Carolina Hurricanes Canes Jordan Staal ready to relax and play

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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks 'Unexplainable' rout by Flames alarms Ducks Final: Flames 7, Ducks Ducks go down without a flap in 7-2 loss to Flames Ducks winless streak reaches four in Calgary Boston Bruins Dougie Hamilton out, Andrej Meszaros in Game 65 preview: Bruins at Canadiens Bruins play their game in final 40 minutes Bruins Matt Bartkowski playing with confidence Streaking Bruins beat Canadiens Bruins try for first win against Canadiens Meszaros slowly getting up to speed Bruins Notebook: Rask halts Canadiens spell B s break a bad Hab-it Bruins dump Canadiens Bruins score big win over Habs Buffalo Sabres Predators shoot down Sabres Stafford taking on leadership role Sabres head to Carolina with agitated Nolan hoping to see better work habits Calgary Flames Curtis Glencross ready to return to Flames lineup Flames shock Pacific Division-leading Ducks, walloping them 7-2 in their best game of the season Johnson: Anaheim Ducks captain Getzlaf should be firmly in the Hart Trophy conversation Calgary Flames host Pacific Division powerhouse Anaheim Ducks Anaheim Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf in conversation for NHL's Hart Trophy Flames' Sean Monahan mourns death of former teammate Trafford Carolina Hurricanes Canes Jordan Staal ready to relax and play Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks' Raanta gets start on 'big stage' Ben Smith relishes power-play opportunity Blackhawks falter in 3-2 loss to Avalanche Sochi experience rejuvenates 37-year-old Michal Handzus Blackhawks fall to Avalanche, third place in Central Long break maybe too long for Raanta in loss to Avalanche Raanta, Hawks come up short Konroyd's keys for Blackhawks-Avalanche Antti Raanta back in net for Blackhawks following long hiatus Five things to watch on CSN: Hawks at Avalanche Central Division race heats up tonight on CSN Blackhawks: Patrick Kane dazzles with highlight reel goal Blackhawks struggles against Avalanche continue in 3-2 defeat Blackhawks not concerned despite poor record vs. Avs GIF: Father covers little girl's eyes during Blackhawks-Avs brawl NHL 3/13/2014 DAILY BRIEF Colorado Avalanche Avs eyeing 2nd place in division standings vs. Blackhawks on Wednesday Avalanche thrill Paul Carey by calling him up from minors Colorado Avs move into second place in Central with win over Chicago Avalanche vs. Blackhawks postgame: Hardhat O Reilly comes through again Varlamov helps Avs to win over Blackhawks Columbus Blue Jackets Blue Jackets: In penalty box, players left seeing double Blue Jackets notebook: League suspends Comeau two games for hard check Blue Jackets, Sharks at a glance Three takeaways from Blue Jackets 4-1 win over Red Wings Dallas Stars Healing process continues: Rich Peverley's collapse puts teammates' emotions through wringer Tim Thomas might be perfect fit during Stars' week of ups and downs Tim Thomas helps Stars knock off NHL-leading Blues, 3-2, in OT 'Keep rolling' the text Rich Peverley sent to Lindy Ruff after Stars' huge 3-2 OT win vs. St. Louis Rich Pevereley 'forever grateful' to doctors for saving his life Alex Chiasson had anxiety attack witnessing Peverley's collapse, expected to play Friday Stars, Blue Jackets waiting on date for rescheduled game Speaking from experience, Stars GM Jim Nill says life-changing experience will make Rich Peverley better perso Doctor: Rich Peverley opted against heart surgery in the summer to prove his worth to new Stars coach, GM Dallas Stars forward Rich Peverley out for season after cardiac event Dallas Stars Peverley sidelined for season, due more evaluation Detroit Red Wings With Tomas Jurco hurting, Detroit Red Wings call up rookie Teemu Pulkkinen Red Wings call up Teemu Pulkkinen from Grand Rapids Blue Jackets' Blake Comeau faces league hearing for hit on Red Wings' Brendan Smith Cold Red Wings face tough, uphill climb into playoffs Blue Jackets' Blake Comeau suspended two games for boarding Red Wings' Brendan SmithJpgBlake-Comeau Red Wings recall high-scoring forward Teemu Pulkkinen, who'll make NHL debut on Friday Blue Jackets' Blake Comeau has hearing with NHL following hit on Red Wings' Brendan Smith Red Wings continue to be one of NHL's worst teams in the third period, following loss to Blue Jackets Red Wings' Tomas Jurco out minimum days; Stephen Weiss, Darren Helm not ready to skate yet Wings' Jurco out days; Pulkkinen set to make NHL debut

2 Edmonton Oilers Win over Medicine Hat Tigers gives Edmonton Oil Kings sole possession of conference s top spot Taylor Hall didn t expect to be called on for Edmonton Oilers shootout duty in win over Minnesota Wild Edmonton Oilers winger plans to have fun with return to former haunt Edmonton Oilers centre Sam Gagner nursing a sore ankle, iffy against St. Louis Edmonton Oilers forward David Perron back in St. Louis for first time since trade Florida Panthers Another learning experience for Florida Panthers Panthers to sit Bergenheim against Lightning Preview: Panthers at Lightning, 7:30 p.m., Thursday Los Angeles Kings Jonathan Quick, Kings looking to make history against Maple Leafs Nolan shares Dep t of Player Safety judgement process Kings going gold with Legends Night jerseys next season March 12 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter March 12 practice quotes: Kopitar, Muzzin Who should the Kings honor with a Legends Night? Minnesota Wild Wild's Wednesday practice: In search of chemistry Loss dials up pressure on Wild Gameday preview: New York Rangers at Wild Wild goalie Josh Harding unlikely to return this season despite recent skate Minnesota Wild: Yeo will call on Kuemper again versus Rangers Minnesota Wild: So far, deadline trades net two points and a reality check Montreal Canadiens Bruins beat Habs for first time this season, extend win streak to six HI/O Show: Nilan weighs in on Habs-Bruins rivalry Budaj gets start vs. Bruins; Bourque a healthy scratch Bruins drop hammer to end skid against Canadiens In the Room: Snowball is rolling the wrong way, Gionta says of Habs funk Rask stops Habs to lead Bruins to 4-1 win Hockey journey started in Austria for new Hab Vanek About last night Gionta: Habs have to find a way to regain lost momentum Nashville Predators Nashville Predators' style could change under David Poile Josh Cooper's Predators hat trick New Jersey Devils Devils' Martin Brodeur hopes Henrik Lundqvist can win 500, 'but it's going to be tough' New York Islanders Islanders reward Anders Lee with a promotion to top line New York Rangers NY Rangers sign free agent forward Ryan Haggerty, 21, to join NHL roster this weekend with junior's season at Crushed Ice: Notes on Alain Vigneault's shuffling of lines, Rangers' failures, Dorsett's play & more from NY Rangers sign college star Ryan Haggerty straight out of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rangers: No leadership void minus Callahan Talbot to start and maybe a change on D, too; Rangers sign free agent F Haggerty Hurricanes 3, Rangers 1: Wrapping up Rangers backup goalie Cam Talbot expected to start against Wild Rangers sign RPI free agent Ryan Haggerty Rangers at Wilds tonight (8 p.m.) pre-game notes Ottawa Senators Zibanejad sets hardest shot record s face tough test without Bradford Ottawa Senators some off their skills No hole in goal for Ottawa Senators Philadelphia Flyers A sensible substitute for NHL shootouts Crucial stretch for Flyers starts with Penguins Final month schedule will test Flyers' mettle Flyers must recover quickly from tough break against Devils Flyers' opinions mixed on 3-on-3 overtime Flyers' Hartnell relives haunting moment Phoenix Coyotes Youthful infusion providing Phoenix Coyotes a late-season jolt Q&A with Phoenix Coyotes Chairman and Governor George Gosbee Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins' Pouliot more than just other guy Penguins Stempniak meshes fast, well as RW on Crosby-Kunitz line San Jose Sharks Sharks getting big boost on offense from James Sheppard St Louis Blues Blues' Sobotka, Leopold are close to returning Perron looking forward to his St. Louis return Oshie's shootout success is now leading to TV stardom Oilers at Blues preview Tampa Bay Lightning Stamkos working to regain his touch Steven Stamkos works at wing to relieve stress on leg After 2 years, Lightning D Mark Barberio cuts his hair Marty St. Louis banner removed from Forum plaza Lightning owner Jeff Vinik to teach Hockey 101, public invited Lightning try 'strip shootout'

3 Toronto Maple Leafs Mirtle: A closer look at just how badly the Sharks beat the Leafs Kings next challenge for Leafs on tough West Coast trip Game against Kings no ordinary one for Leafs Jonathan Bernier Maple Leafs-Kings game preview: Three things to know about L.A Maple Leafs penthouse/doghouse: Jake Gardiner scores two, rest do little No major changes as NHL GM meetings wrap up Gameday: Maple Leafs at Kings Maple Leafs owe Jonathan Bernier one Maple Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier back to face his old team: the Kings Toronto Maple Leafs racking up fights without their enforcers Tired Toronto Maple Leafs fall to San Jose Sharks: No one really played well Terry Trafford s death a grim reminder for former prospect Stefan Legein Vancouver Canucks Canucks try to ground Jets and put end to seven-game road losing slide Gillis says 'unfair to comment' on Tortorella's future Canucks ground Jets in shootout, Canucks good at managing crisis Canucks 3 Jets 2 (SO): Burrows breaks through but Kesler goes down Canucks Hat Trick: Tossing coaching grenades, Jensen gets point, silver lining to dark cloud Canucks gameday: Vancouver at Winnipeg Ebner: Canucks went all in with Tortorella and move hasn't paid off Washington Capitals Five thoughts on the Capitals 2-0 loss to the Penguins Capitals have a history of strong finishes and definitely need one now Fleury s shutout highlights Penguins eighth straight victory over Capitals Websites ESPN / Ramblings: All eyes on Caps' Kuznetsov ESPN / Sharks charging after Ducks for Pacific title ESPN / These teams are your Stanley Cup contenders CNN/Sports Illustrated / The Moffatt Stick, the world s oldest hockey stick, up for auction on ebay CNN/Sports Illustrated / SHANABANNED! Columbus Blake Comeau gets two games for boarding CNN/Sports Illustrated / Rich Peverley done for the season; NHL future uncertain CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: Stars win for Rich Peverley; Torts loses the room; more links TSN.CA Kerry Fraser/ A look at questionable goaltender interference USA TODAY / No Carey Price, no problem; Peter Budaj is a Bruins beater USA TODAY / John Tortorella's boss won't discuss coach's future USA TODAY / Bettman: Cap projections could be off a million or two YAHOO SPORTS / Concussions aren t discussed at NHL GM meetings and that s a good thing Winnipeg Jets Kane expecting both teams to be hungry in tonight's tilt against Canucks Jets struggling to find strong lineup without Scheifele Slater says he meant no harm Burrows busts big slump It would be a different story if Scheifele were healthy Jets Snapshots: As the Canucks Turn Dry spell finally over for Canucks' Burrows Winnipeg Jets drop shootout to Canucks for fifth straight loss John Tavares gives jersey to young Islanders fan mocked at MTS Centre SPORT-SCAN, INC

4 Anaheim Ducks 'Unexplainable' rout by Flames alarms Ducks The team begins trip with an embarrassing 7-2 loss at Calgary. 'We just weren't prepared' says Bryan Allen. By Lance Pugmire March 12, 2014, 11:01 p.m. The Saddledome masses roared in applause after the first, the home team dominating an Anaheim team that started the night with a record against the Pacific Division. Flames center Corban Knight capped the scoring with his first career goal with 1:57 left in the game. Trying to understand how that can happen in the race we're in. I really have nothing, Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said. They better do some soul searching. LA Times: LOADED: CALGARY, Canada When most everything else failed Wednesday night in the Ducks' worst meltdown loss of the season, a bare assessment of the situation was pure perfection. Every guy in the room should be completely embarrassed of how they played tonight, Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano said. To start one of the biggest road trips, to have a division rival chasing you down and have a ton on the line no one played at all. It's unexplainable. Valiant efforts in losses to Montreal, Pittsburgh and Toronto were one thing. Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau goads team to do 'the simple things' Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau goads team to do 'the simple things' Anze Kopitar looking refreshed and rebooted since Sochi Anze Kopitar looking refreshed and rebooted since Sochi Making the fourth consecutive defeat a 7-2 rout to the lowly Calgary Flames, the Western Conference's second-worst team and the NHL's second-lowest scoring team, leaves the Ducks ( ) now clearly grasping for a solution and clinging to their slight Pacific Division lead. You really have to look in the mirror, Cogliano said after the Ducks gave up two short-handed goals. If you don't, it's going to get bad in a hurry. We have guys who know how to play. We did it all year, been in first place for a long time. We have Olympic champions, guys that have won Stanley Cups, young guys who've played great all year. To do this is not right. Calgary ( ) led 4-0 with just seven first-period shots in the Saddledome, and forced Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller to the bench 11 minutes and 28 seconds into the night. We just weren't prepared, and it wasn't just tonight. It's been a couple nights now, Ducks defenseman Bryan Allen said. We think we can get away with playing easy hockey. After surrendering their Western Conference lead to the St. Louis Blues within the week, the Ducks now find themselves holding a two-point Pacific Division lead over the San Jose Sharks. It was the Ducks' season-worst goals allowed total. Ducks defenseman Luca Sbisa said before the game that being the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference is all we think about right now. If you're not No. 1 you don't want to play the Kings or San Jose in the first round [and] the team that plays the best going into the playoffs usually goes deep, Sbisa said. The Ducks are intimately aware of that second point after limping into the playoffs last year as the No. 2 seed with an close to the regular season. They then exited in a first-round playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings. Flames defenseman Mark Giordano opened the assault with a blue-line shot that appeared to clip the stick of Ducks forward Kyle Palmieri, who also might've shielded Hiller. A Hiller glove save was quickly followed by a short-handed goal when Calgary forward TJ Galiardi capped a two-on-one breakaway. The defense already under fire, rookie defenseman Hampus Lindholm committed hooking and the Flames scored 37 seconds later when center Mike Cammalleri rebounded a Mikael Backlund shot that bounced off Hiller's leg pad. In came Andersen, but two minutes later, in went another goal with Calgary center Paul Byron tipping in a pass. It was horrible defensive zone coverage, didn't give much support to our goalies, most were tap-ins or grade-a chances they capitalized upon, Allen said.

5 Anaheim Ducks Final: Flames 7, Ducks 2 March 12th, 2014, 9:33 pm by ERIC STEPHENS CALGARY, Alberta -- Having been passed by St. Louis for the most points in the Western Conference, the Ducks may soon be relinquishing the lead in the Pacific Division. The Ducks entered Wednesday night with a two-point lead over San Jose and they did absolutely nothing to help their cause as the Calgary Flames scored four times in the first period on the way to a 7-2 rout at Pengrowth Saddledome. Three of those goals came on five shots against Jonas Hiller, whose night was done just 11:28 into the game. Mark Giordano scored, T.J. Galiardi followed with a short-handed tally and Michael Cammalleri added a power-play goal. Mikael Backlund finished the first-period flourish with a goal off a Ducks defenseman as Frederik Andersen came in to replace Hiller. Backlund also scored the Flames' second short-handed goal of the night in the second period. The Ducks ( ) have lost four in a row, including the last two in regulation by a combined 10-3 score. They've also gone since beating the Kings at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 25. Andrew Cogliano reached 20 goals for the first time and Nick Bonino broke a lengthy goal drought, but that was it for the Ducks, who play at Colorado on Friday and then take on the Kings at Staples Center on Saturday. Ladislav Smid and Corban Knight also scored for Calgary, with Knight registering his first NHL goal. Orange County Register: LOADED:

6 Anaheim Ducks Ducks go down without a flap in 7-2 loss to Flames BY ERIC STEPHENS / March 12, 2014 CALGARY, ALBERTA There were some bodies skating around inside Scotiabank Saddledome with white sweaters, black pants and the word Ducks spelled out in script on a balmy-for-march Wednesday night in southern Alberta. You would be hard-pressed to find any of the actual players who normally occupy those circa 2006 uniforms. The real Ducks have suddenly gone missing. From the moment Mark Giordano ripped one from distance past Jonas Hiller on Calgary s first shot, the night was a complete disaster for the Ducks as the Flames dealt them a 7-2 beating. Panic hasn t settled into a club that s about to lose its grip on first place in the Pacific Division, but the Ducks ( ) aren t displaying the sense of urgency they say they re now feeling. This was the game to get, with Colorado and the Kings upcoming. Not much to say, said winger Andrew Cogliano, who scored along with Nick Bonino. We played (poorly). I think every guy in the room should be completely embarrassed with how they played tonight. Every single person. To start a road trip, one of the biggest road trips, a divisional rival (San Jose) chasing you down and have a ton on the line it s ridiculous how we played tonight. Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said, there could have been a lot more adjectives to describe the debacle. Fact is, this is a team that looks nothing like the one that won 18 of 19 during one record-breaking stretch. The Ducks have lost four straight since the March 5 trade deadline and don t look as if they ve recovered from dealing away Dustin Penner and not landing coveted Vancouver center Ryan Kesler. And in reality, this has been an inconsistent group since beating the Kings at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 25. The Ducks are since then and have already been passed by St. Louis for the points lead in the Western Conference and NHL. Trying to understand how that can happen in a race like we re in, in a game that s so important against a team that s beneath us in the standings, when you re now going on the road to Colorado and L.A., Boudreau said. I really have nothing right now. Said Calgary coach Bob Hartley: They wanted to get back on track here. I thought we just matched their intensity right from the start. It was pretty fun to watch our guys go. Giordano made it 1-0 just 3:39 into the game and then the Flames further put a spotlight on the Ducks power-play woes when T.J. Galiardi converted on a two-on-one rush with Paul Byron for a shorthanded goal on Calgary s third shot. Michael Cammalleri banged in a rebound and Hiller s night was done after allowing three goals on five shots. Mikael Granlund later scored the first of his two goals and Calgary was up 4-0 after the Ducks worst period of the season. Mind you, these Flames are headed for the draft lottery once again. But the supposedly superior Ducks were outclassed from the start. Even rookie Corban Knight joined in on the fun, applying the final touch with his first NHL goal. It wasn t just one period, defenseman Bryan Allen said. It was the whole game. We just weren t prepared. It wasn t just tonight. It s been a couple of games. We re not playing the right way. We think we can just get away with playing easy hockey. It s not acceptable this time of the year. MAROON GETS CHANCE The Ducks have yet to adequately fill Penner s spot, but Patrick Maroon is the latest one to get the chance to stick with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the top line. If nothing else, Maroon resembles Penner in that his game is about using his big 6-foot-3 frame to win puck battles in the corners and keep possession down in the offensive zone until he can get it to either linemate. My job stays the same, Maroon said. I just need to go retrieve pucks for them. That s my goal. Protect pucks and give it back to them. Let them do the work. I m big and physical and so I just got to be physical. And do the same thing every shift, either if it s with them or anyone else. It isn t the first time Maroon has played with them. Boudreau moved Maroon up in the lineup when Penner wasn t clicking with Getzlaf and Perry or when he simply didn t get what he wanted out of the winger. Getzlaf figures Maroon s abilities are one reason they were able to part with Penner, who was one of the Ducks impending unrestricted free agents. Like everybody else, you have to learn that consistency on how to perform every night and do those things if you want to play on the top line, the Ducks captain said. NOTES Defenseman Ben Lovejoy missed his third game of the season and first since Nov. 8 because of illness. Luca Sbisa returned to the lineup after missing one game because of a bruised left knee. With center Mathieu Perreault (forearm) activated off injured reserve and returning to action, the Ducks sent Rickard Rakell back to Norfolk (AHL). Rakell played in two games, going scoreless against Pittsburgh and Toronto. Orange County Register: LOADED:

7 Anaheim Ducks Ducks winless streak reaches four in Calgary By The Associated Press Posted: 03/12/14 Calgary Flames' Corban Knight, center, celebrates his first NHL goal with teammates Ben Hanowski, left, and Chris Butler during the third period of a hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Wednesday, March 12, 2014, in Calgary, Alberta. JpgThe Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh) CALGARY, Alberta Mikael Backlund scored twice and added an assist to help the Calgary Flames rout the Ducks 7-2 on Wednesday night. Backlund set up Mike Cammalleri in the slot for a power-play goal at 11:28 of the first that chased Ducks starter Jonas Hiller, then beat Frederik Andersen two minutes later to make it 4-0. Backlund added his second of the night 1:31 into the second period, this time shorthanded. Firing a wrist shot past Andersen as he broke in alone off the wing, it was the Flames second short-handed goal of the night and NHL-leading 11th of the season. Backlund has four of them, tying him for top spot with Boston s Brad Marchand and Tampa Bay s Tyler Johnson. Mark Giordano, TJ Galiardi, Ladislav Smid and Corban Knight with his first NHL goal also scored for Calgary. Andrew Cogliano and Nick Bonino scored for Anaheim. The Pacific Division-leading Ducks are in their past four games. LA Daily News: LOADED:

8 Boston Bruins Dougie Hamilton out, Andrej Meszaros in Posted by Amalie Benjamin March 12, :22 PM MONTREAL Bruins coach Claude Julien said on Tuesday that he would have some tough decisions to make regarding his defense. He has made his decision, and that means Dougie Hamilton will get a second consecutive healthy scratch, with newly acquired Andrej Meszaros taking his place in the lineup. "Dougie is going to be out again," Julien said. "I'm going with the same D corps as I had the other night." Hamilton spent extra time skating at morning skate with Corey Potter, another healthy scratch, and Daniel Paille, who returned to the ice after getting a concussion on Sunday in Florida. Boston Globe LOADED:

9 Boston Bruins Game 65 preview: Bruins at Canadiens By Amalie Benjamin, Globe Staff MONTREAL It's Bruins-Habs at the Bell Centre tonight. What else, really, do you need to know as far as the rivalry goes? As for the Bruins, coach Claude Julien confirmed he'll go with the same defensive lineup he had Sunday in Florida. That means Andrej Meszaros is in and Dougie Hamilton is out. Hamilton skated extra this morning along with Corey Potter and Daniel Paille. Paille sustained a "real minor" concussion on Sunday, as Julien called it. He participated in the optional morning skate. "Right now he's just going through the stages and going very well. Hopefully we move on to the next level by tomorrow," Julien said. Game time: 7:30 p.m. TV/Radio: NBC Sports Network/98.5 The Sports Hub Records: Bruins , Canadiens Projected lineups: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jarome Iginla Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Reilly Smith Chris Kelly-Carl Soderberg-Loui Eriksson Jordan Caron-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Andrej Meszaros Matt Bartkowski-Johnny Boychuk Torey Krug-Kevan Miller Tuukka Rask Chad Johnson Notes: Tuukka Rask, Carl Soderberg, Loui Eriksson, Jarome Iginla, and David Krejci all opted not to skate this morning.... The referees are Ghislain Hebert and Marc Joannette. The linesmen are Steve Barton and Michel Cormier. Boston Globe LOADED:

10 Boston Bruins Bruins play their game in final 40 minutes By Fluto Shinzawa March 13, 2014 MONTREAL P.K. Subban (0-0 0) was a ghost. Tomas Plekanec, usually good for a point or two against the Bruins, didn t get on the scoreboard. Bruins killer Thomas Vanek contributed only a garbage-time assist. Aside from the first period, the team that had dominated the Montreal-Boston matchup did nothing against a textbook Black-and-Gold performance. The Bruins ended an slide against the Canadiens with a 4-1 win at the Bell Centre on Wednesday night. The outcome was not that close. Peter Budaj, subbing for an ailing Carey Price, submitted a vanilla 28-save start. The legs that skated with such frenzy in the first 20 minutes went missing for the final 40. Montreal s power play, which can put up video-game numbers, was blanked on three opportunities. It is a nice way to answer, especially what happened against them in the last game, Patrice Bergeron said. They embarrassed us in our building. I thought we responded really well. We stayed poised in that first period even though it wasn t our best period. We battled through it. It was an important win for the Bruins. The Canadiens had their number. In the previous five games, Montreal s speed and skill made the Bruins look like they were sputtering at dial-up speed. The Canadiens upgraded their offense at the trade deadline by acquiring Vanek from the Islanders for a song a midlevel prospect in Sebastian Collberg and a conditional second-round pick. For one night, the Bruins had answers to everything the Canadiens tried. Zdeno Chara and Andrej Meszaros kept Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher scoreless. The Bergeron line, tasked with shadowing Vanek, made the Canadiens big acquisition a nonfactor. Subban couldn t generate anything from the back end. It wasn t so for the first 20 minutes. The Canadiens claimed the puck as their own. In the first period, Montreal held a advantage in shot attempts. Only a standout job by Tuukka Rask on two breakaways a kickout on Pacioretty, then a stop on Alex Galchenyuk kept the game scoreless. The Canadiens branded the puck with their CH logo for two reasons. First, they busted out of the defensive zone with ease. They reversed the puck repeatedly to shed themselves of the Bruins forechecking heat. Second, the Bruins regularly coughed up the puck at the offensive blue line. Once the Canadiens gained possession, they used the neutral zone as a launching pad. By the time they hurtled into the offensive zone, they had far too much speed for the backtracking Bruins to handle. Not that it was a bad period, said coach Claude Julien, but we weren t getting pucks in deep. Lot of turnovers just inside their blue line. We got better when we got it really deep and our forecheck got to work again. That came in the second and third period. That s why we were the better team. The Canadiens are shorthanded. Price hasn t played since the Olympics. Josh Gorges, one of their best stay-at-home defensemen, is out with a broken hand. It showed in the final 40 minutes. The Bruins managed the puck far more efficiently. They placed their dump-ins in areas where the defensemen had to turn and expose themselves to unwelcome contact. Milan Lucic was on the dishing end of that punishment. There are few defensemen who can handle Lucic s power and fury when he s snorting steam from his nostrils. On Wednesday night, Alexei Emelin was Lucic s target. The Canadiens matched Emelin and Andrei Markov against Lucic, David Krejci, and Jarome Iginla. On just about every shift, Lucic laid the hammer down on Emelin. Just two physical guys, Lucic said. He s on the right side. Left wing. We just naturally found each other on the ice. You ve got to give him credit. He s a big, strong guy who s not afraid to get himself physically engaged in the game and not afraid to go into those areas. That s what created that battle here tonight. That kind of abuse eventually pays off. Emelin was on the ice for the backbreaking goal. The Bruins had scored twice. On his first shift of the second period, Carl Soderberg took advantage of a Jarred Tinordi turnover to slip the first puck behind Budaj. Bergeron made it a 2-0 game at 9:25. But the Canadiens gained some traction late in the second. Their No. 2 line of Vanek, Plekanec, and Brian Gionta applied heavy heat on the second defensive pairing of Matt Bartkowski and Johnny Boychuk. Rask made several close-range stops. The Bruins were quick to clear rebounds, but the Canadiens kept applying pressure. That s when the game-changing goal took place. The Bruins first line gained control of the puck and pulled away. Iginla pulled up and spotted Lucic sprinting over the blue line. Because they entered the offensive zone with speed and presence, the forwards forced the Canadiens to sag back. Lucic took advantage of the slack gap by hammering a one-timer past Budaj with 1:28 remaining in the second. There s no doubt that was a big goal, that Looch goal, Julien said. We had been hemmed in our own end for quite a while there. It was nice to get that goal. It took a lot of pressure off us. Pressure is what the Canadiens had applied best. They had gotten in the Bruins heads. It s always a challenge, especially playing against a team that s had our number the way that they had this year and three out of four times last year, Lucic said. We tried to get that out of the back of our minds and focus on what we needed to do to be successful. That s what helped us get ready for this game today. Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fluto.shinzawa@globe.com. Follow him on Boston Globe LOADED:

11 Boston Bruins Bruins Matt Bartkowski playing with confidence By Amalie Benjamin March 13, 2014 MONTREAL When the season started the talk was of the defensive rotation. Who would be in? Who would be out? And for the first 16 games, that was an issue. Matt Bartkowski sat for the first three games, played three, then settled into the press box for nine of the next 10. Then Adam McQuaid got injured. And since then, Bartkowski really hasn t had to worry. He has been a consistent presence in the lineup, an improving, maturing player, usually alongside Johnny Boychuk, sitting for just three of the following 48 games. But with the addition of Andrej Meszaros, the Bruins again have a surplus of defensemen. So far coach Claude Julien has opted to sit Dougie Hamilton against Florida and Montreal both victories to get Meszaros into the lineup. Bartkowski has been safe. I wasn t playing as well as I can, Bartkowski said of earlier in the season. I just wasn t playing my game. And then the stretch before the Olympic break and leading up to that, I got better as it went on. Probably 15 games before the break I was almost where I needed to be, and now I m where I need to be. I can bring my game. Asked why he wasn t playing the way he wanted, Bartkowski said, I think most of the season was more just a mental thing. Part of that was the uncertainty, especially early on. It s something Bartkowski has often dealt with in previous seasons when he hadn t been established and has had to spend time shuttling between Boston and Providence. It was the same way that this started, with unknowns. It s just uncertainty, said Bartkowski, who led the Bruins with 23:24 of ice time and collected five blocked shots, three hits, and an assist in Wednesday s 4-1 win over the Canadiens. As much as you say you can t let it creep into your mind, I think that almost everyone does at some point or another. What s going to happen tomorrow? Did I play well enough last night? You know when you play well; you know what you have to do. It s just that uncertainty. While Hamilton has been the odd man out, that doesn t mean it will stay that way. In fact, Julien was clear that Hamilton will not sit for long as he works out the best way to shuffle his defense. That could mean Bartkowski is a healthy scratch at some point. I think it should motivate all of us, Bartkowski said of the competition among the defensemen. In his first full NHL season, Bartkowski said he has seen a progression in himself and his game. He can t pinpoint how the mental aspect has evolved, but said, I don t know if you want to call it confidence or whatever you want to call it. Whatever it is, Bartkowski can now rely on his instincts. He doesn t second guess himself or worry about the minor mistakes that previously might cost him playing time. He just makes the play. You start putting too much pressure on yourself, stuff gets in the back of your head, you start trying to do things that you shouldn t, he said. So far it s worked till now. It s just playing our games and as a whole, as a team, it s been pretty good for us. Solid debut Meszaros led the Bruins in shots in his first game with the team, landing six against the Panthers Sunday. He scored on a shot from the point that got past Roberto Luongo. Asked whether that can be expected regularly from his new defenseman, Julien said, I don t know how much I m going to focus on Meszaros being the lone shooter. I think I want to get shots from the point from everybody, but it s more about playing your game. Paille sidelined Daniel Paille participated in morning skate, though he was a scratch for Wednesday s game. He is unlikely to play Thursday against the Coyotes, but could return for Saturday s matinee against Carolina. We felt it was a real minor concussion, but protocol is what it is and you have to respect that, Julien said. Right now he s just going through the stages and is doing very well. Today was skate without contact, and hopefully we move on to the next level by tomorrow. Jordan Caron took Paille s place on the fourth line and filled in well for the usual left wing. People don t realize how hard it is to be in, out, you don t know from one day to the other whether you ll be back in the lineup and he stood tall for himself, Julien said. I thought he played hard. He makes good decisions. The one thing about Jordan is he s a really reliable player, and even on that goal I can look somewhere else than him. He s been good, and as important is his attitude has been great. You don t hear a peep out of him. He wants to play and he s disappointed he doesn t play, but he certainly doesn t disrupt the room and he comes in with a big smile on his face and he comes to work hard every day. You can t ask for more.... Though Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (lower-body injury) practiced Tuesday, he missed his eighth straight game since returning from the Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Boston Globe LOADED:

12 Boston Bruins Streaking Bruins beat Canadiens 4-1 AP / March 12, 2014 MONTREAL (AP) Tuukka Rask didn t look like a goalie who has had fits trying to beat the Montreal Canadiens. Rask stopped Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk on first-period breakaways and the Boston Bruins stretched their winning streak to six with a 4-1 victory Wednesday night. Rask made 35 saves for his third win in 15 games against Montreal. They had a couple of breakaways, but we kept it on the outside pretty good, said Rask, who ended Boston s five-game losing run against the Canadiens dating to last season. Carl Soderberg, Patrice Bergeron and Milan Lucic scored in the second, and Zdeno Chara added a goal. The Bruins ( ) improved to in their last dozen games and extended their run without a regulation loss on the road to 11 games. He s been great all year, winger Brad Marchand said about Rask. He s the guy we look to be big for us. We didn t worry about anything that s happened in the past. It s more about how we've been playing lately. We focused on how we have to play. With 91 points, the Bruins moved within one point of idle Pittsburgh for the Eastern Conference lead. They return to Boston to face the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night. We re in this building and they come at us with a full court press, Lucic said. Tukka kept us in there. Whenever we can withstand that pressure it gives us a chance to win. We did that and we were able to get a few good shifts in at the end of the first that carried over into the second period. David Desharnais scored for Montreal. The Canadiens have lost three in a row and are without injured No. 1 goalie Carey Price since the Olympic break. We felt good about how we pushed the play in the first period and we wanted to play the same way, Montreal coach Michel Therrien said. Obviously, after their first goal, we have to respond better. Soderberg scored from close range early in the second after Montreal rookie Jarred Tinordi misplayed the puck off a faceoff. Boston went on a counterattack after Andrei Markov fell and Bergeron finished off a give-and-go with Brad Marchand at 9:25. Lucic bumped Alexei Emelin off the puck and then trailed in on a rush to score on a routine shot that got between Peter Budaj s pads for his 20th of the season at 18:32. Chara got another 23 seconds into the third when he broke in from the point and put in his own rebound. Desharnais then found the puck in a scramble with newcomer Thomas Vanek tying up traffic in the crease. It was Vanek s first point in three games since he was acquired from the New York Islanders in a trade-deadline deal last week. Notes: Galchenyuk played his 100th NHL game.... Francis Bouillon was back in the Montreal lineup for the first time since Feb. 8, bumping Mike Weaver. Brandon Prust returned after missing seven games with an upperbody injury.... Boston sat Dougie Hamilton for a second game to make room for newcomer Andrej Mezsaros. Boston Globe LOADED:

13 Boston Bruins Bruins try for first win against Canadiens By:Steve Conroy MONTREAL--With the playoffs looming a month away, the Bruins are looking tonight for their first win of the season against a possible post-season opponent, their archrival Montreal Canadiens. The B's are 0-2 this year and have lost five straight to the Habs. Coach Claude Julien wants his players to concentrate on what they're bringing to the Bell Centre as opposed to what the Habs and their darting little forwards --and new addition Thomas Vanek -- might do. "I think we need to see our game," said Julien. "That's my message to our team. We've got to go out there and play our game. Let's just continue to do the things that we've done well lately. That's where our focus has to be -- not on the team we're playing, not on where we are, but what we have to do. That's what we intend to do tonight. We played a great game in Tampa, we played a great game in Florida. Now we have to bring this game here and do the same things that have given us success. If we focus on those things, I think our chances are good." Julien is not ready to say that the Habs are simply a bad matchup for the B's. "I don't buy that. There are always teams that give you trouble during the season. It's happened to us in the past and you get to the playoffs and its a different situation. We've only played them twice this year and I don't know if you can say after only two games that it's a bad matchup," said Julien. "Right now, it's more of a mental thing with us. I don't think we stand here and say that I've seen the Bruins play Bruins hockey (against Montreal), and it's not because of the makeup. When we analyze the games, we look at the decisions we've made and we point the finger more at us than say it's a bad matchup." Julien said that Dougie Hamilton, a healthy scratch Sunday in Florida, will sit again and that the B's will go with the same defense corps tonight as they did in Sunrise. The B's held an optional skate this morning and Tuukka Rask ( lifetime against Montreal) did not participate, so he'll most likely be the netminder for the B's. With Carey Price still ailing, Peter Budaj (4-1 against the B's) will man the net for the Habs... News continues to be encouraging on Daniel Paille, who suffered a concussion on Sunday in Florida. Paille was back on the ice this morning for the optional and Julien has said that he's a good possibility for Saturday's game against Carolina at the Garden. Jordan Caron will take his place in the lineup tonight and most likey tomorrow night at home against Phoenix. Boston Herald LOADED:

14 Boston Bruins Meszaros slowly getting up to speed By:Steve Conroy MONTREAL Getting acclimated to a new team after the trade deadline is not always easy, and as Andrej Meszaros is learning, it s even a little more difficult in the post-olympics condensed schedule. He s been a Bruin for a week now and he has just two full practices under his belt. But Meszaros said yesterday he s doing whatever he can to get up to speed. It s kind of tough when you don t practice much, he said before the Bruins 4-1 win over the Canadiens last night. We ve had a lot of games and a lot of games coming up, and you try to rest, too. So I try to Watch video as much as I can, before and after the game, talk to the coaches about what I did wrong, what I did good. It s been good for me and I really like it. Fortunately for Meszaros, there are some familiar aspects with the Bruins. For one, in his first game with the B s and last night against the Habs he was reunited with Zdeno Chara, his defense partner when he was a rookie with the Ottawa Senators. It feels great, Meszaros said. Obviously, he s a great player and he helps you out a lot. He s talking to you every time you re on the ice and that s great. Even after the shifts, we ll talk about it and try to do better. He s great. He s helping me a lot and I m sure he s helping a lot of guys, too. And for now at least, the left-shot defenseman is playing the right side, something he s done quite a bit in his career. Coach Claude Julien said he s just trying to re-acclimate Meszaros to the right side after playing most of the year on the left in Philadelphia. But if there was any awkwardness, he hid it well in his first game as a Bruin. Last night, he remained on the right side with Chara. In the first period, he allowed Alex Galchenyuk to get behind him for a power-play breakaway, but otherwise he continued to play well. He finished a plus-2 on the night I ve been playing on the right side for like 10 years, so it s not really something new for me, Meszaros said. I like it, and I can use my one-timer, too, so I can shoot the puck right away. I like it. I got to play on the right side when I was 18 years old, so since then it s been pretty good. And he s not afraid to use that shot. In the win over the Panthers, he had six shots on net, with one getting past Roberto Luongo. He had four shots last night, two on net. I would love to shoot as much as I can, Meszaros said. When I have the puck and I have the lane, I want to shoot it when somebody s in front of the net. If you shoot it, you can get the rebounds and tips. It s what I m trying to do in the offensive zone, help scoring goals, so that s what I like. If there s a passing lane I ll pass, if there s a shooting lane I ll shoot it. It depends on the situation. Boston Herald LOADED:

15 Boston Bruins Bruins Notebook: Rask halts Canadiens spell In rare top form vs. Montreal By:Steve Conroy MONTREAL None of the Bruins had played very well against the Canadiens prior to last night, but Tuukka Rask s numbers against the Habs were particularly troubling. He entered the game with a career record against Montreal. But Rask had his A game in the 4-1 win, especially in the early going as he made 14 saves in the first period, two on breakaways. It seems like every time we re in this building, they come at us with that full-court press and we re in our zone and they get a lot of shots, B s coach Claude Julien said. Obviously, Tuukka kept us in their today. Whenever we can withstand that pressure, it s given us a chance to win. Rask s best sequence came when he made a terrific pad save on Max Pacioretty s breakaway and then recovered in time to make a nice glove stop on Lars Eller. Early in the game, they got some power plays again and Tuukka stood tall in that situation, Julien said. But I thought everyone overall played well. You need your goaltender to be good and that s what he s paid to do. That s what he did tonight and the rest of the team did the same thing. While he had to be excellent in the first period, his teammates eventually seized control of the game. Despite the start, I thought we played a pretty solid game, Rask said. We took most of their opportunities away and capitalized on ours. It s a good road win, especially with that little cushion there (in the standings) and we re happy about where our game s headed right now. How much credit did he take for that first period? I always take credit, so no more than usual, Rask joked. No, they had a couple of breakaways there, but we kept it on the outside pretty good, though. And his Montreal jinx? I don t care, he said with a shrug. I ve felt good against them but I still have that losing record against them so I have to win more games. Vanek still seeks fit Thomas Vanek picked up his first point as a Canadien with a secondary assist on David Desharnais goal, but the right fit for him has still not been found. He started the game on the left wing with Thomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta and finished the game on the right wing with Desharnais and Pacioretty. Vanek finished with five fairly quiet shots on net.... Dougie Hamilton was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Paille on the mend The news on Daniel Paille, who suffered a concussion in Sunday s game at Flordia, continues to be encouraging. He was back on the ice yesterday morning at the Bell Centre. Julien said he has a good shot to play on Saturday. We felt it was a real minor concussion, but protocol is what it is and we have to respect that, Julien said. Now he s just going through the stages. (Yesterday) he skated without contact and we ll take him up to the next level (today). Jordan Caron took Paille s spot on the fourth line.... The B s had a bad night in the faceoff circle, winning just 38 percent of the draws. Patrice Bergeron was 12-for-26 while Chris Kelly won just 1-of-8. Boston Herald LOADED:

16 Boston Bruins B s break a bad Hab-it Score big victory in rivalry By:Steve Conroy MONTREAL Leading up to last night s game at the Bell Centre, the Bruins shrugged off the talk that the Montreal Canadiens had their number. It s not them, the B s all said, it s us. If they just played Bruins hockey, they d be just fine against the dreaded Habs. Well, it took them a period to really find their game, but once they did, the B s proved their theory was correct. After Tuukka Rask bailed them out in the first, the Bruins exploded for three goals in the second period and cruised to a 4-1 victory, snapping a five-game losing streak against the Canadiens as the crowd booed the home team lustily. But for all the talk before the game that the opponent didn t matter, the Bruins clearly captured a win, their sixth consecutive, that helps their psyche. It was real important, forward Milan Lucic said. We talked about our mindset going into this game, just about focusing on what we ve done well to this point, especially on this road trip (3-0). We just wanted to play to our strengths and don t forget the way we did the last time, whether it be the Habs or anyone else, you don t forget that last game you played against them and I think that gave us some motivation going into this game. It s nice to finally get a result against these guys. That last game the B s played against Montreal that Lucic referred to was played Jan. 30 at the Garden. The final was also 4-1, but with the Habs being every bit as dominant that night as the B s were last night. It is a nice way to answer, especially after the last game. They embarrassed us in our building and I thought we responded really well, center Patrice Bergeron said. I thought we stayed poised in that first period, even though it wasn t our best start. But we battled through it and we got it going. In the first, Rask (35 saves) stopped all 13 shots sent his way, including breakaway bids by Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk. And in the second period, the B s got back to their basics, which helped choke off the Montreal attack. Not that it was a bad (first) period, but we weren t getting pucks in deep, a lot of turnovers just inside their blue line, coach Claude Julien said. But we got it better when we got it in deep and our forecheck got to work again. That came in the second and the third period and that s why we were the better team. Carl Soderberg turned the game in the B s favor early in the second when he made the most of a good break. Lars Eller beat Soderberg cleanly on a draw to the left of Canadiens goalie Peter Budaj (28 saves). But the puck bounced off the endboards too hard for defenseman Jarred Tinordi to corral and went right to Soderberg. All alone at the top of the crease, Soderberg picked his spot over Budaj s blocker and scored at 1:33, giving the B s their first lead of the season over Montreal. After surviving a Canadiens power play, the B s doubled their lead at 9:25. Defenseman Matt Bartkowski made a nice outlet pass to Brad Marchand on the left wing. Marchand gained the zone with Bergeron and they dished the puck back and forth before Bergeron one-timed the final return pass past Budaj. The lead grew to 3-0 with 1:28 remaining in the second. Lucic caved in Habs defenseman Alexei Emelin high in the B s zone and got the puck up to David Krejci, who passed it up to Jarome Iginla. After holding the puck in the left corner, Iginla made a nice pass that the trailing Lucic stepped into and blasted it through Budaj s five-hole. Zdeno Chara and the Canadiens David Desharnais traded goals in the third. I didn t know about (the losing streak to the Habs), but we didn t play well at all at home against them and we wanted to get a win here, Soderberg said. If we re going to play against them in the playoffs, we know we can beat them. Boston Herald LOADED: