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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau's tinkering set up Kyle Palmieri's big night Ducks' Etem pledges to keep contributing Young Ducks try to make it last Boston Bruins Rask winning games, winning coach s confidence Bruins clip Senators, 2-1, in overtime Bergeron leads Bruins to 2-1 OT win over Senators Broken play Game 17: Senators at Bruins preview Logy B s find a way again Daniel Alfredsson likely staying in Ottawa B s slip one home in OT Bruins use typical grit, ugliness to knock off Sens by an inch Some NHL players but no Bruins pull up extra protection Bruins survive in OT Bruins beat Senators in OT Amid trade rumors, Alfredsson focused on beating Bruins Bob Ford: Every game a struggle for Flyers Buffalo Sabres Sabres rise to shootout challenge Sabres fans can cross O'Reilly off wish list as Flames sign Colorado holdout to offer sheet Sabres set to scratch struggling Foligno against Panthers Miller happy to see Sabres hitting reset button Calgary Flames Game Story: Colorado Avalanche 5, Calgary Flames Calgary suffers crushing blow with a colossal collapse in Denver Johnson: Feaster makes a bold play for O'Reilly, but Colorado matches offer sheet Flames gain a foothold in the heavyweight division by adding McGrattan Flames reacquire tough-guy Brian McGrattan from Nashville Keeping Iginla might have been key to offer Flames give up three goal lead to Avalanche Flames' Baertschi gets on the scoresheet Flames head coach Hartley likes Aliu's game Puck Stops Here NHL bans too lenient Flames sign Ryan O'Reilly to offer sheet Akim Aliu returns to the Calgary Flames lineup for Thursday's game against the Colorado Avalanche Calgary Flames make trade to bring back tough guy Brian McGrattan Carolina Hurricanes Dancin Granny, a fan favorite at Canes games, dies Live updates: Hurricanes hosting the Penguins Eric Staal centers line to 3 goals, 4-1 win over visiting Penguins Hurricanes find more investment partners NHL 3/1/2013 DAILY BRIEF Chicago Blackhawks Blue Jackets at Blackhawks Hawks Game Day: Lead Blues After slow start, Seabrook picking up pace Hawks Olympians recall gold medal game of 3 years ago Blackhawks win again! NHL record now 20 as Crawford leaves injured Blackhawks never doubted Marian Hossa would snap goal-scoring drought Oduya a big plus for Hawks thus far Blackhawks streak grows to Toews, Emery lead Hawks to win in St. Louis Crawford leaves game against St. Louis Colorado Avalanche Avs to get Matt Duchene back Thursday Ryan O'Reilly signed to offer sheet by Calgary Flames Avs' Cody McLeod drawing attention beyond fighting Cody McLeod's new role less rough on Colorado Avalanche winger Colorado Avalanche beats Calgary Flames on and off the ice by securing Ryan O'Reilly Avalanche match Flames' offer sheet for O'Reilly Columbus Blue Jackets Blue Jackets notebook: Aucoin offers a veteran s voice to young defensemen Bob Hunter commentary Rumblings: Crew rates low in player survey Dallas Stars Morning skate update: Erik Cole, Kari Lehtonen hope to keep Stars voodoo against Edmonton Stars blown out by Oilers at home; Glen Gulutzan: 'This was a stinker' Jamie Benn's retaliatory cross-check could draw discipline from league office Erik Cole shows speed in Stars debut, says he s revitalized by trade Oilers Mark Fistric returns to Dallas but says he's 'moved on' Detroit Red Wings Winging It in Motown: You know what? Daniel Cleary actually has been pretty good Red Wings' Mike Babcock sequesters family, work as keys to happiness -- not money Red Wings' Jonas Gustavsson to start tonight; Mike Babcock: We miss Brad Stuart Detroit 2, San Jose 1 (SO): Red Wings' Jonas Gustavsson makes most of first start Mike Babcock, on current Red Wings' defense: 'The best group we've had all year' Ex-Wing Brad Stuart thrilled to be back home in San Jose Wings' Damien Brunner makes up for late turnover with shootout goal Jonas Gustavsson leads Wings to shootout win over Sharks

2 Red Wings Continued Son of ex-wings coach Stan Bowman draws blueprint for unbeaten Blackhawks Blackhawks' goalies team up for shutout as unbeaten run reaches Former Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart couldn't be happier to be back in San Jose with family Detroit Red Wings Gameday: With a surplus of healthy defensemen on the roster, should one be traded? Red Wings goalie Jonas Gustavsson 'nervous,' but in a good way, prior to first start this season Red Wings' Jonas Gustavsson solid in first start, Damien Brunner scores shootout winner vs. Sharks, Detroit Red Wings drop 2-1 decision in Los Angeles Edmonton Oilers Sam Gagner always drops the mitts against somebody Should Jamie Benn be suspended for crosschecking Ryan Jones? Edmonton Oilers light up Dallas Stars for win Darcy Hordichuk alive and well in OKCity Why NHL teams are taking away the pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the power play Edmonton Oilers miss out on Canucks tough guy Volpatti on waivers Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Jones shrugs off Jamie Benn crosscheck Edmonton Oilers get rare road win against Dallas Stars Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall back in the lineup against Dallas Stars Florida Panthers Buffalo Sabres (7-12-1) at Florida Panthers (6-9-4), 7:30 p.m. (ET) WEISS IS BACK: Panthers Forward Ready to Get Back on Ice... Puts Family Tragedy, Benching Behind Him Florida Panthers rally but fall in shootout to Buffalo Sabres PANTHERS RALLY FOR POINT: Buffalo Tops Florida 4-3 in SO after Leading 3-2 in Third... Mike Weaver Out Perhap Stephen Weiss returns to Panthers Panthers rally but lose 4-3 in shootout to Sabres Los Angeles Kings Coach Bruce Boudreau's tinkering set up Kyle Palmieri's big night Waking up with the Kings: February Tanner Pearson expected to miss three weeks Minnesota Wild Coyle, Cullen, Konopka tidbits as Wild visits Phoenix Game recap: Wild over Phoenix Wild scores four goals, moves into top-8 in the West Preview: Wild at Anaheim Wild go ahead by three, then hang on to win in Phoenix Wild's Coyle gets break, this time, for his high hit on Stajan Minnesota Wild: Charlie Coyle resumes his rapid climb Minnesota Wild: Faceoff skills give them an edge Minnesota Wild sticking with Niklas Backstrom in goal vs. Coyotes Minnesota Wild: Quick start pays off with victory Wild 4, Coyotes 3: Minnesota pulls within two points of division lead Montreal Canadiens Overcoming adversity nothing new for Habs Bouillon Nashville Predators Predators trade Brian McGrattan to Calgary Flames Nashville Predators seek balance to game Solutions sought in Predators meeting after 'embarrassing' loss Predators make a trade, send another tough guy packing New Jersey Devils Devils' Johan Hedberg will play until Martin Brodeur is ready Devils' Ryan Carter: 'We can now call it a concussion' As they play: Devils vs. Jets at Winnipeg Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk doesn't like NHL's proposed realignment Devils' goalie Johan Hedberg: Our luck will change Devils falter late, lose to Winnipeg, 3-1 to start road trip off on the wrong skate Devils hope road cures their slump Devils notes: Carter improving Devils fall to Jets, 3-1, for their third consecutive loss NJ Devils down early on Andrew Ladd goal, can t take advantage of the power play in loss to Winnipeg Jets New York Islanders Third period heroics from Kyle Okposo not enough for NY Islanders as Dion Phaneuf scores overtime game-winner, Newcomer Visnovsky standing out for Islanders Islanders goalie DiPietro says he wasn't serious about suicide talk Islanders fall in OT DiPietro says TV interview comment was meant in jest Islander rally but fall to Maple Leafs in OT Isles get a point, but it's still an OT loss DiPietro felt 'like someone ripped out my heart' after demotion to minors New York Rangers Nash Looks Like Himself, and the Rangers Get Back on Track, Too Ryan McDonagh playing against Tampa Bay Lightning, Rick Nash expects to return also but will test himself in w NY Rangers rookie Chris Kreider, still learning to compete at highest level, reassigned to AHL affiliate Conne NY Rangers get a feel-good win as Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Del Zotto return in 4-1 win over Tampa Bay Rangers Lundqvist gets back on track Tortorella happy with progress of Rangers rookie Miller Nash return sparks Rangers to snap four-game losing streak Kreider on way back to the AHL Rangers rip Lightning to snap four-game skid Rangers looking for a spark Rangers notes: Chris Kreider back to Whale Rick Nash provides spark in return as Rangers snap four-game losing streak Rangers send Chris Kreider down to AHL Connecticut Whale It s Go Time! Lightnings at Rangers Garden of Dreams Night tonight Official word on Chris Kreider being sent to Connecticut Whale Rangers-Lightnings in review NHL Canucks Center Injured Again Teacher From Sweden Is Quick Study in N.H.L Avalanche quickly match Flames offer sheet to Ryan O Reilly Drouin s meteoric rise to prominence propelled by social media and viral videos Flames sign Avs O Reilly to offer sheet

3 Ottawa Senators Senators fall short against Bruins Feaster plays bold hand on O'Reilly, Colorado antes up Boston wants Alfredsson, but Alfredsson happy in Ottawa NHL failing to protect its most valuable assets Morning skate update: Lehner gets the start against Bruins Senators back realignment, want more playoff series against Bruins and Habs: Leeder Ottawa Senators goaltenders delivering stunning numbers Senators prediction panel: Game Bruins provide tough test Ottawa Senators win streak comes to an end with 2-1 loss to Boston Bruins Boston Bruins love Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson Ottawa Senators president Cyril Leeder believes NHL realignment would be good for team, city Carleton Ravens rookie Mitch Porowski named OUA East men's hockey rookie of the year Philadelphia Flyers Flyers waive Michael Leighton, Tom Sestito Was Harry Z's hit dirty? Give Flyers' D an 'A' Giroux knows you gotta have Hart Simon Gagne showed no rust in first game back Flyers Notes: Flyers' Scott Hartnell rounding into form in his return from broken foot Flyers still trying to find elusive consistency Briere has no interest in leaving Flyers Gagne's goal caps a winning night Simon Gagne s return hits spot for Flyers in big 4-1 win over Caps (With Video) Flyers Scoop: Matt Read stretches his legs, ribs Report: Flyers place Leighton, Sestito on waivers Flyers must replicate effort of Caps game going forward Flyers Notes: Gustafsson takes shot off shin Hartnell bringing effort, leadership in return to Flyers' lineup No discipline for Zolnierczyk after kneeing penalty Flyers thinking positive Phoenix Coyotes Return of Phoenix Coyotes Derek Morris adds to depth on defense Phoenix Coyotes can't complete rally in loss to Minnesota Wild Phoenix Coyotes attract more paying fans to home games Sarah McLellan's Coyotes blog Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins notebook: Malkin skates without concussion symptoms Eric Staal has his way with Pens in Hurricanes 4-1 win Pine-Richland grad Saad enjoying history class with Chicago Penguins take an unscheduled night off in loss to Carolina Penguins Notebook: Malkin skates again but return is not set Penguins drop second consecutive game on road San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks lose to Detroit Red Wings in shootout, Red Wings defeat Sharks in shootout Stuart: Playing Wings will be 'strange' Clowe, Irwin set to return for Sharks Sharks-Red Wings at a glance Sharks don't capitalize on early chances, lose to Wings Kurz's Instant Replay: Red Wings 2, Sharks 1 (SO) St Louis Blues Hockey Guy: Blues fans should like new playoff proposal Blues updates: Steen out; 'worker-bee' lineup returns It's Halak tonight; Elliott in waiting Bernie Bytes: Don't feel sorry for Blues Blues cruise in TV ratings Blues notebook: Elliott eager to get back in goal Blues-Oilers matchup box Blackhawks run streak to 20 in win over Blues Hockey Guy: Streaking Blackhawks flatten Blues Steen out tonight for Blues; Hitchcock wants a more collective approach to scoring Blues fail to cash in big opportunity to slow down streaking Blackhawks Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Lindback learning along the way Tampa Bay Lightning notes: Mikkelson helped during AHL stint Bolts look out of it in 4-1 loss to Rangers Mikkelson, Labrie return to Lightning after conditioning assignments Lindback getting practice time Lightning falls to Rangers Toronto Maple Leafs Ron Wilson saw firing coming, remains friends with Brian Burke, says Tim Hunter Marlies coach Dallas Eakins overwhelmed with admiration for Toronto Gay Hockey League: That s what being cour Study shows drafting younger hockey players leads to more success Young goalie Liam Herbst's NHL dreams derailed by injuries related to his butterfly style: Feschuk Good vibrations for Leafs entering break A few to thank for Kadri's emergence Kadri puts on a show against Islanders Leafs' James Reimer likely to face Islanders tonight Gordie Howe s one-of-a-kind ferocity a distant memory for present NHL Vancouver Canucks Canucks Zack Kassian not pouting over drought, ice time Canucks lose winger Aaron Volpatti to Washington Capitals Canuck didn t tender offer sheet to Ryan O Reilly Canucks lose depth forward Volpatti on waivers Agent on client playing with broken foot for six games: Typical Kes, he s living in denial about his injuries Canucks recall Andrew Ebbett from AHL Chicago Volpatti surprised to be leaving Vancouver, but looking forward to his opportunity in Washington Gamble to put Volpatti on waivers comes back to bite Canucks as Washington scoops up winger Move to bring back Pinizzotto comes with a cost Washington Capitals Capitals claim forward Aaron Volpatti off waivers One-timers: Capitals halt momentum with loss to Flyers Philipp Grubauer s NHL debut a dream come true Mike Milbury coming off as a goon after rant on Capitals' Alex Ovechkin

4 Websites ESPN / Need to know: Habs, Leafs are the real deal ESPN / What happens now O'Reilly back with Avs? ESPN / Avs match Ryan O'Reilly offer sheet ESPN / Steve Yzerman back working for gold ESPN / Players OK with league realignment USA TODAY / Blackhawks beat Blues, extend streak to 20 games USA TODAY / Rick DiPietro explains comment on suicidal thoughts USA TODAY / Avalanche quickly match offer sheet to Ryan O'Reilly USA TODAY / Staal brothers provide spark for Hurricanes YAHOO SPORTS / Three Periods: The problems with the NHL's realignment proposal and how to fix them Winnipeg Jets Ladd strikes Jets to early lead against Devils Facing Devils tonight 'an important game for us': Jokinen Buff, Ladd dynamic duo in charge-and-score play Ladd leading the way TaitZajacspotlight Jets starting to believe in Jets Jets Zach Redmond released from hospital, getting rehab for femoral artery cut New and improved Winnipeg Jets finally find a winning recipe Winnipeg Jets goalie Pavelec doesn't play numbers game SPORT-SCAN, INC

5 Anaheim Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau's tinkering set up Kyle Palmieri's big night into Thursday's game at Phoenix, with center Mikko Koivu (10 assists) and left wing Zach Parise (eight goals) each contributing a team-high 13 points. Times staff writer Helene Elliott contributed to this report. LA Times: LOADED: By Lance Pugmire What appeared to be a stroke of genius was downplayed by Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau. Boudreau started the season with 22-year-old Kyle Palmieri on the Ducks' first line with high-scoring stars Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, but Palmieri's quiet start (one goal through five games) and the emergence of Daniel Winnik convinced the coach to tinker. He'd adjust even more, trying Andrew Cogliano and Matt Beleskey in the Perry-Getzlaf line. Wednesday, Boudreau reinserted Palmieri on the top line, and Palmieri responded with the sixth natural hat trick in team history three consecutive goals in the Ducks' 5-1 rout of Nashville. Asked why Palmieri returned, Boudreau answered, "I don't know. I just wake up in the morning and think up good combinations." Part of it could've been Palmieri's wicked speed matched against the tired legs of the Predators, who were playing their fourth game in six days and were a day removed from an overtime affair. Palmieri put that speed to great use on his second goal, racing up ice and getting the puck on long passes from Getzlaf and Perry. Palmieri sprinted past the defense and fired a shot into the lower right side of the net past Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne. Getzlaf and Perry assisted on all three of Palmieri's goals, giving him seven on the season and firming up the first-line role he had earned after the short training camp. "He'll probably get one more game, but you never know," Getzlaf cracked. Palmieri said although "It's been a bit of a cycle through the lines," he's hopeful to continue playing alongside "two phenomenal players, two of the best in the world." "I'd think" Boudreau "wants to go with the hot player," Palmieri said. "So going forward we'll just keep doing what we're doing. You just show up every morning, see what line you're on and do your best to make it work. Everyone has bought into that system." Etem impresses After a brief Ducks practice in front of an estimated 13,000 schoolkids Thursday, Boudreau said he liked the Wednesday performance of Long Beach's Emerson Etem, who had returned a day earlier from a second stint with minor league Norfolk. Etem raced down a loose puck that eluded Rinne behind the net and delivered a superb backhanded pass to Nick Bonino for a 1-0 lead. "I want to give him credit, but I'm like the 'Show Me' state of Missouri: Do it again," Boudreau said. "His first game up last time he got two assists and was a world beater, and then it tailed off a little bit....the biggest thing about young kids is consistency." With the Ducks preparing to play Friday at Honda Center versus Minnesota, Boudreau said he relished the comfortable lead Wednesday that allowed him to insert youngsters in the final seven minutes. "It's a real treat because if you play to win every game and play your best, with this schedule, it's great to be able to do it every now and again," Boudreau said. DUCKS VS. MINNESOTA When: 7. Where: Honda Center. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 830. Record vs. Wild: 1-0. Etc. The Ducks started their 11-2 February by defeating Minnesota, 3-1, on Feb. 1 with Palmieri scoring twice. The Wild were on the road going

6 Anaheim Ducks Ducks' Etem pledges to keep contributing By EARL BLOOM ANAHEIM In his latest contribution to the franchise, Ducks right wing Emerson Etem led some 13,000 youngsters in the pledge of allegiance Thursday before the First Flight Field Trip at Honda Center. It's not clear if Etem, 20, volunteered or was volunteered by his older teammates for that duty, but the 2010 first-round pick said he was happy to oblige because he seemed a logical choice. Article Tab: Students have a front row seat inside the Honda Center as they watch members of the Ducks on the ice during the Anaheim Ducks First Flight Field Trip Thursday morning. Students have a front row seat inside the Honda Center as they watch members of the Ducks on the ice during the Anaheim Ducks First Flight Field Trip Thursday morning. "I'm an American guy, I grew up in Long Beach," said Etem, who arrived on the latest Norfolk-to-Anaheim shuttle in time to set up the Ducks' first goal in Wednesday's 5-1 victory over Nashville. "The important thing was I remembered the words." Immediate contributions were not one of the topics in the Ducks' practice/seminar for kids, but Etem could've delivered the theme if it had been. He began his second stint with the Ducks this season when he forced Nashville's Pekka Rinne into a gaffe behind his net and fed the puck to Nick Bonino for a virtually empty-net goal. "I'm an offensive player, and I try to produce," said Etem, who had two assists against the Kings on Feb. 2 in his earlier, eight-game NHL stint. His coach noted the similar, early contribution in Etem's first call-up, and would like to see more. "I'm like the state of Missouri, 'do it again,'" Bruce Boudreau said, mixing metaphors just a tad (It's the "Show-Me" state). "The biggest thing about these young kids is consistency all of them have had flashes." Ducks right wing, alternate captain and active legend Teemu Selanne said he likes what he's seen from Etem. "I've always said the players who have that speed and skills and the good attitude are going to make it big in this league," Selanne said. "He's one of those kids. He just needs experience" Etem, a left-hand shot who plays the right, or off, wing by choice, is still looking for his first NHL goal, but he hasn't had trouble scoring them anywhere along the way. He had 143 goals in 202 major-junior games, and he has 14 in 47 career American Hockey League games. "It's exciting to be here," said Etem, who besides the obvious, gets to come home when he's promoted still fairly rare for an NHL player in Southern California. "I'm enjoying being around these guys, and having a blast." NOTES Boudreau said the noise generated by the enthusiastic youngsters in the stands reminded him of his junior playing days with the Toronto Marlboros in the 1970s. "We had Kids Day every Sunday, and there would be 10,000 of them in there," the coach said. "Whenever you can get kids involved in hockey, it's really great."... The Ducks play the fourth game of a 5-in-7- night stint Friday against Minnesota, and the spread-the-wealth offensive production has served them well in terms of conserving players' ice time. The Ducks have nine players with five or more goals. "I think it has a lot to do with rolling four lines out there," Boudreau said. "We don't have to rely on just one line for the offense." Orange County Register: LOADED:

7 Anaheim Ducks Young Ducks try to make it last By JEFF MILLER ANAHEIM He had three goals Wednesday, a flashy finish to February, a month that began with his 22nd birthday and ended with teammate Nick Bonino picking up the celebratory dinner tab, postgame. Yes, a career-first hat trick can bring some financial benefits, Kyle Palmieri standing tall against Nashville then sitting flat on his wallet. But the winger, still a veteran of only 46 NHL games, doesn't have to unleash his imagination to put himself back in the minors. All he needs is his memory. It was only last season that the Ducks' 2009 first-round draft choice was in his words "on the little carousel" between the NHL and AHL, leagues separated by much more than just a letter. "You could wake up in a five-star hotel in Dallas or Detroit and, the next morning, be on a flight to Binghamton or Springfield or somewhere in central New York where there's 4 feet of snow and you're taking a sleeper bus home for nine, 10 hours after the game," Palmieri recalled. "It's tough." The NHL has plenty of players like Cam Fowler, the Ducks' defenseman who one day arrived in the league and never left. But the NHL is loaded with players like Palmieri, players who arrived and immediately began the maddening process of trying to find stable footing in a game played on the slickest surface in sports. The occasion of Palmieri's individually historic game seemed like a good time to remember exactly how much time, how much sweat, how much heartbreak can be required before a player experiences a night like he did Wednesday. "It's emotional," Palmieri said. "You get called up and you're at the peak. Then, getting sent down, is the low point. I'm not going to lie to you. It (stinks) to get sent down, to keep shuttling back and forth. When you get these opportunities, you have to do your best with them." Already this season, Patrick Maroon, Peter Holland and Emerson Etem have pingponged between Anaheim and Norfolk, which we're certain is a dandy town, but no kid straps on his skates the first time and thinks: One day, I want to play ice hockey in the second-largest city in Virginia, the birthplace of actor Tim Reid, Mr. Venus Flytrap himself! Of course, any kid who remembers "WKRP in Cincinnati" stopped being a kid a long, long time ago. But, hopefully, you get the point. "The lifestyle up here is very, very nice," said Bonino, who has ridden the little carousel at times in each of the previous three seasons. "You're playing with the best guys in the world. You kind of get used to it. "Then, when you get sent down, it's suddenly a whole different world again. The toughest thing is having the right mindset and staying positive." The sport is the same, and each one of these young guys would rather be a professional hockey player than an amateur anything else. But the lifestyle is different, as different as sitting in a seat that's first class is from sitting on a seat that's numbing fast. "You just have to know that it's for your best interest and you have to stay positive," Etem said of being demoted. "At the end of the day, you're still playing hockey and there could be worse things for sure." Yeah, the sport most certainly is the same, but comparing the paycheck is apples to oranges, very, very large oranges, ones large enough to have their own gravitational pull. When he signed out of Boston University in March of 2010, Bonino agreed to two annual salaries $65,000 if he played in the AHL, $650,000 if he played in the NHL. The Ducks promoted him for the final four weeks that season. "I got my signing bonus and a month's pay and I couldn't believe all the money," he said. "I had just been in college, so I didn't have any money. Then you see that, it's kind of a shock. You don't know what to do with it." The numbers can seem like play money and also disappear in an instant, without even being spent. Remember Brandon McMillan? He has appeared in six playoff games for the Ducks but now remains in Norfolk. Dan Sexton? A veteran of 88 Ducks games, he has been buried in the AHL for almost two years. Devante Smith-Pelly? He emerged here last season but is submerged today. "I definitely got an understanding of everything last year, going through the six or seven call-ups I went through," Palmieri said. "It isn't easy. The one thing I learned is every day here, you can't take it for granted." No, you can't. All you can do is squeeze each day, wring it dry of opportunity, and then hope, finally, a night like Wednesday happens. Orange County Register: LOADED:

8 Boston Bruins Rask winning games, winning coach s confidence By Kevin Paul Dupont Life after Tim Thomas is going OK. Tuukka Rask made another 30 saves Thursday night, pocketed another win (his 11th), 2-1, over the Senators at the Garden, and further solidified his standing as the able-and-willing successor to the guy who left Causeway Street in an abrupt, exhausted huff after winning one Stanley Cup and two Vezina trophies. Right now, said Boston coach Claude Julien, no doubt I have the same confidence in him. That s same, as in the same as Thomas, who last summer up and left for the Colorado hills, saying he was no longer sure if he wanted to play in the NHL. These days, Thomas is property of the New York Islanders and has yet to be spotted anywhere in or around an Original 30 rink, or anywhere else for that matter. Either way, he s gone for good from the Hub of Hockey and the job is all there for the 25-year-old Rask to embrace for what could be a very long time. He s got the opportunity to be a No. 1, said veteran pivot Patrice Bergeron, who ticked home a Dennis Seidenberg wrister for the winner in OT. So you want him to thrive on it. He s grabbed it and he s running with it. Rask s got rhythm. When goalies have it going, they are fluid, confident, and square to shots, their bodies seemingly morphed into 4-x-6-feet sheets of plywood in front of the net. Only one Senator shot, by Jim O Brien, made it by Rask Thursday night and it came after the Boston goalie made a brilliant first stop on a Kaspars Daugavins breakaway. Daugavins made a deke-and-stuff move to the left post and Rask cut off the attempt with a dandy right pad stop. Seconds later, though, after Daugavins centered in off the rear board, O Brien made the stuff as Zdeno Chara and David Krejci failed to clear. Messy coverage, a nasty goal, and a 1-1 tie late in the second period. I saw [the pass] come in and I saved it, said Rask, reviewing the one shot that eluded him. I mean, hey, it [stinks] when you make a couple of stops, but... But little fazes anyone in a Black-and-Gold sweater now with 17 games logged in a 48-game Honey-I-shrunk-the-schedule of a season. The Bruins are now , which translates to an astounding Eastern Conference-best.824 winning percentage. Stop the whole show right here and bring in those unsinkable, unbeatable Blackhawks to start the Stanley Cup Final. The win over the Senators wasn t anything special, but every victory has it s own beauty. It was a tough grind, noted Julien, his club not sharp after returning home from a five-game road trip, no doubt about that. We didn t have our A- game, I guess, tonight. One exception: the goalie. Rask was top-grade. He has been that in every start thus far, other than that Keystone Kops-like 7-4 loss to the Sabres Jan. 31. He has made five straight starts, come out of them with five straight wins, allowing only seven goals over 303-plus minutes. I m moving and making saves, said Rask, describing the rhythm that his game has developed, and it seems the puck finds ways to hit me. The question that remains here, mostly for Julien, is how much of a good thing to make of this good thing that is Rask? The Lightning are here on Saturday, followed by Les Glorieux Canadiens on Sunday night. Rask is in such a rhythm that it s possible, though not likely, that Julien would call on the Finn for both starts. If the Bruins could play at an.824 clip through what portends to be a torturous month of March, they could have a playoff berth locked up before April Fools Day and put their feet up until the start of the postseason in May. Julien noted again after the win that he has plans to use Rask and his backup, Anton Khudobin, but acknowledged that the plans often change. I m going to look at the week and I kind of plan, he said. But I always keep it as a game-to-game situation. There could be injuries. There could be a goaltender really having a tough night. And you change your mind. So, there s definitely nothing definite about who ll be in net this weekend. The only thing definite is that Rask looks like he can t lose, which is the stuff of fantasy for all NHL goalies. If Rask were playing now under the watch of Mike Keenan, who never met a goalie workhorse he didn t ride, he would be figuring that he might make 31 of the remaining 31 starts in the Boston net. He s going to want to prove himself through a whole year, said Julien, adding to his statement that he has as much confidence in Rask as he had in Thomas, and not just a 20-game span or half a season. He s going to want to be solid from start to finish. I think that s his challenge this year. Rask, added Julien, looks like a goaltender ready to take over. By the looks of things, Rask is beyond ready. He s there. What last summer appeared to be a gaping hole in the Boston net with Thomas gone now looks like case closed, job won, maybe even another Vezina in waiting. Boston Globe LOADED:

9 Boston Bruins Bruins clip Senators, 2-1, in overtime By Fluto Shinzawa Robin Lehner was in full swim mode. In overtime, Patrice Bergeron s tip had slipped between the Ottawa goaltender s pads. The puck was on the goal line and inching toward the back of the net. Lehner pawed for the puck. He chased it so hard his blocker came off. Somewhere in that frenzy, Lehner knocked the puck over the line with his bare right hand. Video replay confirmed that the puck crossed the line at 3:38 of overtime, giving the Bruins a 2-1 win before 17,565 at TD Garden. It was a comforting end to a grind the kind that always seems to take place after returning from a road trip. The Bruins were coming off a 4-1 road swing that ended with four straight wins. You come back home from all that, it always seems like a challenge, said coach Claude Julien. We didn t have our A-game tonight. A lot of it was because I didn t think we skated as well as we re used to skating. We were second on the puck on a lot of occasions. It made it a little bit tougher for us to come up with a win. Again, you ve got to give your guys credit for battling through it and finding ways. The game-ending sequence started with Bergeron winning an offensivezone faceoff against Peter Regin. It was one of Bergeron s 17 wins on 26 draws (65 percent). The puck went back to Dennis Seidenberg at the point. As Seidenberg wound up, Bergeron positioned himself in the high slot, sagging away from defenseman Andre Benoit. Bergeron tipped Seidenberg s shot, and the puck skittered through Lehner (44 saves). After several moments, Brad Marchand and Andrew Ference signaled that it was a good goal. Referees Francis Charron and Kevin Pollock huddled to wait for the video verdict from the Toronto war room. Before the signal was made, Zdeno Chara, who had been standing alongside the referees, lifted his stick. That indication allowed the Bruins to come off the bench to congratulate Tuukka Rask (30 saves). I think that s what he wanted to find my stick, Bergeron said of Seidenberg. He did. I was just trying to tip it on net. It squeezed in, so I ll take that. As the Bruins predicted, they had to engage in a dogfight to claim 2 precious points. The Senators didn t have three of their best players in Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza, and Craig Anderson, but they submitted a bluecollar, defense-first effort. The Senators entered the game riding a fivegame winning streak. Exactly what I anticipated before the game, said ex-senator Chris Kelly. They played a good, solid hockey game throughout the course of the night. They don t give you much. Their shots might be a little deceiving, but they don t give you many scoring chances. They wait for their opportunities and play a good system. The Bruins put 46 pucks on Lehner, but they didn t have many quality scoring chances. Nathan Horton scored on a changeup at 5:48 of the second period. Early in the third, Horton had a chance to net his second goal, but he snapped a shot over Lehner s glove. Other than that, the stingy Senators clamped down in front of their rookie goalie. They backchecked with a purpose. They stuffed shooting lanes. They kept their gaps tight to limit the Bruins rushes over the blue line. They played an awesome game, Julien said. Defensively, they always had numbers back. So it was hard for us to even get outnumbered situations or even two-on-twos or three-on-threes. If we had three guys, they had four. If we had two, they had three. They did a really good job of playing well defensively and protecting their end as best they could. The Bruins didn t have their legs. They didn t win as many battles as they wanted. But they made the plays when necessary. In the second period, when the game was scoreless, Milan Lucic helped set up the opening goal. The Bruins were cycling down low. The puck nearly left the offensive zone, but Lucic sprinted and corralled it before it crossed the blue line. That effort kept the attack going and triggered a give-and-go between Horton and Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton s return pass found Horton open in the slot. Horton didn t get all of his muscle behind the shot, but it found a hole. We didn t play our best game, Horton said. But we still found a way to win. It s not how we want to play. But in the end, we did get the points. We move on to the next game and be better. Boston Globe LOADED:

10 Boston Bruins Bergeron leads Bruins to 2-1 OT win over Senators By KEN POWTAK BOSTON (AP) Patrice Bergeron and a few of his teammates were certain the game was over, even staying on the ice ready to celebrate for a second time while his goal was being reviewed. Bergeron scored the winner with 1:21 left in overtime after a replay review confirmed it, lifting the surging Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. I thought for sure it was in, especially after that second kick at it, Bergeron said. Marshy (Brad Marchand) was standing right there. He said it was definitely in after the second time. Bergeron deflected a shot from the left circle that broke off Ottawa goalie Robin Lehner and trickled across the goal line. The crowd roared, the light went on and horn sounded, but the referee behind the net waved it off. Bergeron, Marchand and defenseman Andrew Ference three of Boston s four skaters on the ice celebrated in front of the Senators net before the referee was waving his arms across, signaling the goal didn t count. After a review, replays clearly showed the puck slid across when Lehner reached back and knocked it into the net before pulling it back out. Three of us thought for sure (it was a goal), Ference said, breaking into a smile. We were celebrating. We would have looked foolish if it was called back. Bergeron, standing in front of the Bruins bench, pumped his fist and accepted congratulations from a few teammates before skating over to greet netminder Tuukka Rask. Nathan Horton scored the other goal for Boston, which won its fourth straight and was coming off a 4-1 road trip. The Bruins are this season. Rask made 30 saves for the Bruins, including a pair of stellar stops in OT. Jim O'Brien scored for the Senators, who had a five-game winning streak snapped. Lehner, recalled from the AHL on Feb. 22 after top goaltender Craig Anderson was sidelined with a sprained ankle, stopped 44 shots. They threw a lot of pucks at us today, Lehner said. Unfortunately at the end there they got a stick on it and got a lucky bounce, I think. I couldn t recover really with my blocker, so I had to take my hand out and it still got in. Rask s stops in overtime came on point-blank bids, the second coming off the stick of Kyle Turris one-timer with just under 2 minutes left. With the win, Boston jumped ahead of Ottawa by a point in the Eastern Conference. Coming into a building like this with probably the hottest team in the conference, we played them toe to toe, Senators forward Daniel Alfredsson said. Bruins forward Milan Lucic was whistled for closing his hand on the puck with 32 seconds left in regulation when he fell on the ice behind the Senators net, but Rask made a nice stop on Mika Zibanejad s bid from the point. Boston took a 1-0 lead on Horton s goal 5:48 into the second period. Lucic s hustle play kept the puck in at the left point, where he flipped it in along the boards. Horton outmuscled a Senators defenseman for the puck, setting up a 2-on-1 play with Dougie Hamilton in the slot area. Horton then slid a change-of-pace shot by Lehner. Ottawa tied it on O'Brien s power-play goal midway into the period, snapping Boston s streak of successfully killing off penalties at 27 straight. With Ottawa s power play in the closing seconds, Kaspars Daugavins broke in on a clean breakaway. Rask made a right pad stop before David Krejci mishandled the rebound in a scramble in front before O'Brien slipped a shot into the net. Midway into the second, Krejci split the defense and skated in for a backhand bid he fired wide while he was being hooked by Sergei Gonchar. A little over 2 minutes after the Senators killed off Gonchar s penalty, Boston was whistled for too many men on the ice, setting the stage for O'Brien s tying goal. The Senators lost some key pieces to their team, including defenseman Erik Karlsson, who is out for the season with a lacerated Achilles, and center Jason Spezza, also out for the season after back surgery. Top goaltender Anderson has missed the last three games with his sprained ankle. But it hasn t slowed their play the past two weeks. The Senators played the Bruins through a scoreless first period despite getting outshot Neither team had any really good scoring chances. NOTES: Lehner had his only career shutout against the Bruins exactly one year ago, a 1-0 win at TD Garden. Lehner, a backup the past two games, played in just his 14th career game.... The Bruins opened a stretch of three home games in four days. They host Tampa Bay on Saturday and longtime rival Montreal Sunday night.... Boston went 5-1 against Ottawa last season.... Anderson, injured last Thursday against the Rangers, entered the night with a league-leading.952 save percentage.end of story marker Boston Globe LOADED:

11 Boston Bruins Broken play By Fluto Shinzawa In Thursday night s second period, the Bruins were four seconds away from killing their 28th straight penalty. Coach Claude Julien was preparing for five-on-five play. He had replaced Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille, two of his penalty-killing forwards, with David Krejci and Nathan Horton. But a broken play halted the Bruins streak. At 14:38, just before Shawn Thornton was set to finish serving a too many men infraction, Ottawa s Jim O Brien beat Tuukka Rask to tie the game at 1-1. It didn t help that seconds earlier, Rask had stuffed Kaspars Daugavins on a breakaway. That s the worst for a goalie, when you make a big save or a couple big saves, then it just finds a way in the net, Rask said. Those are the worst. Daugavins had slipped behind defensemen Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg. At the same time, Patrick Wiercioch, from deep in the Ottawa end, spotted Daugavins up the ice. Wiercioch connected with a longdistance, up-the-gut pass. Rask denied Daugavins with his pad. But the puck squirted back into the danger area. Before Chara or Seidenberg could clear the puck, O Brien poked it past Rask. O Brien s goal halted the Bruins streak, their longest since posting 28 straight kills in March A guy coming in the door and the other guy touches the puck before, Julien said of the too many men penalty. It s a legit call. It s a tough call to swallow, but it s a legit call. Those penalties end up costing you in the end. Bad bounce, but still, it s one of those things that happens. But the penalty kill delivered at the end of regulation and start of overtime. At 19:28 of the third period, Milan Lucic hit the deck behind the Ottawa net, and tried to keep the play going by pushing the puck with his glove. But Lucic was nabbed for closing his hand on the puck. The Bruins didn t argue the call. Instead, they killed off part of Lucic s penalty to close out regulation. In overtime, during four-on-three play, Chara, Seidenberg, and Patrice Bergeron kept Ottawa s No. 1 unit off the board. Rask helped with a blocker stop on a point-blank chance by Wiercioch. I don t think we re getting rattled by getting scored on every once in a while, said Julien. It s good to see the guys bounce back. A team to watch It would not have been surprising had the Senators tumbled down the Eastern Conference standings. Ottawa is without Erik Karlsson (Achilles ), Jason Spezza (back), and Craig Anderson (knee), three of the team s best players. Had the Senators packed it in, captain Daniel Alfredsson might have been available on the trade market. But the Senators entered Thursday s game riding a five-game winning streak. Alfredsson, who would have been among the Bruins targets, wants to stay with the only club he s known. I understand there s going to be rumors, Alfredsson said. But for me, my focus is here with this team. Especially with the way we re continuing to get points, getting into the playoffs, that s what everybody wants. It s possible the Senators might not be able to sustain their momentum because of injuries. Because of the Bruins ties to Ottawa (general manager Peter Chiarelli, Chara, Kelly), Alfredsson would be a good fit in Boston. He would be an upgrade on the third line, and also help on the power play. Alfredsson, 40, is in the final year of his contract. The captain s preference would be to retire as a Senator. I ve been here for so long, I can t see anything else, Alfredsson said. But I also never say never for anything. Don t read anything into that. I just feel this is where I belong. Protected in pipes Robin Lehner, Ottawa s No. 3 goalie, made his first start of the season on Thursday, and notched 44 saves. Lehner had been backing up ex-maine goalie Ben Bishop following Anderson s injury. While Anderson (8-4-2, 1.49 goals-against average,.952 save percentage) had been outstanding, Bishop (4-2-0, 2.17 GAA,.935 save percentage) has been nearly as sharp. They have an unbelievable goaltending tandem right now, Julien said of Anderson and Bishop. They re so good for them.... Ottawa defenseman Eric Gryba played in his first career game against the Bruins. Ottawa picked Gryba in the third round of the 2006 draft, using a selection they acquired from Boston as compensation for the Bruins hiring of Chiarelli... Lucic led all players with seven hits... The Bruins didn t have a fight for the seventh straight game... Edmonton Oilers president Kevin Lowe and senior vice president Craig MacTavish attended the game. They are in town to attend the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference this weekend... The Bruins were 0 for 3 on the power play. They are 0 for 26 this season at TD Garden... Aaron Johnson, Lane MacDermid, and Jay Pandolfo were the healthy scratches. Boston Globe LOADED:

12 Boston Bruins Game 17: Senators at Bruins preview By Fluto Shinzawa, Good morning from TD Garden, where the Bruins will start a three-game homestand tonight against the Senators. The Bruins have four of their next five games on home ice. Ottawa is missing its big guns: Erik Karlsson (Achilles), Jason Spezza (back), and Craig Anderson (knee). But the Senators continue to roll amid their injuries. The Senators have won their last five games. Puck drop: 7 p.m. TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama),98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers) Records: Senators , Bruins Projected Bruins lineup: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin Chris Bourque-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Dougie Hamilton Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid Tuukka Rask Anton Khudobin Healthy scratches: Aaron Johnson, Lane MacDermid, Jay Pandolfo Storylines: Tuukka Rask is expected to make his fifth straight start. If that happens, Anton Khudobin is likely to get the nod on Saturday against Tampa Bay. Rask would then start against Montreal on Sunday. Rask said he s feeling like he s in a rhythm. But the Bruins will have to manage Rask s playing time as the schedule becomes tougher The Bruins have gone six straight games without a fight The Bruins are 0 for 23 on the power play at home. They have scored seven power-play goals away from the Garden The Bruins have killed 24 straight penalties Kevin Pollock and Francis Charron will be the referees. Matt MacPherson and Brian Murphy will be the linesmen. Boston Globe LOADED:

13 Boston Bruins Logy B s find a way again Stephen Harris [ You might say the Bruins won by an inch last night at the Garden except it wasn t that much. A far from scintillating affair, which might have been a 1-1 tie that satisfied both teams in the NHL s old days, turned into a B s victory when a puck deflected in overtime by Patrice Bergeron squeezed through Ottawa Senators goalie Robin Lehner. It dribbled oh so slowly, just barely across the goal line. A half-inch far enough to extend their winning streak to five games. But winning 2-1 on such a goal was altogether appropriate for this game, in which the Bruins gave new life to the ancient NHL cliche that teams playing their first home game after a long stretch away tend to come out flat, with heavy legs and rocky hands. That was certainly the case last night, even if they had, paradoxically, a season-high 46 shots. Rarely has a shot total been less indicative of what actually happened on the ice. Everyone said this game was going to be tough, said Nathan Horton, who scored the game s first goal on what else? a flubbed shot from the slot that dribbled slowly past Lehner. He said the B s knew all about the expectation that, after playing their last five on the road, they would be flat. They tried to ignore that and just play their game. Nope. Sorry. You get on the ice and it s just another game, said Horton. It doesn t matter. You don t think about that. But that (flat) is kind of the way everyone felt, because we weren t able to win the battles the way we want to. Our feet weren t moving like we wanted to. Give credit, too, to the Senators. Missing four key injured players, they still worked hard and, while allowing a lot of shots, didn t allow many good ones. Horton s score early in Period 2 certainly wasn t some top-corner laser. Horton got a return pass from Dougie Hamilton about 15 feet up the slot. Just as the winger was about to shoot, he was partially hooked from behind by Ottawa center Zack Smith. Horton got almost nothing on his shot as a result, but it dribbled, like a baseball changeup, slowly in. It was a sneaky one, said Horton with a laugh. I got lucky. He didn t see the puck at all. It just sneaked through his legs. Probably if I had got the shot away it wouldn t have gone in. But the story of this Bruins season so far not counting the All-Star level play of goalie Tuukka Rask has been this team finding ways to win even when it doesn t play close to its best. It says a lot about this year, said Horton. We didn t play our best game, but we did come out with the win. This is not how we want to play, but now let s just move on to the next game and be better. By their next game, against the offensive-minded but defensively questionable Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow afternoon, the B s should be fine. Just because they got the First-Game-Back Jinx out of the way. I don t know why it is, said Chris Kelly. Everyone always talks about (that jinx) and you try to put it out of your mind. I don t know if it s the comforts of home or playing in front of the fans. But it always seems to be a struggle, a battle. But I thought we battled hard. Kelly was impressed with how hard and well his former team in Ottawa performed. Exactly what I anticipated before the game, he said. They played a good solid hockey game. They don t give you much. Yeah the (46) shots might be a little deceiving, but they don t give you many scoring opportunities. They wait for opportunities and play a good system. Kelly kind of liked winning ugly, too. To go far, teams have to win the stinkers as well as the gems. That s the great thing about hockey and this league: You re tested in different ways each and every night, he said. We look forward to those challenges. So far, the B s have solved most of the challenges. Even if only by a halfinch. Boston Herald LOADED: