a series -- they trailed Montreal, 2-0, in the first round, and lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final to Tampa Bay -- a two-game deficit against this outstanding Vancouver team may be too much for even a team as resilient as the Bruins to overcome.

As for lineup news, it appears Manny Malhotra, who hasn't played since March 16 after taking a shot from Colorado's Erik Johnson in the right eye, will make his return tonight, centering the fourth line. Malhotra had 30 points in 72 games during the regular season, but his real value is on faceoffs (he was second in the league) and on the penalty kill.

Chants of "Manny, Manny" have filled the arena the last minute or two while an interview with the veteran forward is shown on the big screen. It'll be interesting to see whether he's rusty or shies away from physical play because of the injury. His eye still looks terrible.)

There was some thought that Shawn Thornton, scratched during Game 1, would play tonight after the contentious opener, but the Bruins are sticking with the same lineup.

So there you go. Game 2 is about to get underway. Stay right here for our running live updates all through the game, and as always, share your input in the comments..

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff

With just 18.5 seconds remaining in regulation, Raffi Torres scored the game's lone goal, spoiling a 33-save effort by Bruins goalie Tim Thomas as the host Canucks took Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals, 1-0.

The play was initiated along the right boards by Ryan Kesler, the star Canucks center who did not play at all as if he were hampered by a reported leg injury. He took possession of the puck, caught Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuck out of position, and fed a streaking Jannik Hansen, who fed Torres for the easy deflection past a helpless Thomas.

Roberto Luongo stopped 36 shots to earn the shutout for the Canucks. But it was Thomas who faced the stiffest challenge, particularly in the third period, when the Canucks put 14 shots on net.

Only the last one got by him. But it was enough to spoil the Bruins' first Stanley Cup game since 1990, and Game 2 Saturday becomes essentially a must-win for the underdog Bruins.

19:41, third period, Canucks 1, Bruins 0: So much for overtime. Vancouver's constant charge at Thomas this period is finally rewarded with just 18.5 seconds left in regulation when Raffi Torres scores his third goal of the playoffs, poking in a textbook right-to-left feed from Jannik Hansen after Kesler initiated the play by digging the puck out along the boards.

18:50: Ehrloff with a what-the-heck quick shot from the blue line that nearly fools Thomas but is wide gloveside.

17:30: Vancouver with 13 shots on Thomas so far this period, many of them quality chances. Right now it looks like the Bruins are content to play for overtime, with Vancouver still the aggressor.

14:41 The Rogers Arena crowd is buzzing after Alexander Edler stickhandles in and beats Thomas, only to have his shot hit the near post and ricochet into the opposite corner.

11:03: Fantastic chance for the Canucks when Hansen skates through the slot and feeds Maxim Lapierre for a tip at the right post, but Thomas stops it and then smothers the puck as Lapierre whacks away at it. Thomas has been particularly sharp this period.

Third period, Bruins 0, Canucks 0: The Bergeron story is generating plenty of buzz since CTV and Versus's replays showed blood on his finger. As for the game itself, the Bruins and Canucks have swapped a couple of scoring chances in the early going, with nothing to show for it. Six minutes and 36 seconds into the period, it's still scoreless, with the Bruins holding a 31-25 advantage in shots.

Bergeron confirms bite: Bergeron just went on Hockey Night in Canada between periods and confirmed Burrows bit him. Have to figure Burrows will get a game for that, right? Especially if Bergeron can present the incisor marks as evidence.

End of second period, Bruins 0, Canucks 0: It may be scoreless through 40 minutes, but that doesn't mean it's lacked entertainment. The game has been remarkably physical, but both sides have had their fair share of chances. The Bruins have been as effective against Vancouver's power play -- they've killed off all six -- as they have been miserable when they have the advantage (they're 0 for 4). Neither goalie has had to make more than a couple high-degree-of-difficulty saves, but Roberto Luongo (26 saves) and Tim Thomas (20) have been as steady as you'd expect from a scoreless tie.

18:12 Kesler deflects a Henrik Sedin shot on the doorstep, but Thomas plays it perfectly. The Canucks have closed the gap on shots now -- the Bruins advantage is five, 25-20.

17:50: Bergeron sent off for tripping after taking down Jannik Hansen behind the Vancouver net. Can't argue that one.

14:57: Suddenly, this is looks like Game 2 against the Lightning, with the Canucks and Bruins swapping back-and-forth chances. This style obviously plays into the Canucks' hands, and they nearly got the first goal of the night moments ago when Chris Higgins batted a loose puck past Thomas, only to see it trickle to the right of the net. Hard to believe this one is still scoreless.

12:16: Henrik Sedin takes a total dive after a push from Andrew Ference. No word if his brother telepathically knew he was going to crumble to the ice there. Fortunately for the Bruins, the refs weren't duped.

10:02: The Canucks have a two-man advantage for exactly 7 seconds. Rich Peverley is called for hooking at 9:55, but Burrows is called for tripping just a few ticks of the clock later, leading the Rogers Arena crowd to chant something we can't print here. (Needless to say, it wasn't "He bit Bergeron!")

9:28: Kesler nearly gets the Canucks on the board, zipping down the middle after taking a pass from Bieksa, but he goes to the forehand and loses control of the puck just as he closes in on Thomas. Seidenberg is called for kneeing (don't hear that one every game), and the Canucks are on the power play.

8:25: Shots are 22-12 in the Bruins' favor. Very solid defensive effort so far.

6:00: Penalty killed. Now if the Bruins can do something about their own -- they are 0 for 5 tonight and 5 for 66 in the postseason.

4:00: Hamhuis belts Lucic along the boards, Krejci retaliates, Hamhuis goes to the locker room, Krejci goes to the penalty box.

3:42: Canucks kill off both penalties. Related to that, Ryan Kesler does not look hampered by his leg injury at all.

1:24: Krejci with a sharp cross-ice feed to Recchi at the right post, but he redirects the puck into the side of the net. Golden chance there.

Second period, Bruins 0, Canucks 0: He may have stepped down from his job as the NHL's discipline czar today, but Canucks fans may not be so ready to drop their pet theory that Colin Campbell influences the refs in the Bruins' favor. Kevin Bieksa is sent off for high sticking 20 seconds into the period, and the Bruins will have a two-man advantage for 1:23.

Does Burrows bite? After Bergeron's scrap with Alex Burrows at the end of the period, the Bruins forward showed his finger to the referees. The replay sure seemed to confirm it. Burrows was tagged with a double minor for roughing, while Bergeron got a roughing minor. It'll be interesting to see if Burrows gets any further punishment -- such as a seat for Game 2.

End of first period, Bruins 0, Canucks 0: The first 20 minutes concludes with no scoring but plenty of drama. At the final buzzer, Bergeron and Burrows get into a prolonged pushing match, while Chara has a lengthy conversation with Kevin Bieksa and Dan Hamhuis. No one is backing down. Looked like Burrows took a couple of jabs at Bergeron's head.

At the first intermission, the Bruins hold a 17-12 shot advantage. The defense has been steady after Vancouver's roaring start the first couple of minutes, and putting Chara in front on the power play looks like it may yield some results.

18:20: Marchand is belted into the boards by Sami Salo after the defenseman keeps him from getting a decent opportunity on Luongo. He resists any temptation he might have had to retaliate.

16:50: Scoreboard shows a video message from Dirk Nowitzki wishing the Canucks luck. Larry Bird would never do that. (The Mavericks' star is friends with fellow German Christian Ehrhoff. Still, no love for Seidenberg, Dirk?)

15:25: Bruins kill it off. Vancouver's vaunted power play is now 0 for 3. But the Bruins know better than to turn this game into a battle of special teams.

13:25: And now it's the Canucks' turn on the power play again, with Marchand sent off for holding the stick. He's been his usual pesky self tonight, but he got caught there, and it's obvious the Canucks are trying to get under his skin.

10:18: Alex Burrows sent off for holding. Suddenly, the Bruins will have a power play for a little more than a minute. My colleague Fluto Shinzawa points out that the Bruins have eight shots on the power play thus far. Positioning Chara in front has been working, at least in terms of generating attempts.

10:18: Daniel Sedin has an open look at the left post but can't get the rebound to settle on his stick. Bullet dodged for the Bruins there.

8:47: Chris Kelly is sent off for high-sticking after whacking Ehrhoff in the face while lunging to poke the puck. The Bruins are outshooting the Canucks, 13-5, but the speed and skill of Vancouver's forwards has been evident. This is a huge challenge for the Bruins' penalty kill.

7:33 They've had their chances, the latest a Seidenberg shot that hit Luongo in the armpit blocker-side. He covered up before Chara could pounce on the rebound.

6:45: Good chance with Krejci feeding Nathan Horton in front -- shades of Game 7 there -- but Horton couldn't seem to decide to shoot or to tip it to Chara in front, and Luongo poked it away.

5:17: Chara has been set up in front, and both Tomas Kaberle and Krejci have taken shots, something both have been reluctant to do at times. Good signs, though there's nothing to show for it so far.

4:03: Anyone up for a prolonged look at the Bruins' power play, which has been woeful this postseason? Because we're going to get one -- Daniel Sedin is sent off for four minutes for a double-minor for high sticking after the Marchand-Bergeron-Recchi trio created a scrum in front of Luongo. This would be a nice time for the Bruins to prove that a man advantage is a benefit, not a detriment.

3:10: David Krejci nearly sneaks one by Luongo at the left post, but can't quite redirect the pass in time after a Vancouver turnover.

2:28: Vancouver is controlling play early, with four shots to the Bruins' one.

:20, first period: Tim Thomas is tested right away when Henrik Sedin (he's No. 33) feeds his brother Daniel (No. 22) inside the left circle. A good chance immediately for the hosts, but Thomas was up to the challenge.

World's longest pregame: This place is insanely loud, though I'm not sure it's as loud as the Garden last Friday when the final seconds ticked off the clock. It seems like every fan in the place is waving a white towel. Definitely an impressive atmosphere.

Lineups: The Bruins will start with the Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Mark Recchi line, with Johnny Boychuk paired with Zdeno Chara on the blue line. The Dennis Seidenberg-Chara pairing had been spectacular against Tampa Bay, so it's imperative that Boychuk, who has had an inconsistent postseason, plays well in front of goalie Tim Thomas.

For Vancouver, no surprises. It's the Sedin twins up front along with Alex Burrows, with defensemen Sami Salo and Christian Ehrhoff. Roberto Luongo is in net.

Pregame introductions: Not much reaction from the Vancouver fans to the introduction of the Bruins, and even a few cheers for Vancouver native Milan Lucic when he's shown on the scoreboard. Small sample-size, but they're apparently more into cheering their own than booing the opposition.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- The wait has been eight days for the Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks, and five days for the Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins.

But noting the last time each team played a game doesn't really do justice to how long the wait has actually been.

For the host Canucks, led by high-scoring twins Daniel and Henrik Sendin and all-everything center Ryan Kesler, it's their first appearance in the Stanley Cup finals since 1994, when they were a roadblock on the way to New York Rangers history.

For the Bruins . . . well, you know. The last finals appearance was in 1990 against the mighty Edmonton Oilers. The wait has been much too long, but finally, they're back, and the moment is near.

Opening faceoff of Game 1 of the 2011 Stanley Cup finals is moments away here at Rogers Arena. The lights have dimmed, and the spotlight is on center ice in every way. Stay with us here at Boston.com as we blog all the action along the way.

Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas stopped 24 shots tonight in a shutout of the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. Afterward, he credited his opponent his opponent and his teammates before talking about the improbable journey that has him in the Stanley Cup finals.

"Nobody in the world would have thought this a year ago today," said Thomas. "I think there were a lot of people thinking I was over the hill. I knew it wasn't true. But I put in a lot of work last summer. It's amazing the year I had. I'm just so blessed."

Thomas was probably better in several high-scoring games in this series than he was in Boston's two shutouts. Tonight he thought Tampa's Dwayne Roloson was better than he was.

"I wasn't concerned about my team," said Thomas. "I was concerned about Roloson playing so well. He played an unbelievable game today. It put a lot of pressure on me. We came out and we got a lot of shots and did everything we needed to do to win, and he held them in and basically made me have to save everything."

The Bruins put 38 shots on Roloson, while Boston's defense made it slightly easier for Thomas.

"It's very comforting going on the ice," said Thomas. "All of my defense has done a great job. We're going to the Stanley Cup finals, that's obvious. But Zdeno and Dennis [Seidenberg] really had incredible games tonight. Dennis Seidenberg was blocking shots right up there until the last minute. They couldn't even get in the zone because he was blocking everything at the blue line."

Thomas was fairly emotional in his interview, touching on what he and former University of Vermont teammate Martin St. Louis said to each other after the game.

"I told him he's a warrior and I love him. "And he said -- he was obviously emotionally distraught because he gives everything he has out there -- but basically he said, 'Go win the whole thing.'"

Final: Bruins 1, Lightning 0: The Bruins are going to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1990. Nathan Horton's goal with 7:33 remaining in the third period is the only score of the game. They're celebrating on the ice here at TD Garden, just as they're celebrating on Canal Street and in Brighton, Charlestown, and South Boston.

0:44 Fast and furious now as Tampa tries to tie it. Lightning were trying to get Roloson off for about 30 seconds and couldn't make it happen. Faceoff at neutral ice means he's back in net for the moment. One last push.

4:54 A two-on-one for Marchand and Ryder comes up empty and Ryder's shot runs smack into the left pad of Dwyane Roloson. Good for the Bruins to keep attacking, rather than sit back and wait for the Lightning to try and equalize.

7:33 Nathan Horton breaks the tie and the Bruins lead, 1-0. Beautiful feed by David Krejci finding Horton cutting to the net. Horton just had to put a stick on it and loft it into the webbing.

10:37 Milan Lucic fires a shot on not directly off of the faceoff. If you can't draw it back, might as well put the puck on goal. Save by Roloson.

12:40 Still no score. Steven Stamkos keeps going to the bench to get cotton swabs stuffed up what's left of his nose. Unbelievable he's still in the building, nevermind playing this game.

13:51: The third period is underway, and it's more of the same intense hockey. Peverly and Marchand both stopped on the doorstep by Roloson.

Second intermission stats update: Ference and Horton lead the Bruins with five shots apiece. Seidenberg has played 18:21, Chara 16:25. For the Lightning, Eric Brewer has played 16:15, while Teddy Purcell leads with three shots. Bergeron is tops among Bruins forwards with 19 shifts.

End of the second period, Bruins 0, Lightning 0: Two periods down. No goals. No penalties. And numerous good scoring opportunities, particularly for the Bruins, who have fired 29 shots on Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson without anything to show for it. The Bruins could (should?) have at least 2-3 goals -- Roloson robbed Marchand twice late in the period.

The Lightning have 17 shots, but they've had their chances, particularly off turnovers in the neutral zone, and Thomas has given up some juicy rebounds. Stamkos was on the doorstep late in the period, but Tomas Kaberle -- yes, Kaberle -- lifted Stamkos's stick just in time.

17:56: The Bruins are just peppering Roloson, but he's stopping everything with equal helpings of luck and skill. Twice a shot has ricocheted over his shoulder but hasn't found the net. He now has 28 saves.

17:19: Dominic Moore breaks in right to left across the slot and creates a good chance, but Thomas makes the save, then covers the puck in the scrum as Peverley and Blair Jones, among others, scramble for it.

15:46: Seguin stickhandles in on Roloson, but his bid sails wide. The kid has played well tonight.

14:50: Stamkos is wearing a full shield, and let's just say it's obvious in closeups that the shot was a direct hit on his nose.

14:24:Krejci nearly gets one with a spinning wrist-shot from inside the left faceoff circle. Looked like he surprised Roloson, but he still managed his 24th save.

13:37: The Bruins are still carrying play with nothing to show for it. Feels like a matter of time before they get one here.

11:55 Bruins continue the relentless rush at Roloson. Peverley and Bergeron both have had excellent close-range chances in the last couple of minutes.

11:27: Stamkos is back, just a few minutes after taking a puck traveling at, what, 90-something miles per hour off his shield. That's a hockey player for you.

9:47: Thomas makes perhaps his best save of the night, stoning Simon Gagne after a rebound bounced out to him in the high slot.

7:30: Roloson has been extraordinary. Eighteen saves so far. The Bruins' forwards have remained relentless, though, and Seguin has come close on at least two occasions to picking off a pass and breaking away.

5:04: Scary moment, and more evidence that wearing a face shield is a good idea. Stamkos takes a Boychuk rocket off the shield after it deflects of Martin St. Louis's stick. He falls to the ice, then immediately pops up and skates to the dressing room, his hand over his face. Surprisingly, Bergeron didn't not shadow him to the dressing room.

4:17: Bruins now doubling up the Lightning in shots, 18-9. Two ways to look at this, I suppose: They're out-playing them and it's a matter of time before they get one. Or, the Lightning have to be pleased that they've held their ground so far.

2:14: Thomas smothers a sneaky backhand attempt from behind the net by Teddy Purcell. Excellent awareness by the Bruins goalie.

1:54: Horton is back on the ice. Good news for the B's.

1:09: Bergeron's vision is incredible. He from the corner gloveside of Roloson, he digs out the puck and feeds Recchi at the far post. He couldn't pull in the pass cleanly, but it was a heck of a chance initiated by No. 37.

Second period, Bruins 0, Lightning 0: Horton was on the bench at the end of the period. He played 4:29 and six shifts, but none in the final 10 minutes.

First intermission stats update: No penalties called so far. Bruins have 15 shots, Lightning nine. Eric Brewer leads Tampa Bay with 7:46 of ice time on 13 shifts. Nine Lightning players have attempted shots. For the Bruins, Chara and Seidenberg are carrying the load with 8:55 and 9:30 of ice time, respectively. Andrew Ference leads with three shots, while Peverley, Seguin, and Marchand each have two. Bergeron leads the forwards in PT at 6:41.

End of first period, Bruins 0, Lightning 0: No one got on the scoreboard, but it was a spectacular first period. Rich Peverley stood out among the Bruins forwards and got rewarded with some extra shifts, while Patrice Bergeron was effective shadowing Steven Stamkos. Defensively, Zdeno Chara was everywhere. For the Lightning, Roloson stood out in net, most notably stoning Lucic with a little less than five minutes left in the period. He had 15 saves while Tim Thomas had nine.

As far as Horton's injury is concerned, it appears something may have happened to his right knee on the hit. No official word on anything, though.

19:31: Horton took a hit earlier in the game from Blair Jones and struggled to get to his feet. Looked like he might have banged his head on the ice.

17:48: Nathan Horton has gone to the dressing room for the Bruins. And Peverley, as you've probably noticed since he's been everywhere, is taking some of Mark Recchi's shifts on the second line.

17:41: No penalties so far. Letting 'em play in Game 7.

15:12: Peverley sends Lucic in all alone, but he shoots it into Roloson's pads trying to go five-hole on the forehand. A golden opportunity gets away there.

13:34: Michael Ryder, who is playing with energy, feeds Seguin in the left slot, but Roloson kicks it away. One of the Bruins' best chances among their 10 shots on net so far.

12:48: Krejci chips the puck to Milan Lucic near the blue line, but he can't skate around the Lightning defenseman to turn it into an opportunity.

11:39: No scoring, but plenty of good chances so far, and the pace remains rapid. Rich Peverley has been everywhere.

8:07: Dennis Seidenberg wins a one-on-one battle with Vincent Lecavalier near the right faceoff circle. If you've wondered why he's leading the Bruins in ice time during the series, it's plays like that.

6:13: Tyler Seguin, skating with Bergeron and Chris Kelly, nearly has something after Kelly sends him in with a centering pass, but one Lightening defenseman is back and Seguin's shot trickles harmlessly at Roloson.

5:05: Shots are now 5-4 in the Bruins favor after Patrice Bergeron gets a couple of a close range chances before Dwayne Roloson covers the puck.

3:22: Lightning gets three shots on Thomas in a span of about 20 seconds, with Dana Tyrell getting the best look from near the right post. Thomas juggled the puck and fell to the ice as it bounced into the corner.

2:26, first period: Incredibly loud in the Garden, and not an empty seat to be found. Each team with one shot so far.

Final moments of pregame: Derek Sanderson is the Bruins' legend chosen to fire up the crowd on the scoreboard tonight. The Turk. Outstanding choice. It's not like Espo is going to do it.

If you didn't know this was a Game 7, you could probably surmise as much by the atmosphere at the Garden. Bruins highlights both recent and from the distant past are playing on the big screen. The "let's go Bruins" chants have broken out multiple times. "Lose Yourself" follows "In The Air Tonight" on the PA system. The puck drops in four minutes. Will the Bruins capture the moment, or let it slip? Follow along right here while we find out.

It's a final here. The Tampa Bay Lightning have forced a deciding Game 7 in Boston at TD Garden on Friday night.
David Krejci led the Bruins' offense with a hat trick, the first playoff hat trick for Boston since 1991 when Cam Neely did it.

Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson, who had the night off in Game 5, rebounded to win and is now 7-0 in his career in elimination games.

Third period - 13:28 - Tampa Bay 5, Boston 4 - David Krejci has notched a hat trick and pulled the Bruins to within one goal yet again. Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson lost his stick and Krejci's shot went off Lightning forward Dominic Moore and then trickled through Roloson.

Third period - 10:15 - Tampa Bay 5, Boston 3 - Martin St. Louis scored his second goal of the game, which could well be the backbreaker for the Bruins. Just 29 seconds after the Bruins pulled within a goal, St. Louis converted on a two-on-one. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk got caught deep, which led to the odd-man rush.

Third period - 9:46 - Tampa Bay 4, Boston 3 - David Krejci scored a power-play goal (yes, Boston scored a power-play goal) to pull the Bruins within a goal. Krejci took a pass from Nathan Horton to beat goalie Dwayne Roloson.

Third period - 8:12 - Tampa Bay 4, Boston 2 - Vincent Lecavalier was called for hooking so the teams will skate four a side for 44 seconds before the Bruins head to the power play.

Third period - 6:58 - Tampa Bay 4, Boston 2 - Tomas Kaberle has been called for interference. The Lightning are going back on the power play, which has been deadly tonight.

Third period - 0:34 - Tampa Bay 4, Boston 2 - The Lightning scored their third power-play goal on three tries to take a two-goal lead. This time it was Steven Stamkos taking a pass from defenseman Eric Brewer and one-timing a shot from the left circle. Seems the Bruins' special teams are failing on both ends in this one.

Second period - 20:00 - Tampa Bay 3, Boston 2 - The Lightning will have 1:05 left on the man advantage to start the third period. After being outshot, 8-4, in the first period, the Lightning outshot the Bruins in the second by a margin of 13-6.

Second period - 19:05 - Tampa Bay 3, Boston 2 - Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference was called for cross-checking, sending the Lightning back to the power play. Tampa Bay has two power-play goals already.

Second period - 13:35 - Tampa Bay 3, Boston 2 - The Lightning have taken back the lead, demonstrating how important the power play is. Steve Downie passed up a shot and made the pass to Teddy Purcell, who was in the left circle. Purcell one-timed a shot that hit Tim Thomas and squeezed through. Thomas, frustrated at giving up the goal, slammed his stick on the ice.

Second period - 11:52 - Boston 2, Tampa Bay 2 - Rich Peverley has been assessed an interference penalty. The Lightning are going on the power play.

Second period - 10:03 - Boston 2, Tampa Bay 2 - The Lightning are 4 for 4 on penalty kills tonight.

Second period - 8:03 - Boston 2, Tampa Bay 2 - Eric Brewer has been sent to the box for interference. Bruins going on their fourth man advantage.

Second period - Boston 2, Tampa Bay 2 - Martin St. Louis has tied the game on a power-play goal. St. Louis jumped on a loose puck and backhanded it during a scramble in front to pull the Lightning even.