SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF

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1 SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF Anaheim Ducks Ducks confident in core, see playoffs in future A rough idea of how this series will go Boston Bruins Get ready to match the stars No playoff action for Horton Using all four lines will be the Bruins' strategy for the postseason Power play is on their minds Bruins take ice for final practice before Game Nathan Horton ruled out for postseason Bruins 5 keys to the series Matching up the Bruins-Capitals series Bruins look to beat odds No Nathan Horton for this postseason run David Krejci s up for repeat Bruins hope to start like they finished Buffalo Sabres Regier, Ruff will stay put Sabres staying with Ruff, Regier Sabres' Ennis moved by shift Sabres staying with Ruff, Regier Sabres' Gerbe among 17 named to U.S. world championship team; Ruff reportedly declines chance Calgary Flames Flames GM will look far and wide for upgrades Rising star Ward destined for NHL job Time for Flames to better embrace youth movement Carolina Hurricanes DeCock: Canes mixed about playing in World Championships Canes Welsh earns nice check for one day s work Canes have mixed feelings about World Championships Chicago Blackhawks Ex-Hawk Vrbata flourishing in Phoenix Hawks' Toews expects to play in Game Coyotes plan: Grind down Hawks' top line series review: Blackhawks vs. Coyotes Matchups, prediction: Blackhawks vs. Coyotes Players brush off talk of past Kane's newest move: Maturity Hawks believe they're in position for run to Cup Hawks vs. Coyotes: Season series in review Coyotes seeking Hawks-like revival Coaches friendship on hold Jonathan Toews looks like a go in opener Andrew Shaw has become a big part of what the Hawks are trying to do Hawks must be smart, patient to advance Sassone: Hawks should win round 1, but Rangers will take the Cup Blackhawks rewind: Recapping games vs. Coyotes Konroyd's postseason awards Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche gives coach Joe Sacco a two-year contract extension Avalanche gives coach Sacco a 2-year extension Columbus Blue Jackets Michael Arace commentary: Lottery loss evidence of Jackets bad luck NHL 4/12/2012 Dallas Stars Stars' Gulutzan failed by not utilizing Benn enough on power play 'Cloud' of previous ownership gone, Stars see brighter days ahead Detroit Red Wings Jamie Samuelsen's blog: Why the Red Wings will win in Red Wings' Darren Helm returns for Game 1, then leaves with injury Red Wings win special teams, but Pekka Rinne wins Game Summary: Game 1 -- Predators 3, Red Wings Octo-ticker: Referees whistle while they work Game Predators' third and fourth lines deliver in Game Red Wings don't talk about Shea Weber's hit on Henrik Zetterberg Drew Sharp: Nashville's playoff chances might be on borrowed time Nashville 3, Detroit Red Wings 2: Game 1 goes to Predators Wings Ken Holland adapts to increasing parity in NHL Wings Darren Helm cleared to play tonight vs. Predators So much for looser Red Wings pressuring Predators Referees in Wings-Predators game find way to miss some big calls Predators' Hornqvist patterns game after Wings' Tomas Holmstrom Ted Kulfan's three stars of Game Red Wings stumble against Predators in Game Red Wings' Darren Helm won't return to game, after wrist was cut by skate blade Red Wings' top video highlights: No. 1, Pavel Datsyuk's goal vs. Nashville with five seconds left Red Wings' Valterri Filppula no stranger to Nashville's Pekka Rinne on or off ice Red Wings (car) to take a beating tonight in Nashville Red Wings' Mike Babcock says he prefers to start the first round on the road Red Wings' Darren Helm to return to action tonight in Game 1 vs. Nashville Red Wings' top video highlights: No. 2, Henrik Zetterberg's blind pass between legs to Tomas Holmstrom Penalty killers could help determine Red Wings' fate in playoff series with Nashville Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom will embrace playoff experience in case it's their last NHL Network previews Red Wings-Predators: Detroit is saying 'one more year' Red Wings hope offense can once again ride 'Mule' Johan Franzen to playoff success Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg has head slammed into glass by Nashville's Shea Weber (with video) Red Wings' forward Darren Helm has surgery after being cut on forearm by skate (with video) Red Wings frustrated by missed opportunities, but encouraged by territorial play Red Wings lose Game 1 to Predators, 3-2, in penalty-filled playoff opener Predators net-front specialist Patric Hornqvist has learned well from Red Wings' Tomas Holmstrom CHUCK PLEINESS: Red Wings will win in six These aren't your daddy's Predators Oilers Notes: Omark reaches out to other teams on Oilers youngster unhappy with how time has gone in Edmonton Edmonton Oilers MacKinnon: Playoff berth next step in Oilers rebuilding plan The scrutiny of Yakupov begins

2 Tambellini taking time to ponder Oilers coaching question Some teams have never had even ONE first overall draft pick Oilers GM unapologetic Omark not top six on Oilers Tambellini Oilers want to see Renney's plan Florida Panthers It s been a while, so here is a primer for the Florida Panthers postseason Florida Panthers Solid Defense Helps Lift Team into Playoffs... Additions of Jovanovski and Campbell Benefici OnFrozenPredictions: Your 2012 Stanley Cup Playoff First Round Outlook... Panthers-Devils Pick Comes Tomorrow Your Panthers Postseason Primer: Tickets, Parking and Everything Else Florida Panthers defense develops into key unit Los Angeles Kings Inspired Kings bounce Canucks, 4-2, in playoff opener KINGS 4, VANCOUVER 2: Kings show Pen is mightier than Canucks in Game Brown postgame quotes (April 11) Carter postgame quotes (April 11) Richards postgame quotes (April 11) Penner postgame quotes (April 11) Minnesota Wild Wild GM's reputation in kids' hand Pierre-Marc Bouchard 'confident' of return to Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold calls this "the most frustrating year" Shooter Now: Minnesota Wild might draft 18-year-old defenseman at No. 7 Montreal Canadiens Last time Habs drafted No. 3 overall Lucky Luc to Habs? Nashville Predators NHL commish sees All-Star game in Nashville's future Nashville Predators beat Detroit Red Wings Nashville Predators' Shea Weber delivers big hit Wings coach motivates Predators forwards Predators Gameday: Hours before faceoff, still no Gill Predators Gameday: Make your own Rinne mask Weber gets rough as Predators wrap up victory over Red Wings Predators win game of unlikely goals, unexpected penalties New Jersey Devils With Devils entering playoffs, two emerging stars have spotlight Devils' Lou Lamoriello blames himself for missing playoffs last year Devils sign Reid Boucher to amateur tryout contract with Albany (AHL) Devils' Adam Henrique, David Clarkson will face high expectations in playoffs Newark Mayor Cory Booker's poetry slam...on the New Jersey Devils Devils back on ice as they tune up for Friday night's playoff opener Devils hot topic: Do you have faith in coach Pete DeBoer during playoffs? Ilya Kovalchuk hungry for playoff wins Marty Brodeur's mind-set all about the playoffs Devs forward thinking Ilya Kovalchuk hungry for playoff wins New York Rangers NY Rangers turn off Twitter to focus on Stanley Cup Playoffs; Blueshirts open Thursday vs. Senators at Garden NHL power rankings: NY Rangers looking up at Blues and Penguins as Stanley Cup playoffs get underway All eyes on NY Rangers All-Star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist as Blueshirts prepare for Stanley Cup playoffs NY Rangers to use Henrik Lundqvist and physical edge to their advantage against Ottawa Senators in quest for S NY Rangers turn to Chris Kreider to help during Stanley Cup playoffs, rookie out of Boston College has big-tim Rangers pick to win Stanley Cup Serby's playoff Q&A with...ryan Callahan Rangers happy to have top seed, but know tonight starts Kreider hits ice, but status in limbo Killing for the cup The Matchups Rangers Blog: Kreider knows he has to earn playing time Rangers' Callahan primed for playoff ride Chris Kreider gets primer on playing in NHL Rangers Blog: Kreider knows he has to earn playing time Henrik Lundqvist is backbone of Rangers' Cup quest Rangers sign Chris Kreider; he'll wait his turn How the Rangers and Senators match up John Tortorella molded Rangers into Cup contender NHL Thugs get the last word on Vancouver s hockey party Canucks stumble in opener, falling to Kings Gary Bettman Q&A Bettman vows officiating and discipline standards will not slacken as playoffs progress Giant Stanley Cup fountain Ottawa Senators Hawerchuk has one eye on 67's, other on Senators Carkner good to go for first round Alfredsson's all class: Melnyk Sens must solve Lundqvist Sens score praise from Rangers Anderson up for challenge of matching Lundqvist Hex appeal for Sens fans Michalek, Cowen must step up vs. Rangers Sens ready to take big bite out of Big Apple Sens carry 'quiet confidence' into Game Game Day: Sens vs. Rangers Senators send Zibanejad to Bingo Philadelphia Flyers Brutal start for Flyers Camden aquarium to rename penguins after Flyers Expert picks round-up Zac Rinaldo Blog: Day Bourdon replaces Kubina Flyers/Pens: Calm before the storm Briere ready to to go Flyers want 16 'Knock Knocks' And the series winner will be Flyers' win is one for the ages Rough start makes Flyers win sweeter Flyers stun Pens with overtime victory Briere leads huge Flyers comeback Rich Hofmann: Briere's time to shine Bourdon's fresh face Flyers Notes: Rookies get a vote of confidence In the end, the Flyers were scary good Matchups favor the Flyers Schenn making people notice now Schenn saving his best for last Another patented rally keys Flyers' OT win Flyers rally for 4-3 win in overtime Flyers' Jagr ready to face the heat in Pittsburgh Flyers Continued

3 PARENT: Pens-Flyers series likely to live up to the hype OUR WRITERS' STANLEY CUP PICKS: Flyers win series Flyers can't make a habit of getting down early in playoffs Crosby can't win it for Penguins alone as Flyers take Game Aquarium won't call them penguins right now Skate update: Briere, Grossmann in for Game Little experience, yet Flyers' rooks are hungry Pens are home but advantage might not exist Flyers-Pens Game 1: What you need to know Jagr excited to be back in the playoffs Jagr expects hostile crowd in Pittsburgh Jackson's Five: Factors that will decide Flyers-Pens Jagr expects hostile crowd in Pittsburgh Game 1 Notes: Rookies, comebacks and OTs Clutch Briere keys Flyers' late Game 1 rally Bryzgalov overcomes Penguins (and bears) Clutch Briere keys Flyers' late Game 1 rally Hartman: Philly pulls off sports trifecta Flyers pull off wild comeback in Game 1 win Flyers vs. Penguins: Philly's best rivalry Young & Restless Giroux must lead way against Pens Bears fill the seats in Pittsburgh Penguins' Crosby has seen it all Voracek's overtime goal brings Flyers back from 3-0 deficit Phoenix Coyotes Glendale mayor: City to talk with 1 Phoenix Coyotes buyer Coyotes vs. Blackhawks Glendale official: Coyotes deal could come this month Phoenix Coyotes ready to get 'intense' Dave Tippett: Phoenix Coyotes in playoff mode for weeks Pittsburgh Penguins Fans cheer Pens at playoff game rally Penguins defenseman Lovejoy returns early from knee surgery Wakeup Call: Penguins double-disappearing act Pens undone by power play Philly's Bryzgalov bounces back in win over Penguins Flyers rally past host Penguins in Game 1 of NHL playoff series Flyers roar back to beat Penguins in Game 1 of series Penguins find script painfully familiar Bylsma says recent flareups, remarks not new to rivalry Jagr keep his eyes on the prize A long, hard fall for Penguins Penguins have no answers for Flyers' resiliency Flyers' Jagr ignores jeers from crowd, keeps his eyes on prize Penguins blow 3-0 lead, lose in overtime San Jose Sharks Ryane Clowe healthy again as San Jose Sharks face St. Louis Blues in NHL playoffs Low expectations might bode well for Sharks San Jose Sharks putting puzzle together as they meet St. Louis Blues in NHL playoffs How San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues match up Sharks' Ryane Clowe refreshed after 2 days off Martin Havlat is key to Sharks' success Experience Sharks' biggest asset on paper Burns' first year a season-long adjustment Halak to start in goal for Blues Thursday St Louis Blues Hitchcock leans on ex-sharks for playoff pointers No question: Halak will start the series Elliott nursing injury but 'he's fine to play Bernie: Blues, though green, should win opening series Blues open Stanley Cup playoffs against Sharks tonight Halak will start in goal for Blues' playoff opener Blues lack great deal of playoff experience Breaking down the Blues and Sharks Halak will be in net for series opener Veterans have been a big key for Blues Blues and Sharks are ready to lace them up for Game 1 Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts notes: Stamkos won't need surgery Tampa Bay Lightning's Nate Thompson, J.T. Brown, Teddy Purcell to play in world tournament Tampa Bay Lightning's Guy Boucher could be a candidate to helm Team Canada at World Championships Washington Capitals Capitals have a new attitude going into the playoffs NHL playoffs: Capitals Alex Ovechkin can make amends after difficult season Capitals turn to a confident Braden Holtby in net against Bruins, with Neuvirth and Vokoun injured Sjogren practices with Capitals for first time since camp Holtby to start; Neuvirth to make trip to Boston Capitals-Bruins: five storylines to watch Capitals not worried about Braden Holtby handling playoff havoc Capitals Joel Ward knows playoffs offer a chance for him to step up Jeff Schultz could return to Capitals lineup vs. Bruins Capitals-Bruins NHL playoffs primer Capitals relish role as underdogs Capitals' matchup with Bruins won't be easy Websites ESPN / Danny Briere steps it up ESPN / A lot riding on play of Flyers rookies ESPN / Debate: Who will win the West? ESPN / Five storylines to watch ESPN / Five Conn Smythe candidates ESPN / Never mind the hate, Pens say NBCSports.com / Nathan Horton will miss entire 2012 playoffs with concussion CNN/Sports Illustrated / INSIDE THE NHL Pens can't bear to digest stunning series-opening setback to Flyers CNN/Sports Illustrated / Michael Farber INSIDE THE NHL Concussion factor makes playoffs so many games of chanc CNN/Sports Illustrated / Darren Eliot VIEW FROM THE ICE First round series breakdown: Predators (4) vs. Red Wi Sportsnet.ca / Brophy on Leafs: Fifth pick isn't so bad USA TODAY / Tough choice, but Chara gets Norris vote YAHOO SPORTS / Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov survives explosive Penguins and mocking bears Winnipeg Jets Jets' Slater man of the worlds Slater named to Team USA roster SPORT-SCAN, INC. (941) phone (619) fax Anaheim Ducks Ducks confident in core, see playoffs in future By ERIC STEPHENS ANAHEIM Years of slow starts and manic second-half finishes should have taught the Ducks a lesson heading into the season.

4 It didn't. And winning four of their first five games seemed to leave the team more susceptible to the miserable next 2 1/2 months where they spun out of control. The Ducks, who started the season full of high expectations after their 2011 playoff appearance, cleaned out their lockers earlier this week and were left wondering not what could have been but what should have been. "We should have been a playoff team this year," winger Bobby Ryan said. "It really was a month and a half skid where nothing went right. You go.500 in that stretch and it's a completely different season. We're not having this conversation right now. "There's some guys here, myself included, that are going to take some heat for not being the playoffs and that's justifiably so." The Ducks spiraled downward from the middle of October to the start of January, winning just six of 34 games and gaining only 18 points during that awful stretch which left them just above Columbus in the NHL basement. Core players Ryan, center Ryan Getzlaf, winger Corey Perry and goaltender Jonas Hiller struggled mightily, leaving Teemu Selanne, 41, to carry a team already lacking in quality depth. Two victories in an 18-game span clearly showed the Ducks had stopped listening to longtime coach Randy Carlyle, leaving General Manager Bob Murray to give his friend the pink slip. Murray threatened more changes as his club fell to after a Jan. 4 loss to San Jose. The threat worked as the Ducks responded under new coach Bruce Boudreau but finished far out of the postseason. The question will be how far does Murray want go with changes? "There's a lot of good things that happened in the second half that we have to focus on," Murray said. "I'm not disregarding what happened in the first half. That's two of three we've missed the playoffs. And that's the same sort of guys that have been here four of those years." Perry, who has 87 goals in the past two seasons, isn't going anywhere. Neither is Hiller, nor young defensemen Cam Fowler and Luca Sbisa. Murray hopes Selanne is willing to postpone retirement after leading the Ducks with 66 points. Getzlaf's 11-goal, 57-point season is easily his worst, but the physical, playmaking center would be hard to replace and will enter a contract year where he could be playing for big money. Murray figures to have a conversation or two with the captain. Ryan is the wild card. Ryan just finished his fourth consecutive 30-goal campaign to open his NHL career but was also the centerpiece of many trade offers early on and could be used to improve their defense and deepen their lineup. Ryan said he feels more secure about his future with the team than he did in November when the trade speculation was at full boil. "Things change obviously," he said. "I haven't been given any direction as to why I wouldn't. As far as I'm concerned, I'm going away for the summer and coming back a Duck." One positive development is Hiller, who was a big question mark after being dogged by continued vertigo-like symptoms to end last season but reestablished himself as a franchise goalie by appearing in a career-high 73 games. "Jonas Hiller is back," Murray said. "Let's face it, we were worried about him coming into the season. We were really worried about him at the end of November and December. I don't think anybody's worried any more. That's huge." The Ducks also feel good about what is coming down the line. Rookie winger Devante Smith-Pelly acquitted himself well at 19, and center Nick Bonino took some large strides toward becoming an everyday player. Meanwhile, Kyle Palmieri should be ready to win a job in the fall while firstround picks Peter Holland and Emerson Etem are a step closer to NHL duty. A spot on the Ducks' blue line is all but set for top college defenseman Justin Schultz if he signs. As far as the club's eight unrestricted free agents, the Ducks will certainly welcome back Selanne and want to re-sign center Saku Koivu. They will say goodbye to wingers Jason Blake and Niklas Hagman as well as backup goalie Dan Ellis. Defensive-minded center Rod Pelley might be allowed to walk. Murray faces hard decisions on popular enforcer George Parros and rugged defenseman Sheldon Brookbank. Boudreau didn't play Parros much down the stretch while Brookbank might seek a raise from his $800,000 salary after his career year. To a man, the Ducks believe they aren't far away from being a playoff team again. Boudreau said one of the reasons he jumped at the job opening at the end of November was the kind of core that was present. But that core has to take to heart the hard lesson of this season. Getzlaf pointedly said, "this was the first year where we played like we weren't a team" when talking about their brutal start. "Having this long summer and watching the other guys play for the Stanley Cup, that feeling is going to help you next year for sure," Selanne said. "And if that doesn't help you, then you're in the wrong sport." Orange County Register: LOADED: Boston Bruins A rough idea of how this series will go By Kevin Paul Dupont This is guaranteed fun. The Bruins and Capitals meet Thursday night at the Garden for Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, and based on the snippets of postseason history between these two teams, bad blood will boil, crazy plays will unfold, and the ghost of Dale Hunter - not past, but present - will be stationed behind the Washington bench as coach. [Bleep] Dale Hunter! bellowed then-bruins coach Mike Milbury, fuming amid the 1990 Cup semifinal series between the clubs, when Hunter, born with a perpetual snicker, was still in residence as the game s No. 1 mayhem maker and cheap-shot artist. I wouldn t have him on my team if he was the last guy on Earth. In that series, Hunter, then 29 years old, all but decapitated slick Boston center Craig Janney with a vicious head-hunting shot in the slot. As I recall, said Boston defenseman Bob Beers, thinking back some 22 years to his rookie NHL season, he also gave Janney another shot or two after he hit the ice. Hunter, for the record, was not the guy who broke Beers s leg in Game 4 of that series, which the Bruins swept to advance to the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers. Fourth-line winger Tim Berglund did the honors, catching Beers with an ugly leg check and snapping his leg near the right knee, a steel rod required to make Beers whole again. No one on the current rosters matches Hunter for, shall we say, rawboned irascibility and evildoing. Even without his presence or his menace, however, it will be a physical series, because that s just the way it is at this time of year, with 16 wins hanging there as the fruit of a championship. It would be a franchise first for the Capitals and the second in as many seasons for the Bruins. It got rough between these two in the 1998 playoffs, too, when good pals Byron Dafoe and Olaf Kolzig dropped their goalie gear and pummeled one another silly in a battle royale at the Garden, adding to a pile of 210 penalty minutes that night. Earlier, with that first-round series knotted, 1-1, the Bruins believed they won Game 3 when P.J. Axelsson fired a shot by Kolzig midway through the first overtime. But the goal was wiped off the board when replay showed that one of Tim Taylor s skate blades was in the crease before Axelsson fired. Ex-Bruin Joe Juneau won it for the Capitals in the second overtime, and Washington went on to clinch the series in six games. Fourteen years later, the Capitals have one of the game s superstars in Alex Ovechkin, the dynamic winger/point man whose offense fell off dramatically this season amid Hunter s return as coach.

5 With Bruce Boudreau as the bench boss, the uber-talented Ovechkin raced around and fired away, making him one of the game s top three scoring threats. He was often unpredictable, defensively questionable, but typically money in the bank when it came to putting pucks in the net. Ovie s game was already sputtering before Hunter supplanted Boudreau, and though he had a fairly strong late kick, he finished the season with a career-low line of 38 goals and 65 points. Bruins sophomore Tyler Seguin led Boston scoring this season with 29 goals and 67 points, 2 more points than one of the game s most gifted performers. Which may not portend 50-goal seasons for Seguin, but it certainly certifies that he already has put himself in big-boy conversation. The key in this series very likely will rest right where it often does in the playoffs: in the respective nets. The Bruins plan to go with Tim Thomas the whole way, as they did last spring (using the veteran stopper in all 1,542 minutes of 25 games). Thomas, who will turn 38 Sunday, won the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) for that performance, and in recent weeks he has resharpened his game after a tepid two months. Meanwhile, unless there is an update from the injury ward, the Capitals plan to roll with 22-year-old goaltender Braden Holtby - he of 21 games of NHL experience, not a minute of it in postseason. Rookie goalies are not necessarily destined to fail in the playoffs. The Canadiens rode high and hard with such newbies as Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy, even Steve Penney (not quite the mettle of the two Hall of Famers). But the postseason game is vastly different from the Game 1-through-82 version, and it s a guarantee the Bruins will make shots on net a top priority, along with heavy traffic in and around the crease. A hectored Holtby could have the Capitals in a 2-0 hole before the series reaches D.C. Monday night. Not likely they would then take four out of five against the defending Cup champs. Boston coach Claude Julien noted Monday, when asked about line-by-line matchups, that Hunter doesn t care about conventional wisdom. He and Hunter were once employees of the same Nordiques organization, and Julien, who is conventional and disciplined in his approach to all facets of the game, knows his counterpart is far more likely to be guided by emotion, guile, feel - just as he was as a player. All the while, Hunter knows he has charge of a group that perennially failed in the playoffs under Boudreau because it couldn t master the heavy, disciplined, defensive game that it takes to win at this time of year. Game 1 is here. Faceoff, 7:30 p.m. The Bruins should win the series, in no more than six games, based on their superior goaltending and the thick skin that covers their hide after 25 playoff games last year. But keep in mind, if there is an X factor, it isn t so much Ovechkin, or maybe even the baby-faced Holtby, but rather the devilish mayhem wired in the head of the dastardly Hunter. He was a man born to toss rocks through picture windows. The NHL showcase window is just his kind of event. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Get ready to match the stars Hunter, Julien could be busy with changes By Fluto Shinzawa WILMINGTON - Think of the Jamaicaway, Memorial Drive, and Route 3 South during rush hour. That s how bad the traffic will be in front of both benches when the Bruins start their Stanley Cup defense at TD Garden Thursday night. The game within the games will be how Bruins coach Claude Julien and Capitals counterpart Dale Hunter manage their matchups. The primary showdown will be between Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara and Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin. When Ovechkin hits the ice, Chara will be in his face. That won t be the only one. Hunter has been an NHL coach only since Nov. 28, 2011, when he replaced Bruce Boudreau. But in less than five months, Hunter has gained a reputation for being one of the league s strictest matchers. His insistence on hard matching will lead to a flurry of midstream changes that will wear out the ice in front of his bench. That s a big distinction between Bruce Boudreau and Dale, said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. He s a real hard matcher. A few times, I ve spoken to Claude after we played Washington and before in preparation. We talk about the matching. I think that plays to Claude s strength. He can respond and mix the lines a little bit. I think our depth through the forward position allows us to mix the lines and throw a hard matcher off. So I think you ll see some of those games within the game. As the home coach, Julien will have the advantage in Games 1 and 2 of the last change before faceoffs. If Hunter rolls out top-liners Ovechkin, Brooks Laich, and Troy Brouwer along with No. 1 defensive pairing Karl Alzner and John Carlson, Julien will counter with Chara and Dennis Seidenberg, his ace shutdown pair. Julien could also deploy Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and Tyler Seguin, his preferred matchup line. It s after the puck drops when mayhem could break out. If the Capitals win the draw and gain puck possession, they could change personnel on the fly. Ideally, Hunter wants to change regularly enough that Ovechkin somehow hits the ice immediately after a Chara shift. Because of Chara s size, reach, and positioning, the Boston captain is effective at neutralizing one of Ovechkin s favorite maneuvers - lurking behind the defense, blowing the zone, and pulling in a stretch pass. Against smaller and less mobile defensemen, Ovechkin is especially dangerous off the rush because of his size, speed, and shot. Guys who play against him probably want to keep a tighter gap, said Joe Corvo, who played with Ovechkin last year. He s the only one you really want to keep a gap with. If he s stretching out the neutral zone, then you ve got to put a guy on him. Other than that, it s the same as it s been all year long. You ve just to keep good gaps. They ve got some fast guys, and giving them more room is not the answer. The Bruins will have to be ready to change on the fly, too. That s part of the playoffs, that line matching, said Bruins center Chris Kelly. That s nothing new. We ve dealt with that in the past. A coach is going to do what he thinks is best to help his team win. Line matching is important. But by no means is it going to affect the game or the outcome too dramatically. Julien likes certain matchups. He will deploy Chara and Seidenberg, along with the Bergeron line, against Ovechkin s unit. He will most likely roll out Andrew Ference and Johnny Boychuk, his second defensive pairing, against Washington s No. 2 line of Jason Chimera, Nicklas Backstrom, and Alexander Semin. In turn, Julien will do his best to avoid certain scenarios. If Hunter manages to slip Ovechkin s line out against Greg Zanon and Corvo, Julien will scramble to send Chara and Seidenberg over the boards. But Julien doesn t sound as if he ll get sucked into shadowing Hunter s every move. The Bruins thrive when they re rolling four lines, wearing opponents down, and creating momentum on the forecheck. If the Bruins become too concerned with matchups, they might not have the rhythm to create. If he wants to hard match and we want to hard match, are we taking away part of our game? That s the thing we ll have to decide as we go along here, Julien said. At least with home-ice advantage, on faceoffs, you get to pick and choose. But if he wants to change on the fly and we continue trying to do that, then I think a lot of it will be playing into their strengths versus ours. Boston Globe LOADED:

6 Boston Bruins No playoff action for Horton Concussion turns out to be a season-ender By Fluto Shinzawa WILMINGTON - Neither Nathan Horton nor his employers thought much of Tom Sestito s glancing hit Jan. 22. The Philadelphia forward left Horton with a mild concussion, and the plan was for the Bruins right wing to sit out the Jan. 24 game against Washington, recover during the All-Star break, and resume playing in early February. Concussions, however, can tear apart even the most basic plans. After watching Horton struggle through more than two months of recovery, the Bruins announced Wednesday that his season was over. For the second straight year, Horton will not be in uniform for his team s final game. It just wasn t in the long-term interests of Nathan to have the spectre hanging over him of trying to come back during this playoff season, said general manager Peter Chiarelli. He s made one step forward and two steps back. We just made the determination, upon consultation with our doctors and with Nathan, that it would be prudent to shut him down for the playoffs and continue to rehab for next year. Horton suffered a severe concussion in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final last spring when he was blasted by Vancouver s Aaron Rome. Horton was well enough to travel with the team to Vancouver for Game 7, and prior to that game, he poured a bottle of water from melted TD Garden ice onto the Rogers Arena sheet. According to Chiarelli, Horton s latest concussion was not related to last June s. After Sestito s hit, Horton complained of headaches and grogginess. Horton resumed skating on his own Feb. 5, but his symptoms flared up, forcing him to halt. Most recently, Horton had been working out vigorously off the ice and even skated with Tuukka Rask last Friday at Ristuccia Arena. Horton s stretches of progress gave the Bruins optimism for a return. But those upward trends were always offset by setbacks. They weren t huge symptoms, but they d always come up at some point after three, four, five, or six days of positive stuff, Chiarelli said. It was a frustrating exercise for Nathan. It was a frustrating exercise for us, because we ve been through this rehab before with players. I ve seen all kinds of rehab patterns now. Usually you can see, when the player has color and when he s animated, you think he s turned the corner. Then they have a bout of postconcussion symptoms. They manifest themselves in different ways. With Nathan, sometimes it would be just a fogginess. Sometimes he wouldn t feel right. Sometimes there d be a big headache. According to Chiarelli, Horton felt some relief after the decision. Horton was pushing himself to return for the playoffs, which added to his frustration when he suffered setbacks. Horton s mood, however, has been lightened by the birth of his second son late last month. His absence leaves the Bruins without one of their clutch postseason performers. Horton scored the Game 7 overtime winner against Montreal in the first round last spring and had the only goal in the 1-0 Game 7 win over Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference final. Rich Peverley has been skating in Horton s usual spot alongside Milan Lucic and David Krejci. Part of the Bruins success last year was having enough depth to slot Peverley on the third line. Horton s final line of the season: 17 goals, 15 assists in 46 games. In his case, it s probably the best thing for, No. 1, him, coach Claude Julien said. As an organization, you ve got to make the right decision. He s tried to come back a few times. He s had some setbacks lately. You could tell he was feeling the pressure of trying to come back for the playoffs. When you re not feeling well, that s not right. It was important for us to let him know we re going to shut him down for the rest of the year. McQuaid will sit Adam McQuaid (eye/head) will not play in Game 1 against the Capitals. The defenseman, who missed all three practices this week, was shut down in the second period of last Thursday s 3-1 win over Ottawa because he wasn t feeling right. He has not been diagnosed with a concussion. McQuaid was originally injured March 29, when Jason Chimera, Washington s No. 2 left wing, blasted him into the TD Garden end boards. McQuaid missed the next three games because his left eye had swollen shut. Joe Corvo will likely replace McQuaid. Corvo has been practicing alongside Greg Zanon on the third pairing. Khudobin likely No. 2 Anton Khudobin will likely serve as Tim Thomas s backup to start the series. Rask (abdomen/groin strain) practiced the last three days but he has not been cleared to play... Johnny Boychuk (knee sprain) made it through all three practices without limitations. While Julien said Boychuk is not 100 percent, the defenseman should be in the Game 1 lineup alongside Andrew Ference... The Bruins spent a good chunk of Wednesday s practice touching up their power play. It was the second straight practice in which they ran through PP drills... Mike Mottau and Jordan Caron project to be the healthy scratches for Game 1 Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Using all four lines will be the Bruins' strategy for the postseason By Fluto Shinzawa The third line made its loudest contributions in the opening round, when Michael Ryder made a sparkling glove save on Tomas Plekanec and Chris Kelly punched in a series against the Canadiens. Nobody has forgotten about the fourth line. In Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Canucks pushed their hardest in the first period. In response, Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, and Shawn Thornton were at their hostile best, holding the fort until the rest of their boys got their games in gear. Tim Thomas was dynamite in goal. Defensemen Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg placed opponents on lockdown. But a critical component of the Bruins Cup run was their four-line approach and how each unit, based on its identity, executed its tasks. A year later, some of the faces have changed. The philosophy remains the same. All four lines must be rolling and in synch if the Bruins wish to dispatch the Capitals in the first round, which begins Thursday at TD Garden. Our team is built a certain way where we have to play a certain style, coach Claude Julien said. That s not about to change. That s what allowed us to win last year. Our scoring is spread out. So we need everybody going. We like to grind things out. When we do that, we re at our best. Julien s four-line system is born of necessity. There are teams that can lean heavily on star forwards. This season, New Jersey s Ilya Kovalchuk led all NHL forwards by averaging 24:26 of ice time per game. Tampa Bay s Martin St. Louis (22:37) and Steven Stamkos (22:01) weren t far behind.

7 In comparison, Bergeron led all Boston forwards with 18:34 of action per game, five-plus minutes off Kovalchuk s pace. Boston s forwards can t assume as much ice time as others because Julien insists they work harder than most. The heart of Julien s collapsing-zone defensive system is to eliminate scoring chances from in front of the net. To carry out that task, wingers must not only pressure point shooters, they must collapse into the slot. Centers are often the last to leave the defensive zone because of their multiple checking responsibilities. Pivots must be in position down low to receive the first outlet pass from defensemen, swing the other way, and initiate the rush. No center is more efficient in that than Bergeron. To start the series, Bergeron will most likely be matched against Alex Ovechkin, Brooks Laich, and Troy Brouwer, Washington s first-line forwards. Bergeron s primary task will be defense. But given the speed and skill of wingmen Tyler Seguin (29 goals) and Marchand (28), Bergeron will look to trigger the counterattack Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Power play is on their minds By Fluto Shinzawa WILMINGTON - For much of Tuesday s practice at Ristuccia Arena, the Bruins worked on the power play. They have no intentions of seeing the man-advantage submit a flat line against Washington in the first round of the playoffs. Not waiting until the finals, coach Claude Julien cracked when asked how the power play needed to improve from last year s postseason. That would be one key. Last year, the Bruins clawed past Montreal in the opening round despite going 0 for 21 on the power play. They may not have as many opportunities to practice their man-up situations against the Capitals. During the regular season, Washington averaged only 9.4 penalty minutes per game, sixth-fewest in the league. The Capitals killed 81.6 percent of their penalties (21st overall). The Bruins had the league s 15th-ranked power play (17.2 percent) and were blanked on it in eight of their last 10 games. On Tuesday, Zdeno Chara and Joe Corvo manned the point on the No. 1 unit in practice. David Krejci worked the left-side half-boards, Milan Lucic was parked in front of the net, and Brian Rolston hovered around the slot. On the second unit, Dennis Seidenberg and Rich Peverley worked the point. Tyler Seguin was the half-wall quarterback, Patrice Bergeron was the goal-line man, and Brad Marchand worked the net-front area. Julien acknowledged that the long-term inconsistency on the power play has been a touchy subject. But this year, he has been satisfied with just about everything - entries, setups, and puck distribution. Just not the scoring. I don t know if it s a disappointment, Julien said. This year, I found the power play to be better when it came to bringing the puck in, spending time in the offensive zone, and moving it around. Probably the biggest issue our team faced, as far as the playoffs were concerned, was the finishing. When you look at the end of the night, we take time to review that stuff. You look at the scoring chances you had on the power play. There s a lot of nights when you did everything but score. It s not as bad a situation as many people think. At the same time, I d tell you we would like our power play to be able to finish a little bit better in the playoffs. Balancing the attack In previous seasons, Nicklas Backstrom has been Alex Ovechkin s setup man in Washington. But Backstrom was sidelined 40 games this season because of a concussion. Most recently, Brooks Laich has been Ovechkin s center. Laich has more grit but lacks Backstrom s playmaking touch. Backstrom and Ovechkin could be reunited later in the series, but to start, Backstrom will most likely center the second line between Jason Chimera and Alexander Semin. That gives Washington two dangerous scoring lines instead of a top-heavy trio. The Bruins will most likely roll out Chara and Seidenberg against Ovechkin. Marchand, Bergeron, and Seguin could be reinforcements against the Washington captain. That would leave Andrew Ference and Johnny Boychuk, the club s second defensive pairing, to keep their eyes on Backstrom s line. Johnny s been one, for years, that has played against top lines, Julien said. Andrew s done a great job in that area. Spotting Corvo Adam McQuaid (eye/head) didn t practice Tuesday. It was the second straight practice he missed. Corvo skated alongside Greg Zanon on the third defensive pairing again. We re smart enough to know to put him in areas where he s going to succeed, Julien said of the offensive-minded Corvo. He s a good player when we put him in those situations.... Boychuk (knee) made it through his second straight practice without any setbacks. If he isn t sidetracked, he is likely to dress for Game 1 alongside Ference... If the expected matchups take place in Game 1, Bergeron will skate plenty of shifts against Laich. This season, Bergeron won 33 of 49 faceoffs against the left-shot Laich (67.3 percent). Cross signs on The Bruins signed Boston College defenseman Tommy Cross to a two-year entry-level contract. Cross, the Bruins second-round pick in 2007, will report to Providence for the team s final weekend of play. The BC captain won his second NCAA title Saturday. He put up a line during his senior season. The stay-at-home defenseman will most likely start in Providence... NESN reported a 4.7 average household rating for Bruins games this season, tops in the network s history... The Bruins will have a final playoff tuneup Wednesday morning at Ristuccia Arena. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Bruins take ice for final practice before Game 1 Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff April 11, 2012 The Bruins are going through their final practice prior to Game 1 on Thursday. Defenseman Adam McQuaid (eye/head) is absent for the third straight session. It s likely that McQuaid will not be available for Game 1. Joe Corvo is projected to replace McQuaid. UPDATE: Claude Julien has confirmed McQuaid will not play in Game 1. Julien does not expect Tuukka Rask to be available for Game 1. Anton Khudobin will back up Tim Thomas is Rask isn't ready to dress. Julien is optimistic that Johnny Boychuk (knee) will be available for the start. Boychuk has made it through all three practices without limitations. Today s lineup: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Rich Peverley Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Brian Rolston Daniel Paille/Jordan Caron-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk Greg Zanon-Joe Corvo Mike Mottau Tim Thomas Anton Khudobin Tuukka Rask

8 For the second straight practice, the Bruins are going through power-play work. Same units as Tuesday. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Nathan Horton ruled out for postseason by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff April 11, 2012 WILMINGTON The Bruins have announced that forward Nathan Horton will not appear in the postseason. Horton hasn t played since suffering a concussion on Jan. 22. "In his case, it's probably the best thing for, No. 1, him," Claude Julien said. "As an organization, you've got to make the right decision. He's tried to come back a few times. He's had some setbacks lately. You could tell he was feeling the pressure of trying to come back for the playoffs. When you're not feeling well, that's not right. It was important for us to let him know we're going to shut him down for the rest of the year." Horton was diagnosed with a mild concussion after being hit by Philadelphia s Tom Sestito. The Bruins were hopeful he would not miss much time. In 46 games this season, Horton scored 17 goals and 15 assists. This is the second straight season Horton will miss postseason time. Aaron Rome ended Horton s run last year when he blasted him in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals. GM Peter Chiarelli said he expects Horton to be ready for Rich Peverley is projected to replace Horton on the first line to start the playoffs alongside David Krejci and Milan Lucic. Boston Globe LOADED: Boston Bruins Bruins 5 keys to the series By Stephen Harris Five things to watch for as the Bruins meet the challenge of the explosive Washington Capitals: 1. Give the Caps as few power plays as possible Just think about the five guys Washington can send out for a power play: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Semin up front, Mike Green and Dennis Wideman at the points. For pure talent, is there a better group in the NHL? Injuries slowed the Caps PP unit much of the season, and the success rate (16.7) actually was poorer than the Bruins (17.2). But the key guys are back now, and giving this team unnecessary power plays with undisciplined penalties could prove deadly. 2. Make life miserable for Braden Holtby In his limited big league time, the 22-year-old has proven himself a talented goalie (22 career games, record, 1.79 goals-against average,.934 save percentage). But he is a kid seeing his first playoff action against the defending champions, so the B s need to test him early with lots of shots and traffic and see how he responds to the immense pressure on his shoulders. 3. Control Alex Ovechkin There were times earlier this season when Ovechkin seemed to have lost some of his energy and enthusiasm. That certainly was not the case down the stretch, when he put up 11 goals and 14 assists in the final 13 games. The Bruins have had problems containing Ovechkin, who, with his remarkably quick release and accurate shot, has 12 goals and 17 assists against them in 27 games. He ll freelance in the offensive zone in an effort to find open space, usually away from Zdeno Chara. The key, as with any super-talented foe, is to take away his time and space, hit him and don t allow him the room to make plays. 4. Protect the puck When the Bruins went through their lengthy stretch of mediocrity from January to March, the most troubling and damaging aspects of their play involved bad decisions and careless turnovers. They occurred in all three zones: sloppy breakouts, forcing plays and making overly fancy passes in neutral ice, and giveaways high in the offensive zone. All handed the opposition the puck and, often, scoring chances. A key to the late-season improvement was protecting the puck much better, with crisper breakouts and much better execution up ice. It s critical in the playoffs: Don t beat yourself. 5. Get the key save The Bruins won the Stanley Cup last season first and foremost because Tim Thomas delivered one of the greatest postseason goaltending performances the world has seen. Did he play at that same all-world level this season? No, at least not consistently. His worst stretch coincided, not surprisingly, with the teamwide malaise, but his best play came in the final weeks. Now he has to carry that into the playoffs and build on it during the coming weeks. Boston Herald LOADED: Boston Bruins Matching up the Bruins-Capitals series By Steve Conroy Thursday, April 12, 2012 A couple of really good Red Wings couldn t do it. An extremely talented Penguins team couldn t do it. Do the 2012 Bruins have the right stuff do it? The it we speak of is, of course, repeating as Stanley Cup champion. And no one has pulled off the trick since Detroit did it back in 1997 and As a matter of fact, only the 2009 Red Wings even made it back to the Cup finals after winning it the year before. More talented teams than the Bruins have failed to repeat in the last 13 years. But no matter how daunting their task may be, the Bruins quest begins tonight at the Garden. Though the Cup cannot be won in April, it surely can be lost. And while the Bruins should be favorites in their first-round matchup against Washington, the Capitals have enough explosive talent to make the B s very wary. These aren t Bruce Boudreau s Caps. Under coach Dale Hunter, they play a much more conservative style, which has contributed to keeping their offensive numbers down. It s a style that may not exactly play to the team s strengths, but it s one that got them into the playoffs largely without the services of top center Nicklas Backstrom. Here s a look at how these two teams stack up against each other. Forwards BRUINS Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Rich Peverley Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Brian Rolston Daniel Paille/ Jordan Caron -Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton CAPITALS Jason Chimera-Nicklas Backstrom-Alexander Semin Alex Ovechkin-Brooks Laich-Troy Brouwer