Carolina Hurricanes Staal's injury is a knee sprain; recovery estimated at three months Eric Staal, Hurricanes dodge a bullet

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1 SPORT-SCAN Boston Bruins Bruins connect with Army Rangers in playoff push Wade Redden practicing as Bruins prepare for Game Bruins' back line boosted by rookie defensemen Redden, Sides close Redden returns to practice, will be a game-time decision tomorrow B s shift into third Seidenberg, Redden maybes today Power play shows life No jump to conclusions Buckley: Big hole in Hub-NY lore Carolina Hurricanes Staal's injury is a knee sprain; recovery estimated at three months Eric Staal, Hurricanes dodge a bullet Chicago Blackhawks Red Wings beat Hawks at their own game Resurgent Red Wings even series Wings play extra tough with Toews Hawks go from legendary to lethargic in 1 game Red Wings turn tables on Hawks with 4-1 win Winger Viktor Stalberg healthy scratch again Brendan Smith s rebound performance key to Red Wings victory Spreading their Wings Red Wings burn Hawks 4-1, even series Uninspired Blackhawks fall flat vs. Wings Smith, Red Wings get some redemption Red Wings play frustrates Blackhawks Red Wings steal momentum in Game 2 win Red Wings come out firing, grab Game Who's in, who's out as Blackhawks host Red Wings in Game 2 Dallas Stars Heika: You've heard this before, Stars fans, but here's why Jim Nill's regime could set franchise straight Detroit Red Wings Chicago Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews taking notice of Detroit Red Wings' physical play Drew Miller returns, has a hand in Detroit Red Wings' victory Chicago Blackhawks not happy with loss vs. Detroit Red Wings, but know 'it's one game' Detroit 4, Chicago 1: Red Wings pummel Blackhawks to tie series at Drew Sharp: Red Wings, criticized Brendan Smith get last laugh in Game Chicago columnist: It wasn't referees, but Red Wings that beat Blackhawks in Game Rookie Brendan Smith is Red Wings' risk-taker Octopus garden: Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews not complaining about refs, but Helene St. James: Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg living up to captain title Red Wings flip a switch, come to life in Game Red Wings' Brendan Smith bounces back after subpar Game Blackhawks take notice: Red Wings won't be pushovers stars of the Red Wings' Game 2 victory Red Wings dominate Blackhawks to tie up series Red Wings get under the Blackhawks' skin -- and right back in the series NHL 5/19/2013 DAILY BRIEF Red Wings Continued Rookie Brendan Smith bounces back with goal in Detroit Red Wings' 4-1 win in Game 2 vs. Chicago Red Wings bounce back strong with energetic effort, dominate Blackhawks 4-1 in Game 2 to even series Detroit Red Wings rookie Joakim Andersson among top unsung players in second round of playoffs Chicago Blackhawks have concocted perfect formula for successfully killing penalties Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Is this a must-win situation in Game 2 vs. the Chicago Blackhawks? Red Wings' Danny DeKeyser gets back on the ice, but he's not expected back until development camp Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg sets up teammates, shuts down Jonathan Toews in clutch performance Smith makes another mistake -- but also earns accolades of teammates Red Wings beat Blackhawks 4-1, even series Los Angeles Kings Los Angeles Kings hope Game 2 comeback set tone for series Kings are left crying foul after 2-1 overtime loss to Sharks Kings pay the penalty in 2-1 loss to Sharks NHL fines Sharks $100,000 after general manager's comments Late penalty leaves Kings sour in defeat Sharks' comments draw $100,000 NHL fine SAN JOSE 2, KINGS 1 (OT): Penalty phase hurts L.A., as Sharks get back in series KINGS 1, SHARKS 2: Final, overtime KINGS NOTEBOOK: Rookie Tanner Pearson ready for NHL debut NHL Playoffs: Lineup changes expected for game 3 of Kings vs. Sharks May 18 morning skate quotes: Darryl Sutter Sharks fined $100,000 for Wilson statement Game 3 lineup notes Introducing Tanner Pearson Pearson, Ellerby in? Noisy HP Pavilion presents a unique road challenge Joining The Team 1200 Ottawa at 10:25 am Good morning, San Jose Quick receives game misconduct May 18 postgame notes May 18 postgame quotes: Darryl Sutter May 18 postgame quotes: Dustin Penner May 18 postgame quotes: Rob Scuderi Game 3: Los Angeles at San Jose New Jersey Devils Switzerland and Sweden to Play for Gold Medal

2 New York Rangers Coach Says Hagelin Stinks on Power Play The Old Men and the Ice Rookie Defensemen Blunt Rangers Attacks Seeds of NY Rangers coach John Tortorella's no-nonsense, determined style born as two-sport star in Concord, M John Tortorella says Carl Hagelin isn't on NY Rangers power play because he 'stinks on the power play' Bruins Jagr finding new ways to learn Blueshirts look to put offensive pressure on Bruins in Game Relaxed Redden has turned the page Three keys for the Rangers in Game 2 vs. Bruins Former Rangers Jaromir Jagr and Wade Redden took different paths to the Bruins Tortorella calls on Rangers' top line to answer against Bruins John Tortorella: Let's go to the videotape Jaromir Jagr, in his 20th NHL season, reflects on Hall of Fame career Wade Redden hoping to return to the lineup for Bruins Rangers look to even series with Bruins Deal with Columbus brought Rangers three key players And the winner is (unofficially) Mike S picked all eight first-round series winners correctly Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators need to bounce back Against all odds, Ottawa Senators still succeed Sens ready for home ice advantage Sidney Crosby ready for battle Karlsson looking to the future Sens forward Jason Spezza returns from back injury for Game 3 versus Pens Phoenix Coyotes With value raised, Smith seems unlikely to return Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins notebook: Spezza will return for Senators in Game Kovacevic: Do Senators have anything left? Rossi: Late-game moves pay off Penguins Dupuis earns teammates respect with consistent play Gulf Tower turns red over Pens goals Marc-Andre Fleury's status only blip on radar Penguins Notebook: Not many quirks in Senators' rink Penguins eye fresh approach Ottawa should get boost with return of Jason Spezza San Jose Sharks Sharks fined $100,000 for GM Doug Wilson's comments about Torres suspension Sharks hope loud HP Pavilion crowd helps in vital Game Sharks' Marty Havlat expected to play in Game Sharks 2, Kings 1: San Jose gets physical in bringing down Los Angeles in overtime Purdy: San Jose Sharks pull off overtime win in 'Survivor' game Logan Couture goal gives San Jose Sharks overtime win Sharks notebook: General manager Doug Wilson's defense of Raffi Torres results in $100,000 fine from league Sharks top Kings 2-1 in OT of Game NHL slaps Sharks with hefty fine for statement on Torres Can Sharks put heartbreaking loss behind them? Havlat returning for Game Couture gives Sharks life with OT heroics Sharks and Kings engaged in déjà vu-ey series Penner blasts refs for 'gall to guess' on penalty Couture says he's fine for Game Instant Replay: Sharks respond in Game Game 3 thins Sharks bench Vancouver Canucks Sedins lighting up Sweden, shining a spotlight on the Canucks coaching failures Websites ESPN / All eyes on Sens' Spezza, Karlsson ESPN / Senators getting Jason Spezza back ESPN / Crosby sets new standard of clutch ESPN / Couture's gutsy play won't soon be forgotten ESPN / Sutter still tinkering with lineup ESPN / Martin Havlat returns for Sharks NBCSports.com / One-stop shopping for NHL scouts at 2013 Memorial Cup NBCSports.com / Avery: Playing for Tortorella one of the best things that ever happened to me NBCSports.com / Crosby supports video review for puck-over-glass penalties CNN/Sports Illustrated / NHL playoffs: Eight undersung players of the second round USA TODAY / Zetterberg leads Red Wings past Blackhawks USA TODAY / Eric Staal won't need surgery SPORT-SCAN, INC

3 Boston Bruins Bruins connect with Army Rangers in playoff push By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer / May 18, 2013 BOSTON (AP) In the corner of the Boston Bruins locker room, hanging from the hooks in Andrew Ference s stall, is a yellow running singlet with the team s Spoked B logo on the front. It s the same one Lucas Carr had on when he finished this year s Boston Marathon about 2 minutes before the bombs went off at the finish line, the one Carr was still wearing when he headed back down Boylston Street to help those injured in the explosions. He was right there, said forward Shawn Thornton, one of the Boston players who has struck up a friendship with the U.S. Army sergeant who was running the marathon for the team s charity. You can t say enough about those guys. He s got a ton of character. As the Bruins prepare for Sunday s second game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against New York, they have drawn their inspiration from another group of Rangers: The elite Army regiment that lives by the credo, Rangers lead the way. Carr texts encouraging messages, or simply joins them for a beer so they can talk about anything but hockey or war. It puts things in perspective for us, and I think gives us a little extra motivation, too, goalie Tuukka Rask said after practice Saturday. The bond between the team and the unit began in 2011, when Ference wore an Army Rangers T-shirt during Boston s Stanley Cup run. The soldiers sent back a picture of them waving a Bruins banner in Afghanistan. Ference visited the Rangers training school at Fort Benning, Ga., and he was given a Rangers jacket that has become a talisman for the team. After each win, the star of the game wears it for his postgame interviews and hangs it in his locker until it is time to pass it along to the next player. "Seeing the guys wear the jacket, I've got to tell you, I've been getting s and Facebook messages left and right, Carr said. The guys that are seeing this are in awe, they re very humbled: Oh, my God, this professional hockey team is using our insignia, out there performing for us. We re their heroes. Hockey players can have heroes, too. That s what Andrew s conveyed for the team. Patrice Bergeron was awarded the jacket after scoring the tying and winning goals in the overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the first round Monday night. Zdeno Chara squeezed his 6-foot-9 frame into it after the 3-2 win over the Rangers in Game 1 on Thursday night. Carr called his graduation from Ranger training school the proudest moment in his life, and said wearing the Ranger tab, or patch, for the first time makes you feel like you re invincible. Some guys aren t as strong as others, but every guy that graduates on Victory Pond that day, they are the proudest human being in the world. And they will run through a brick wall for you, he said. The sacrifice that that MVP (of the game) makes to wear that jacket is what it takes to be the best. It just means a lot to us, and the guys who have sacrificed so much, that they put that on at the end of the game. The hockey players cringe at the comparisons between their sport and the combat that the Rangers have seen. Obviously, what they do is above and beyond it, Thornton said. But Carr insists that there are similarities in their missions. It s about the man beside you, he said, recalling the Bruins comeback from a three-goal, third-period deficit to beat Toronto in Game 7. It is about the man beside you when you re skating a wing. They showed that in that comeback the other night. It s amazing what you can accomplish for a team. Ference, who is injured, declined to be interviewed for this article. Carr did not know that his tank top was still hanging in the locker room until a reporter told him this week. You re (kidding) me, he said. I'm just glad there s a good sense of karma in there for them, and I hope it will bring them luck. Still, it can be odd to be in the Boston locker room and hear players speak with such reverence of the Rangers especially during a playoff series against their Original Six rivals from New York. The irony was not lost on Carr. I think, in this case, may the best team win, he said. Boston Globe LOADED:

4 Boston Bruins Wade Redden practicing as Bruins prepare for Game 2 Print Comments (13) Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff May 18, :29 AM The Bruins are practicing at TD Garden. Game 2 is tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. Wade Redden is on the ice to start practice. Redden didn t play in Game 1 because of an undisclosed injury. Redden participated in part of Wednesday s practice, but didn t make it through the full session. So far, there are no changes to the Game 1 lineup. Jaromir Jagr remains on the second line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Tyler Seguin is practicing with the third line with Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly. According to the Bruins, Dennis Seidenberg took a solo skate prior to practice with strength and conditioning coach John Whitesides. Seidenberg s availability for Game 2 is unknown. Today s lineup: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Jaromir Jagr Rich Peverley-Chris Kelly-Tyler Seguin Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Carl Soderberg-Kaspars Daugavins-Jay Pandolfo Zdeno Chara-Dougie Hamilton Matt Bartkowski-Johnny Boychuk Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid Wade Redden-Aaron Johnson Tuukka Rask Anton Khudobin Boston Globe LOADED:

5 Boston Bruins Bruins' back line boosted by rookie defensemen they have six veterans (on defense). We just have to put even more pressure on them and generate more offensively. Boston Globe LOADED: By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer / May 17, 2013 BOSTON (AP) The Boston Bruins have three rookie defensemen in the lineup for the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Rangers. It s not because they want to. It s because they have to. As you know, we re getting thin here, Bruins coach Claude Julien said on Friday, a day after Torey Krug, in his first career NHL playoff game, scored to send the game into overtime and Boston defeated the New York Rangers 3-2 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven, second-round playoff series. With veterans Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference and Wade Redden injured, the Bruins used first-round draft pick Dougie Hamilton along with Krug and Mart Bartkowski on defense. Hamilton assisted on Krug s goal with 2:55 left in regulation, and Bartkowski played a career-high 26 minutes in the 3-2 victory over the Rangers. For a coach, you couldn t ask for a better situation, Julien said on Friday, when his team took the day off to rest up for Sunday s Game 2. A lot of credit goes to the coaching staff down there (in the minor leagues) that s done a great job at preparing those guys. Julien would not say whether any of his injured players would be able to return for the second game. If not, he'll continue to rely on his rookies. Hamilton, who made the team out of training camp and played 42 games in the lockout-shortened season, said it helps to know that he won t be yanked out of the lineup with one bad shift. Even if it s only because the Bruins have no choice. For all of us, it s not just trying to belong, but getting that opportunity to get regular shifts. It helps you stay focused, he said. It makes it easier when you have that confidence that you can just stay in the game and focus on the game. Hamilton, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2011 draft, had five goals and 11 assists this season while averaging about 17 minutes per game. But he moved up the depth chart when injuries stripped the Bruins of three of their top six defensemen. We've got to remember that he s 19 years old, Julien said. He s made some unbelievable plays on some goals; we saw that early when he came in and we seemed in awe of that. Playoffs is another step and he s taken that step extremely well, to me. To help fill in, the Bruins called Bartkowski up from the AHL for the third time this year; he had two assists and six penalty minutes in 11 games for Boston this year. And Krug, who s played three NHL games in the past two seasons, was brought up from Providence on Tuesday after Seidenberg lasted just 37 seconds in the first-round finale over Toronto. What we've seen from (Krug) the few games he s played with us, he doesn t seem to be intimidated by anything, or any circumstances, Julien said. I didn t see a guy that was nervous at all. If anything, I saw a guy that was extremely confident at making the executions that he needed to make. The other change the Bruins made on defense was to rely even more heavily on Zdeno Chara. The 2009 Norris Trophy-winner, who averaged about 25 minutes per game in the regular season, has played about 30 minutes per game in the playoffs, including 35 minutes in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs and more than 38 in the opener of the Rangers series. He s in great shape, and he s got a couple of days here to recover. So I don t see that being an issue, Julien said. To be honest with you, right now we don t have a choice. You deal with it the best way you can. And so do the Rangers. With all the minutes he has, the more tired he s going to get, New York defenseman Steve Eminger said. At the end of the day, it doesn t matter if

6 Boston Bruins Redden, Sides close Saturday, May 18, Stephen Harris The battered Bruins defense corps should receive reinforcements shortly, perhaps even for tomorrow's Game 2 of the second-round series vs. the Rangers. Veteran D-man Wade Redden joined the team at practice today on Garden ice, and appeared to be moving and playing well. Meanwhile, Dennis Seidenberg skating on his own before the team and also appears to be doing well. Both players have unknown injuries. Coach Claude Julien termed Redden a game-time decision for tomorrow, and said of Seidenberg: "(He is) obviously doing much better. I don't anticipate him being ready for tomorrow, but with an injury like he's got you never know." The Bruins will be bidding to claim a 2-0 series lead, having captured Game 1 on Brad Marchand's overtime goal. Matt Bartkowski and Torey Krug played well in the absence of Seidenberg and Redden -- with D Andy Ference also out and not expected back anytime soon. Boston Herald LOADED:

7 Boston Bruins Redden returns to practice, will be a game-time decision tomorrow Saturday, May 18, Mark Daniels Wade Redden returned to practice this morning and coach Claude Julien called him a game time decision for tomorrow s Game 2 matchup with the Rangers. Yesterday, Julien implied that he could be getting one or some of his veteran defensemen back. Redden took the first step in that process participating in today s morning skate. Dennis Seidenberg was seen out on the ice working with strength and conditioning coach John Whitesides before practice. As far as Wade, I haven t really had a chance to talk to him after practice so I can t say much about that, Julien said. I don t know the situation with Seidenberg doing better. I don t anticipate him being ready for tomorrow, but with the injury he s got, you never know. As far as (Andrew) Ference is concerned, he hasn t skated yet so he won t be in tomorrow. Redden will be a game time decision tomorrow. Redden has been out since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. With Seidenberg and Ference also out, Julien has been forced to rely on rookies Dougie Hamilton, Matt Bartkowski and Torey Krug. If Redden talked with the media after the skate, but didn't tip his hand. If I m good enough to go, I m good enough to go, Redden said. It ll be the coach s choice at that point. Boston Herald LOADED:

8 Boston Bruins B s shift into third Clutch efforts in postseason Sunday, May 19, 2013 By: Matt Kalman During the regular season, the Bruins were savaged for blowing third-period leads so often one wondered if their game plan was only 40 minutes long. One season after they were a perfect when leading after two periods, the B s went just while trying to protect a lead in the last session in Since the Stanley Cup playoffs started, however, the Bruins have rewritten their third-period reputation. While their third-period comeback from three goals down in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs was an extreme example of the B s ability to make a comeback, they had to deal with both a deficit and a major switch in momentum in the final 20 minutes of Game 1 of the conference semifinals Thursday against the New York Rangers at the Garden. The Rangers scored goals 16 seconds apart at the end of the second and beginning of the third period. Those are fragile times in a period when a goal-against can really sock a team in the gut. Instead the Bruins showed the fortitude to even the score a short time later en route to an overtime victory. I think there s a lot of older guys in this room that have been through a lot of things before. And I think that definitely helps being through it before, B s forward Shawn Thornton said after practice yesterday. We ve seen it before. We ve been on both sides. We ve squandered leads and we ve battled back. So we know that whichever way it s going, it s not the end of the world at that moment. Although they would rather play from in front in Game 2 against the Rangers today at the Garden, history shows that a deficit late in the game won t automatically mean New York will tie up the series. Such is the payoff for an organization that has kept most of its core of players and coaching staff together for three or four seasons. There s a trust that builds not just between the players but also in the system that coach Claude Julien and his assistants have installed and stuck with through thick and thin. It s no-panic situation, Julien said. A lot of that is belief in your team and belief in how your system can allow you to get back in. Guys believe in themselves more than anything else. We know we have the resources to come back. Thornton said: Our system helps. We stick to it... we don t deviate too far from the plan. When you believe in the play it can turn out to be successful for you eventually. With that faith in the system unbending in all the players, not much has to be said between teammates or between coaches and players once the Bruins are forced to play catch-up. There are guys that speak up occasionally, but mostly the comebacks are just part of another day at the office. I think there s great character in this room, and I think we re a very confident group when we get down a few goals, forward Tyler Seguin said. We know that most guys have been here for a couple years and we ve done it I don t know how many times, but many times. I just think that it s something that everyone talks about and we know we ve done it before and we know we ve gone out there and scored three or four goals in a period. So we like to say that nothing s impossible and we continue to prove it. Boston Herald LOADED:

9 Boston Bruins Seidenberg, Redden maybes today Sunday, May 19, 2013 By: Matt Kalman, Bruins Notebook There were some signs of improvement in the health of a couple of the Bruins injured defensemen yesterday as the team reconvened for practice at TD Garden in preparation for today s Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Rangers. Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference and Wade Redden all missed Game 1 with undisclosed injuries. The only certain no-go for today is Ference, who s been missing since Game 5 against Toronto. Bruins coach Claude Julien said Ference is yet to skate. Prior to practice, Seidenberg injured on his first shift in Game 7 against Toronto skated with strength and conditioning coach John Whitesides while team physical therapist Scott Waugh looked on from the bench. ads not by this site With Seidenberg, obviously, doing better, Julien said. I don t anticipate him being ready for (today). But with the injury he s got, you never know. Seidenberg s injury is believed to be of the lower-body variety. After Seidenberg left the ice, Redden joined his teammates for a full practice, though he said he wasn t able to do everything, looked to be avoiding some contact and didn t take many, if any, shots. Julien classified Redden as a gametime decision for Game 2, while Redden said he wouldn t have been available if the game was yesterday. You ve got to be honest with yourself, and it comes down to that, said Redden, who hasn t played since Game 6 of the Toronto series. Everyone wants to be out there, but it s got to be the right way... you could go out there and you re not able to do what you need to do, you re only hurting the team. So you ve got to be able to get it done. Obviously guys play through a lot of stuff, there s a line there. No revenge needed Redden was bought out by the Rangers before the season. He d spent the previous two years with their American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford because he underperformed and the Rangers wanted to keep his $6.5 million salary off their cap. If he gets healthy, he ll have his first chance to play against New York. I think it s been over with, Redden said about his emotions toward the Rangers. I mean, I ve dealt with it kind of all year, I was answering questions when I came back after two years away. So it s going to be nice to hopefully get a chance to get out there and be part of it. But I ve kind of turned the page on all of that stuff that s gone on. Torts taunts Hagelin Rangers coach John Tortorella didn t hide the reason he doesn t play firstline forward Carl Hagelin on the power play. Because he stinks on the power play. He stinks, Tortorella said. I don t know why. I wish I could play him on the power play. Every time I have him on, he stinks. Not to be too harsh, Tortorella added the Hagelin does everything else well. Boston Herald LOADED:

10 Boston Bruins Power play shows life B s hope to continue man-up momentum Sunday, May 19, 2013 By: Mark Daniels For two minutes in overtime of Game 1 against the New York Rangers, the Bruins power play looked much different than it had in the past. After a season-long struggle, they looked efficient. Led by Zdeno Chara, the group kept the puck in the offensive zone and continuously put pressure on Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Though they didn t score, the momentum carried over for the rest of the extra period and was capped off with a Brad Marchand game-winner. When the power play first started, at 2:20, Chara was out on the ice with Tyler Seguin, Jaromir Jagr, Patrice Bergeron and Milan Lucic. Though the Bruins came away from Game 1 going 1-for-4 with an extra man, their play was so encouraging they hope it ll carry over to today s Game 2. I thought our (overtime) power play was one of our best power plays in the playoffs last game, Seguin said. I thought we were moving around very well. At one point there I was over where (Chara) is up in the point and I was kind of like, I haven t been over here before. But it was just because everyone else was moving all over the place. It was clicking well and eventually one of those are going to go in for us. The Bruins first got a boost from their power play unit in the third period, but with a unit consisting of David Krejci, Marchand, Nathan Horton, Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug. With Rangers defenseman Steve Eminger in the penalty box for holding, the Bruins put pressure on Lundqvist before getting a game-tying goal from Krug. The momentum carried over to overtime, and to the power play when Derek Dorsett got whistled for interference. The Bruins took eight shots, putting six on net, during the two-minute penalty. Players rotated on the ice and passed the puck with efficiency and precision. More importantly, they didn t pass up any shots. Chara led the way with three shots on net. We were moving the puck and moving ourselves. I thought we hit some seams and hit some passes that we could make, Chara said. We had some chances and I thought it gave us some energy (after the power play). During the regular season, the Bruins were 18-for-122 on the power play. Their 14.8 percent success rate ranked 26th out of 30 teams. In the playoffs, it s been a little better but still not productive 4-for-24, for 16.7 percent. But things clicked on Thursday night. And after the overtime power-play shift, Seguin thinks the moment will carryover today. Absolutely. I think it s about having confidence, Seguin said. And with that momentum, things are going to work well out there. I thought we did a good job in practice (yesterday) as well. Boston Herald LOADED:

11 Boston Bruins No jump to conclusions One win only says so much Sunday, May 19, 2013 By: Stephen Harris Exuberant Bruins fans are advised to cool their jets just a bit. Yes, the Bruins had an overall edge in play in their second-round series opener against the New York Rangers won by the B s on Brad Marchand s overtime goal. Yes, they were able to do some things somewhat more easily than anticipated. But for fans assuming that game was a certain indication of how this series will go, take a look at all or part of two recent B s games: In Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Bruins had a wide advantage in the play, in all aspects, from start to finish. It was, simply, the best game the B s had played all season an indication they had rediscovered their true identity at a perfect time. It meant, some imagined, that the Maple Leafs would be promptly dispatched. Didn t quite work out that way, did it? And recall the stretch of play in the third period of Game 1 vs. New York on Thursday in which the Rangers had 4-5 consecutive shifts on which they pinned the B s in their end and generated extensive offensive pressure forcing a variety of turnovers and icings, with the home team unable to get fresh legs on the ice. There were a couple of shifts where we couldn t get the puck out of our end, B s goalie Tuukka Rask said. We couldn t get a change, and we had to ice it a couple of times. They re big guys, they re strong guys. When they play down low, they re pretty tough to strip of the puck. It s a big challenge for us. That s a glimpse of how the Rangers can perform. So, summing up, the best way for the Bruins and their fandom to approach this afternoon s Game 2 is to assume that Rangers coach John Tortorella will have his team playing much better. If people think, Oh, this is going to be a so-called runaway series, then they weren t watching Game 1, the Bruins Chris Kelly said. That game could have gone either way. We could be down one game instead of up one. Kelly thought the Bruins played a better game in winning Game 1 vs. the Leafs than in the opener vs. the Rangers and that game was hardly any indication of how the series was going to play out. So the attitude in the B s room after practice yesterday: Just forget about the 1-0 lead. You ve got to throw it away and look at the next game, Rask said. Because things can turn quickly. For years, the strength of the Rangers their identity has been team defense, shot-blocking, the ability to clog up passing lanes and, of course, the great goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist. Yet the Bruins fared pretty well Thursday in generating speed and offensive chances. Counting shots on goal (48), shots blocked (29) and shots that missed the net (16), the B s launched 93 shots. The Rangers (35, 21, 10) had 66. As the game wore on, the B s did better and better, with a edge in shots on goal in the third period and OT combined. Can the Bruins continue to dominate to that degree? Maybe. But don t bet on it. You know the Rangers, the way they play, they re going to be a lot tighter, the Bruins Rich Peverley said. They re a pretty hard-working team. I expect them to come out with every single thing they ve got. They re going to practice hard (yesterday) and that s going to make them better. You can also bet that Lundqvist will be better. Not that he was bad, but he didn t quite look to be in his best form not on the Torey Krug shot that beat him, and not with a couple of pucks that snuck through him. Needless to say, any and all attempts to get anyone within the Bruins dressing room to say anything critical about King Henrik failed. I respect him a lot, he s a great goalie, Rask said. I ve met him a couple of times. He s a nice guy. I think the respect is pretty big. The respect level the Bruins have for the Rangers remains high, even if the B s did look better in one game. They fully expect the Rangers to be better; they know they have to improve, too. We expect them to come hard at us, coach Claude Julien said. We expected them to come hard at us last game, too.... It s just a matter of being ready to up your game, because the other team is going to be better. That should be something that you know automatically. So we ll see today. If the B s can defeat King Henrik & Co. again, they get a pretty good grasp on the series; if not, we ll probably be looking at more of the same late drama we saw against Toronto. Boston Herald LOADED:

12 Boston Bruins Buckley: Big hole in Hub-NY lore Chance for teams to break ice in Border War Sunday, May 19, 2013 By: Steve Buckley It s about time the Bruins and Rangers got off the schneid and contributed something meaningful to the sports Border War between Boston and New York that has been going on for more than 100 years. Maybe, and we can only hope, this Eastern Conference semifinal showdown between the Bruins and Rangers, with Game 2 scheduled for this afternoon at TD Garden, will make its mark in the history books. The Bruins emerged with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory in Game 1, with Rangers coach John Tortorella saying, We got spanked in overtime. That s a good start. We just need for the Bruins to keep hitting posts and crossbars as they did in Game 1, and we need more overtime games, and we need Tortorella to keep barking at sportswriters during the postgame pressers. As fans in both cities well know, these Boston-New York sports throwdowns not counting Bruins-Rangers have gotten so out of hand over the years that sometimes we remember the brawls, the intrigue and the verbal spitballs as much as we remember the actual games. Brawls: The Red Sox and Yankees have given us Jake Powell vs. Joe Cronin, Carlton Fisk vs. Thurman Munson, Pedro Martinez vs. Don Zimmer, and Jason Varitek vs. Alex Rodriguez, just to name a few. Some of them have been doozies. Intrigue (Part I): Bill Parcells, coaching the Patriots at the time, apparently spent Super Bowl Week in 1997 planning his exodus to become head coach of the hated Jets. He emerged for a while as a Jets consultant until the league stepped in and cleaned things up, where upon the Tuna landed his New York coaching job. Intrigue (Part II): Bill Belichick accepted, and then declined, the opportunity to coach the Jets. After scribbling that he was resigning as HC of the NYJ, and after Jets president Steve Gutman more or less put it out there that Belichick was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, the league again stepped in. Result: Belichick wound up as head coach of the Patriots. Verbal spitballs: There have been hundreds, one of the best (and most recent) taking place during a Celtics-Knicks game this past season. The Celts Kevin Garnett allegedly told the Knicks Carmelo Anthony that his wife tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios, resulting in Anthony waiting for Garnett after the game in order that the two men might, you know, talk things over. Nothing happened, except that Anthony got a one-game suspension. It s embarrassing that the Bruins and Rangers haven t been able to pour something into the Boston-New York punch. Incredibly, this is the first time the teams have met in the playoffs in 40 years, meaning the NHL has deprived itself of all kinds of springtime Boston-New York bedlam. And while it s true that four of the Bruins six Stanley Cup championships have included a playoff series against the Rangers, that hasn t happened since the two teams met in the 1972 Cup finals. The Sox and Yankees have had so many Big Games and Big Series over the years that we can t even mention them all. The Pats-Jets saga is a blockbuster movie waiting to happen. The Pats and Giants have met in two of the last six Super Bowls. We got a Celts-Knicks playoff series a few weeks back. And now, finally, we get a chance for the Bruins and Rangers to do something we ll be talking about for the rest of our lives. Now I m guessing that you re thinking, hey, wait a minute, how about that little episode back in December 1979, right? Right: A collection of Bruins climbed over the glass at Madison Square Garden in pursuit of a fan who had apparently shmooshed a rolled-up program into the face of Stan Jonathan. In the ensuing melee, the Bruins Mike Milbury famously separated the fan from one of his shoes and proceeded to beat him with it. (I ve always mourned the fact that future hockey journeyman and tough guy Bruce Shoebottom, who had a couple of stints with the Bruins, wasn t involved in this game. Alas, he was just a 16-year-old kid in Mississauga, Ontario, at the time. What a headline it would have made: Shoebottom beats fan with shoe bottom. ) But, anyway, Mike Milbury giving that guy a shoe-shiner wasn t Bruins vs. Rangers. It was Bruins vs. Rangers fan. Big difference. It s time for the Bruins and Rangers to deliver. The history book is open, guys. Time to make your mark figuratively, and, possibly, literally. Boston Herald LOADED:

13 Carolina Hurricanes Staal's injury is a knee sprain; recovery estimated at three months Published: May 18, 2013 Updated 8 hours ago By Chip Alexander chip.alexander@newsobserver.com RALEIGH Carolina Hurricanes captain Eric Staal has a sprained right knee, but the injury will not require surgery, it was determined Saturday. Staal has a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament, and his recovery time has been set at three months, which would mean he'd be ready for the Canes' training camp. Staal suffered a knee-on-knee hit Thursday during Canada's game against Sweden in the IIHF World Championship in Stockholm. Swedish defenseman Alex Edler, who hit Staal, was suspended for the remainder of the event by the IIHF for what its disciplinary panel called a "reckless, dangerous" hit. Staal returned to Raleigh from Sweden on Friday night and underwent an MRI on Saturday. News Observer LOADED:

14 Carolina Hurricanes Eric Staal, Hurricanes dodge a bullet Published: May 18, 2013 By Chip Alexander calexander@ndewsobserver.com RALEIGH Eric Staal s diagnosis may been the best the Carolina Hurricanes could have hoped for, given the nature of his knee injury. Staal underwent an MRI exam Saturday morning in Raleigh, which determined the Canes captain has a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. No surgery will be required, and Staal faces three months of physical rehabilitation. Staal, competing for Canada in the IIHF World Championship, was injured Thursday in a quarterfinal game in Stockholm, taking a knee-on-knee hit from Sweden s Alex Edler. The defenseman later was suspended for the remaining two games of the international event by the IIHF, which called the hit reckless and dangerous. I don t know that relief is the right word to use but we are thankful the injury was not any worse, Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said Saturday. It could have been better, but it wasn t, but Eric has three months to rehab it and we re hopeful he will be healthy and ready by the start of (preseason) training camp. Staal was injured late in the first period of the game against Sweden, which won 3-2 in a shootout. He returned to Raleigh from Stockholm on Friday night. Edler, who plays for the Vancouver Canucks and is a former NHL All-Star, did not try to avoid the collision with Staal in the Swedish zone. Staal immediately fell to the ice in great pain, causing fears he might have suffered major structural damage to the knee. Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward suffered a third-degree sprain by definition, a tear of his left MCL during a March 3 game at Florida. Ward, who did not have surgery, missed the remainder of the regular season but was skating again in the final weeks of the season. Eric s injury isn t identical to Cam s, but I was told it s pretty close, Rutherford said. Staal, 28, has been one of the Canes most durable players. He has missed just 12 games because of injury or illness in his nine NHL seasons, and has played a team-best 149 consecutive games for Carolina. News Observer LOADED:

15 Chicago Blackhawks Red Wings beat Hawks at their own game Detroit's puck-possession dominance leaves Hawks chasing throughout Game 2 By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter 4:41 PM CDT, May 18, 2013 The Red Wings turned the tables on the Blackhawks in the puckpossession game. After proving adept at holding the puck throughout their Game 1 victory, the Hawks found themselves chasing it during the Wings' 4-1 victory in Game 2 on Saturday at the United Center. "They had the puck a lot and we didn't," Hawks winger Patrick Kane said. "They kind of used our own game against us playing puck possession. It didn't seem like we generated much at all." After peppering goaltender Jimmy Howard with 42 shots in their 4-1 win in the series opener Wednesday, the Hawks managed just 20 shots in Game 2. They also lost 31 of 56 faceoffs and spent much of the afternoon in their own zone. "Our forwards get back, we made better plays, we don't play as much in our own end," Wings defenseman Brendan Smith said. "If we don't make those quick plays, we'll end up playing in our own end and you know how their team is and how fast they are. We'll be peppered in our own end. It was a team effort. We made a lot of better plays, took care of the puck a lot more." Scoring touch: Kane found the back of the net for the first time during the 2013 playoffs and for only the second time in 20 postseason games since he scored the winning goal in Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final against the Flyers. "It's nice to score but it didn't really mean anything in the game, obviously," said Kane, who has 21 goals and 38 assists in 58 career playoff contests. "It was nice to get a 1-0 lead but beside that it doesn't really mean too much. Getting on the score sheet is the only good thing about it." Shake it off: Goaltender Corey Crawford said yielding four goals in Game 2 won't shake his confidence. "Whether I played well or it's a game where you just want to forget about, it's always about the next one," Crawford said. "It doesn't matter what happens." Numbers game: With his assist on Kane's goal, Patrick Sharp extended his point streak to six games (six goals, four assists). Hawks winger Daniel Carcillo had a postseason-high seven hits. The Hawks negated all four of the Wings' power-play opportunities and are 24-for-24 on the penalty kill in the playoffs. The Hawks are the only team not to allow a power-play goal in the postseason. Chicago Tribune LOADED:

16 Chicago Blackhawks Resurgent Red Wings even series 1-1 Hawks give up home-ice advantage in sluggish 4-1 loss By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter 5:27 PM CDT, May 18, 2013 There were times during their first-round series against the Wild when the Blackhawks weren't at their best. Despite those moments, the Hawks cruised past their under-manned foe in five games. Memo to the Hawks: The Red Wings aren't the Wild. Looking sluggish and slow, the Hawks fell to the Wings 4-1 in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Saturday at the United Center. The role-reversal from the first game resulted in the best-of-seven series being deadlocked 1-1 with Game 3 on Monday night in Detroit. "We knew they were going to play much better than they did in Game 1," Hawks captain Jonathan Toews said. "Obviously, we didn't quite match the effort. "We know we weren't good enough to win. We made a few mistakes on the rush, giving up pucks in the wrong areas. Last game we played smart defensively holding onto the puck and making plays in their zone. We kept it out of the dangerous areas and we didn't necessarily do that (Saturday)." Four Wings scored and Jimmy Howard was strong in goal as the Wings seized home-ice advantage in the series. Brendan Smith, Damien Brunner, Valtteri Filppula and Johan Franzen all beat Hawks netminder Corey Crawford in the rally from a 1-0 deficit. Patrick Kane got the Hawks off on the right track with a first-period score but that was all the offense they could muster as the Wings came out on top in puck battles all afternoon. "Maybe after the first game we thought it was going to be an easy series or we had a lot of confidence in here," Kane said in the quiet postgame dressing room. "They're a good team and they have a lot of players who want to battle and improve themselves even more than they have already. By no means is it going to be an easy series or a cakewalk." The Wings limited the Hawks to 20 shots on goal and just six more that missed the net while sending 30 toward Crawford. The Wings also blocked 15 shots as they didn't allow the Hawks much space with which to work. "This series is a long ways from over," Howard said. "It was a totally different game (Saturday). It seemed like we were able to get in on top of their 'D' and get our game plan going. After the first period in Game 1 they were all over us. Game 3, (it's going to be) whoever executes more and wants the puck more." The series now shifts to Joe Louis Arena, where the Hawks won both regular-season games by a combined score of 9-2. "We know exactly what we need to improve on and we need to do it right away," Toews said. "There's no time to waste in this series. We know going into their building it's going to be even more difficult than it was (Saturday). We'll turn the page and make sure we're better." Chicago Tribune LOADED:

17 Chicago Blackhawks Wings play extra tough with Toews Captain bears brunt of rough stuff as Detroit works to frustrate Hawks offense By Brian Hamilton, Chicago Tribune reporter 6:25 PM CDT, May 18, 2013 At one point during the general bludgeoning of the Blackhawks in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Saturday, Jonathan Toews received a particularly robust clobbering. The captain was hit hard in front of the net, then he was hit hard again, and then he skated up the ice at half-speed as his body considered the toll it just took. In moments big and small, the sequence was repeated throughout a definitive 4-1 Red Wings victory at the United Center. The visitors emphasized physical play, and by the looks of it, made Toews their primary target even though they maintained their goal was to be equal opportunity annihilators. "I wouldn't even say just Jonathan Toews it's their whole offense," Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith said. "You have to slow them down and play them hard. "It's something you want to do to every team, but you have to be a little more conscious with some of these players. They're All-Stars. These guys are phenomenal. You have to play them as hard as you can and bump them and be on the defensive side." The Hawks actually out-hit the Red Wings 36-26, but quality seemed to trump quantity. The Hawks' frustration was apparent after the game, when Toews grumbled about the approach the Red Wings took and what they were allowed to get away with. The tone was reset after the Hawks' offensive fusillade in Game 1, and it started by toning up the physical play. "It's just tough to understand sometimes why we get roughing penalties and hooking penalties, whatever it is, and it doesn't go both ways," Toews said. "If that's the way it's going to be, well, we need to understand that and play more physical and be tougher on them. We'll know that going into the next one. "It's not out of frustration it's just trying to frustrate their team. That's something we need to do a little bit more. They're trying to do it to our top couple of lines, and we can do a little bit more of it." Toews seemed to be mobbed more than Patrick Kane or Patrick Sharp every time he touched the puck. Some of that had to do with Toews generally working in the hard areas anyway, and some of it owed to Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg paying his counterpart very close heed when that matchup presented itself. "It's part of playoffs," Zetterberg said. "He plays better when it's more physical, and I play better when it's a little more physical. It's a give and take." Despite working to create some chances, Toews remains goal-less in the postseason. The Red Wings, apparently, literally will push to keep it that way. "We know he's really good when he gets some space," Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said. "We want to stay really tight on him." Chicago Tribune LOADED:

18 Chicago Blackhawks Hawks go from legendary to lethargic in 1 game Toews and mates were frustrated, but that's because it's supposed to be the other way around David Haugh's In the Wake of the News 6:41 PM CDT, May 18, 2013 Frustration won a rare faceoff with Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. "I'm not going to go off and complain " Toews said after Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Red Wings at the United Center that evened the Western Conference semifinals 1-1. Alas, Toews went and complained anyway. "If that's the way they're going to play, we have to play the same way,'' Toews said of the Wings' forceful style. "There's a lot of clutch and grab, a lot of interference. It's just tough to understand sometimes why we get roughing penalties and sticking and hooking and that doesn't go both ways.'' Sorry, Captain, it is even tougher to understand how the Hawks can look legendary one game and lethargic the next three days later against the same team on the same sheet of ice. Maybe, as Toews suggested, the reason has something to do with officials calling the Blackhawks for two more penalties than the Red Wings five to three but I doubt it. Welcome to real playoff hockey. Were the refs responsible for the Red Wings outscoring the Hawks 2-0 during a dormant second period in which the home team meekly managed just five shots on goal? Did officiating help Henrik Zetterberg beat Hawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to the loose puck before Zetterberg's pretty pass to Brendan Smith for the go-ahead, second-period goal? I'm not going to complain but the best team in the NHL should be above griping about aggressive play in a playoff series they still should win. Saturday's biggest difference had more to do with the Wings out-hawking the Hawks by playing a fast, physical, puck-possession game predicated around urgency their opponents lacked after the first period. "They used our own style against us,'' confirmed Patrick Kane, who scored the Hawks' sole goal. It resulted in the Blackhawks' worst game in weeks. In a rare noon puckdrop, the Hawks hardly looked ready for prime time. "I thought our game was way off in terms of the pace,'' Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. So much for the hyperbole saying the Hawks will win the series in three. Forget what the calendar or the schedule says now. On a sunny, beautiful day in Chicago that carried the whiff of summer, the NHL playoffs unofficially started for the Blackhawks. So far, everything else around the Hawks postseason that transpired before Game 2 against the Red Wings felt like pageantry. The Hawks easily tamed the Wild in the first round in five games that essentially served as an exhibition period. Then they dominated a tired Red Wings team in the second-round opener so thoroughly that, around town, too much time was spent after that convincing victory discussing either postseason award possibilities or future matchups. Apparently the Hawks had good ears and listened to every complimentary word. Hopefully for Quenneville, the silence they heard in their own building for most of the bad loss resonates just as much. "Maybe after the first game we thought it was going to be an easy series,'' Kane acknowledged. "We had a lot of confidence in here.'' Suddenly, consternation has replaced that confidence in the Hawks dressing room. They knew the Red Wings would respond with more energy yet failed to match it. They ceded the home-ice advantage and momentum to the rejuvenated Red Wings who came committed to crowding the Hawks' elite skaters. You saw the results of that approach in the Hawks taking just 20 shots 22 fewer than in Game 1 and in the way Zetterberg made it an unusually long day for Toews. "They have four guys who are all-world and you can't give them room,'' said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, who credited a day off for his team's resurgence. "Now we're freshened up. Series on.'' When the Red Wings have the Hawks talking about changing their style after one loss, indeed Babcock has the series he envisioned. The Hawks didn't win the Presidents' Trophy by altering their game. They won the award by imposing it. It took 55 games into this lockout-shortened season but, finally, the Hawks have adversity to overcome. Healthy scratch Viktor Stalberg complaining about ice time during the power play isn't adversity. It's a nuisance. Anybody who thinks Stalberg's absence was the reason the Hawks played the final two periods on auto-pilot overstates his value. The Hawks didn't lose because they lacked the speed of one player. They lost because they couldn't keep up with an entire team's intensity. Handled properly by Quenneville, this ultimately could go down as a welltimed letdown that renewed the Hawks' purpose and removed complacency. "Obviously, we didn't match their effort,'' Toews said. The Red Wings returned home with the split they wanted. Perhaps more importantly, the Hawks got the reality check they needed. Chicago Tribune LOADED: