Anaheim Ducks Up next for Ducks: Monday vs. Edmonton Kings already looking ahead after 4-2 victory over Ducks

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1 SPORT-SCAN Anaheim Ducks Up next for Ducks: Monday vs. Edmonton Kings already looking ahead after 4-2 victory over Ducks Boston Bruins NHL stars use PSA to combat homophobia Rangers snap 2 ties in 3rd, top Bruins Broken glass interrupts Bruins-Rangers game Rask injured as Bruins lose Thomas s workload increases in a flash Banged-up Paille put on shelf Final: Rangers 4, Bruins Today's Bruins lineup Tuukka Rask out against Toronto on Tuesday Lane MacDermid awaits NHL debut Bruins vexed again by Rangers Jordan Caron helps add to scoring depth Tough loss on Tim Thomas Bruins dominate, but lose to Rangers Bruins lose to Rangers 4-3 Buffalo Sabres Sabres' top line goes silent during win streak Sabres face their biggest game yet Sabres head to Winnipeg on serious run Calgary Flames Flames special teams fail Rejuvenated Stars shining bright Another Flames injury causes roster problems Flames can t escape injuries Stars lock down another lead Five subplots for Flames fans this week Flames suffer shootout loss to Stars Chicago Blackhawks Blackhawks edge Red Wings for 3rd win in row Like last 2 seasons, Hawks have changing of guard at goaltender Patrick Kane scores winner as Blackhawks beat Red Wings Tough guy Jamal Mayers making difference on power play Backup goalie leading way for Blackhawks again Blackhawks beat Red Wings in Detroit Special teams, special effort, special win for Blackhawks Blackhawks stay hot, score big road win in Detroit Colorado Avalanche Avs' Mike Connolly familiar with site of his NHL debut Jamie McGinn scores two goals to lift Avs past Minnesota McGinn scores twice, Avalanche beat Wild Columbus Blue Jackets Blue Jackets' Nash leads by example Coyotes coming off a fabulous February Blue Jackets notebook: Jackets map out strategy Blue Jackets 5, Coyotes 2: Nash scores two goals in dominating performance NHL 3/5/2012 DAILY BRIEF Dallas Stars Stars' Kari Lehtonen redeems himself with spectacular shootout against Flames Stars' Toby Petersen expected back Tuesday after missing Calgary game for birth of daughter Stars' Kari Lehtonen redeems himself with spectacular shootout in Calgary Stars show rough-and-tumble side in physical win over Flames Seventh heaven: Stars douse Flames in shootout, jump to 7th in the West Stars of the game: Loui Eriksson gets the goals, but Kari Lehtonen saves the day for Dallas Eriksson helps Stars edge Flames Detroit Red Wings Jimmy Howard leaves Red Wings' loss to Blackhawks after 1st period with lower body injury Chicago 2, Detroit Red Wings 1: Red Wings lose Jimmy Howard, another one-goal game to Blackhawks Scoring streak is not enough for Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall Chicago 2, Detroit 1: Red Wings Jakub Kindl, Jimmy Howard go out with injuries Chrysler's Ram truck rides high with Red Wings Blackhawks 2, Red Wings Wings call up Chris Conner in case Todd Bertuzzi can't play Red Wings' Jimmy Howard, Jakub Kindl injured in loss to Blackhawks Niklas Kronwall continues pace for Red Wings Red Wings lose two more to injuries, drop 2-1 decision to Blackhawks Red Wings' Jimmy Howard leaves game after first period with lower-body injury, listed as day-to-day Poll: Will Detroit Red Wings' captain Nicklas Lidstrom retire after this season? Goalie Joey MacDonald sees personal seven-game winning streak end in Detroit Red Wings' 2-1 loss Injury-riddled Red Wings make no excuses for lack of offense in 2-1 loss to Blackhawks Rookie defenseman Brendan Smith fitting in well with Detroit Red Wings Kane scores winner, Blackhawks beat Red Wings 2-1 Edmonton Oilers Hall may not shoulder the load Hordichuk knows his role Florida Panthers Ottawa Senators ( ) at Florida Panthers ( ), 6 p.m. (ET) Florida Panthers rebound against Ottawa Senators, breaking losing streak Florida Panthers Could Get Kris Versteeg Back This Week... Erik Gudbranson Sat to 'Take a Breath' Panthers Finally Beat Senators, Win 4-2 on Sunday... Cats had Lost Nine Straight to Ottawa Panthers finally solve Senators with big second period

2 Los Angeles Kings Kings already looking ahead after 4-2 victory over Ducks Sutter on playoff race: `Ain t no weak sisters Big names were spectators last night Postgame notes (March 3) Minnesota Wild Wild to recall Steve Kampfer, Chad Rau Game recap: Colorado 2, Wild Wild just can't find the net against Avalanche, shut out at home again Steve Kampfer debuts early to shore up Wild defense Minnesota Wild report: Steven Kampfer gets call-up from Houston Minneosta Wild dropping out of sight in West playoff chase Avalance 2, Wild 0: Minnesota losing streak up to four games Montreal Canadiens Jack Todd: Jean Béliveau's class contrasts with Pierre Gauthier's lack of it Canadiens' loss to Maple Leafs came down to shots on goal, Randy Cunneyworth says Dave Stubbs: Montreal Canadiens season like Monty Python gag Red Fisher: Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke in a class by himself Montreal Canadiens: Last place in Eastern Conference but they could drop further Nashville Predators Midyear additions help Nashville Predators play bigger Preds' Erat finds home, new family in NHL New Jersey Devils Islanders Blank Devils Devils' loss puts damper on Petr Sykora's 1,000th game Devils victims of Islanders rookie goalie's first NHL win and shutout Devils' Zach Parise suffers left hand injury in 1-0 loss to Islanders Stuffed by rookie goalie Anders Nilsson, Devils fall to Islanders, Devils-Islanders: As they play Devils' Pete DeBoer: Travis Zajac will return and play again this year Where does Pete DeBoer rank among Devils coaches after 64 games? Around the NHL: Former Devils player Former Brian Rolston takes that age-old question in stride Devils shut out, 1-0, by Isles' rookie goalie Islanders shut out Devils Isles turn heat on Devs New York Islanders Islanders Goaltender s First Victory Is a Big One Islanders shut out Devils Isles turn heat on Devs Okposo's goal: That's what Isles were talking about Islanders rookie Anders Nilsson shuts out Devils, 1-0 New York Rangers Girardi blocks shots and stays on the ice Rangers beat Bruins on Stepan's late goal Torts: Guts helped Blueshirts beat Bruins Gaborik eagerly dons Tortorella s blue-collar Blueshirt Rangers beat the Bruins, Marian Gaborik still going strong Stepan's goal the difference in Rangers' win over Bruins NHL Keeping Schneider the right thing to do for Canucks CBC about to pay for Don Cherry s criticism of NHL? Keeping Schneider the right thing to do for Canucks Jets lose Bogosian for start of crucial road swing Ottawa Senators Senators waste early lead in key Florida game Cheapseats: Hard knock on Sens' Smith Sens melt down in Florida Major shuffle to Sens lineup Philadelphia Flyers Lilja, Gus in Flyers' lineup; Timonen's streak ends Flyers ride Bryz's best to win over Caps Flyers' iron man Timonen, plus Meszaros, sidelined by injuries Flyers Notes: Gustafsson and Lilja give depleted Flyers new look Flyers shut out Capitals, Bryzgalov doles out Capital punishment FLYERS NOTES Timonen's ironman streak snapped at Flyers defense rests, worries don t Flyers, Bryz put stop to talk of defense s decline Defensemen Timonen, Meszaros out indefinitely Skate Update: Bryzgalov to start eighth straight Flyers aiming to finally win back-to-back games Flyers-Capitals: What you need to know Kubina shakes off stitches in Flyers' win Bryzgalov's shutout leads Flyers over Caps Phoenix Coyotes Phoenix Coyotes looking to play with edge Pittsburgh Penguins With superstar Crosby back, a dream season for Penguins? Brooks Orpik is older, wiser, better St Louis Blues Hockey Guy: Blues reaffirm standing among NHL elite Blues ride road to success Blues sink Sharks to wrap up road trip Tampa Bay Lightning Stamkos, Purcell lead Bolts past Canes Connolly's comfort level on the rise Tampa Bay Lightning wing Teddy Purcell finally finds consistency, scoring role Toronto Maple Leafs New Leafs coach Randy Carlyle begins patchwork Why Leafs boss Brian Burke can t have it both ways New Leafs coach Randy Carlyle begins patchwork No Sunday off for Maple Leafs under new coach Randy Carlyle Kelly: CBC s Don Cherry fires back at Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke Maple Leafs Mikhail Grabovski answers call, ends drought Carlyle embraces DIY spirit Fresh start for Komisarek Time is on Carlyle's side New Leafs assistant reunited with Carlyle Kessel feels bad for ex-coach Burke anti-ontario? Not really Burkes Remain Haunted Leafs Phil Kessel has nothing but good things to say about Ron Wilson Unplugged: Randy Carlyle puts Leafs through tough practice after debut win

3 Vancouver Canucks Newcomer Kassian finally comes through Gragnani happy with his power-play partners Extra men just not getting it done Post-Sabres Hat Trick: Traded players all prominent, Lapierre and Kassian are a hit and thoughts on the postse Washington Capitals Open thread: Capitals vs. Flyers Michal Neuvirth to start, Mike Knuble in the lineup against Flyers Capitals recall Braden Holtby Capitals vs. Flyers: Washington is shut out for second straight game at home, Alex Ovechkin: My mistake cost us two points Capitals perplexed by power outage with man advantage Bryzgalov backstops Flyers shutout of Capitals Ovechkin takes the hit for Caps loss to Flyers Capitals make zero progress toward playoffs in loss to Flyers Continuing to slip away Websites Sportsnet.ca / Gustavsson shines for Carlyle Winnipeg Jets Bogosian out after re-aggravating injury Bogo a no-go for a week or so jets-gameday-strip-buf Bogo no-go against Buffalo Hard-working Thorburn keeps Jets loose Sabres on roll SPORT-SCAN, INC

4 Anaheim Ducks Up next for Ducks: Monday vs. Edmonton The Ducks, who did not practice Sunday, have dropped three of their last four games since the trade deadline last Monday, putting them seven points out of a playoff spot. By Lisa Dillman When: 7. Where: Honda Center. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 830. Records: Ducks , Oilers Ducks' record vs. Oilers: 1-0. Update: After games on consecutive nights, the Ducks did not practice Sunday. They have dropped three of their last four games since the trade deadline last Monday, putting them seven points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Kings beat the Ducks, 4-2, on Saturday night, and afterward Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau ripped the officiating. "We can't have officiating making calls like that. I mean, there's three penalties that weren't penalties... Granted, they scored and probably sour grapes because they scored. But those things can't happen. It's too important. There's too much at stake." LA Times: LOADED:

5 Anaheim Ducks Kings already looking ahead after 4-2 victory over Ducks Locked in a tight battle for a Western Conference playoff spot, the Kings have little time to celebrate Saturday's win, their second in a row not with a game at red-hot Nashville on Tuesday. By Lisa Dillman There was little time for the Kings to savor their 4-2 victory over the Ducks on Saturday night, not with the congestion in the Western Conference playoff race. Five teams are separated by five points, from seventh-place Dallas at 75 to 11th-place Calgary at 70. Realistically, there are two slots up for grabs and the Kings are three points behind the Stars and trail eighth-place San Jose by a point. "There ain't no weak sisters," Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said Sunday after practice. He was speaking about the conference race but also about the Kings' next opponent. They are at Nashville on Tuesday, and the fifth-place Predators are on a run at home. "It's a tough place to play," Sutter, speaking after Saturday's game, said of Nashville. "They haven't lost at home since Christ was a child." Said Kings defenseman Willie Mitchell, joking: "I think it's the country music scene. Since their inception in the league, they've always been terrific at home. Real tough team to play against, disciplined. They play their style and everyone buys in. "The last game we played there we felt we should have won." The Kings lost, 2-1, at Nashville last Monday. Since then they have beaten the Minnesota Wild and the Ducks. They have not won three straight since mid-november. Against Anaheim, goalie Jonathan Quick made 29 saves for his 26th win of the season and forward Jeff Carter scored his first two goals since joining the Kings. Carter's linemate, center Mike Richards, had three assists, and the third member of the line, Dwight King, added two assists. The other goals came from captain Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar, who scored an empty-netter. The Ducks' goals were scored by defenseman Sheldon Brookbank and rookie forward Devante Smith-Pelly. Anaheim were 0 for 4 on the power play and the Kings scored two power-play goals. "It was some of the worst calls I've seen in a long time," Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said. "A game of this importance, we can't have officiating making calls like that. I mean, there's three penalties that weren't penalties." One of the power-play goals was scored by Carter, who put the Kings up, 3-1, in the second period before Smith-Pelly scored 13 seconds later to cut the Ducks' deficit to one. Carter had not recorded a point in his first three games after joining the Kings in the trade that sent Jack Johnson to Columbus on Feb. 23. "I've always been told that if you're getting chances, [goals are] going to come," Carter said Saturday. "It's something that's always kind of stuck with me and I just kind of went with it." Mitchell spoke about the chemistry between Richards and Carter. "Sometimes you have little stretches where your legs feel good, your hands feel good, everything is clicking," Mitchell said. "Then you have stretches where as hard as you're working and focusing, sometimes it's not going as planned. "With Carts, it's been a lot of change and travel. He said he felt like it's starting to click as far as finding his legs and his timing." LA Times: LOADED:

6 Boston Bruins NHL stars use PSA to combat homophobia Staff Report TORONTO Some of the NHL's biggest stars are featured in a public service announcement promoting equality within the sport, regardless of sexual orientation. Rick Nash, Duncan Keith, Corey Perry, Dion Phaneuf and Henrik Lundqvist are among the players who participated in the spot that debuted on NBC during Sunday afternoon's broadcast of the New York Rangers' 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins. The idea is part of the "You Can Play" project, which was created by Patrick Burke, a scout for the Philadelphia Flyers and the son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke. Patrick Burke's brother, Brendan, made headlines when he came out in November 2009 while serving as the manager of Miami of Ohio's college hockey team. He was killed in a February 2010 car crash at age 21. More than 30 NHL players have taped spots that will air throughout the remainder of the season. "The messages are very simple, yet meaningful," Patrick Burke told The Canadian Press. "It's variations of the idea that all they care about is winning, all they care about is having the best teammates and it doesn't matter if the best teammate happens to be gay or straight. "That plays no role in whether or not they would accept their teammate and that they would all be welcoming and supportive of an openly gay teammate." Patrick Burke founded the "You Can Play" project along with Brian Kitts and Glenn Witman, who run a Denver-based gay hockey team called GForce. Brian Burke has been active in gay rights initiatives around Toronto and marches annually in the city's gay pride parade. In its mission statement, the "You Can Play" project says it aims to ensure "equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation." That ideal comes directly from conversations Patrick Burke had with his late brother. "When Brendan came out it didn't change anything between me and him," Patrick Burke said. "It turned into a great moment for us, a great bonding moment for our family because when something like that happens when you're not expecting it, you have to evaluate: `What do I look for in a brother? What do I look for in a friend?' "We had a very open relationship where I asked him a lot of questions because I didn't know anything.... And hearing some of the stories that young LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) athletes face really touched me and made we want to do something in Brendan's honor to help those kids." The Burkes reached out to all 30 NHL teams in an effort to get support from players and received a strong response. "I am grateful to the NHL community for their support (and) acceptance," Brian Burke posted on Twitter over the weekend Online: Boston Globe LOADED:

7 Boston Bruins Rangers snap 2 ties in 3rd, top Bruins 4-3 By Ira Podell AP Sports Writer / March 4, 2012 NEW YORK Sometimes the so-so performances stand out more than the great ones. The surging New York Rangers have been running away with the Eastern Conference and now they are picking up points even when they aren't playing up to the high standard they have set. "We're playing our third game in two-and-a-half days, and they're not all going to be pretty," Rangers coach John Tortorella said after the Rangers outlasted the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Sunday. Derek Stepan and Marian Gaborik both scored tiebreaking goals in the third period, and the Rangers held on after losing in overtime at Tampa Bay on Friday. New York squandered two-goal leads in both games, but escaped with three of four points. The Rangers ( ) topped Boston for the fifth straight time, dating to last season, and opened a 12-point lead over the defending Stanley Cup champions. New York's closest pursuer is Atlantic Division-rival Pittsburgh, which is 10 points behind. Henrik Lundqvist made 30 saves and bounced back from the Lightning loss. Anton Stralman and Carl Hagelin also scored for the Rangers, who have won nine of 13 (9-2-2). New York has 91 points -- the most in the NHL -- and has gotten there in fewer games than any team in close contention for the Presidents' Trophy. "Maybe our last two games we weren't perfect, but we still managed to get points," Lundqvist said. That's a strength. That's what it comes down to -- just find ways to win games, or at least get points. We didn't play our best... but we stayed in the game." Gaborik gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead 3:14 into the third with his 32nd goal, but David Krejci tied it for Boston at 11:42. The Bruins barely had time to celebrate before Stepan ripped a drive from the left circle that sailed past screened goalie Tim Thomas and under the crossbar 39 seconds later. "Their guy, maybe (Ruslan) Fedotenko, crossed at the exact perfect time," Thomas said. "He was going to release it, then the cross. I felt it hit my shoulder. I might have picked it up when it was three feet from my shoulder." Gaborik put the Rangers in front after Boston defenseman Dennis Seidenberg tried to get the puck out of danger behind the net. Seidenberg banked the puck off the end boards, but it caromed right to Gaborik, who made a quick shift from forward to backhand and scored. The Rangers were held to 17 shots, but got the best of Thomas, who lost for the second straight day. Thomas came on in relief Saturday against the New York Islanders after starter Tuukka Rask was injured. Boston was beaten for the seventh time in 11 games (4-6-1). Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Caron had the other goals for Boston. "We played a pretty good game," Thomas said. "Right now, what can go wrong, will. It's one of those modes." New York lost its second straight 2-0 lead largely because of sloppy play by its defensemen. Giveaways by Stralman and Dan Girardi lead directly to Boston's first two goals. With about 8 minutes gone in the first period, Stralman -- who a few minutes earlier doubled the Rangers' lead -- tried to clear the puck out of his zone but instead had it picked off. Caron got the puck to Pouliot, who fired in a drive at 7:57. Girardi got caught trying to move the puck up ice while the Bruins were in the midst of a line change. His attempt to get the puck out of his end was intercepted by Caron, who then ripped a drive by Lundqvist to tie it 1:40 into the second. "That's the league we play in. You make a bad play, it's going to go into the back of your net," Girardi said. Until then it was all Rangers, at least on the scoreboard. Stralman gave them a 1-0 lead when he kept the puck in at the left point, curled to the top of the circle and ripped a shot that found its way inside the left post at 5:05. Just 1:10 later, the Rangers took advantage of the shaky Thomas again. Girardi fired the puck from his own end, and a deflection by Brad Richards negated a potential icing call. It didn't matter as the speedy Hagelin beat the Bruins up ice, and carried the puck behind the net. He flung the puck in front, and as teammate Brandon Dubinsky crashed the crease, the puck hit Boston defenseman Greg Zanon and bounced past Thomas. The goal was originally credited to Dubinsky. Bruins coach Claude Julien then used his timeout, and his team responded. Pouliot cut the deficit in half just 1:39 later, and Boston gradually took over. "Other than the result, we have a lot to be happy about," Bruins forward Milan Lucic said. "We played a real good game after we called that timeout. We had everyone going. It was the best effort that we've had in a long time. We need to keep our heads high and remember the things here that gave the scoring chances and the momentum." The Bruins held New York to eight shots in the first period and 11 through 40 minutes. Boston fired 24 pucks at Lundqvist in the first two periods and held a big edge in possession time. "They had the puck for most of the second period," Stepan said. "In the third we did a great job of defending, and we held onto pucks a little more." NOTES: The final 2:53 of the first period was tacked onto the start of the second after a shot by Boston's Brian Rolston broke a pane of glass behind the New York net.... Rangers captain Ryan Callahan missed his third straight game because of a bruised foot.... The Rangers have won nine of 11 against Boston.... Bruins LW Lane MacDermid, in his NHL debut, fought Mike Rupp 2:30 into the game. There were three fights in the first period. Boston Globe LOADED:

8 Boston Bruins Broken glass interrupts Bruins-Rangers game Staff Report NEW YORK Because of a broken pane of glass behind the New York net, the final 2:53 of the first period between the Rangers and Boston Bruins was tacked on to the start of the second. With the Rangers leading 2-1 on Sunday, Boston's Brian Rolston fired a shot that sailed over the net and cracked the glass. Cracks were visible in the glass, but it didn't shatter and no pieces of glass appeared to enter the seating area or playing surface. After a brief inspection of the pane by a member of the ice crew, the teams were sent to the dressing rooms and an announcement was made that the final minutes of the period would be played after the intermission. The pane was quickly replaced, and the ice was resurfaced. The teams were to switch ends after the remaining time of the first period was played. Boston Globe LOADED:

9 Boston Bruins Rask injured as Bruins lose Goaltender leaves in pain after fall By Fluto Shinzawa Before 17,565 at TD Garden yesterday, the Bruins dropped a 3-2 decision to the Islanders. But their bigger loss was that of Tuukka Rask. The last sight of Rask was the netminder, with helped from Joe Corvo and Greg Zanon, doing a one-legged skate off the ice. Rask put no pressure on his left leg. Rask was injured at 9:01 of the second period. New York s Matt Martin, skating down the right wing, snapped a shot on goal, and it deflected off Zanon. As Rask tried to follow the deflection, he made an awkward move, then fell backward. He tossed his stick aside, threw off his blocker, and pointed at his left knee. Rask, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee during the offseason, left the Garden on crutches. He did not travel with the team to New York for today s game against the Rangers. The Bruins will continue their road trip in Toronto on Tuesday, and Rask will not be available for that game, either. Michael Hutchinson was recalled from Providence and will back up Tim Thomas at Madison Square Garden today. Anton Khudobin is Providence s No. 1 goalie, but he is sidelined because of a wrist injury, according to the Providence Journal. If the Bruins are without Rask for an extended stretch, it will mean a heavy workload for Thomas. Starting today, the Bruins will play every other day until March 20. They have a two-day break before starting their three-game California swing March 22 in San Jose. They had hoped to give Thomas the rest he needed heading into the postseason. What can I say? It is what it is, coach Claude Julien said. You re hoping to utilize your two goaltenders in this stretch. The next two weeks, it s about four games per week. So we ll have to make do someway. The Bruins had questions regarding yesterday s winning goal. After the Bruins won a defensive-zone faceoff, Johnny Boychuk rimmed the puck around the wall and into the New York end. Tyler Seguin raced after the puck to prevent an icing call, but before Seguin could touch the puck, New York s Andrew MacDonald tracked it down in the corner. However, the linesman, Brad Kovachik, didn t call icing. I didn t touch it, Seguin said. Their guy touched it. We didn t hear the linesman say anything. We all kind of stopped. Seguin and Milan Lucic halted in the corner, awaiting the icing call. It never came. The Islanders pulled away for an odd-man rush. Matt Moulson rushed the puck into the offensive zone, slammed on the brakes along the right-side half-boards, and ripped a shot on goal. John Tavares tipped Moulson s shot past Thomas at 15:21 of the third, giving the Islanders a 3-2 lead. We make mistakes. They re entitled to make mistakes, too, if they make a mistake, Julien said of the officials. But that puck still went by two of our guys. Take the blame. We ve got to play to the whistle. Maybe it was icing. But we still could have handled it better than we did. It looked like MacDonald touched it. At the same time, it doesn t excuse us from not playing it through. There was no whistle blown. The stop-and-start Bruins have now failed to win consecutive games since Jan. 10 and 12. They have failed to gain any kind of traction for almost two months. They have fallen behind in games, then not had the necessary finish to overcome deficits. In this latest setback, the Bruins had a handful of good looks. Zdeno Chara hit the post in the second period. Seguin and Brad Marchand had scoring chances that settled in the glove of Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov. Today, if you ask me, we were the better team out there, Julien said. We didn t get the best result. Secondary scoring is not very apparent right now. We re leaning on a lot of the same guys to score goals. If we can get some secondary scoring, I think it will solve a lot of the issues we have right now in winning hockey games. The Islanders wiped out a 1-0 deficit when Josh Bailey scored in the first and Moulson beat Thomas in the second, making it 2-1 after 40 minutes. Seguin tied the game at 7:29 of the third off a set faceoff play. David Krejci won a neutral-zone draw from Tavares and pulled the puck back to Chara. As Seguin broke for the net, Chara banked a pass off the right-side boards. Seguin collected the bank pass, hurtled in on goal, and slipped a backhander past Nabokov. The Bruins never came closer. With 90 seconds remaining, Lucic snapped a shot on goal during a net-front scramble. But a down-and-out Nabokov got his right arm in front of Lucic s shot. Now, the first-place Rangers await. We re going into our fourth game against a really good team - four games in six nights, Julien said. We re going to be challenged again in all areas. We ve just got to suck it up and battle through it. Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com. Follow him on Boston Globe LOADED:

10 Boston Bruins Thomas s workload increases in a flash By Jason Mastrodonato Forget about all the off-ice issues surrounding Tim Thomas. The only thing that should matter when it comes to the Bruins goaltender over the coming weeks - or months, depending on the seriousness of Tuukka Rask s injury - will be his performance on the ice. [Rask] is becoming a good goaltender for us, coach Claude Julien said after yesterday s 3-2 loss to the Islanders, in which Rask was removed following a frightening injury when he made a sudden jerk trying to make a save. Rask left the ice at 9:01 of the second period without putting any weight on his left skate. And, continued Julien, as if reminding everyone that there s a Vezina Trophy winner on the roster, we know the other guy has proven himself over the years. Right now, though, Boston is struggling to find momentum. Injuries have forced Andrew Ference, Daniel Paille, and Rask to join Nathan Horton as observers for today s game against the Rangers in New York. And the Bruins haven t won two in a row since mid-january, a span of 21 games. We re looking for answers, said defenseman Dennis Seidenberg. Thomas could be one of them. Over the next 35 days, the Bruins have 19 games, including 15 remaining in March. Just once during the upcoming stretch (March 21-22) do the Bruins have two days off. If Rask is out for an extended period, Thomas likely will carry most of the load. But Thomas, who turns 38 in April, hasn t started more than 12 games in a month since 2007, when he was 32 and in his third season in the NHL. For Timmy, it s going to be tough, said Seidenberg. He s going to be playing more. But I m sure he ll be ready for it. He loves challenges, so I m sure he s going to come out on top of this one. The encouraging part is that Thomas continued to excel with additional playing time last season. From Nov. 15 through Dec. 30, a span of 47 days, Thomas made 17 starts and allowed just 33 goals, a goals-against average of But losing Rask for games also means losing him for practices, eliminating the strong two-goalie system that has forced the Bruins offense to stretch its comfort zone and become more creative. Going up against them in practice, it s good for us, said Milan Lucic. It s difficult to score on both of them. And it s definitely good to have that competition between them. The competition may well be gone. That s been the strength of the goaltending, said Julien. They re both good and they both know it. They want to push each other. And Tuukka is a goaltender that wants to become the No. 1 down the road, and his goal is to try to prove that. Rask has posted the second-best GAA (2.05) in the Eastern Conference. And if Thomas has an off-day against the Rangers, Julien won t have Rask to take the load off in Tuesday s game in Toronto. Rask isn t making the road trip. I m not pointing fingers at anyone, said Lucic. It s a group effort, but everyone has to step up a little bit more, do a little bit more, and try to fill that void. Thomas can play only one position. Among the Bruins struggles of late, goaltending is far down the list. But if Thomas can handle the increased workload and continue to be among the league s most effective goaltenders, he ll at least give his team a chance to regain momentum before the the playoffs. First up for Thomas: the league-leading Rangers. And in his eyes, nothing has changed. At least for now. I m going to look at it like any other game, he said. Show up and try to do my job. Boston Globe LOADED:

11 Boston Bruins Banged-up Paille put on shelf Forward will miss today s game in NY By Fluto Shinzawa The skates and pads hanging in Daniel Paille s stall after yesterday s 3-2 loss to the Islanders indicated the bad news: The left wing would not be traveling to New York. Paille was injured in the third period when he was tripped by Steve Staios. He got to his feet slowly and skated off the ice at 9:01, his left arm tucked against his body, and didn t return. The Bruins were already without Nathan Horton (concussion) and Rich Peverley (knee sprain). Now they will be without their fourth-line left wing and regular penalty-killer. Paille has nine goals and five assists in 59 games while averaging 11 minutes 25 seconds of ice time. Paille, who is averaging 1:19 of shorthanded action per game, usually kills penalties alongside Gregory Campbell. After the loss, the Bruins recalled Lane MacDermid from Providence on an emergency basis. MacDermid will make his NHL debut today against the Rangers, skating on the fourth line with Campbell and Shawn Thornton. The 6-foot-3-inch, 205-pound MacDermid has four goals, 10 assists, and 106 penalty minutes in 57 games for Providence. The 22-year-old wing, one of the final cuts in training camp, had chemistry with Campbell and Thornton during the preseason. Because Paille didn t travel to New York, it s unlikely he will be available for Tuesday s game in Toronto. Ference sidelined The Bruins played without Andrew Ference, who was unavailable because of a lower-body injury suffered in Thursday s 4-3 overtime win over New Jersey. Ference also didn t travel with the team to New York. His availability on Tuesday against Toronto is also in question. Ference has a history of knee and groin injuries. Boychuk back in Johnny Boychuk returned to the lineup after missing two games because of a concussion suffered last Saturday in Ottawa. Boychuk logged 20:24 of ice time, was paired with usual partner Zdeno Chara, and saw most of his shifts against the Islanders top line of Matt Moulson, John Tavares, and P.A. Parenteau. Boychuk recorded three shots and four hits, and reported no ill symptoms after the game. Just wanted to check the old head out and see how it would feel, said Boychuk, who came out thumping in the first. It was good to see how you feel right after. They told me if I felt any symptoms just to get off. If I have to sit another week, it would be fine because we have enough guys to fill in. But no symptoms at all after warmups. In the first period, same thing, no symptoms. Nothing throughout the whole game. Assuming Boychuk doesn t suffer any setbacks, he will be back with Chara. They will most likely match up against ace sharpshooter Marian Gaborik today. I think the most important thing is the fact that it wasn t a long-term thing, coach Claude Julien said. He felt good before the game. He felt good during the game. As far I know, there haven t been any issues at all. Hopefully that s the way it s going to continue. Slight improvement The Bruins went 1 for 5 on the power play after being blanked in their two previous games - against New Jersey and Ottawa. In the first period, with Josh Bailey in the box for slashing, Milan Lucic netted the man-advantage goal from in tight over goalie Evgeni Nabokov. The Bruins had spent most of Friday s practice working on the power play... Brian Rolston played mostly left wing on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Rolston had three shots and one assist in 13:38. It was the most comfortable Rolston has looked in his three games with the Bruins... Mike Mottau was the healthy scratch. The Avon native will most likely be out of the lineup against the Rangers... Joe Corvo, who landed four shots and assisted on Lucic s goal, had six shots blocked and missed with three others. He was better defensively than he was against New Jersey Thursday, when he committed a costly turnover that led to a Zach Parise goal... Matt Martin led all players with eight hits... With help from his father Mike, former Norwood hockey player Mike Brown dropped the ceremonial first puck before the game. Brown was in his new wheelchair, which allows him to be upright. The wheelchair was purchased with help from funds via the Boston Bruins Foundation. Boston Globe LOADED:

12 Boston Bruins Final: Rangers 4, Bruins 3 March 04, 2012 Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff All done on Broadway. Bruins lose second straight. 16:11 3d period: Rangers 4-3 Joe Corvo takes puck in cheek. Looks OK. 13:45 3d period: Rangers 4-3 Delay of game on Stu Bickel. Critical PP. 12:21 3d period: Rangers 4-3 Derek Stepan snipes high glove on Tim Thomas. Heck of a shot. But Thomas makes that save when he s on. Easy entry for Rangers. Killer goal. 11:42 3d period: 3-3 David Krejci takes a dish from Milan Lucic and hits the back of the net. Good speed on rush for Tyler Seguin to initiate the play. Seguin drives to net to create seam. Lucic pass off Dan Girardi s stick. 10:05 3d period: Rangers 3-2 Derek Stepan with a great chance in front. Wide right. As expected, Rangers pushing. Bruins running out of jump. 6:43 3d period: Rangers 3-2 Brad Marchand just misses on backhand. 3:14 3d period: Rangers 3-2 Marian Gaborik, foiled by Tim Thomas on first take, buries his second chance. Dennis Seidenberg caught pinching up ice. Then was running around at other end. 20:00 2d period: 2-2 Dominant second for Bruins. Wearing out ice in New York zone. Unlucky not to get goal. Bruins must be wary of Rangers pushback in third. Rangers awful in second. 13:58 2d period: 2-2 Bruins with shot advantage. Controlling pace. 11:50 2d period: 2-2 Gregory Campbell, on second whack, hits right post. 9:39 2d period: 2-2 Too many men on Rangers. Fortunate for Bruins. NYR had them on ropes. 9:17 2d period: 2-2 Dan Girardi smokes Milan Lucic along boards. Wicked thump. 1:40 2d period: 2-2 Jordan Caron picks off Dan Girardi pass. Slaps one through Girardi screen and past Henrik Lundqvist. Two picks by Caron lead to two goals. Lundqvist looks mortal, though Caron s shot might have ticked off Girardi. 20:00 1st period: Rangers 2-1 Twenty minutes finally in books. Bruins with some pushback. 18:30 1st period: Rangers 2-1 Brad Marchand with a backhand off the bar. Good dangle by Marchand. Post, back of Henrik Lundqvist s right leg, post. 17:07 1st period: Rangers 2-1 Period over. Glass cracked behind Henrik Lundqvist. Teams sent to room. 15:38 1st period: Rangers 2-1 Gregory Campbell vs. Stu Bickel. Fight away from puck. Even scrap. 7:59 1st period: Rangers 2-1 Off the draw, Milan Lucic vs. Brandon Prust. Lucic ends the fight with some nasty lefts in front of the Boston bench. Round 2 goes to Lucic (Prust had won previous scrap). 7:57 1st period: Rangers 2-1 Excellent stick by Jordan Caron leads to chance in front. Benoit Pouliot buries the shot. Great forechecking by Caron and Chris Kelly on Anton Stralman to force giveaway. 7:04 1st period: Rangers 2-0 Rangers putting foot down. Bruins dreadful with puck management in own end. 6:15 1st period: Rangers 2-0 Rangers get another. Looked like Brandon Dubinsky got a piece of it. Fling out front by Carl Hagelin. Dubinsky gets to net before Gregory Campbell. Might have ticked off Greg Zanon before beating Tim Thomas. Timeout Bruins. 5:05 1st period: Rangers 1-0 Anton Stralman with the long-distance goal through traffic. Bruins had killed off Zdeno Chara penalty but couldn t clear zone. 2:30 1st period: 0-0 Lane MacDermid vs. Mike Rupp. Welcome to the NHL, Lane. Takes some big rights from Rupp, but hangs in and scores the takedown. 0:00 1st period: 0-0 Mike Mottau is the healthy scratch. Ryan Callahan out. Boston Globe LOADED:

13 Boston Bruins Today's Bruins lineup March 04, 2012 Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff Based on pregame warmups: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Tyler Seguin Brad Marchand- Patrice Bergeron-Brian Rolston Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Jordan Caron Lane MacDermid-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo Greg Zanon-Adam McQuaid Tim Thomas Michael Hutchinson Henrik Lundqvist ( , 1.79 GAA,.939 save percentage) will start in goal for the Rangers. Boston Globe LOADED:

14 Boston Bruins Tuukka Rask out against Toronto on Tuesday March 04, 2012 Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff As expected, Tuukka Rask will not be available against Toronto on Tuesday. Rask was injured in the second period of Saturday s game against the Islanders. He s banged up to the point where he s certainly not going to meet us on this road trip, said Claude Julien. GM Peter Chiarelli is expected to provide some information on Rask s status later today. Julien said Daniel Paille is day-to-day because of an upper-body injury. "I think it's going to be hard to detect the length of his [absence]," Julien said. Boston Globe LOADED:

15 Boston Bruins Lane MacDermid awaits NHL debut March 04, 2012 Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff NEW YORK Good morning from a refurbished Madison Square Garden, where the Bruins will square off against the Rangers this afternoon. MSG is fitting right in with the Botoxed faces on the Upper West Side. Very nice touchup work to the old barn. Tuukka Rask is out today. Rask was injured in the second period of Saturday s 3-2 loss to the Islanders. Rask appeared to be favoring his left knee. He required crutches to leave TD Garden after the game. No word on the severity of Rask s injury. Michael Hutchinson will back up Tim Thomas. Puck drop: 12:30 p.m. TV/radio info: NBC (Mike Emrick, Ed Olczyk, Pierre McGuire),98.5 The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers) Records: Bruins , Rangers Projected Bruins lineup: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Tyler Seguin Brian Rolston- Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Jordan Caron Lane MacDermid-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo Greg Zanon-Adam McQuaid Tim Thomas Michael Hutchinson Healthy scratches: Mike Mottau Storylines: Daniel Paille is out with an undisclosed injury. Lane MacDermid will make his NHL debut. MacDermid clicked with Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton during training camp Andrew Ference (lower body) will not play... Mike Mottau was a Rangers draft pick Hutchinson will wear No. 70 This will be the Bruins first look at John Scott in a Rangers uniform. Scott is one of the league s toughest scrappers Kelly Sutherland and Greg Kimmerly will be the referees. Derek Nansen and Jonny Murray will be the linesmen. Boston Globe LOADED:

16 Boston Bruins Bruins vexed again by Rangers Dominant, but defeated By Steve Conroy Monday, March 5, Boston Bruins NEW YORK The Bruins got almost everything they needed for a big victory yesterday at Madison Square Garden over the Eastern Conferenceleading Rangers. They battled hard, got the elusive secondary scoring and pretty much dominated the Blueshirts. But with the way things are going for the B s, almost isn t going to do it. The Bruins worked extremely hard for their goals, but whenever they made a mistake, the Rangers capitalized. And just 39 seconds after David Krejci tied the game at 3 in the third period, Derek Stepan scored on a shot from the top of the left circle that went off Tim Thomas shoulder and in with 7:39 to go. The Rangers then hung on for a 4-3 victory. The B s outshot the Rangers, 33-17, and that didn t count two posts they hit or a Brad Marchand backhander that went under Henrik Lundqvist and just wide. Stepan s game-winner wasn t the greatest goal, and it had to be a frustrating way to lose a game that should have been won, but coach Claude Julien took solace in how his team played. I look at our game as a whole, and our work ethic was where it needed to be, said Julien, whose team also played well enough to beat the Islanders on Saturday. We were a pretty dominant team (yesterday) in my mind. We spent a lot of time in the offensive zone and that s what matters. So maybe on the scoreboard it might not have been a victory, but I think mentally our guys still feel pretty confident with the game we played (yesterday), and that we re capable of playing with the top teams and still being a top team ourselves. On Stepan s goal, Thomas said he was briefly screened. I think it was their guy, maybe (Ruslan) Fedotenko, that crossed at a perfect time, said Thomas. I might have picked it up about 3 feet from my shoulder, right before it hit me. The B s got a power play with 6:15 to go when Stu Bickel was called for delay of game, but they could not cash in, going 0-for-3 on the manadvantage on the day. The Bruins have lost five straight to the Rangers, dating back to last season. It s a little bit frustrating... especially when we played as well as we did (yesterday) and we still weren t able to beat them, Milan Lucic said. Going into the next one, we can t really worry about the last couple of meetings. We just have to refocus and get at least one win out of the season series. Early in the first period, which featured three good bouts, this one had the makings of a Rangers romp after they scored two goals in 1:10. First, Fedotenko tipped an Anton Stralman shot past Thomas after a Zdeno Chara giveaway. Then at 6:15, the speedy Carl Hagelin chased down a clear-in and from behind the net he sent the puck into the slot, banking it off a sliding Greg Zanon and in. With the MSG crowd roaring, Julien took his timeout to let his team settle down, and it did, outplaying the Rangers the rest of the way. On Saturday, Julien had bemoaned a lack of secondary scoring, and apparently his players heard it, as goals from Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Caron tied the game. Pouliot halved the deficit when Caron forced a turnover in the slot and Pouliot blasted a slap shot under Lundqvist at 7:57 of the first. Early in the second, Caron intercepted a Dan Girardi pass at center ice, moved down to the left circle and rifled a slapper that appeared to nick Girardi and beat Lundqvist. But after the Rangers staggered to the second-period buzzer, they came out better in the third and retook the lead. Dennis Seidenberg got caught trying to keep the puck in at the blue line, and then a missed poke check led to a 2-on-0 for the Rangers, but Thomas stopped Marian Gaborik s shot. But the Rangers stayed on the attack. Seidenberg tried to clear a rebound by sending it behind the net, but it bounced off the end boards and right to Gaborik, who stuffed it home. He s got quick hands and he s a goalscorer, Seidenberg said. Krejci tied it up again at 11:42 off a Lucic feed on a 3-on-2, but the Stepan goal was the fatal blow. The B s did their best to keep their heads up after the game. Other than the result, Lucic said, I think we have a lot to be happy about. Unfortunately, it s a results-oriented business, and the B s aren t getting them. Boston Herald LOADED:

17 Boston Bruins Jordan Caron helps add to scoring depth By Steve Conroy / Bruins Notebook Monday, March 5, Boston Bruins NEW YORK After the Bruins lost to the Islanders on Saturday, coach Claude Julien voiced his concern over the lack of scoring from his third and fourth lines. It looks like the message was received. Jordan Caron played his best game as a Bruin in yesterday s 4-3 loss to the Rangers, notching a goal and an assist, while his linemate Benoit Pouliot also scored. Every game we want to score, even before he said that, said Caron. Of course, we want to score. Who doesn t? Every game we re trying hard to put up points and create scoring chances, but it s not always easy. But I think we did a good job (yesterday). We ve just got to start winning more and everything s going to be fine. On Pouliot s first-period goal, which got the B s back in the game, Caron created a turnover on the forecheck, knocking the puck into the slot. From there, Pouliot blasted a one-timer under Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. We had the third man high and our (defensemen) were pinching a lot and keeping the puck in the offensive zone. I think that s why we had a good forecheck going, Caron said. On Caron s game-tying goal in the second period, he had just hopped over the boards when he picked off a Dan Girardi pass. I d just gotten on the ice for a change and there was a turnover in the middle, Caron said. It turned into a one-on-one and I just took the shot. It went in and I was pretty happy with it. Caron has been moving around the lineup due to the team s injuries. But for the first time, the trio of Caron, Chris Kelly and Pouliot showed some cohesion. That s one thing that makes it easier, having your regular shift with the same guys, said Caron, who was a plus-2 in 11:15 of ice time. No news on Tuukka There will be no update on goalie Tuukka Rask until a full evaluation is completed today, according to media relations staffer Eric Tosi. Rask was injured Saturday after trying to adjust to a tipped shot. He immediately threw off his glove and appeared to be pointing to his left knee. As he was helped off the ice, Rask did not put any weight on the left leg. For now, Michael Hutchinson is backing up Tim Thomas. Anton Khudobin, who would have been first in line for a promotion, is on the shelf with a wrist injury, but general manager Peter Chiarelli said he could start skating this weekend.... Julien said Daniel Paille (upper body) is day-to-day, though he s not on this two-game road trip, which finishes in Toronto tomorrow. Paille was injured Saturday. Fight-filled first The first period featured three good bouts, with rookie Lane MacDermid grappling with Mike Rupp just 2:30 into his NHL career. Milan Lucic also fought Brandon Prust, and Gregory Campbell dropped the gloves with Stu Bickel. Sometimes it s in the back of my head, whether I should or I shouldn t, but it was good to get it out of the way and think about playing the game, said MacDermid, who saw 5:26 of ice time. Julien liked what he saw from MacDermid, a 22-year-old winger. I was hoping he was just going to play and I didn t think Ruppy would go after a young guy. But he started whacking him, slashing him, and the kid stood up for himself, Julien said. He did a great job and I think he handled himself well. For his first game, he did some good things out there. Not only that, but when he played, he wasn t hesitant; he was making good decisions, good line changes, things that are very important in this game. Lucic got the better of Prust, who was giving up 4 inches and nearly 30 pounds, Obviously, I have a lot of respect for Prust, Lucic said. He s a gamer, he s a guy that s going to stick up for himself and his teammates, no matter what. It just seemed like the right time of the game. Lucic also got into a scrum with Ryan McDonagh after the final buzzer. He punched me and then I punched him. That s usually how scrums start, Lucic said. Prospect injured Alexander Khokhlachev, the Bruins second-round pick in last June s draft, will miss the rest of the season in juniors after suffering a lacerated spleen Saturday. The 18-year-old center is leading the OHL s Windsor Spitfires with 69 points (25 goals, 44 assists) this season. The Spitfires announced in a statement that although there is no timeline for his return, he is expected to make a full recovery. Boston Herald LOADED: