Anaheim Ducks Ducks return Etem to their AHL team

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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Ducks return Etem to their AHL team Boston Bruins Bruins blank Avalanche for 11th straight win Bruins extend tear, clinch playoff spot Dennis Seidenberg has remote chance at playoff return Game 70: Bruins at Avalanche Bruins notch 11th straight win Bruins keep streaking on Bruins Notebook: Julien keeps door open for Seids Door open for Seidenberg return? Buffalo Sabres Conacher's 'magic helmet' from Scott goes viral Conehead Conacher goes viral Losing to the Sabres is no fun as Edmonton media lashes out Calgary Flames Agostino excited to make NHL debut; Predators struggling Johnson: Never-quit always appreciated Preds offence douses Flames Westgarth won t repeat fight mistakes Calgary Flames' Tyler Wotherspoon catches up with old partner Calgary Flames lose run-and-gun battle with Nashville Predators Carolina Hurricanes Blackhawks edge Hurricanes 3-2 without Kane Blackhawks edge Hurricanes 3-2 on shorthanded goal in 3rd Chicago Blackhawks Teevo? Tyvo? A pronunciation guide to the new Hawk Teravainen ready for 'good opportunity' with Blackhawks Blackhawks defense comes to fore in 3-2 victory Teuvo Teravainen's arrival has Blackhawks excited Blackhawks handle Hurricanes Teuvo Teravainen, not Superman, arrives to Blackhawks Jonathan Toews shorty puts Blackhawks past Hurricanes Even without Kane, Hawks still find way to win Hawks expect Kane back for start of playoffs Hawks not expecting miracles from Teravainen Konroyd's keys to Hurricanes-Blackhawks Teravainen getting acclimated to the Blackhawks Teuvo Teravainen ready for opportunity with the Blackhawks Blackhawks aim to keep up momentum vs. Hurricanes Teuvo Teravainen officially joins Blackhawks Toews tallies short-handed goal to win it for Blackhawks Five things to watch as Blackhawks host Hurricanes Colorado Avalanche Paul Stastny to return to Avalanche vs. Boston Bruins Avs prepare to face red-hot Bruins; Bordeleau and Berra look back to Winnipeg While Paul Stastny returns to Avs lineup, John Mitchell remains sidelined Avs lose at home to red-hot Boston Bruins Avs get zero bounces against Bruins, lose 2-0 as Boston s winning streak climbs to 11 Columbus Blue Jackets Before the CBJ puck drops: New York Rangers Nash set for return to Nationwide Arena Johansen continues coming of age for Blue Jackets NHL 3/22/2014 DAILY BRIEF Dallas Stars Stars know playoff math but have to show their work Friday practice update: Shawn Horcoff ready to come back into the line Saturday against Ottawa Stars play host to young Philadelphia fan with irregular heartbeat GameDay: Ottawa Senators at Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings' Darren Helm: 'I feel good and ready to go' Darren Helm's possible return spurs hope on Wings' injury front Two home wins give Red Wings big lift Detroit Red Wings' David Legwand, Pittsburgh Penguins' James Neal both fined $5,000 by NHL Red Wings' Darren Helm says he's ready to play Saturday at Minnesota; final decision after warmups Daniel Alfredsson's leadership proving to be invaluable for Red Wings during playoff push Red Wings' Gustav Nyquist seeing great results after changing mindset from passer to shooter Darren Helm cleared to return to lineup; expects to play Saturday Edmonton Oilers Gazdic makes pitch for more ice time Eberle ready to rejoin Oilers lineup after knee injury Edmonton Oilers Jordan Eberle on highlight reel goal scored by Ales Hemsky: No surprise to me Oilers tough guy Luke Gazdic doesn't expect retaliation from Flames for Westgarth KO Oilers winger Jordan Eberle says knee feeling good, could be ready for Flames Florida Panthers Roberto Luongo solid despite Florida Panthers loss to Phoenix Coyotes Preview: Panthers vs. Los Angeles Kings; Saturday, 4 p.m NHL apologizes to Panthers for blown call, according to source Smith, Coyotes win 3rd straight, 2-1 over Panthers Los Angeles Kings Kings' Jeff Carter and Mike Richards get a change of practice partners Newly acquired forward Marian Gaborik proving worth to Kings March 21 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter The view from Washington March 21 morning line rushes Waking up with the Kings: March Brown analyzes his Washington performance Regular season accolades mean little to Sutter Minnesota Wild Erik Haula to return to lineup Saturday as Wild opens home-and-home with Detroit; Nate Prosser off the hook Wild notes: Coyle, Niederreiter seek to end struggles Gameday preview: Detroit at Wild Minnesota Wild: Mike Yeo wants young forwards to get physical

2 Montreal Canadiens Galchenyuk eager for chance to play centre as Canadiens visit Leafs Habs Prust out for rest of regular season; Galchenyuk moves to centre Habs will be without Prust for rest of regular season NHL tries to clear up some playoff confusion Hickey on Hockey Notebook Vanek deal looking good for Canadiens New Jersey Devils Devils say Rangers are the right opponent at the right time as season reaches must-win stage Devils' Cory Schneider: This has got to be the turning point for us Minnesota Wild star Ryan Suter on signing with Devils: 'Never ever really an option' His Jaromir Jagr mullet gone, Devils' Marek Zidlicky in hairy situation again due to uncertain future Carter: Good chance he ll play vs. Rangers; Brodeur hoping Devils fans boo Clarkson, too Carter joins Devils for small-group practice; Brodeur to start vs. Rangers; Parise loses goal Parise hears boos, gets goal in return to Rock; Sestito feels all right after taking elbow to head Jagr, Brodeur: All Devils' games are must-win Clarkson OK with jeers or cheers in return to The Rock Saturday s showdown with Rangers has even more meaning for desperate Devils New York Islanders Visnovsky, Okposo join expanding Islanders' injured list New York Rangers Rangers Top Columbus in Nash s Return Rangers v. Blue Jackets lineups and preview from Columbus: Vigneault says top players normally take lead when Rick Nash punches goalie as NY Rangers beat Blue Jackets in his return to Columbus Martin St. Louis and NY Rangers power play could snap skids all in one shift - if they get set up in the zone, Diaz may make Rangers debut on Saturday Rangers top Blue Jackets in Nash s return to Columbus Rangers can t dwell on Nash s homecoming amid playoff battle Same lineup expected for lastest crucial game Rangers 3, Blue Jackets 1: Wrapping up Nash on fight(s), return to Columbus Live Blog: Rangers at Blue Jackets, 3/ Rangers notes: Lundqvist ready to come to teammates' defense Returning to play in Columbus is special for Rangers' Rick Nash Power plays, Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis Rangers top Blue Jackets; Rick Nash booed in return to Columbus Rangers 3, Blue Jackets 1 post-game notes Rangers at Blue Jackets It s Go Time! Ottawa Senators Ken Warren s 10 Takes: How to start fixing the Senators Anderson able to practice, but not play Scanlan: Ceci rises above the Senators struggles Ottawa Senators' Cody Ceci a rare bright spot Oddsmakers give Ottawa Senators 0.8% chance Ottawa Senators' Lehner getting thick skin Philadelphia Flyers Flyers sign draft pick Robert Hagg Phillies Notebook: Disappointed Ruf heading to the disabled list Flyers have high hopes for Swede Hagg Flyers' Read and Couturier getting downright defensive Flyers Notes: Flyers sign draft pick Hagg Former Flyers coach Hitchcock has Blues on a roll Hitchcock: Flyers will be a 'bear in the playoffs' Berube well-acquainted with Hitchcock Blues offer no letup for rejuvenated Flyers Flyers ink prospect Robert Hagg to entry-level deal MacDonald, Schenn clicking on blue line for Flyers Flyers Notes: Mason, Simmonds hot at right time Flyers must be patient against Hitchcock's Blues Phoenix Coyotes Streaking Coyotes welcome red-hot Bruins Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins notebook: Bennett headed to AHL for conditioning Book on Penguins is easy to read Penguins' Neal fined for cross-checking Detroit player Penguins notebook: Beau Bennett returns to AHL team Penguins facing big weekend at home Penguins' winger Bennett on the mend San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks could clinch playoff spot Saturday night Sharks have history of success against Caps, Ovechkin Sharks can clinch playoff spot Saturday against Capitals Sharks notes: Wingels draws another key penalty No talk of avoiding Kings in Sharks' dressing room St Louis Blues Blues try to block out negative comments Blues vs. Flyers preview Miller's new goalie mask has a musical theme Blues hope to refocus after stinging loss to Blackhawks Tampa Bay Lightning Bolts Purcell hopes to break out Remembering Lightning's lost chance at repeat Lightning to Teddy Purcell: Shoot! Toronto Maple Leafs Leafs Ranger has sore neck but feeling fortunate after scary hit Leafs Paul Ranger on the mend after scary hit from behind Dave Bolland set to rejoin Maple Leafs Maple Leafs-Canadiens game preview: 7 p.m., Saturday, CBC Maple Leafs: Jonathan Bernier, Dave Bolland participate in full practice Maple Leafs: Little margin for error in battle for playoff berth Leafs Bolland, Bernier could return to face Canadiens on Saturday Maple Leafs defenceman Paul Ranger says he's thankful to avoid serious injury Maple Leafs' Troy Bodie joins father-in-law in team portrait Toronto Maple Leafs Paul Ranger recovering after scary hit from behind Maple Leafs may get Bernier, Bolland back for big game against Canadiens

3 Vancouver Canucks Torts talk: If they deem my decisions wrong, they ll show me the door Canucks, Vancouver hockey fans shouldn t be fooled by too-late revival Canucks Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler skate at practice but Alex Burrows out again PITB chats with Roberto Luongo about Twitter silence and Eddie s readiness Quirky new Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom dancing on the sidelines for now Washington Capitals Five thoughts on the Capitals 2-1 shootout loss to Los Angeles Joel Ward s 22nd goal of the year secures point for Capitals in loss to Kings Capitals sign Caleb Herbert, 2010 draft pick Capitals sign th-round draft pick Herbert Caps can t beat Jonathan Quick, fall to Kings in shootout Websites ESPN / Smith stellar since Olympic break CNN/Sports Illustrated / Mixed emotions in Columbus for Rick Nash s return to Nationwide Arena CNN/Sports Illustrated / FanSided Friday: A Better look At The Buffalo Sabres CNN/Sports Illustrated / Jamming The Crease: NHL rookies impress; Toronto turmoil; more notes CNN/Sports Illustrated / SI.com NHL fan misery rankings: No. 3 Buffalo Sabres CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: John Tortorella s future; New York Rangers next captain; more links TSN.CA Kerry Fraser/ The 'stick work' on James Neal's interference call USA TODAY / Blackhawks call up prized prospect Teuvo Teravainen Winnipeg Jets Buff, Bogo and Slater could lace 'em up against Hurricanes Jets fans quick to renew season tickets Could Monty be No. 1? Proud papa Slater sporting ear-to-ear grin Paper tigers lose edge on ice Hurricanes at Jets Jets roster in question for latest biggest game of the year Jets' Montoya making the most of his chance to start Thomson tips hat to Wheeler s OT winner SPORT-SCAN, INC

4 SPORT-SCAN NHL REPORT FOR Anaheim Ducks Detroit Red Wings The Ducks returned winger Emerson Etem to the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League on Friday after bringing him up for Thursday's game against San Jose. Etem was recalled with center Rickard Rakell on Thursday as the Ducks were shorthanded up front with Nick Bonino (foot) and Matt Beleskey (illness) unavailable. Bonino and Beleskey could be available for Sunday's home game against Florida if they're able to practice Saturday. Boston Bruins When Dennis Seidenberg injured his ACL and MCL Dec. 27 against Ottawa, the word was that the defenseman was out for the season. The timetable given was 6-8 months, and he was not expected back until training camp. Edmonton Oilers But that might not be the case anymore. While there is still not a significant chance that Seidenberg will return for the postseason, the Bruins are not ruling it out. Seidenberg is ahead of schedule in his rehab from the injury, after having surgery in early January, though he has not yet started skating. Johnny Boychuk took part in the team s morning skate, and participated in pregame warm-ups, but was a scratch for the third straight game since injuring his leg Saturday against Carolina. Calgary Flames Following the game, the Flames dispatched Joni Ortio to the minors while Flames head coach Bob Hartley appointed Karri Ramo the starter Saturday Minnesota Wild against the Edmonton Oilers. According to Hartley, the Flames were forced to send Ortio down because of the CBA rules (Ortio was originally recalled to replace the injured Ramo). Ramo has missed the last 15 games with a knee injury. Flames RW Jiri Hudler returned to the lineup Friday after missing seven straight outings due to a lower-body injury and had an impressive showing. He s still the Flames leading point-producer, but D Mark Giordano is now just four points back Carolina Hurricanes Carolina D John-Michael Liles returned after missing six games with a Montreal Canadiens concussion, C Jiri Tlusty came back after sitting out two with a lower-body injury, and C Elias Lindholm and D Justin Faulk played after missing the previous game because of illnesses. Chicago Blackhawks The Hawks prevailed despite the absences of Patrick Kane (left knee), Bryan Bickell (upper body), Brandon Saad (upper body) and Michal Rozsival (lower body) from the lineup. New Jersey Devils With the Hawks' lineup depleted, Jeremy Morin was recalled from Rockford, marking his fourth stint with the big club this season. Matt Carey, with whom the Hawks agreed to a two-year, free-agent contract Thursday after the center finished his season at St. Lawrence University, will join the team for the stretch run. Colorado Avalanche Avs C John Mitchell sat out for a second time after leaving Tuesday s game at Montreal with a back injury. He remains day to day. New York Islanders Paul Stastny returned to the Avalanche lineup Friday night against the Bruins. The Avs' healthy scratches were defenseman Ryan Wilson, rookie forward Paul Carey and goalie Reto Berra. Right winger P.A. Parenteau (knee) remains unavailable. Dallas Stars Shawn Horcoff missed the roadtrip with a broken pinkie, but was in full practice Friday and said he's ready to go for Saturday. Lindy Ruff wouldn't say so, but it seems Kari Lehtonen will go back into net. He missed four games with a concussion and then allowed five goals in a 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh, but the Stars are going to need their big netminder down the stretch, and it seems a perfect time to start climbing on his back. With Horcoff coming in, there is a good chance that Chris Mueller comes out of the lineup. Although Erik Cole was given a maintenance day Friday and Alex Chiasson left practice early when he didn't feel well, so we'll see how this reads on Saturday. SPORT-SCAN, INC. OPERATIONS@SPORT-SCAN.COM FOR YOUR EYES ONLY Darren Helm, who has been sidelined with a concussion, will likely be a game-time decision against the Wild Saturday. It appears the return of Helm may well be imminent and Joakim Andersson is skating better and better, but still has some pain in his broken foot. Andersson said he will not travel to Minnesota because the Wings have no pregame skate scheduled before the matinee against the Wild. He will remain in Detroit, and skate. The NHL fined Red Wings center David Legwand $5,000 for butt-ending Penguins center Evgeni Malkin on Thursday. Legwand served major and match penalties. Defenceman Anton Belov has been cleared and is back practising with the team. He could return as early as Saturday. Jordan Eberle tested out his wonky knee Friday morning during a brisk practice at Russ Barnes arena. The Edmonton Oilers winger was forced to sit out Thursday s 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, having been injured late in the win over the Nashville Predators two nights earlier. Eberle could be back in the lineup when the Oilers host the Flames Saturday. Defenseman Keith Ballard will miss his third game in a row with a groin injury. Darcy Kuemper will get back in the net for Minnesota. It s his first start since Monday s game in Boston. He allowed three goals in that one. Rookie forward Erik Haula, scratched in the previous two games, will draw back into the Wild s lineup against the Red Wings. Cody McCormick appears to be the scratch. Haula will play on a line with Charlie Coyle and Dany Heatley, and coach Mike Yeo said Haula will see some shifts at center. But he skated mostly as a wing this morning. Michel Therrien also said forward Brandon Prust has been shut down for the rest of the regular season in hope that his upper-body injury will heal in time for the playoffs. Alex Galchenyuk was moved to centre during the practice with Brian Gionta and Rene Bourque, who has missed five games as a healthy scratch. Lars Eller was dropped to the fourth line with Travis Moen and Dale Weise. Left winger Ryan Carter (upper body) took part in a limited practice with six players and said he believes he can play tonight barring a setback. Tim Sestito (head injury) is improved but will not play. Devils left wing Tim Sestito was knocked woozy by an elbow from Nate Prosser when he went to hit the Wild defenseman behind the Minnesota net with 2:01 left in the first period. Sestito remained down for a while and had to be helped to the locker room. He did not return. Lubomir Visnovsky has an upper-body injury, suffered in Tuesday's 6-0 loss to the Wild. He sat out Friday's practice, is unlikely to play on Sunday against Columbus and could miss some time going forward. Kyle Okposo left practice with a lower-body injury and Jack Capuano had no time frame for his leading scorer. Asked if the Isles need to be cautious with anyone injured now in the lame-duck segment of the season, Capuano sighed. "I suppose we do," he said. Brian Strait (broken hand) and Michael Grabner (concussion) are out indefinitely. John Tavares (torn MCL) is out for the season. As Matt Martin noted, it's not as if the Islanders were going gangbusters when everyone was healthy, but it still seems to be a bit demoralizing to lose so many regulars. Big defenseman Scott Mayfield may be next in line for a recall with Visnovsky and Strait out. Mayfield would be the fifth rookie defenseman to dress for the Islanders this season if he comes up. Page1

5 New York Rangers Healthy scratches: F Derek Dorsett, D Raphael Diaz, D Justin Falk, F Ryan Haggerty. Ottawa Senators On Friday, the erstwhile starter Craig Anderson and Binghamton call-up Andrew Hammond were the first players on the practice ice, followed soon by recent starter Robin Lehner. Anderson took a lengthy turn in goal, but eventually yielded to Hammond. It will be a familiar story on Saturday, as Lehner starts and Hammond backs him up, while Anderson continues to recover from a collision with teammate Milan Michalek in the Nashville game March 10. The club has not said what Anderson s health issue is, but poor Lehner, just 22, has been in goal for four straight losses, plus he came on in relief for a fifth Ottawa loss, to the Predators. Head coach Paul MacLean insists he is not frustrated by Anderson s lingering health problem, which seems to be a recurring theme. Forwards Bobby Ryan, Ales Hemsky and Colin Greening all missed the short Friday practice, but MacLean said they involved maintenance days and all three are expected to be available versus Dallas. Philadelphia Flyers The Flyers announced on Friday morning that they've agreed to terms with Robert Hagg to a three-year entry level contract. Hagg, 19, will arrive in the United States on Monday and report to the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms. Paul Holmgren said the Flyers have had "internal conversations" on defenseman Valeri Vasiliev, whom the team chose in the seventh round of the 2012 draft. Vasiliev has decided not to return to the KHL and may come to North America to play. Pittsburgh Penguins Beau Bennett is ready to play just not in the NHL. Bennett, out since Nov. 22 recovering from a broken right wrist, will play for the Wilkes- Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL starting Saturday night. The plan is for him to go to Wilkes-Barre and play a few games, coach Dan Bylsma said after the Penguins practiced at Southpointe Iceoplex on Friday. Forward Joe Vitale is with an upper-body injury, Bylsma said Friday. Although he is practicing with the Penguins with no limitations, and looking strong while doing it, defenseman Kris Letang does not foresee an imminent return to the lineup. Top-line center Sidney Crosby and left winger Chris Kunitz were given the day off from practice but are expected to play today. Defenseman Paul Martin (broken hand/surgery) continues to skate separately from practice. Toronto Maple Leafs Paul Ranger does not know when he will be able to play another NHL game for the Toronto Maple Leafs but he still feels lucky. The Leafs defenceman spoke to the media Friday for the first time since he was discharged Wednesday night after undergoing tests. The best Ranger could manage on Friday was appearing for the Leafs team photo and he isn t sure when he can start practising again. Centre Dave Bolland took part in a full practice for the first time since he sustained a torn ankle tendon Nov. 2 that kept him out for 52 games. He skated between Mason Raymond and David Clarkson but a decision about playing Saturday against the Canadiens will not be made until shortly before the game. Also on the maybe list is goaltender Jonathan Bernier, whose groin injury progressed enough for him to participate in most of Friday s practice. But a decision about whether Bernier or James Reimer will start against the Habs will also be held until game-time. If Bolland is able to play, the Leafs may have to send two players down to their farm team to get under the NHL salary cap unless Ranger is placed on the long-term injured list. The likely candidates are forwards Peter Holland and Carter Ashton, neither of whom needs to clear waivers first. SPORT-SCAN NHL REPORT FOR SPORT-SCAN, INC. OPERATIONS@SPORT-SCAN.COM FOR YOUR EYES ONLY St Louis Blues LW Magnus Paajarvi (upper-body injury) and D Jordan Leopold (flu), questionable; Vladimir Tarasenko (hand), out. Washington Capitals The Capitals have signed right-handed center Caleb Herbert to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning next season and have assigned him to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Winnipeg Jets The most immediate concern is how much of his team will be on the ice to face the Hurricanes Saturday night. Wednesday s 5-4 overtime win was accomplished without the services of No. 1 goalie Ondrej Pavelec (lower body), defenceman Zach Bogosian (upper body) and forwards Dustin Byfuglien (lower body) and Jim Slater (lower body) the injured Jets who are not out long-term like Mark Scheifele (knee) and Chris Thorburn (ankle). Slater did skate before Jets practice today, and went the full distance with the team, likely leaving his case as the most optimistic. As well today, forward John Albert worked out with the team. He has missed five games since being hurt in Colorado on March 10. As for Pavelec, he will be absent again against the Hurricanes, though he has been back on the ice. Maurice said his No. 1 goalie skated for 40 minutes on Thursday and did so again today, and might be a possibility for Monday s game in Dallas. Vancouver Canucks The door to the Canucks' infirmary swung both ways Friday as Daniel Sedin and Ryan Kesler both returned to full practice while Alex Burrows, a longtime resident this season, re-entered with a thumb injury. Canucks general manager Mike Gillis indicated the news on Burrows is not good. The veteran winger has already missed significant time with a broken foot and broken jaw. His latest mishap occurred Wednesday night when he was slashed by Predators captain Shea Weber on the play in which Nicklas Jensen scored the game-winning goal. The Canucks, five points out of a playoff spot, have another practice scheduled for Saturday and if Daniel Sedin and Kesler both emerge without any further damage, they should be able to go Sunday against the Sabres. NHL Daily Transactions Calgary Flames Joni Ortio Sent to minors, Abbotsford-AHL Chicago Blackhawks Jeremy Morin Called up from minors, from Rockford-AHL Chicago Blackhawks Teuvo Teravainen Called up from minors, from Jokerit-SM-liiga (Finland) Columbus Blue Jackets Joonas Korpisalo Signed, Three-year contract Pittsburgh Penguins Beau Bennett Sent to minors, Wilkes- Barre/Scranton-AHL St. Louis Blues Petteri Lindbohm Signed, Three-year contract Washington Capitals Caleb Herbert Signed, Two-year contract END Page2

6 Anaheim Ducks Ducks return Etem to their AHL team March 21st, 2014, 5:49 pm ERIC STEPHENS The Ducks returned winger Emerson Etem to the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League on Friday after bringing him up for Thursday's game against San Jose. Etem, 21, played 10 minutes, 11 seconds and had one shot on goal in the Ducks' 3-2 loss to the Sharks. He has appeared in 29 games with Anaheim this season, totaling seven goals and four assists to go along with a plus-3 rating. Etem was recalled with center Rickard Rakell on Thursday as the Ducks were shorthanded up front with Nick Bonino (foot) and Matt Beleskey (illness) unavailable. Bonino and Beleskey could be available for Sunday's home game against Florida if they're able to practice Saturday. LA Times: LOADED:

7 Boston Bruins Bruins blank Avalanche for 11th straight win DENNIS GEORGATOS DENVER (AP) Patrice Bergeron and Carl Soderberg each had a goal, Chad Johnson stopped 31 shots for his third career shutout, and the Boston Bruins beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-0 on Friday night for their 11th win in a row. Boston became the first team to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It is the longest run for the Bruins since a 13-game winning streak in the season. They pushed their point total to 101, the 21st time the team has reached the 100-point threshold. Colorado pulled goalie Semyon Varlamov for an extra attacker with five minutes remaining but couldn t avert its first shoutout of the season. The Avalanche had scored at least once in 80 straight games since their previous shutout last April 6 at Phoenix. Colorado, which handed Boston its only shutout of the season on Oct. 10, was the last NHL team to be blanked this season. Johnson was at the center of the effort, turning away one scoring opportunity after another. One of his best saves came in the second period when he used his glove to stop Nathan MacKinnon s shot on a breakaway. Johnson improved to in his last 11 starts, a career-best point streak which includes a pair of shutouts. With the Bruins on the power play, Loui Eriksson passed to Soderberg in the lower right circle for a wrist shot into the upper corner of the net on Varlamov s stick side. That made it 2-0 at 13:11 of the second period. Boston also struck in the first period. Bergeron slipped through Colorado s defense, taking a pass from Dougie Hamilton in the slot and firing a shot that Varlamov stopped. But the rebound trickled out, and Bergeron knocked the loose puck back into the net at 5:12. NOTES: Avs C John Mitchell sat out for a second time after leaving Tuesday s game at Montreal with a back injury. He remains day to day.... Colorado D Erik Johnson turned 26 on Friday.... Boston hasn t lost since a 4-2 defeat to Washington on March The Bruins have also won their last six road games and earned a point in their past 13 (10-0-3).... Boston has won its last three games in Denver. Boston Globe LOADED:

8 Boston Bruins Bruins extend tear, clinch playoff spot Amalie Benjamin DENVER The dressing room had mostly cleared out, with the Bruins headed to the showers before boarding their bus to the airport for their trip to Phoenix. But from behind a curtain came a shout, First team to clinch! A rather subdued cheer followed. That was it. The Bruins had just taken care of business, handing the Avalanche their first shut out of the season, 2-0, at the Pepsi Center that also counted as their 11th straight win. Boston became the first to clinch a playoff berth and is tied with St. Louis for the most points in the league at 101. I don t think that does kind of change our mind-set, Zdeno Chara said. We still have to play our hockey and really focusing on the little details going into the playoffs. Not getting satisfied and complacent. We ve just got to still push our team to our best maximum results, and basically get ready for the playoffs. The Bruins hardly came out giving maximum effort. Chad Johnson, who earned his second shutout of the season, was peppered with 14 shots in the first period and 10 more in the second as the Avalanche used their speed and creativity to create chance after chance. He stopped the pucks, coach Claude Julien said. He had to get better after the first because there were a lot of loose pucks around the net that he wasn t able to freeze, so in the second period he was better. I think our whole team got better throughout the game. But when you give up, I think, 14 shots in the first and some pretty good scoring chances, I think Chad did a pretty good job for us tonight. Johnson acknowledged he gave up fewere rebounds and second chances as the game went on. Still, Johnson and the Bruins didn t allow a first-period goal, the 10th consecutive time that has happened, dating to their March 2 win over the Rangers. If you look at the first period, we re probably not going to have a lot of great things to say about our players, but from the second period on we just got better, Julien said. I kind of look at that more as a team game, more than analyzing the individuals here. The Bruins had far fewer opportunities, but they converted. At 5:12 of the first period Patrice Bergeron collected his own rebound off a pretty feed from Dougie Hamilton. The puck hit off his skate to his stick, and Bergeron poked it past Semyon Varlamov, giving the Bruins the early lead. He made a good play to go to the net, just put it into him, think I hit him right in the chest at the start, Hamilton said. It was a good finish after that. Pretty happy to have that. And they got a second in the second, making good on their only power play of the night, an interference penalty on Gabriel Landeskog. Carl Soderberg snapped off a shot at 13:11 with Loui Eriksson screening Varlamov, a goal that stood even after it was initially waved off. They had their lead. In the end, that was all they would need. The third period brought out the best in the Bruins defensively. They didn t allow a shot for the first 10 minutes, then managed to withstand a full five minutes of 5-on-6 play after Colorado coach Patrick Roy pulled Varlamov early. Hamilton was so surprised that, as he said, I was on the ice and I kind of thought there was a penalty. I was looking around. There wasn t. There was just the empty net. When you look back, we didn t score. Not a bad move, Julien said. I think he was trying to get his team some energy and some excitement there to finish the game, and it did. But not enough. The Avalanche weren t able to use the extra skater to their advantage. The win gave the Bruins points in 13 consecutive road games, a stretch that has seen them go Boston s last regulation road loss came in Los Angeles Jan. 9. It s the longest such stretch since 14 games in For the most part, we ve played smart [on the road], Julien said. I think that s the main thing. You look at Z tonight. He was just stellar as you could ask back there. Everything looked easy for him, simple plays. He kind of dominated the back end there. And that s what you want. You want some smart decisions on the road. We re not the ones that have to put on a show, but we re the ones that want to come out of here with a win. And yet again, they did. Boston Globe LOADED:

9 Boston Bruins Dennis Seidenberg has remote chance at playoff return Amalie Benjamin March 22, 2014 When Dennis Seidenberg injured his ACL and MCL Dec. 27 against Ottawa, the word was that the defenseman was out for the season. The timetable given was 6-8 months, and he was not expected back until training camp. But that might not be the case anymore. While there is still not a significant chance that Seidenberg will return for the postseason, the Bruins are not ruling it out. Seidenberg is ahead of schedule in his rehab from the injury, after having surgery in early January, though he has not yet started skating. I m not counting on this, general manager Peter Chiarelli said by phone Friday morning. He s ahead of schedule. I don t like to say, Hey, if we re in the Finals and we re in Game 4, but that s the type of scenario. He s ahead of schedule and you can t rule anything out, but I m not counting on it. For the Bruins, who currently lead the NHL in points and have won 11 straight after a 2-0 win over the Avalanche, the deeper into the playoffs they go, the better the chance that Seidenberg could return. The start of the Stanley Cup Final would be in early June. But the team will be extremely cautious concerning Seidenberg s return. What s important is that people have come back early from ACLs, right? Chiarelli said. And they come back and they re either not the same player or their conditioning and their rehab is good but the actual healing of the ligament is still a little raw. So we ve got to be careful. He s a tremendously conditioned athlete. It doesn t surprise me that he s ahead of schedule, but you can t ignore the biological time to heal these things. Empty feeling The Colorado net stood empty for a full 5:05, with Avalanche coach Patrick Roy taking the opportunity to try to get his team on the board in the final minutes against the Bruins. It was a strategy applauded by those in the Bruins dressing room, even if it didn t lead to a goal on either side. No I haven t, but it was obviously a good move, Zdeno Chara said, when asked if he d seen that before. Put a lot of pressure on us. At that point, they had nothing to lose. They could only gain. For sure, it was earlier than we all kind of anticipated, but it was for sure a good move. Bruins goaltender Chad Johnson didn t have time to analyze the situation. I was kind of sucking wind there, Johnson said. It was a surprise, but they were coming down really quick. There wasn t much time to really think about anything. They re in The Bruins became the first team to clinch a playoff spot. But that wasn t the team s focus heading into its matchup with Colorado. Giving guys rest is important, said coach Claude Julien. Continuing to win is important, too, and moreso continuing to play well. If you play well, you win, and we re not so much worried about the end result as much as doing the right things from here on in. We d like to get the end result that everybody s looking for, but we don t want to jeopardize some rational decision... to do that, and then having to suffer in the first round of playoffs because of that.... Johnny Boychuk took part in the team s morning skate, and participated in pregame warm-ups, but was a scratch for the third straight game since injuring his leg Saturday against Carolina. Boston Globe LOADED:

10 Boston Bruins Game 70: Bruins at Avalanche March 21, :36 PM Amalie Benjamin DENVER Welcome to the Pepsi Center, where the Bruins will take on the Avs tonight in the first game of a back-to-back against Western Conference opponents. The Bruins head to Phoenix to play the Coyotoes Saturday to conclude their three-game road trip. The big question for the Bruins tonight is whether they will be the first team in the NHL to clinch a spot in the playoffs. They can clinch if they beat the Avalanche tonight, or if they get one point against Colorado and the Rangers lose to the Blue Jackets in regulation. Boston, of course, also comes into this game looking to extend its 10-game winning streak. Game time: 9 p.m. TV/Radio: NESN/98.5 The Sports Hub Records: Bruins , Avalanche Projected lineups: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jarome Iginla Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Reilly Smith Chris Kelly-Carl Soderberg-Loui Eriksson Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Dougie Hamilton Matt Bartkowski-Johnny Boychuk Torey Krug-Kevan Miller Chad Johnson Tuukka Rask Notes: Johnny Boychuk will take part in warmups before the game tonight, and will be a game-time decision for coach Claude Julien.... The Avalanche boast teenage phenom Nathan MacKinnon, who has played in all 70 games for the Avs and has 23 goals and 31 assists for 54 points.... The Bruins' last streak of at least 11 consecutive wins came on a 13-game stretch in The Bruins are still on a streak of getting at least a point in each of their last 12 road games, at 9-0-3, their longest such streak since The referees are Francis Charron and Dave Jackson. The linesmen are Scott Driscoll and Derek Nansen. Boston Globe LOADED:

11 Boston Bruins Bruins blank Avalanche for 11th straight win their last six road games and earned a point in their past 13 (10-0-3).... Boston has won its last three games in Denver. Boston Herald LOADED: Saturday, March 22, 2014 Staff Writer DENVER The Boston Bruins became the first NHL team to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And they did it by refusing to get ahead of themselves. Patrice Bergeron and Carl Soderberg each had a goal, Chad Johnson stopped 31 shots for his third career shutout, and the Bruins beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-0 on Friday night for their 11th win in a row. "We don't really worry about how many we've won or who we're playing in one day or two days," Johnson said. "We just worry about who's next. That's sort of where our mindset is. Just staying in the moment, I think, is the biggest key to our success right now." Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara said clinching a postseason berth won't alter that mindset. "We still have to play our hockey, really focusing on the little details going into the playoffs, and not getting satisfied and complacent," he said. "We just still have to push our team to the best, maximum results." Johnson was at the center of their latest success, which pushed their point total to 101, the 21st time the team has reached the 100-point threshold. "He made some saves that helped us a lot," Boston defenseman Dougie Hamilton said. "I thought he played really well." Colorado pulled goalie Semyon Varlamov for an extra attacker with five minutes remaining but couldn't avert its first shoutout of the season. The Avalanche had scored at least once in 80 straight games since their previous shutout last April 6 at Phoenix. "They slowed us down and they did a good job," Colorado's Matt Duchene said of Boston. "We hadn't been shut out all year. Usually, it happens against great teams." Colorado, which handed Boston its only shutout of the season on Oct. 10, was the last NHL team to be blanked this season. "I thought our play was very positive," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "We had a lot of good chances early on. Except for maybe the first six or seven minutes of the start of the third, I thought we played better than them. Their goalie played really well. He made some great saves." Johnson turned away a flurry of shots in the final minutes and delivered two key saves in the second period, using his glove to stop Nathan MacKinnon's shot on a breakaway and stuffing Jan Hejda's shot from up close with his upper body. "They had some good chances there in the second, and I just tried to be in position and make the saves when I thought I could," said Johnson, who improved to in his last 11 starts, a career-best point streak that includes a pair of shutouts. With the Bruins on the power play, Loui Eriksson passed to Soderberg in the lower right circle for a wrist shot into the upper corner of the net on Varlamov's stick side. That made it 2-0 at 13:11 of the second period. Boston also struck in the first. Bergeron slipped through Colorado's defense, taking a pass from Hamilton in the slot and firing a shot that Varlamov stopped. But the rebound trickled out, and Bergeron knocked the loose puck back into the net at 5:12. "He made a good play to go to the net. I just put it in to him," Hamilton said. "He hit him right in the chest and he had a good finish off of that. I was pretty happy to have that there." NOTES: The Bruins' win streak is the longest since a 13-game run in the season.... Avs C John Mitchell sat out for a second time after leaving Tuesday's game at Montreal with a back injury. He remains day to day.... Colorado D Erik Johnson turned 26 on Friday.... Boston hasn't lost since a 4-2 defeat to Washington on March The Bruins have also won

12 Boston Bruins Bruins notch 11th straight win Saturday, March 22, 2014 Steve Conroy DENVER--They had to weather an early storm from the Colorado Avalanche, but the Bruins were able to do just that and they pulled out their 11th straight victory at the Pepsi Center last night. Chad Johnson made 31 saves and the B's got goals from Patrice Bergeron in the first and Carl Soderberg in the second to capture the victory. The Avs outshot the Bruins 14-6 in the first -- and some of their best chances didn't even hit the net -- but the B's were able to survive and slowly turn the game around in the second. "It's not something we didn't anticipate," said coach Claude Julien. "It's a normal situation being off for a couple of days and then the thin air here. The first period here is always a bit of a challenge. All those things put together, we knew we had to grind it out in the first." But by the time Soderberg scored a power-play goal at 13:11 of the second, the B's were fully in control of the game. The B's choked off the Avs attack so well in the third that coach Patrick Roy decided to to pull his goalie Semyon Varlamov with 5:05 left to play. That didn't create a little more pressure and the B's could never come up with the final dagger of an empty netter. But in the end, it didn't matter. I was on the ice (when Varlamov was pulled) and I kind of thought there was a penalty, said Dougie Hamilton with a chuckle. It was kind of weird that there were no goals scored. Playing five minutes with the goalie out is pretty tough, but we played good defense and we're happy with the win. The B's will try to make it an even dozen Saturday night in Phoenix against the Coyotes. Boston Herald LOADED:

13 Boston Bruins Bruins keep streaking on Saturday, March 22, 2014 Steve Conroy. DENVER The Colorado Avalanche had the better legs through most of the first 40 minutes last night. The better scoring chances, too. And they had more for which to play, being in a battle for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. But it just didn t matter. The Bruins continued to roll on, notching their 11th straight victory and becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot with a 2-0 victory at the Pepsi Center. They also pulled into a points tie with St. Louis for the overall NHL lead. Chad Johnson (31 saves) shook off some early rebound control problems to have an excellent game and the B s got goals from Patrice Bergeron (21) and Carl Soderberg (13). Bergeron gave the Bruins the lead early in the first period and they weathered a long storm before Soderberg scored a power play goal in the second period to turn the game fully in their favor. Then in the third, the Bruins simply shut down the speedy Avs. Colorado coach Patrick Roy was so desperate that he pulled goalie Semyon Varlamov with a whopping five minutes to go. They finally got some pressure, but simply couldn t penetrate the Bruins stout team defense enough to seriously challenge Johnson. It was the first time the Avalanche have been shut out this year. The unusual empty net strategy employed by Roy was a nod to just how well the B s played. We had layers and we didn t give them much, said Bruins coach Claude Julien. Our team just got better as the game went on. That s exactly what we expected and what we anticipated. We knew the first period was going to be a challenge for a lot of different reasons. But we got through it with a 1-0 lead and you couldn t have asked for a better situation for us to be in. With the playoff berth in hand, the B s now have the Presidents Trophy in their sights. But so far they ve shown an excellent knack for compartmentalizing each game and have given every indication that it will continue. I don t think (clinching) is going to change our mindset, said captain Zdeno Chara, who was stellar in an economical 22:10 of ice time. We re still going to have to play our hockey and really focus on the little details going into the playoffs, not getting satisfied, complacent. We ve got to still push our team to the best maximum results and be ready for the playoffs. Despite being outplayed for much of the first period, the Bruins got the first goal for the sixth straight game. Dougie Hamilton made a terrific pass to Bergeron down the slot and he walked in alone. Varlamov made the initial save, but Bergeron poked the rebound home at 5:12. While the Bruins would take their 1-0 lead into the first intermission, they were fortunate to do so. The Avs, whose team speed was quite evident in the early going, outshot the B s 14-6, and that didn t count a couple of their best chances that missed the net. The B s handed their hosts a great chance when David Krejci s drop pass intended for Jarome Iginla missed the mark, turning it into a quick 2-on-1 for the Avs. Paul Stastny sent a nice pass over to Gabriel Landeskog, but the Colorado captain s one-timer went wide. Later, Johnson left a fat rebound that Jamie McGinn couldn t corral and put in the empty net. In the second period, the Avs continued to get some good chances, but the B s slowly got their game going, stringing together several strong shifts. At 12:25, they got their only power play on a questionable interference call on Landeskog. The Bruins made the most of the opportunity. At 13:11, Soderberg came off the right boards and sniped a shot over Varlamov s shoulder. That took the zip out the Avs attack and the B s completely stifled them in the third until Roy pulled Varlamov. I was on the ice and I kind of thought there was a penalty, said Hamilton with a chuckle. It was kind of weird that there were no goals scored. Playing five minutes with the goalie out is pretty tough, but we played good defense and we re happy with the win. The Bruins will try to up their streak to an even dozen tonight in Phoenix against the Coyotes. Yeah, it s impressive, said Soderberg of the streak. We just want to keep this rolling. We know sooner or later we re going to lose, but we want later. Boston Herald LOADED:

14 Boston Bruins Bruins Notebook: Julien keeps door open for Seids Saturday, March 22, 2014 Steve Conroy DENVER So, you re telling us there s a chance, are you? Both Bruins president Cam Neely, on his Thursday radio appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub, and coach Claude Julien here yesterday did their best to throw cold water on the notion that Dennis Seidenberg could possibly return to the lineup if the team makes a run in the playoffs. But neither of them could quite close the door on the idea. Seidenberg suffered a torn ACL and MCL in a game against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 27 and was given the prognosis of 6-8 months recovery. The low end of that time frame would keep him out until late June, meaning he would not be back in time for the Stanley Cup finals. But Seidenberg has not yet been ruled out for returning some time in the postseason. It s still up in the air, said Julien after the team s morning skate at the Pepsi Center yesterday. It s kind of like (Patrice Bergeron s) situation (in 2008). Would he come back? Is it risky? Again, I think there s a lot of question marks there. I m not going to say no, but I m certainly not going to stand here and say there s a great chance he ll be back. When the time comes, he ll be evaluated. But the surgery was a pretty serious one and we have to make a real good decision there. If you see him back, it will be because everybody feels pretty comfortable about it and the doctors feel strongly that he can. Right now, it s not something that we re entertaining here in the dressing room at this stage. While not shutting the door on a return, general manager Peter Chiarelli was not hopeful Seidenberg would return before the start of next season. Basically, we are not counting on him, wrote Chiarelli in a text. He is ahead of schedule but we have to be cautious of the actual healing time. In Bergeron s case, the Bruins remained cautious and, though he was cleared, they kept him out of the first round loss to Montreal that went seven games. One would think that if there s any chance of a return by Seidenberg, who has been doing some pretty strenuous off-ice training recently, the B s would have to make a very deep postseason run. And if he was cleared, the B s would have to make a tough decision to put someone who hadn t played in approximately five months into the lineup, taking out a player who d helped the team advance in the playoffs. But while most signs point against Seidenberg making a return this season, no one seems to want to count out an athlete so dedicated just yet. I m not involved in the medical decisions, said Julien, but he s such an elite athlete that trains hard, he might be ahead of schedule a little bit. But is he ahead of the big schedule that was put in front of him? I m not sure about that. Not drawing enough The Bruins practiced their power play a bit during the morning skate and they needed to, because they haven t been getting many opportunities to practice during games lately. The fact that the B s don t draw many penalties is an old story. The B s have gotten 193 power-play opportunities this year, which ranks them dead last in the league by a wide margin. They were 30th last year and 25th the year before. But it s been particularly bad lately for them. Before last night, they had just seven power-play chances in their previous five games, and weren t able to convert any of them. That rut, however, ended last night when the B s cashed in on their lone power-play chance, thanks to Carl Soderberg, in the 2-0 win over the Avalanche. I m not going to stand here and say that it doesn t frustrate us to see the amount of power plays that we don t get. It does, said Julien, especially with his club ranking ninth in the league in power-play proficiency (20.7 percent) after last night s tally. You look at games and you see areas where you could have, but somehow it s been a challenge for us. And not just this year, it s been for many years. You look at the league overall, you look at the number of penalties we take, we re a pretty disciplined team. We re in the middle of the pack (14th with 227 times shorthanded). But when you look at the power-play opportunities, for a team that does a pretty good job of winning battles along the wall and playing at a pretty good pace, it s surprising that we don t have more than that... it gives you reason for concern.... Johnny Boychuk skated for the second consecutive day and took part in pregame warmups, but he wound up sitting out his third straight game with a foot injury. He has a good shot to get back in tonight against Phoenix.... The B s have now taken points in 13 straight road games (10-0-3), which is the longest such streak since when they went on the road. Their 11-game win streak is the longest since the B s won 13 straight in Their last regulation road loss was in Los Angeles on Jan. 9. Boston Herald LOADED: