Brad Marchand and Andrew Shaw mixed it up near the end of the Game 3.
The Bruins agitator accused Shaw of eye gouging in the scrum. "Stuff happens. I've done that [punched a guy on the ice] before," said Marchand. "The eye gouge is what I didn't particularly like, but it's part of the game. I've got a nice little scratch mark on my forehead from the claw marks from the ... you know ... kitty cat." Shaw and Marchand play very similar games, so it's not surprising that they collided during the Stanley Cup Finals. Tempers boiled over late in Game 3, but there's too much om the line to be looking for revenge.

Chris Bourque has signed a contract with Ak Bars Kazan of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League.
Bourque is currently traveling with the Bruins' Black Aces squad during the Stanley Cup final, which makes the timing of this report strange. However, Bourque has played in the KHL before and was likely ticketed for the AHL next season after being waived by the Bruins earlier this season. We'll update if anything becomes official.

Gregory Campbell (broken leg) says he's been given a six-to-eight-week recovery timetable.
Campbell suffered a broken leg in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals and underwent surgery to repair the injury last week. Campbell should be 100 percent in time for training camp.

Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien says Zdeno Chara was cut over the eye in pregame warmups and not the back of the head as reported Monday night.
Chara needed stitches after colliding with teammate Milan Lucic during warmups and there was brief concern he'd suffered a head injury during the pregame skate. The cut clearly didn't bother the Bruins' top defenseman as Chara again led Boston in minutes and again shut down Hawks star Jonathan Toews. Chara and the Bruins will look to take a commanding 3-1 series lead Wednesday night.

Gregory Campbell attended Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
He sustained a broken leg, which required surgery to repair, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals versus Pittsburgh. Campbell was seen on walking around on crutches, but having him around probably gave his teammates a lift Monday night in their 2-0 victory.

Jaromir Jagr took sole possession of fifth place on the NHL's all-time postseason points list on Monday night.
He picked up an assist in Game 3 versus Chicago to break his tie with Paul Coffey. Jagr has amassed 197 playoff points in 199 games. He has no goal and eight helpers in 19 contests during his latest postseason run with Boston.

Patrice Bergeron was dominant in the faceoff circle in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
He won 24 of the 28 draws he took for a masterful 85.7 winning percentage. Bergeron also registered seven shots on goal and he netted a power-play goal in the contest. His marker was Boston's second in a 2-0 victory Monday night.

Tyler Seguin still isn't having much luck in the goal-scoring department, but he does have three assists in his past three games.
He has collected a helper in each game of the Stanley Cup Finals against Chicago. Seguin is playing well with energy forwards Daniel Paille and Chris Kelly on Boston's newly-formed third line. However, he has only one goal in 19 postseason contests.

Chris Kelly picked up an assist in Game 3 Monday night.
He got his first point of the postseason in Game 2 versus Chicago when he scored a goal. Kelly had been woeful offensively all season, but he's starting to produce in the Stanley Cup Finals. Goals have been hard to come by in the past two games, so getting a point in consecutive contests is something worth mentioning right now. Kelly also won eight of his 11 faceoffs in the match.

Boston has killed of all 11 of Chicago's power plays during the Stanley Cup Finals.
"Our power play tonight was definitely not good," said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville after Monday night's 2-0 loss in Game 3. Chicago went 0-for-5 in the contest and Boston scored once on four of their opportunities. Thanks in part to their special teams the Bruins currently have a 2-1 series lead.

Daniel Paille scored the first goal of the Boston Bruins' eventual 2-0 Game 3 win Monday night.
Paille's speed and strong forecheck helped Boston set the tone from the very beginning. Right before he scored, the Bruins were swarming the Blackhawks in their zone, with Paille, Tyler Seguin and Chris Kelly ripping shots at Corey Crawford. The trio combined for a goal and two assists on the night and might have been Boston's best line in Game 3.

Tuukka Rask stopped all 27 shots in a shutout of the Chicago Blackhawks to help the Boston Bruins take a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup final.
The Blackhawks didn't test him much and the Bruins defensemen kept Chicago's forwards to the outside much of the time, but Rask was clearly locked in from the drop of the puck. Rask also did a very good job of controlling rebounds and got a little help from the post on a Bryan Bickell shot in the final minutes of the third period. It was another strong performance to add to Rask's potential Conn Smythe resume.

Zdeno Chara needed stitches after colliding with teammate Milan Lucic in pregame warmups, according to multiple media outlets.
Chara ended up hitting the ice after losing his edge. The hulking defenseman slid into the back of Lucic's legs and it appeared Lucic's skate may have made contact with Chara's head. It didn't bother him enough to keep him off the ice. Chara picked up an assist and while playing a team-high 25:47 and again teamed with Dennis Seidenberg to shut down Jonathan Toews. The Bruins now lead the series 2-1.

Chris Kelly went nearly two full months between points.
Kelly didn't have a point in 17 playoff games before he finally netted a goal in Boston's 2-1 overtime victory on Saturday. "I think he's been snake bitten for quite a while," said Bruins coach Claude Julien. "When you don't score, eventually you get scored on, and the minuses keep creeping up. That was certainly something that bothered him. [But] I thought he played well tonight. He's played well in some games. He hasn't been able to produce. So tonight is a good night for him, a good time to obviously have a great game." Kelly had just nine points in 34 games in the regular season, but he is capable of doing more offensively than those numbers imply. We'll see if he can build off of his slump busting game.

Milan Lucic had a game-high 10 hits in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.
That physicality helped the Bruins turn the tide after a one-sided first period. "The sense of desperation came into our game," said Lucic. "We were desperate on pucks, and trying to hunt pucks and win puck battles before after the first period. Being physical is a big part of our game, and when things aren't going your way you try to get yourself into it any way that you can. For me, that's what I was trying to do: just get physical and get in on the forecheck. It seemed like things started to happen for us after that. We talked before the series about how important a factor the fore-check was going to be, and we need to keep that up."

Tuukka Rask's success in the postseason is drawing comparisons to Tim Thomas when he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2011.
"I think it's just as good. No doubt," said Bruins coach Claude Julien. "Tim has been a great goaltender for us. When you lose a guy like that, there's always that fear that you're not going to be able to replace him. Tuukka's done an outstanding job. To me, he's been as much of a contributor to our team as Tim was two years ago." Rask has a 1.73 GAA and .944 save percentage in 18 playoff starts.

Analyst and former NHL player/coach/GM Mike Milbury doesn't like Jaromir Jagr's performance in the Stanley Cup Final.
Milbury argued that Jagr has turned the puck over repeatedly and "doesn't hustle to get to the right place." Jagr recorded a team-high five shots on goal on Saturday, but Milbury thinks looking at that stat on its own is misleading. "The first two came off garbage turnovers and he ripped some shots off," Milbury said. "So when he gets that, and what he loves to do is one-on-one stuff, he's still OK, as long as he gets the puck. You can't count on him on the forecheck, he's not going to participate as a group effort to go retrieve the puck, and so using him in selective areas I think, is important but Claude [Julien] just throws him out one after the other. God bless Claude, I love him, but I don't get it because he's got no goals, he's got no goals." Jagr hasn't scored a goal since April 21.

Tyler Seguin credited Chris Kelly with helping to rally the Boston Bruins after their poor first period in Game 2.
Kelly was vocal and he led by example with his second period goal. "(Kelly) is a very passionate person and player, and he's even better when he's using it in the right way," Seguin said. "Sometimes it might be almost too much yelling on the bench, but when he's in control like he has been as of late, he's a really good player and a player to watch out for, and you see him get rewarded (Saturday)."

Although they ended up winning Game 2, Bruins coach Claude Julien will be looking for the Boston Bruins to get off to a better start on Monday.
The Bruins were outshot 19-4 in the first period of that contest. "I don't expect it to happen again," Julien said. "We're back in our building where we have our fans. I think our guys are going to be excited about that. Nonetheless, we have to have a better start. You learn from past mistakes. That's a mistake I think our team hopefully has learned."

Claude Julien would be happy to do his job minus the media attention that comes with it.
"It's my personality. I love my job. I love what I do," Julien said. "I hate coming up here (to the podium) everyday, but it's just the way I am. I enjoy the job. I enjoy being around players and I enjoy the whole process of this work. I love my job. I just don't like the limelight that comes with it. I'm low profile and that's just the way I am." Julien is within striking distance of becoming the first coach in Boston Bruins' history to lead his team to two Stanley Cup championships.

Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg believes the Bruins were fortunate to escape Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals with a victory.
"We knew we were terrible. We knew we were lucky to still be in this game," Seidenberg said. "We just told ourselves we have to be better, help Tuukka out and do it for ourselves." The Bruins were outshot by the Blackhawks in the defeat and were also on the lucky end of a controversial non-goal call that waived of what would have been a Chicago tally. Seidenberg himself will be one of the key players charged with improvement the team's defensive effort as the series shifts to Boston for Game Three.

Daniel Paille's overtime winner in Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals was the second marker of the game for the Bruins' newly-formed third line.
Bruins coach Claude Julien put together the trio of Paille, Tyler Seguin and Chris Kelly prior to Game Two and the unit was responsible for both Boston goals in the 2-1 win. "It was just a hunch from a coach," Julien said. The season-ending injury to Gregory Campbell has forced the Bruins to make some changes to the alignment of their bottom six forwards, but for at least one game, the team was able to meet the challenge.

Tuukka Rask stood tall in the face of immense pressure from the Blackhawks in Boston's Overtime victory in Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals.
"Well, we definitely were in survival mode there for a bit," Rask said. "It looked like they had more guys out there than we did. They were bouncing on every single puck in front of the net, had a lot of chances. We definitely played pretty bad. But it was good that we were only down by one and regrouped after that." Any doubts surrounding Rask's ability to perform in big games that existed prior to the playoffs have finished as a result of his performance this postseason.

Tuukka Rask made 33 saves as the Bruins took Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final with a 2-1 overtime win over the Blackhawks on Saturday night.
The first period might've been the most important part of the game for the Bruins as they were thoroughly outplayed, getting outshot 19-4, yet Rask gave up only one goal. Going into the first intermission with just a 1-0 deficit would definitely seem to be a morale boost. Rask would face only 15 shots on goal the rest of the way. He is as locked in as they come right now.

Daniel Paille sniped the game-winning goal in overtime for the Bruins in their 2-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Saturday night.
And with that, the Stanley Cup Final is even at one game apiece. The Blackhawks owned the first period, but managed only one goal and Boston was able to find its stride as the game went along. Coach Claude Julien formed a Paille-Chris Kelly-Tyler Seguin line after the first period and it proved to be a big adjustment, as Chris Kelly also potted the team's first goal of the game in the second period. In addition to his second game-winner of the playoffs, Paille also had an assist on that goal. Adam McQuaid and Tyler Seguin picked up the assists on Paille's goal. Milan Lucic had 10 hits and Dennis Seidenberg had five blocked shots. This has the makings of a series that will easily go to seven games.

Perhaps Game 2's almost-certain return was in question, but Boston Bruins forward Nathan Horton didn't think he'd sit out all of the remaining 2013 Stanley Cup Final games.
"No fear at all," Horton said. "I mean, I knew I was going to play." The soon-to-be free agent could earn himself a nice raise if he keeps up his strong postseason from the first three rounds, so that adds even more incentive than usual to fight through the pain.

Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien explained why Jaromir Jagr took the morning off: "He's 100 percent - he's 41."
Jagr is also, incredibly, without a single goal in 17 games. He at least has seven assists, which is more acceptable but still well off his lofty career pace for the postseason.

Boston Bruins forward Nathan Horton was adamant about his chances of playing in Game 2 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final.
He reiterated it plenty of times for CSNNE.com: "I feel good. I think I'm in. I'm ready to go, and I'm excited," Horton said. "I'm not in any pain. I feel good, and I'm ready to play. That's it. I'm ready to get going here. Everything is good. I'm back, and I'm ready to go."

Despite an injury to Nathan Horton (shoulder), Jay Pandolfo likely won't get a chance to play Saturday night in Game 2 of the Cup finals.
If Horton can't go, Jordan Caron or Carl Sodeberg are better bets to dress. Pandolfo has not played since April 6th, and was not really effective in 18 regular season games registering no points.

Torey Krug's gaffe that led to a Chicago goal in Game 1 of the Stanely Cup final was all but forgotten at Friday's practice.
He took a regular shift on the Bruin's third defenseman pairing with Adam McQuaid and will be in the lineup Saturday night. We think Krug is a talent and worth drafting late in pools next season.

If Nathan Horton (left shoulder) is not able to play Saturday night in Game 2 of the Stanely Cup final, look for Tyler Seguin to take his place on the Bruin's top line.
He would skate alongside David Krejci and Milan Lucic which could do wonders in helping him shake his current scoring slump. Check back with us closer to game time for updates as to Horton's status.

Either Carl Sodeberg or Jordan Caron will be in the Bruin lineup for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final if Nathan Horton can't play.
Both players took turns practicing on Boston's third line Friday alongside Danille Paille and Rich Peverley, while Kaspar Daugavins worked out on the fourth unit alongside Shawn Thornton and Chris Kelly. If Sodeberg or Caron play, it will be their first playoff action this season.

Nathan Horton's status for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final Saturday night is still unclear.
He allegedly re-aggrevated a left shoulder injury in Game 1 when he collided with Niklas Hjalmarsson. Horton seemingly sustained the injury in a fight with Jarome Iginla on April 20th. Despite the fact that he participated in Friday's practice, he is still listed as questionable for Saturday night's contest. Check back with us closer to game time to see if Horton suits up.

Tyler Seguin admitted that his scoring slump is frustrating him.
Seguin has just one goal in the playoffs and couldn't score in Game 1 on Wednesday despite recording eight shots on goal. "I looked back at the tapes of last game. . There were a lot of chances," Seguin said. "I need to find a way to score those. There are no excuses left anymore. This is the Stanley Cup Final." If Nathan Horton (upper body) is unable to play on Saturday, then Seguin will probably be on the top line.

The 2013 King Clancy Memorial Trophy has gone to Patrice Bergeron.
The award goes to the player that is a leader on and off the ice. In particular, it highlights a player that gives back to his community through his humanitarian work. This is the first time Bergeron has won this award.

Nathan Horton (undisclosed) took part in Friday's practice.
Horton couldn't complete Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final and is believed to be dealing with a shoulder problem. He might still be available on Saturday, but nothing has been decided. "If he's feeling better tomorrow, he's in the lineup," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "Simple as that."

Nathan Horton is dealing with a chronic shoulder dislocation, a source with direct knowledge of the situation tells WEEI radio.
Horton is officially day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, but it certainly looked like a shoulder injury when it happened. According to WEEI, the injury happened when Horton fought Jarome Iginla on April 20 and he's been undergoing treatment for it ever since. If this is true, the injury can be extremely painful and the shoulder is subject to dislocating at a moment's notice. Since he's played with it all postseason, we doubt the shoulder will keep Horton out of the Stanley Cup final, but we won't know anything official until Saturday's morning skate most likely.

Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien says Tyler Seguin needs to finish some of the offensive chances he missed in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Julien was very complimentary of Seguin overall, but the "finish" quote is the one that stands out. Seguin has just one goal in 17 playoff games and missed on at least one memorable chance in overtime Wednesday night while skating in place of the injured Nathan Horton. If Horton can't play Saturday, Seguin would likely take his place on Boston's top line with David Krejci and Milan Lucic, which has been arguably the best line of the entire postseason.

Chris Kelly is hoping to rebound in Game 2 on Saturday after a sub-par effort Wednesday night.
Kelly was just 7-of-22 on faceoffs and ended the game with a minus-3 rating. After being part one an extremely successful bottom six earlier in the postseason, Kelly's been shifted around after the injury to Gregory Campbell. "When you play with the same guys night in and night out, you get to know where they're going to be and what they're tendencies are," said Kelly. "But we're in a circumstance where we're playing with different guys and we have been throughout the course of the year, so it's not a huge adjustment."

Claude Julien said he doesn't believe his team should be disappointed after Wednesday's triple-overtime Game 1 loss.
"It was a great hockey game," Julien said. "I thought both teams played well. I don't think there should be any disappointment in what happened last night, except for us not getting the win that we wanted." We hear what Julien is getting at, but the Bruins blew a two-goal lead in a third period and let several OT scoring chances slip away. It's only one game, but it's one the Bruins will definitely regret.

Torey Krug admitted he made a mistake with the puck prior to Dave Bolland's goal that cut Boston's lead to 3-2 Wednesday night.
Krug attempted a cross-ice pass out of his own zone during a line change. The puck was intercepted by Andrew Shaw, who quickly brought the puck back into the offensive zone and help set up Bolland's score. "Yes, it was a mistake to throw that puck up the middle," coach Claude Julien said. "But if you look back at the play, I don't think we had a good line change. He didn't have a ton of options. I think there could be some blame shared on that goal." Krug has been one of the better stories of the postseason, but young defensemen are often prone to moments like this one.

Coach Claude Julien thought Tyler Seguin did a good job during his promotion to the top line in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against Chicago.
Seguin got the chance to play alongside David Krejci and Milan Lucic after Nathan Horton left Wednesday's game in the first extra period due to an undisclosed injury. "He skated. He had some chances," Julien said. "He's got speed up there with them. He's got skill. For him, it's an opportunity right now. He did a great job. We'll see where everybody stands here by Saturday." If Horton can't play in Game 2 then Seguin will probably stay on Boston's first line.

Jordan Caron may get to play in Game 2 Saturday depending on the status of Nathan Horton.
Horton suffered an undisclosed injury in the first overtime session of Wednesday's triple overtime loss to Chicago and he didn't return. Caron will probably skate on Boston's third line if he plays.

Coach Claude Julien said Nathan Horton is considered day-to-day.
He added that he's keeping his fingers crossed that Horton will be back in the Bruins lineup for Game 2 Saturday night. We would consider him doubtful to be ready by then at this time, but he does have some time to recover.

TSN's Darren Dreger has reported that he is hearing that Nathan Horton's undisclosed injury is not serious.
However, he should probably be considered doubtful for Game 2. Details are scarce right now on Horton's status.

Boston coach Claude Julien didn't have an update on Nathan Horton after he left Game 1 during the first overtime period.
"There's nothing to say because our doctors haven't finalized the evaluation properly," Julien said. Horton didn't have a cast or any other obvious signs of a serious injury when he was seen following the contest, but if the Bruins have to play without him for any stretch then it leaves a sizable hole in their lineup. Hopefully, the Bruins will be able to update his status later this afternoon.

Patrice Bergeron scored his sixth goal of the playoffs in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
His power-play marker gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead early in the third period, but Chicago rallied and earned a 4-3 triple overtime victory. Bergeron will carry a four-game scoring streak, during which he has scored three times, into Game 2 on Saturday night.

Andrew Ference may be permitted to depart Boston as an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The Bruins have several young blueliners who appear to be ready to take his place on the roster going into next year and they will come at a cheaper price tag. The rugged veteran would also probably attract his fair share of interest on the open market.

Kaspars Daugavins had a great chance to win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals in the third overtime session but he misfired.
"There was an opportunity to win a game and get a 1-0 lead in the series, and two, three minutes later we go down 1-0," he said. "I should take a little blame for it. I should have put it in there and give the team the lead. It wasn't bouncing. I had everything like I wanted to do, except I miss-shot it. I was falling while I was shooting and I just missed the puck." Daugavins wasn't the only player to have a great chance to score in overtime, but he may have taken the loss harder than most because of his lost opportunity. He and the Bruins will try to bounce back in Game 2.

Boston won't practice Thursday which isn't surprising after Game 1 was extended into triple overtime.
It was the fifth-longest game in Stanley Cup playoff history. Coach Claude Julien and some players will still be made available to the media in the afternoon.

Tyler Seguin moved up to Boston's top line when Nathan Horton was lost to an undisclosed injury.
It's probable that he will remain up with David Krejci and Milan Lucic if Horton is unable for Game 2 Saturday night. Seguin earned an assist on Patrice Bergeron's power-play marker early in the third to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead, but Chicago stormed back to tie it and force overtime. The game was won by the Blackhawks in the third extra session. Seguin finished the match with team-high eight shots.

Tuukka Rask made a career-high 59 saves in Boston's triple overtime 4-3 loss to Chicago in Game 1 Wednesday night.
"We had the game," Rask lamented. "We're up 3-1 in the third and then a terrible turnover leads to a second goal and then a tough bounce leads to the tying goal, and we just gave it away. Especially going to the third overtime, you're not going to make any fancy backdoor plays. That's what it came down to. I thought we were forcing the play a little too much [in the third overtime] and they just shot the puck and it found its way in and it went in." Rask was excellent in the contest despite allowing more goals in one game against the Blackhawks than he did during Boston's four-game sweep of Pittsburgh.

Tuukka Rask blocked 59 of 63 shots in Boston's 4-3 triple-overtime loss to the Blackhawks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Rask's long streak without giving up a goal came to an end in this one, and he gave up two times the amount of markers in one game than he did the entire season against the Penguins. Still, Rask was still excellent and and he certainly did enough for the Bruins to capture the win here. In addition to facing 63 shots, Boston defenders also blocked 40 more. In fact, the last two Blackhawks goals were scored via deflections and traffic in front, so there wasn't even much Rask could do to stop them. That's the recipe for defeating top-flight goaltenders.

Milan Lucic notched three points, however they weren't enough as the Bruins fell to the Blackhawks 4-3 in three overtimes in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Lucic scored twice and assisted on Patrice Bergeron's power-play goal in the third period. The Bruins were outplayed a bit in the middle portion of the game, getting just 14 combined shots on goal in the second and third period, but they easily could've potted the winner in the overtime frames, too, as they managed 29 shots in those periods, most of which was played with 10 forwards -- Nathan Horton left late in the first OT with an injury and Shawn Thornton barely played (9:55 for the game). David Krejci had two assists, while Horton and Tyler Seguin chipped in with one apiece. Andrew Ference led the team with 10 hits, while Dennis Seidenberg had a game-high nine blocked shots.

Nathan Horton headed to the dressing room during overtime of Game 1 with an undisclosed injury.
It's unclear what is ailing him, but he could be seen slowly skating to the Bruins bench during a power play late in overtime. Horton has an assist in 21:16.

Rich Peverley is expected to stay between Kaspars Daugavins and Tyler Seguin in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The trio ended Round 3 together and Chris Kelly played on the fourth line with Shawn Thornton and Daniel Paille. The changes were made after Gregory Campbell's season-ending injury in Game 3 against Pittsburgh. Boston's lineup isn't expected to change going into Wednesday night's meeting versus Chicago.

Boston's shutdown pair of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg is expected to play against Chicago's top line of Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews, and Marian Hossa.
If that happens then Patrice Bergeron's line will probably draw the assignment of lining up against Patrick Kane's line.

Potential UFA Nathan Horton said he wants to stay with the Boston Bruins, but he isn't thinking about his future with the team right now.
"We've got so much going on," he said. "No matter what happens, I think I'll be playing somewhere. I'm just going out and playing hockey because in the end there's nothing I can really do about it. I think the way I am, not thinking about anything and just going out and playing, has helped me a lot. Let things lie where they lie." Horton has been remarkable in the playoffs with seven goals and 17 points in 16 games. He is also first in the league with a plus-21 rating.

Milan Lucic knows that Boston's ability to get on the forecheck against Chicago's mobile defense will be a key to the series.
"Our forecheck's given us success in the playoffs and a lot in the last round there, so it's one of the keys to our success and it's one of the things we have to keep up with in order to give ourselves a chance for success," Lucic said. "You're not going to score goals if you're not playing in the offensive zone. You have to do whatever you can to create offensive-zone time and it all starts with a good forecheck." Lucic is second in the playoffs with 68 hits in 16 games and he'll continue to finish all his checks in the finals with the Stanley Cup on the line.

Boston's Tuukka Rask and Chicago's Corey Crawford will enter the Stanley Cup Finals fairly equal in terms of their statistics.
Rask leads the NHL playoffs with a .943 save percentage and sits second with a 1.75 goals-against average. Crawford leads the postseason with a 1.74 GAA and he is second with a .935 save percentage. They are both considered to be Conn Smythe Trophy candidates and for good reason. The battle in the crease will be intriguing to watch when the two squads meet in Game 1 on Wednesday night.

Jaromir Jagr's last appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals came in 1992 when his Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in four games.
21 years later, he's back facing the Hawks again with the Boston Bruins. "When you're young, you don't really think about how tough it is. You obviously got to be on a good team, but even if you're on a great team there's no guarantee you're going to get in the final," said the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer. "You have to be very lucky, you have to be injury-free and your top players have to play the best hockey in the those two months." He has been great for the Bruins in the leadership department and has chipped in seven assists in 16 playoff games.

Gregory Campbell underwent surgery to repair his broken fibula Monday.
The team deemed the surgery successful, but we won't know anything for certain until later in the summer. Campbell will miss the Stanley Cup final, but it's unknown how long it will take him to rehab the injury.

The much-maligned power play of the Boston Bruins might be in tough to score on Chicago in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Blackhawks have been killing penalties with a 94.8 percent success rate, which is the best in the playoffs, while the Bruins have scored just seven goals on 45 opportunities with the man advantage.

David Krejci has been on a roll during the 2013 playoffs.
He will enter the Stanley Cup Finals as the league leader with nine goals and 21 points in 16 games. "He's pretty consistent," said teammate Shawn Thornton. "I think he flies under the radar a little bit because of his personality, and he's not very flashy out there. But he does a lot of little things right. He's an extremely intelligent hockey player. He's a lot better defensively than people give him credit for, too. So it doesn't surprise me that he's having this success." He has 68 points in 75 career postseason contests, so his superb play shouldn't come as much of a surprise even though he does it somewhat quietly.

Shawn Thornton is trying to win the Stanley Cup for the third time.
Thornton captured it in 2007 with Anaheim and 2011 with Boston. "It's tough to put it into words how it feels," Thornton said. "The first time I won it in Anaheim was the greatest day of my life. The second time I won here was equally as good. I can't really compare the two. Anytime you get to put the trophy over your head, it's pretty special. I wouldn't be coming to the rink every day if I didn't want another one." When asked to capture winning the Cup with his wedding day, Thornton added that winning the Stanley Cup was better.

Tyler Seguin and Patrick Kane will play against each other in the Stanley Cup finals after starting the season as teammates in the Swiss League.
Seguin and Kane played for EHC Biel during the lockout. "It's funny how it all works out in the end, right?" said Seguin. "He's definitely a great player, and he just recently has gotten very hot. So we have to be ready for him." While Kane played a big role in the Blackhawks' five-game victory over the Los Angeles Kings, Seguin has struggled offensively in the postseason. Seguin has just a goal and four points in 16 playoff contests. Still, Seguin can't be overlooked as he certainly has the potential to be a difference-maker in this series.

Nathan Horton is making it tough for the Boston Bruins to consider letting him walk as an unrestricted free agent this summer.
And yet, the Bruins might part ways with Horton anyways. Horton has excelled in the postseason with seven goals and 17 points in 16 games, but the Bruins are in a salary cap crunch. If they want him back, they're going to have to make room for him by trading someone or buying out a contract.

Brad Marchand will likely be tasked with silencing Patrick Kane in the Stanley Cup finals.
Kane has been heating up with four goals in his last two games, so containing him won't be easy. Still, Marchand had a lot of success against the Sedin twins in the 2011 Stanley Cup finals. Marchand also won't be the only player being asked to contain the Blackhawks' top players. Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Dennis Seidenberg are all likely to be key players in that regard.

With the Eastern Conference finals behind them, the Boston Bruins have shifted their focus to the Stanley Cup finals.
"I think we had a good series. We enjoyed the win, we had fun," said David Krejci. "We had a day off (Saturday) and a good practice (yesterday). I guess we closed the chapter after the last series and opened a new one. It's exciting. We're playing for the biggest thing, so it's really exciting." Their domination of the Penguins has to give the Bruins some extra confidence going into the finals. Pittsburgh was arguably the favorite to win the Stanley Cup this season and Boston absolutely crushed them.

The Boston Bruins haven't played the Chicago Blackhawks since Oct. 15, 2011.
"Other than what we've seen on TV, we don't really know much about them, other than that they're a real good hockey club," Milan Lucic said. "They've probably been the most consistent team since the start of the season. It's a big reason why they won the President's Trophy this year." This is a unique situation given that the shortened schedule means that the Western and Eastern Conference teams didn't play against each other this year. That creates an extra level of intrigue, although between scouting and reviewing game footage, both teams will be very familiar with the other by the time the Stanley Cup finals start.

Jaromir Jagr is happy to take on a defensive role with the Eastern Conference Champion Bruins.
"He's coming back and doing what he needs to do there to help us out defensively," said coach Claude Julien. "That's a credit to him. For what he is, for how long he's played, for a guy to do that is pretty amazing. He's bought into that. I honestly think the credit goes to him. I haven't had to twist his arm. I haven't had to do anything." This news, of course, isn't music to the ears of Jagr's fantasy owners, but it's an unsurprising turn of events for the talented winger playing on a team with so much depth.

Back in 2006, when the Toronto Maple Leafs had their eyes on then Boston Bruins goaltender Andrew Raycroft, Toronto reportedly could have chosen between sending Boston Tuukka Rask or Justin Pogge.
They chose Rask in one of the Leafs most regrettable trades. Andrew Raycroft lasted just two seasons with Toronto and was a disaster while Rask, at the age of 26, has led the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup finals. At the time, Pogge had won a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship and then Leafs GM John Ferguson opted to sacrifice Rask instead. Pogge, now 27 years old, has played in seven career NHL games. Of course hindsight is 20/20 and James Reimer is doing a solid job of starting for Toronto now. Still, while you can debate who won the Phil Kessel trade, there's no question who has gained more from this deal between Toronto and Boston.

Milan Lucic thinks Jarome Iginla picking the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Boston Bruins was a source of motivation.
"When a guy chooses another team over your team, it kind of does light a little bit of a fire underneath you," said Lucic. "Fortunately, we were able to turn it into a positive more than a negative. He's a great player. He's a legend, he's a future Hall of Famer, and looking back at that day, he earned the right to make the decision he made. You can never blame a guy for going with his heart and making that type of decision. I'm not going to insult him in any way." All the same, it looks like Iginla picked the wrong side if his goal was to win the Stanley Cup. The Boston Bruins went on to sweep the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference finals and will attempt to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in three years.

Since the Bruins were down 4-1 in Game Seven of the first round to the Maple Leafs, they have outscored their opponents 31-12.
That's an amazing statistic. Essentially, Boston has been lights out over the team's last nine-plus games.

Kaspars Daugavins played well in Game 4 as Gregory Campbell's replacement on a line with Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley.
Daugavins had some jump to his game considering he hadn't played much since the opening round of the playoffs. In fact, he had one of Boston's better scoring chances when he hit the post in the second period. "I felt good; I had a lot of energy at the start," said Daugavins. "I didn't play that much but every time I got out there I enjoyed every second of it. I tried to keep it simple because I hadn't played in a while and it worked. Get pucks deep and try to start a cycle and back check, it worked well." Good to see the former Senator get a chance in the post-season.

Adam McQuaid had to overcome a serious illness to even play hockey this season.
He needed two operations to deal with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a serious illness where the body produces blood clots at a rapid rate. The fact that he was able to recover and score the winning goal in the clinching game of the Eastern Conference finals is a Hollywood-type story.

Zdeno Chara was on the ice for 89% of Evgeni Malkin's even-strength shifts in the Bruins' 4-0 sweep of the Penguins in the Eastern Conference final.
No wonder Malkin had a rough go of it. The Penguin star did not record a point and was minus five for the series. If there was any doubt, it is now put to rest: Chara is the NHL's best shutdown defenseman.

Jaromir Jagr is headed to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 21 years.
A nice tidbit from Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record. Jagr last made it to the Finals in 1992, in his second year in the NHL while with the Penguins. Jagr has 78 goals and 118 assists in his playoff career, seven assists coming in 15 postseason tilts this year.

Tuukka Rask sticked aside all 26 shots he faced Friday night as the Bruins clinched a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals with a 1-0 win over the Penguins.
Rask is playing at an other-worldly level right now. In the four games of the Eastern Conference finals, Rask gave up two goals. That's two goals on 136 shots, good for a 0.44 goals against average and .985 save percentage. His teammates are certainly playing very well in front of him -- with blocked shots (19) and keeping his vision unimpeded -- but Rask looks utterly unbeatable right now. His focus and positioning have been excellent. It deserves mentioning again: Rask and the Bruins shut down the league's best offense in this series.

Adam McQuiad scored the lone goal for the Bruins to aid their sweep of the Penguins and lead them to the Stanley Cup Finals with a 1-0 victory Friday night.
Boston will be advancing to its second Stanley Cup Finals in the last three years. In the three series so far, the Bruins have shown they are adaptable and can win in multiple fashions -- fast-paced or tight-checking, with defense or with offense, and most of all: without deviating from their structure. Friday, it was smothering defense and opportune offense that did the trick as McQuaid scored as the trailer on a rising one-timer from Brad Marchand at 5:01 of the third period. Patrice Bergeron had the other helper. Marchand also led the way with four penalty minutes and Dennis Seidenberg with a whopping seven blocked shots. The Bruins were on life support against the Leafs in the first round, but they've gotten stronger as the playoffs have gone on.

Kaspars Daugavins is projected to play alongside Rich Peverley and Tyler Seguin.
Daugavins will be playing in his third career playoff game after Gregory Campbell suffered a broken fibula. There's a decent chance that Daugavins will play in every Bruins' game for the remainder of the postseason.

Kaspars Daugavins admitted that he's "a little nervous" going into Game 4 on Friday.
Daugavins is getting ready to play in his third career NHL playoff game after Gregory Campbell suffered a broken fibula. "I haven't played in a while, but I try to think about it less and less. I know how to play hockey," said Daugavins. "I just have to go out there, not think about it and just enjoy it. How many times do you get to be in the playoffs, and play? You have to take a little bit of that joy out there." Daugavins might end up playing in the Bruins' remaining 2013 playoff games.

Chris Kelly is projected to play between Shawn Thornton and Daniel Paille.
That technically represents a demotion for Kelly, but this will allow Bruins coach Claude Julien to continue to use all four of his lines with confidence. Boston's fourth line had been a genuine threat to score in the playoffs, but its original center, Gregory Campbell, is injured so Julien was forced to shake things up. Daugavins will be the player inserted into the lineup due to Campbell's injury, even though he's not taking Campbell's fourth line spot.

Kaspars Daugavins will play in Game 4 on Friday.
Daugavins has been inserted into the lineup because Gregory Campbell will miss the remainder of the playoffs with a broken fibula. This will be Daugavins' first contest since Game 1 against Toronto in the first round.

Jaromir Jagr's teammates credited his late-night, post-game workouts as one of the reasons for strip of Evgeni Malkin that led to the game-winning goal in Game 3.
Jagr didn't want any credit for taking the puck from Malkin along the boards late in the second overtime Wednesday night, but everyone from Claude Julien to Andrew Ference raved about the veteran winger's conditioning. "We all know that at that age if you're not a well-conditioned athlete, you're not going to survive," Julien said. "He really does a lot of extra work. I know a lot of people laugh at all of the different things he does after a game, and going out late and shooting pucks in weight belts and everything else."

Dennis Seidenberg said the Bruins can be better defensively against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Friday's Game 4.
That's a pretty crazy thing to say considering the Bruins have held the Penguins to three goals in the series, which Boston leads 3-0. Seidenberg and partner Zdeno Chara are a big reason why the Penguins have gotten zero points this series out of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, James Neal, Jarome Iginla and Kris Letang. Still, Seidenberg thinks the Bruins took their foot off the gas in Game 3 and nearly paid for it. "We just turned too many pucks over and that created a lot of speed for them attacking us. So (tonight) hopefully we'll be a little bit better in that category, and that allows us to be even better again defensively," Seidenberg said Thursday.

In the history of the NHL, teams with a 3-0 lead in a playoff series have a winning percentage of .626 in Game 4, according to the Boston Globe.
The Globe also does the math for teams up 3-0 closing out the series, which clocks in at a winning percentage of .983. Of course, the Bruins know just how sideways thing can go even with a 3-0 lead having lost four straight to the Flyers in the 2010 conference semifinals.

Gregory Campbell is projected to visit with doctors to determine if surgery will be required to repair his broken fibula.
Whether a procedure is needed or not, Campbell is expected to miss the rest of the playoffs after blocking a slap shot in Game 3.

Kaspars Daugavins, who play in Game 1 against Toronto in Round 1, could be an option for Boston with Gregory Campbell out for the remainder of the playoffs with a broken fibula.
Coach Claude Julien said a decision on who plays and where they will play will be made Friday, but he added that the Bruins have "lots of options." Jay Pandolfo, Carl Soderberg or Jordan Caron could be in the mix as well.

Tuukka Rask has recorded better stats at this time than Tim Thomas did the year he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2011 en route to Boston's Stanley Cup championship win.
Rask has compiled a 11-4 record with a .940 save percentage and a 1.85 goals-against average, which surpasses Thomas' mark of 10-5 with a .929 save percentage and 2.34 GAA. "He's extremely calm. I think he used a lot of that energy this morning in practice, so it calmed him down for tonight, which was probably a good thing," said coach Claude Julien after Rask stopped 53 shots in Boston's 2-1 double OT win in Game 3 Wednesday night. His excellent play will no doubt earn him a hefty contract extension once the playoffs are over.

The Boston Bruins have confirmed that Gregory Campbell sustained a broken right leg and will miss the rest of the season.
The injury occurred in the second period of Game 3 during a Pittsburgh power play when Campbell was hit by a slap shot from Evgeni Malkin. He couldn't get off the ice because the Penguins controlled the puck, so for about 50 seconds he tried his best to continue killing the penalty before limping his way to the bench and into the locker room. His grit and versatility will be missed by the Bruins.

Milan Lucic registered a game-high eight hits in Game 3's double OT win over Pittsburgh.
The Penguins have outhit the Bruins in all three games of the Eastern Conference Finals, but they are down 3-0 in the series. Lucic has amassed 65 hits in 15 postseason games. He also picked up an assist in the contest to give him a helper in all three matches so far versus Pittsburgh.

Zdeno Chara led all players in ice time in Game 3 with 42:05 and he finished with a plus-2 rating.
That news probably won't come as much of a shock, as the workhorse defenseman is matched up frequently against the opposition's best players. Chara played mostly against Evgeni Malkin in Game 3, but he did see playing time versus Sidney Crosy as well. Pittsburgh's dynamic duo still don't have a point in the series, which is why the Penguins find themselves in a 3-0 hole in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Adam McQuaid played the least ice time on Boston's defense corps in Game 3's double-overtime victory against Pittsburgh.
He finished the contest with 16:26 of playing time and had a plus-1 rating. Still, coach Claude Julien is glad to have the rugged defenseman back in the lineup for this playoff run after he missed last year's early exit due to a neck injury. "He was a pretty important part of our team when we won a few years ago and probably flew under the radar because of how well other players played," said Julien. "But when he stays away from injuries and he gets his momentum going in his game, he's a really reliable defenseman, and you've seen him at times play against top lines because he's capable of doing that. Certainly in the position that he's in right now in that third pairing, he gives us a pretty good player there."

David Krejci gave the Boston Bruins a 1-0 lead early into Game 3 with his league-leading ninth goal of the playoffs.
He scored just 1:42 into the first period in Boston's exciting 2-1 double overtime win over Pittsburgh. Krejci has found the back of the net in each game versus the Penguins and has four goals in three games in the series. He is one marker ahead of Chicago's Patrick Sharp heading into Thursday night's action.

Patrice Bergeron got his second-game winner of the postseason in overtime in Game 3 against Pittsburgh.
His marker in double overtime put the Bruins up 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals and his other extra time heroics capped Boston's historic Game 7 comeback against Toronto in the opening round. Bergeron has had a bit of a up-and-down postseason, but he seems to come through at important times. He regular linemate Brad Marchand are also developing chemistry with veteran Jaromir Jagr, which helped lead to the double-overtime winner.

If an ESPN Boston report is correct, Gregory Campbell broke his leg blocking a shot, effectively ending his season.
Regardless, this could make the rugged forward's insistence upon staying out for the PK a historic moment of toughness, particularly if the Bruins manage to win the 2013 Stanley Cup.

The Boston Bruins didn't really give an official update regarding Gregory Campbell's status beyond head coach Claude Julien calling his injury serious.
The team announced that more will be known on Thursday.

Jaromir Jagr's production is starting to match his efforts in the 2013 postseason.
The Boston Bruins veteran has a two-game points streak (three assists overall) after going six contests without a point. While he still remains goalless despite 45 SOG, he's been a puck possession asset for Boston.

Tuukka Rask made a whopping 53 saves Wednesday night in the Bruins' 2-1 double-overtime win against the Penguins.
Rask was sensational in this game, and he's the main reason Boston claims a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals because for much of regulation, his teammates had played far from their best game. Rask has faced 110 shots in this series, making 108 saves. The 26-year-old is playing his best hockey, with exceptional positioning and determination on his saves that makes him seem unbeatable right now. Rask has allowed three goals over his last four games and sports a 1.85 goals-against average and .940 save percentage in the playoffs.