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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Ducks' Nick Bonino wants to do it all Ducks prefer to point to the positives Ducks letting points slip from their grasp Ducks recall Etem, Steckel from Norfolk Ducks bolster their roster before facing Blackhawks, Blues Boston Bruins Pacioretty lifts surging Canadiens over Bruins Claude Julien not blaming Max Pacioretty Canadiens outlast Bruins in Montreal Johnny Boychuk returning to Boston with team Boychuk taken off ice on stretcher at Bruins game in Montreal Tonight's Bruins lineup Game 28 preview: Bruins at Canadiens Notebook: Johnny Boychuk flies home with team B s get stuck in middle Painful night for Bruins Chiarelli update on Boychuk Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk carted off ice in loss Bruins, Habs get reacquainted Buffalo Sabres Trade him or keep him, Miller becoming a huge asset Grigorenko thrilled Sabres will loan him to Team Russia for world juniors Buffalo snoozes and loses to the Rangers Rangers, Lundqvist shut down Sabres Rochester Amerks head to Michigan for weekend Calgary Flames Backlund gains confidence from laser Cammalleri-like goal against Phoenix Johnson: MacInnis remembers what Jarome Iginla will go through first trip back wearing visitor silks Game Day: Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames Flames shoot into league lead in short-handed goals after Stempniak-Stajan tally on Wednesday Karri Ramo makes most of chance as Calgary Flames look out for No. 1 goalie Calgary Flames Snapshots: Captain back in action Carolina Hurricanes Skinner's hat trick helps Canes beat Predators, Predators Replay live updates: Canes beat Predators 5-2; Skinner gets hat trick Bellemore has concussion; Semin feeling better Jimmy V speech made impression on Hainsey Chicago Blackhawks Friday's matchup: Ducks at Blackhawks Hawks' Nordstrom, Morin eager for another shot Hawks fade late in 4-3 loss to Wild Morin, Nordstrom could have short visits with Blackhawks Wild steal one back late as Blackhawks lose, Another stirring Hawks comeback spoiled Scandella gives Wild 4-3 win over Blackhawks Da timing a bit off for Da ceremony Blackhawks game day Blackhawks can't close out Wild in tough loss Five things to watch as Blackhawks battle Wild Konroyd's keys for Blackhawks-Wild Morin, Nordstrom join Blackhawks against Wild Blackhawks look for seventh consecutive road win vs. Wild NHL 12/6/2013 DAILY BRIEF Colorado Avalanche Rest days from Patrick Roy yielding positive results for Avalanche Varlamov shaky as Avalanche routed by lowly Oilers in Edmonton blowout Avalanche again eschews morning skate with full squad in Edmonton Avs D Jan Hejda headed back to Denver; Patrick Roy explains why he didn t pull Semyon Varlamov Avalanche scratch D Cory Sarich, F Brad Malone at Edmonton Avs skip morning skate in Edmonton; Oilers make significant roster moves Columbus Blue Jackets Petition seeks vote to end Columbus payments on Nationwide Arena Blue Jackets: Sergei Bobrovsky to miss 4-5 weeks in latest blow Blue Jackets notebook: Mike McKenna gets call as backup goalie Around the NHL: Flyers get second win in Detroit since Blue Jackets activate forward Derek MacKenzie off injured reserve Jackets goalie McElhinney steps in, then steps up Blue Jackets: McElhinney has trust of teammates, Richards Blue Jackets notebook: MacKenzie to test back vs. Wild Rumblings: Former Blue Jackets player now an all-star in Russia Dallas Stars Insult to injury: Dallas Stars lose defenseman Trevor Daley, then OT clash with Toronto Maple Leafs Stars winger Ryan Garbutt sits out, says pain was too much to skate Thursday Jamie Benn admits he's eyeing Olympic spot for Team Canada Three stars: Jonathan Bernier's superb effort overshadows Shawn Horcoff's late heroics Dallas Stars' Tyler Seguin to pose in ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue Stars-Maple Leafs, 6 p.m. Can defenseman Dion Phaneuf slow Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel's roll? Detroit Red Wings HBO crews invade Red Wings locker room Thursday for '24/7' series Detroit Red Wings' Tomas Tatar happy with scoring, but winning his main goal Detroit Red Wings' Darren Helm hurt; Pavel Datsyuk mum on his status Helene St. James: Detroit Red Wings should trade Kyle Quincey Red Wings work to adjust to '24/7' cameras Darren Helm's ailing shoulder adds to Wings' injury woes Red Wings' Jonas Gustavsson hopes he is pushing Jimmy Howard for more playing time Red Wings' Darren Helm out for weekend with shoulder injury; Todd Bertuzzi returns to lineup Normally reliable specialty teams fail to get job done for Red Wings in loss to Philadelphia Flyers Helm out again for Red Wings Helm sidelined with shoulder injury; Bertuzzi ready to return

2 Edmonton Oilers Oilers unleash an avalanche of goals Shuffling the defensive deck chairs on the Bad Ship Oiler MacKinnon: Avalanche picked up speed under Patrick Roy s leadership until Thursday night First day of NHL class for Edmonton Oilers defenceman Martin Marincin s Edmonton Oilers GM Craig MacTavish trying to snag an NHL defenceman? Edmonton Oilers defenceman Jeff Petry takes a seat in the pressbox Avs Nathan MacKinnon proving his worth... callups make it just in time... Perron doing well after injury Oiolers seem to have go big or go home approach to home-ice offence Edmonton Oilers rebound from ugly loss to Coyotes Avalanche coach Patrick Roy known for competitive passion, but believes in partnership with players Sporty's Scribbles: Oilers' slippery slope Edmonton Oilers reset defence, send Petry upstairs for Avalanche game Florida Panthers Big hit fuels Florida Panthers fire in win over Jets REUNITED: Old Panthers are New Foes BARKOV OUT: Panthers Lose Rookie to Lower Body Injury in Third... Status Unknown PANTHERS - AND GUDBRANSON - GROUND JETS: Florida Halts Slide with 5-2 Win over Winnipeg Erik Gudbranson's shot and check lift Panthers to 5-2 victory over Jets Former Panthers find homes in Winnipeg Los Angeles Kings Martin Jones relives Kings shootout victory over Ducks Martin Jones: It was a fun game to play in December 5 practice quotes: Anze Kopitar Defense retrofitted by Schultz s arrival Tickets on sale for the LA Kings Holiday Party Greene, Lewis progressing; no timetable yet December 5 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter Minnesota Wild Gameday preview: Wild at Columbus Late goal gives Wild 4-3 victory over defending champion Blackhawks Wild-Chicago game recap Scandella's late goal lifts Wild to 4-3 win over Blackhawks after furious final period Wild goalie Backstrom is relaxed, ready Wild morning skate: Haula in lineup Minnesota Wild: From out of the blue, defensemen lead winning rally Tom Powers: Wild game was good enough, but it wasn't the good, old days Wild 4, Blackhawks 3: Marco Scandella's goal rallies Minnesota Minnesota Wild grasping for that winning feeling Minnesota Wild: For goalie Niklas Backstrom, a different feeling Minnesota Wild: Former Gopher Eric Haula brings speed to lineup Montreal Canadiens Gordon: Habs throw their weight around in win over Bruins Bruins Boychuk released from hospital after hit from behind by Habs' Pacioretty Stubbs: Habs put exclamation point on tilt with Bruins Habs Game Report: Pacioretty, Plekanec lead the charge December 6, Comments New HIO Dec Liveblog: Game 30 First place, baby! Habs, Bruins in battle for first place Nashville Predators Nashville Predators lose to Carolina Hurricanes Rinne still improving; not ready to return New Jersey Devils The Devils Succession Plan Appears Back on Track Devils gearing up for back-to-back clashes with Red Wings and Rangers Devils look to hit stride earlier Devils notes: Ryan Carter goes on injured reserve Scoring coming third for Devils; It s survival mode as grueling schedule continues New York Islanders Blues Hand Islanders 8th Straight Loss, Islanders lose again, their eighth straight game without a win Brian Strait having trouble staying healthy for Islanders Evgeni Nabokov says Islanders still playing hard, just lack confidence Islanders singing the Blues after eighth-straight loss New York Rangers Lundqvist Solid as Rangers Top Sabres NY Rangers beat up on Sabres with 3-1 victory Vigneault: Marc Staal's lack of action last few seasons 'probably a factor' in recent struggles; whole defense NY Rangers must take care of business in Buffalo before returning for nine-game homestand; Carl Hagelin improv Rangers struggle, still top Sabres Vigneault: No defense for bottom blue-liners Live Blog: Rangers at Sabres, 12/ Morning skate: AV on d-men; Dorsett out Rangers notes: Henrik Lundqvist makes 27 saves a day after signing contract extension Rangers stars step up to provide needed win over Sabres Inconsistent Marc Staal has hit the wall Rangers move a game over.500 with 3-1 win over Buffalo Sabres Rangers-Baby Buffaloes in review Rangers at Baby Buffaloes tonight (7 p.m.) pre-game notes Ottawa Senators Bishop stands tall against Senators Notebook: Stamkos on the ice, taking shots in Tampa Scanlan: Stressing over Sochi Gameday Preview: Senators at Lightning Ottawa Sens GM Bryan Murray deserved new contract for birthday BC Place, Canucks rev up for Heritage Classic Ottawa Sens star Erik Karlsson makes most of down time Tampa Bay Lightning zap Ottawa Senators, 3-1 Philadelphia Flyers Downie helps Couturier blossom Flyers' chip off the scouting block Hottest line in hockey? San Jose Sharks top NHL Power Rankings, Flyers 19th Flyers at Dallas Stars preview Make it 2 wins in 25 years for Flyers in Detroit Brayden Schenn 'comfortable' playing center Flyers happy with 'gutsy effort' vs. Red Wings Giroux watches his Olympic odds rise

3 Phoenix Coyotes First-period play better on Phoenix Coyotes road trip Pittsburgh Penguins Kovacevic: Keeping faith in Letang is simple Fleury, Crosby lead Penguins to victory over Sharks at Consol Penguins notebook: Injury keeps Malkin out against Sharks Ron Cook: Brooks Orpik's play nothing but solid for Penguins Penguins notebook: Mysterious ailment sidelines Malkin Penguins beat Sharks with big second period Malkin out tonight against San Jose San Jose Sharks Sharks routed by Penguins Penguins' Evgeni Malkin won't play against San Jose Sharks Thursday night Kunitz scores 2, powers Penguins past Sharks Sharks winning streak ends with a thud in Pittsburgh Instant Replay: Sharks' six-game win streak thing of the past Pens coach calls Sharks 'best team in the league' Penguins' Malkin out vs. Sharks In the Crease: Sharks continue road trip, eye Crosby's Penguins St Louis Blues Weight is enjoying his unique role with Islanders Strauss: Hitchcock content but has concerns Blues overpower Islanders Blues move Lapierre to right wing, hoping to fill void Hockey Guy: Islanders seek net gains Blues pound out a win over Islanders Blues trying to keep pace in wild Western Conference race Tampa Bay Lightning St. Louis rises to challenge, leads Bolts to win over Ottawa Bolts notes: Stamkos not setting a return date Lightning looking to get offense on track Lightning beats Senators Lightning injury list grows Gudlevskis shakes up Lightning's organizational depth in net Toronto Maple Leafs Bernier backstops Leafs to overtime victory over Stars Bozak, Orr join Leafs growing injured list Maple Leafs: Kadri scores pair, Leafs win in OT: Feschuk Maple Leafs: Groin pull frustrates Joffrey Lupul Maple Leafs: Phil Kessel will play tonight, Bozak out extended time Maple Leafs Jonathan Bernier looks to start in net tonight against Dallas Stars Maple Leafs: Team s troubles put front and centre: Feschuk Kadri s grandfather laid groundwork for his NHL success Maple Leafs, Stars have success with tip-ins Maple Leafs' Trevor Smith scores overtime winner against Stars Stars chill out, still manage to grab point Maple Leafs win despite getting outshot badly by Stars Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle just doesn't trust entire roster Lupul anxious to return to Leafs Maple Leafs' Nazem Kadri lifts team to win over Stars Maple Leafs say Kessel will play Toronto Maple Leafs snap five-game losing streak on back of Jonathan Bernier Toronto Maple Leafs have no luck with health of top centres Toronto Maple Leafs rash of injuries frustrating and disappointing, coach Randy Carlyle says Markham arena project nearly dead as lack of enthusiasm from NHL proves to be too big a hurdle Vancouver Canucks With Alex Edler out indefinitely, Andrew Alberts gets his chance Canucks hoping it s 'open' season at B.C. Place for Heritage Classic Alberts back in Canucks' lineup for fourth game of the season Heritage Classic takes Canucks back to roots Brodeur s take on Luongo not just hot air Edler out indefinitely, Alberts draws in against Phoenix Strong play of late has Canucks eyeing rise in standings Washington Capitals Brooks Laich on recurring groin injury: It s concerning Capitals recall Patrick Wey, reassign Tyson Strachan to Hershey Oates on Caps fighting back: Talk s cheap Websites NBCSports.com / Canucks GM is confident Heritage Classic at BC Place will sell out USA TODAY / Flyers heat up after buckling down YAHOO SPORTS / Three Periods: Crosby's 500-game checkpoint; Subban and Sochi; Giroux bounces back YAHOO SPORTS / Rangers bow to the King, re-sign Henrik Lundqvist to mega-deal Winnipeg Jets 'We've got to learn quick' Jets-Panthers summary Win one, lose one, win one Consistently inconsistent Jets fall 5-2 to Panthers Jets get sucked into trap game, fall 5-2 to struggling Panthers SPORT-SCAN, INC

4 Anaheim Ducks Ducks' Nick Bonino wants to do it all By Lance Pugmire 4:42 PM PST, December 5, 2013 Although many kids had hockey dads pushing them, Nick Bonino didn't need any prodding to explore an athletic life that built him into a versatile Ducks center who was recently awarded a $5.7-million contract extension through It started with a simple conversation that took place in nearly every Connecticut household, when Bonino's father, Steve, asked his then-3-year-old son if he wanted to learn to ice skate. "Yep, let's do it," the kid answered. It wasn't just hockey. Bonino arranged after-school basketball games in his frontyard each day the weather allowed. He was a Little League baseball player, dabbled in soccer and wrestled undersized in his high school's 103-pound division. "For me, every season was a different sport," Bonino said. Last March, however, his affinity for pickup games got the best of him when he opted to play some casual soccer inside Honda Center, tearing his right hamstring and being sidelined for six weeks. He returned to score three playoff goals in the Ducks' first-round series against the Detroit Red Wings, including the overtime game-winner in Game 5 in a series they eventually lost in seven games. "You rip your hamstring like I did the summer was important to focus more on stretching and building it up," Bonino said. "You want to play every day and be dependable." This season, the 25-year-old is one of five to play every game for the second-place Ducks (18-7-5), averaging 16:07 of ice time as the fourth-line center. He also is used on the first power-play unit with stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, and on penalty kill. Bonino already has career highs of seven goals and 19 points. He also has helped a team historically bad in faceoffs by winning 50.4% of his draws, has nearly doubled his power-play time from last season and leads Ducks' forwards with 28 blocked shots. "To succeed in this league, unless you're scoring 40 goals a year, you need to do everything those little things get you ice time and hopefully let your team win," Bonino said. "I love blocking shots. I play goalie in the summers, fooling around. You can see when I block shots, I go into a butterfly. If that puck comes to my face, I don't know what I'm going to do. Good thing it hasn't happened yet." He "fooled around" in so many sports as a youngster, he began to excel in them. Bonino became so talented at lacrosse, Division I University of Denver offered a full scholarship. Bonino's lacrosse coach informed the recruiter, "He's a hockey player." Bonino's high school growth spurt won attention from college elites Providence and New Hampshire, but he chose Boston University. He also was drafted in 2007 by the San Jose Sharks. At BU, his team had eight current NHL players, including St. Louis defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, Nashville center Colin Wilson, San Jose center John McCarthy and Colorado forward Brandon Yip. After the Sharks traded the rights to Bonino and goalie Timo Pielmeier to the Ducks for journeyman Kent Huskins and current Montreal wing Travis Moen in 2009, Bonino scored the tying goal with 17.4 seconds remaining against Miami (Ohio) to set up an overtime NCAA championship victory. "We had an amazing team to come that far and think of losing when we were down two goals in the final two minutes was just obscene," Bonino said. "To tie it up and win in overtime was just amazing, a memory I'll always have." Now Bonino is emerging in the NHL. "He's consistently getting better in every situation and getting credit for the things he's doing," veteran center Saku Koivu said. "Doing the little things right adds up, and he's getting the results." TONIGHT AT CHICAGO When: 5 PST. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 830. Etc.: The Ducks went 3-0 last season against the 2013 Stanley Cup champions. Chicago is dominant again, paced by forward Patrick Kane. Ducks second-line center Mathieu Perreault (lower body injury) did not go on the trip, which continues with a Saturday game in St. Louis. Center David Steckel and forward Emerson Etem were recalled from the AHL Norfolk Admirals on Thursday. LA Times: LOADED:

5 Anaheim Ducks Ducks prefer to point to the positives BY ERIC STEPHENS / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Published: Dec. 5, 2013 Updated: 9:40 p.m. ANAHEIM The glass half-full approach would say the Ducks managed to gain points against two main contenders in not only the Pacific Division but the Western Conference as well. "If we're getting to overtime or getting in the shootout, we're battling for that extra point, Ducks forward Corey Perry said. Those are good signs."armando BROWN, FOR THE REGISTER The glass half-empty approach naturally tells a different story. Their failure to produce in the shootout cost them potential victories over San Jose and the Kings over the previous five days and they've won just three of their last 11 overall. Missed opportunities? Absolutely. You can say that, winger Corey Perry said. We've probably left a couple (points out there). We haven't been playing our best hockey as of late, in the last maybe five, six games. Seven, eight games. Whatever it is. Perry preferred to emphasize the positive aspect. The Ducks have fallen from the top of the Pacific but they sit right in the mix, just two points behind San Jose and one ahead of the Kings. If we're getting to overtime or getting in the shootout, we're battling for that extra point, he said. Those are good signs that if we play at the top of our games, we're right there with everybody. Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau has talked about his team lacking a killer instinct, particularly in games where they have managed to grab a lead either in the second or third periods. Well, we ve left points on the table, Boudreau said. The Florida game. The Toronto game. I m sure the Dallas game. There s points left on the table there. But if we start worrying about the points left on the table, then we should start, in the same way, saying, Geez, where did we get points where we didn't deserve to get points. Now the Ducks have defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago on Friday and another potential Cup contender St. Louis on Saturday as road tests to complete their four-game minefield through the barbed-wire West. The Ducks won all three meetings against the Blackhawks last season but that became a mere footnote as the league's best team was the last one standing. Boudreau isn't under any illusion that his group has some sort of mental edge on the champs. Don't ever start thinking that's going to be an easy game because we have some success against them last year, Boudreau said. They are the Stanley Cup champions with the second-fewest (regulation) losses in the league and 20 wins. That's not going to be easy at all. And I'm sure St. Louis is going to be chomping at the bit to get at us because they've lost a couple in a row to Pacific Division clubs. The NHL is a tough league and it doesn t get any easier. Perry knows the Ducks have to show more than they did against the Kings, when they were outshot, 51-28, despite being off for two days and the Kings playing the night before against St. Louis. Orange County Register: LOADED:

6 Anaheim Ducks Ducks letting points slip from their grasp December 5th, 2013, 11:26 am posted by ERIC STEPHENS ANAHEIM -- The glass half-full approach would say the Ducks managed to gain points against two main contenders in not only the Pacific Division but the Western Conference as well. Extend that further and the Ducks have garnered points in seven of their last nine contests despite being depleted by injuries and a lack of consistent scoring beyond their top line. The glass half-empty approach naturally tells a different story. Their failure to produce in the shootout cost them potential victories over San Jose and the Kings over the previous five days and they've won just three of their last 11 overall. Missed opportunities for sure. "You can say that," winger Corey Perry said. "We've probably left a couple [points out there]. We haven't been playing our best hockey as of late, in the last maybe five, six games. Seven, eight games. Whatever it is." Perry preferred to emphasize the positive aspect. The Ducks have fallen from the top of the Pacific but they sit right in the mix, just two points behind San Jose and one ahead of the Kings entering Thursday night's games. "If we're getting to overtime or getting in the shootout, we're battling for that extra point," he said. "Those are good signs that if we play at the top of our games, we're right there with everybody." Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau has talked about his team lacking a killer instinct, particularly in games where they have managed to grab a lead either in the second or third periods. "Well, we ve left points on the table," Boudreau said. "The Florida game. The Toronto game. I'm sure the Dallas game. There's points left on the table there. "But if we start worrying about the points left on the table, then we should start, in the same way, saying, 'Geez, where did we get points where we didn't deserve to get points." Now the Ducks have defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago on Friday and another potential Cup contender St. Louis on Saturday as road tests to complete their four-game minefield through the barbed-wire West. The Ducks won all three meetings against the Blackhawks last season but that became a mere footnote as the league's best team was the last one standing. Boudreau isn't under any illusion that his group has some sort of mental edge on the champs. "Don't ever start thinking that's going to be an easy game because we have some success against them last year," Boudreau said. "They are the Stanley Cup champions with the second-fewest (regulation) losses in the league and 20 wins. "That's not going to be easy at all. And I'm sure St. Louis is going to be chomping at the bit to get at us because they've lost a couple in a row to Pacific Division clubs. The NHL is a tough league and it doesn t get any easier." Orange County Register: LOADED:

7 Anaheim Ducks Ducks recall Etem, Steckel from Norfolk December 5th, 2013, 2:09 pm Eric Stephens The Ducks recalled Emerson Etem and David Steckel on Thursday from the Norfolk Admirals, the team s AHL affiliate. The move comes slightly more than a week after Etem was shipped off to Norfolk following the team s 6-3 loss to Dallas. Etem and Devante Smith-Pelly were sent to Norfolk on Nov. 27 in what was considered a surprise move the day after the Ducks allowed a five-goal third period to the Stars. Etem s demotion was most notable because he scored a goal in that game. He has six for the season to go along with four assists in 21 games. Steckel, who was signed by the Ducks last month, played in 13 games with Norfolk and had two goals and two assists. He played in 21 games with the Ducks in and appeared in all seven games of their playoff series against Detroit. The Ducks needed a center as Mathieu Perreault was put on injured reserve Thursday due to a lingering lower-body injury. Perreault will miss the road games this weekend in Chicago and St. Louis and won't be available for home games next week against the New York Islanders and Minnesota. Orange County Register: LOADED:

8 Anaheim Ducks Ducks bolster their roster before facing Blackhawks, Blues Posted: 12/05/13, 10:09 PM PST Staff DUCKS at CHICAGO Faceoff: 5 p.m., today, United Center TV/Radio: Prime, KLAA 830-AM Update: The Ducks on Thursday recalled left wing Emerson Etem and center David Steckel from their American Hockey League affiliate in Norfolk, Va., to bolster their lineup for the second half of an especially difficult four-game stretch. The Ducks (18-7-5) earned points in shootout losses Saturday to the San Jose Sharks and Tuesday to the Kings. They recalled Long Beach s Etem to give them a little more offensive firepower and Steckel because they re shorthanded at the center position with Mathieu Perreault (lower body) sidelined for tonight s game in Chicago and Saturday s contest in St. Louis. The Ducks defeated the Blackhawks all three times they played last season and have a four-game overall winning streak over defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago. The Blackhawks finished first overall in the Western Conference in , and the Ducks were second. Ryan Getzlaf leads the Ducks with 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) and Corey Perry has 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists). Patrick Kane also has 32 points (16 goals and 16 assists) for the NHL-leading Blackhawks (20-5-4). LA Daily News: LOADED:

9 Boston Bruins Pacioretty lifts surging Canadiens over Bruins AP / December 6, 2013 MONTREAL (AP) Max Pacioretty was hardly in the mood to celebrate after his game-winning goal for the Canadiens. The big forward sent Boston Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk to the hospital with a first-period check into the boards Thursday night, then scored the go-ahead goal in the second during Montreal s 2-1 victory. Pacioretty s ninth goal in the last nine games helped the Canadiens stretch their unbeaten run to nine games (8-0-1). It also put Montreal (18-9-3) in first place in the Atlantic Division, a point ahead of Boston (18-8-2), which has two games in hand. Pacioretty, however, wasn t smiling. It wasn t really a strong game for me, he said. I got the life sucked out of me when that injury happened. I just felt awful. Only 4:28 into the first meeting of the season between these bitter rivals, Pacioretty checked Boychuk into the end boards in the Montreal zone. Boychuk went face first into the top of the boards and fell to the ice. He was on his knees, taking heavy breaths, for several minutes before trainers and medical staff got him onto a stretcher and wheeled him off the ice. After the game, Bruins coach Claude Julien said Boychuk was released from the hospital and would travel with the team back to Boston. Julien had no details about the injury, which Bruins players said appeared to be a back problem. The hit wasn t hard, but it was somewhat from behind. Pacioretty was given 2 minutes for boarding, which both teams felt was the right call. I felt terrible about it because I didn t really know what happened, Pacioretty said. I was just battling for the puck. I've been in that situation before. I had no intent to injure anybody. The Bruins seemed to agree, and none of them rushed to seek vengeance as is often the case when a teammate gets hurt. The injury quieted the Bell Centre crowd and took some steam out of the play on the ice for the rest of the period. I think they gave me the benefit of the doubt, Pacioretty said. And the Canadiens, outshot 10-3 in the opening period and down 1-0 on a goal by Gregory Campbell, jumped on Boston in the second with an 18-7 shots advantage and goals from Tomas Plekanec and Pacioretty. The Bruins stormed back in the third, but couldn t beat Carey Price, who finished with 32 saves. Montreal put 27 shots on Tuukka Rask. Boston had not played since Saturday, while Montreal was coming off a 4-3 shootout win Wednesday night in New Jersey. The Canadiens were playing their third game in four nights and sixth in nine nights, but they weren t easy pickings for the Bruins. The second period was atrocious, Julien said. It was unacceptable. There are no excuses about playing with five defensemen. We have to look in the mirror. Boston got the first goal at the 17:35 mark. Andrei Markov cleared the puck to the Boston blue line, where Dennis Seidenberg kicked it forward, sending Milan Lucic in on a 2-on-1 break. The big wing slipped a pass to Campbell for a shot into an open side. Plekanec tied it 9:16 into the second when he beat Rask from a tight angle with a medium-speed wrist shot. A burst of speed from Brendan Gallagher caused confusion in the Boston defense and Pacioretty backhanded Raphael Diaz s rebound in from the slot at 17:42. Pacioretty s last nine goals have all come in five games on home ice. The first one was off to the side of the net and I gave (Plekanec) too much net to shoot at, Rask said. The second was a high rebound and he scored. But if you look at how we played in the second period, you can t be happy with that. Montreal has beaten Boston four straight times dating to last season. I'm proud of my players, said Canadiens coach Michel Therrien, whose team plays again Saturday night at home against Buffalo. Even if we had a slow start, we adjusted well in the second period. My players emptied the tank and they were rewarded. The teams meet again Jan. 30 in Boston. NOTES: Montreal dressed Douglas Murray and George Parros, and sat Francis Bouillon and Ryan White, who both played Wednesday in New Jersey. Rene Bourque remains sidelined with an upper-body injury.... Parros got his first shot on goal in seven games with the Canadiens.... Adam McQuaid (lower body) was out for Boston, while Jordan Caron and Kevan Miller were healthy scratches.... As in other NHL rinks, a moment of silence was held for Nelson Mandela. Boston Globe LOADED:

10 Boston Bruins Claude Julien not blaming Max Pacioretty By Fluto Shinzawa December 06, 2013 MONTREAL Max Pacioretty was sent off for boarding for his first-period hit on Johnny Boychuk in the Canadiens 2-1 victory Thursday night. The Bruins do not believe additional discipline will be required. Pacioretty hit Boychuk from behind, but it was not a heavy hit. Boychuk did not have far to tumble into the boards. I think it was deserving of a two-minute penalty, Bruins coach Claude Julien said. When I looked at it, it was. I m being honest here. I don t think it was more than that. I think it was the way he went into the boards that did most of the damage. I don t think it was from the severity of the hit. We have to be honest if we re going to clean up this game. To turn around and say that it should have been a game, suspension, I don t think so. An even more dangerous hit was not called. Dougie Hamilton belted Brandon Prust from behind in the second. Hamilton could have been called for boarding, but was not penalized. Travis Moen went after Hamilton, but the defenseman didn t engage. Prust wasn t hurt. No quit in Thornton Shawn Thornton is a 36-year-old enforcer. His age and job description work against long-term advancement of his NHL career. Yet Thornton believes he has at least two years of juice remaining in his legs and his fists. I m actually surprised at how good I feel, Thornton said. The way I feel right now, I think I ve got a couple left in me, at least. I think I ve got two years left. Whether those seasons will be in Boston has not been determined. Thornton will be an unrestricted free agent at season s end. Negotiations between Thornton and the Bruins have not started. Thornton, who has made Charlestown his yearround home, does not want to leave. I think everyone knows I d like to stick around, Thornton said. That s pretty common knowledge. But that decision s not up to me. Through 26 games, Thornton has not given the Bruins many signals that an upgrade is required on the fourth line. He has three goals and no assists while averaging 8:20 of ice time. Thornton has a team-high five fights. At 10:18 of Thursday s second period, just over a minute after Montreal tied the game, Thornton initiated a fight with Prust. Thornton and linemates Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell have improved since the start of the season. The line did not play with its usual rhythm during camp or early during the regular season. Campbell s shortened summer coming off his broken leg was a factor in the line s so-so play. But the Bruins have had few complaints recently about their fourth liners. They ve skated well, forechecked heavily, created scoring chances, and played responsible defense. Thornton has played his usual part in the line s efficiency, though there is not much precedent of tough guys at his age continuing to roll. At 36, I ve heard that everything slows down, Thornton said. It hasn t felt like that at all. I feel like I ve actually had a good year and been pretty productive. Maybe not points-wise, but I think individually and as a line, we ve been pretty productive of late. It was a short summer. With maybe even a little bit more time and rest when it s not a lockout season, I can only imagine I could train a little bit harder. Thornton has been in this position before. He was scheduled to reach UFA status after the season. On March 17, 2012, Thornton signed a two-year, $2.2 million extension. That season, Thornton, Paille, and Campbell played on expiring contracts. Paille and Campbell agreed to three-year extensions after the season. Two years ago, when I was going through it, I was thinking about it, Thornton acknowledged. Maybe it was because of my age. There was a little more chatter going back and forth at that point. I was wondering what was going to happen. I knew I had a few more years left in me. I didn t want to move. I probably thought about it a little more back then. Now, I m just kind of playing, having fun playing. Thornton has a competitor who s hungry for his job. Bobby Robins has three goals, two assists, and 76 penalty minutes for Providence through 13 games and is in the first season of a two-year contract. However, the 32-year-old Robins has never played an NHL game. Thornton has two Stanley Cup rings, a reputation as one of the league s best fighters, and hockey sense that rivals any of his more skilled teammates. The question is when Thornton s decline will take place. It looks like we re going to be a good team until I m done, Thornton said. I d rather be in a winning environment, which is huge for me. Chasing the nut, I guess. Krug good to go Torey Krug was declared fit to play against the Canadiens. He missed practice on Tuesday because of an undisclosed injury... Adam McQuaid didn t play. Last Saturday against Columbus, McQuaid aggravated the lower-body injury that knocked him out for eight games in November... Jordan Caron was a healthy scratch for the third straight game... Kevan Miller, recalled on an emergency basis Monday, was also scratched... Linus Arnesson, the Bruins second-round pick in 2013, was named to Team Sweden s preliminary World Junior Championship roster. Boston Globe LOADED:

11 Boston Bruins Canadiens outlast Bruins in Montreal By Fluto Shinzawa / Globe Staff / December 5, 2013 MONTREAL A rotten second period sunk the Bruins chances at a road win against the Canadiens on Thursday night. Montreal scored both of its goals in the second to claim a 2-1 victory at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens, trailing, 1-0, after the first period, roared back to take a 2-1 lead. Tomas Plekanec started the rally with a sharp-angle goal on Tuukka Rask at 9:16. Rask was scrambling to stop a Brian Gionta shot, but had time to square up on Plekanec. Instead, Rask let the puck in over his left shoulder. The Canadiens pulled ahead at 17:42. Rask kicked out a close-range Raphael Diaz shot. But Max Pacioretty found the rebound and tapped a backhander past Rask. The Canadiens attempted 30 shots in the second period. The Bruins had only nine attempts. The Bruins scored the only goal of the first period. Andrei Markov floated a pass into the neutral zone that Dennis Seidenberg blocked. Seidenberg kicked the puck forward to Milan Lucic, who exploded into the offensive zone. As P.K. Subban dived to seal off Lucic s pass, the left wing backhanded the puck to Gregory Campbell. Before goalie Carey Price could slide over, Campbell one-touched the puck into the net at 17:35. The Bruins lost Johnny Boychuk at 4:28 of the first period. Boychuk was injured when Pacioretty hit the defenseman from behind, sending him into the end boards in the Montreal zone. The left side of Boychuk s torso appeared to slam into the dasher. Boychuk, in immediate pain, fell to the ice. He was on his hands and knees when trainer Don DelNegro arrived. Replays showed Boychuk trying to catch his breath. DelNegro quickly waved for help from the Montreal bench. Several more trainers and medical personnel walked onto the ice. The medical staff carefully moved Boychuk from his hands and knees onto his right side. They then positioned him onto a board. With help from Zdeno Chara and Lucic, the personnel lifted Boychuk onto a stretcher. Boychuk was conscious the entire time. He was taken via ambulance to Montreal General Hospital. Boston Globe LOADED:

12 Boston Bruins Johnny Boychuk returning to Boston with team Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff December 5, :52 PM Johnny Boychuk was cleared to fly back to Boston with his teammates Thursday night. After the Bruins 2-1 loss to the Canadiens, Boychuk was en route to the Bell Centre from Montreal General Hospital. According to Jarome Iginla, Boychuk injured his back in the first period when he was hit from behind by Max Pacioretty. Boychuk was taken off the ice on a stretcher. It is unknown how much time Boychuk will miss because of the injury. The Bruins host Pittsburgh on Saturday, then start a four-game Canadian road swing in Toronto the following night. It was an injury serious enough to bring him to the hospital, coach Claude Julien said. Definitely, I think it will be a little while before he s good to go. Boston Globe LOADED:

13 Boston Bruins Boychuk taken off ice on stretcher at Bruins game in Montreal By Fluto Shinzawa / Globe Staff / December 5, 2013 MONTREAL Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk has been taken off the Bell Centre ice on a stretcher after being injured in the first period of Thursday night s Bruins-Canadiens game. Boychuk was hurt when Montreal s Max Pacioretty checked him into the end boards in the Canadiens zone. Boychuk was in immediate pain, on his hands and knees, before medical staff carefully positioned him on his side, then onto his back. With help from Zdeno Chara and Milan Lucic, Boston and Montreal trainers lifted Boychuk, who was lying on a board, onto a stretcher. Pacioretty was called for boarding. Boston Globe LOADED:

14 Boston Bruins Tonight's Bruins lineup Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff December 5, :04 PM Based on pregame warmups: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jarome Iginla Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Loui Eriksson Carl Soderberg-Chris Kelly-Reilly Smith Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Dougie Hamilton Matt Bartkowski-Torey Krug Tuukka Rask Chad Johnson * Carey Price (12-8-2, 2.00 GAA,.937 save percentage) will start in goal for the Canadiens. Boston Globe LOADED:

15 Boston Bruins Game 28 preview: Bruins at Canadiens Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff December 5, :10 AM MONTREAL Good morning from the Bell Centre, where the Bruins will kick off the Boston-Montreal rivalry Thursday against the Canadiens. Montreal is coming off a 4-3 road shootout win over New Jersey. Peter Budaj started against the Devils, which should leave Carey Price in goal tonight against the Bruins. The Bruins will be without Adam McQuaid, who aggravated his lower-body injury against Columbus last Saturday. McQuaid did not travel to Montreal. Puck drop: 7:30 p.m. TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Jamie Erdahl), 98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers) Records: Bruins , Canadiens Projected Bruins lineup: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jarome Iginla Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Loui Eriksson Carl Soderberg-Chris Kelly-Reilly Smith Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Dougie Hamilton Dennis Seidenberg-Torey Krug Matt Bartkowski-Johnny Boychuk Tuukka Rask Chad Johnson Healthy scratches: Jordan Caron, Kevan Miller Storylines: Kevan Miller is with the Bruins. Miller was recalled on an emergency basis because of injuries earlier this week to McQuaid and Torey Krug. Assuming Krug plays tonight, Miller should be the healthy scratch. Miller has never played an NHL road game David Desharnais scored Montreal s winning goal in the shootout last night. Desharnais also scored the game-tying goal at 19:23 of the third period As usual, Montreal has been good on the power play. The Canadiens have scored on 23.8 percent of their power plays, fourth-best in the NH L Possible scrappers include George Parros (37 penalty minutes), Brandon Prust (31), and Ryan White (25). Zdeno Chara and Milan Lucic have fought in consecutive games Tim Peel and Dave Jackson will be the referees. Brad Kovachik and Matt MacPherson will be the linesmen. Boston Globe LOADED:

16 Boston Bruins Notebook: Johnny Boychuk flies home with team Friday, December 6, 2013 Stephen Harris, Bruins Notebook entertainment sport. The players know that, and these are the type of games that people want to watch.... The Bruins host the Penguins tomorrow night at the Garden, then open a four-game trip Sunday in Toronto, with stops in Calgary and Edmonton before ending next Saturday in Vancouver, the first visit since the B s hoisted the 2011 Stanley Cup on the Canucks home ice, touching off massive riots in the city. Boston Herald LOADED: MONTREAL The hit looked fairly ordinary, not overly dangerous. But the outcome of the hit into the end boards that Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk took from Max Pacioretty early in last night s game was very unpleasant to witness. Boychuk remained frozen on hands and knees for several minutes, appearing to be in grave discomfort and afraid, or unable, to move. The medical team came to his aid and he was slowly lowered onto a backboard, first onto his side, then his back. After probably minutes of aid, Boychuk was taken off on a stretcher and to Montreal General Hospital. He suffered a possible back injury, but released to fly home with the team after the Canadiens 2-1 win. Johnny is on his back right now from the hospital, said B s coach Claude Julien shortly after the game. He was cleared to fly back with us. He s still obviously injured. We don t know the severity of it. I don t know all the details, but obviously it was an injury serious enough to bring him to the hospital. I think he s going to be a little while before he s good to go. I don t know exactly how much time. Obviously he seemed like he wasn t able to move. Whether it s his back, I don t know exactly. I don t like to comment on things I don t know much about, and give false information. We ll see (today). No doubt we ll have a clearer explanation and probably more details from our own doctors. But they did a great job here. They took good care of him. Pacioretty was assessed a two-minute boarding minor. The Bruins, already missing Adam McQuaid, again played most of the game with five defensemen. Pacioretty was apologetic about the play, and no one in the B s room saw the hit as malicious or worthy of major penalty. I think it was deserving of a two-minute penalty, said Julien. I m being honest here, I don t think it was more than that. It was probably the way he went into the boards that did most of the damage, not from the severity of the hit. We have to be honest if we re going to clean up this game. To turn around and said it should have been a game (misconduct) or suspension, I don t think so. Oh Canada! Bruins fans favorite Canadien, P.K. Subban, is considered a very good bet for a spot on the Canadien Olympic team. Julien, who ll be an assistant coach for Team Canada, termed him, an electrifying player. He makes a lot of things happen when he carries the puck. He s hard to stop. He s one of those guys who s in the conversation for a spot on the team. Bruins center Chris Kelly wondered how Subban, the Habs top scorer ( totals), could be left off of the Olympic team. When you win the Norris Trophy, when you re voted the best defenseman in the league, it d be kind of weird if he wasn t considered, said Kelly. Also, reports here say Hockey Canada will hold a spot to the last second for Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos, who broke his leg in Boston on Nov. 11 and is healing quickly. Finally, they meet In Game 28 of the Bruins season, the first clash with the Canadiens happened. This is a game everyone has been waiting for, fans and players alike, said Julien before the loss. This is a great rivalry. These are easy game to get up for, both sides. And (they) end up being pretty entertaining games. This is an

17 Boston Bruins B s get stuck in middle Friday, December 6, 2013 Stephen Harris MONTREAL The Bruins played two-thirds of a terrific game last night. Which, as is so often the case, was one-third too few. The Bruins, even having to deal with the emotional and frightening loss of defenseman Johnny Boychuk to a potentially severe injury, more or less dominated the first and third periods against the Canadiens. But inconsistency has been the prime subplot of this B s season, and their inexplicably poor play in the second period was all the Habs needed to steal a 2-1 victory. I thought our first period was still good, said B s coach Claude Julien of the manner in which his team re-focused after Boychuk was stretchered off the ice and taken to a hospital just 4:28 into the game. The B s got a goal from Gregory Campbell, set up nicely on a 2-on-1 pass from Milan Lucic, and went to the first intermission worried about their teammate but feeling good about their game. That feeling didn t last long in Period 2. Despite the fact the B s hadn t played a game in five days and the Canadiens were playing their third game in four nights, the home team came out storming in the second and got goals from longtime B s-killer Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty whose hit sent Boychuk to the emergency room. Our second period was atrocious and embarrassing, said Julien. That cost us the game. If we would have played the middle period like we did the first and the third, we d be standing here with a win right now. The win gave the Canadiens an streak and vaulted them past the B s into the Atlantic Division lead. You ve got to take the blame for what you did and didn t do, said Julien. We didn t show up in the second period. We allowed them to score two goals on us. That cost us the game. I liked our third period. We had lots of chances. Carey (Price) stood tall for his team. We weren t able to finish. But at the same time, we didn t need to be in that position if we showed up for the second period. What they did to us in the second, we were supposed to do to them. We didn t do it. Campbell s goal came off a mid-ice turnover and quick B s transition, as Lucic jumped down the right slot on a 2-on-1, fed a perfect pass across to Campbell to his left, where the centerman one-timed a quick forehander past Price. The B s were clearly the better team in Period 1. But the second 20 minutes belonged to the home team, who scored twice to take a 2-1 lead to the third. First, Plekanec put a bad goal behind Rask, shortside, from deep in the right circle. Then late in the period, after Rask made a great splitting save on defenseman Raphael Diaz shot from the right circle, the goalie couldn t recover in time as Pacioretty backhanded the rebound from mid-slot. (Plekanec) was on the side of the net and I gave him too much net to shoot at, said Rask, who is in his career vs. Montreal. I didn t adjust my angle and he scored. The second one was a high rebound to the middle. So, goals get scored. But if you look at the way we played in the second period, you can t be happy with that. It s just weird how we do it sometimes turn it on and off like that. The Bruins certainly did flip the switch back on for the final 20 minutes, in which the ice seemed, as they say, to be tilted. They played most of the period in the Montreal end, with a 16-6 edge in shots. There were myriad good chances, from Reilly Smith, Jarome Iginla, Lucic, Dennis Seidenberg and others. We had a very strong first period and a very strong third period, said Iginla. In the second period, we got totally outplayed. We gave them a chance to find life in their home building and they took it. We knew they played (Wednesday) night and we didn t take advantage of it. You ve got to play a full game. We always talk about it, but we didn t do it. Julien had proven prescient before the game when he was asked about the B s scheduling advantage. Ah, the schedule is the schedule, he said yesterday morning. On the one side, it s not an excuse; and on the other side, it doesn t guarantee anything. On a night of injury and insult for the Bruins, he was so right. Boston Herald LOADED: