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BOSTON -- Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference will have a conference call with the NHL on Thursday afternoon to determine whether there will be discipline for his elbow to the head of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski on Wednesday night.

Early in the first period of the Bruins’ 4-1 conference quarterfinal series-opening win over the Maple Leafs, Ference came up high with his elbow as he skated past Grabovski and connected with Grabovski’s head. There was no penalty called on the play, but the replay clearly showed Ference raising his elbow to make contact. Grabovski did not appear to be injured on the play.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Ference said after the game. “I don’t even know which play you’re talking about.”

Bruins coach Claude Julien on Thursday said the matter was in the league’s hands and would not comment on it.

“The league looks after those things,” said Julien. “That job doesn’t belong to me, and I’ll leave it at that.”

Ference was unavailable for comment.

“To me, those are hits in the game,” Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said after the game. “Sometimes in the playoffs, you’re going to see physicality. It’ll be front and center. It’s a game that’s made to be physical. You’re allowed to hit people. To judge if it was offside, a bad hit or a belligerent hit, that’s not for me to judge. That’s for people in the league to make those determinations.”

Joe McDonald and James Murphy of ESPNBoston.com break down the Bruins' 4-1 win in Game 1 against the Maple Leafs.

BOSTON -- Before the Bruins’ 4-1 win over the Maple Leafs in Game 1 on Wednesday night, Wade Redden told the media that he was excited to be back playing in the playoffs and in the Bruins lineup. The defenseman, acquired from St. Louis at the trade deadline, wasn’t about to get sentimental in the face of his first postseason game in 2009 with the Rangers, but it was clear that Redden was relishing the opportunity.

Redden made the best of a chance he most likely thought he’d never have again, spending the last two seasons buried in the AHL with the Rangers’ affiliate, the Connecticut Whale. He helped jump start the Bruins' offense, erasing an early 1-0 Toronto lead with a goal 16:20 into the first period. He then rifled a shot from the point that Nathan Horton tipped in for a power-play goal that proved to be the game-winner.

After the game, Redden acknowledged some satisfaction but was more concerned with crediting his teammates and looking ahead to Game 2.

“It was a great effort all around,” Redden said. “I think everyone had a strong game and we had played, I think, a lot of the time in their end. That makes a D-man’s job a lot easier. For sure we’re going to expect a different game come Saturday night, but we’ll take that one and move on.

“It’s been a long road. Obviously, the position I was in, a lot of uncertainties. But I kept working and kept believing. It’s great to be here now and have the chance, and I’m going to try to make the most of it.”

While Redden may have wanted to deflect attention, his teammates and coach weren’t about to downplay what a great story he appears to be scripting.

“I was really happy for him,” Julien said. “I think I said that this morning, he’s a player that has gone through some rough times. What we’ve tried to do when he came here is make him feel welcome, make him feel appreciated, and give him some confidence that way. So far, it’s paid dividends.”

Redden’s blue-line mate, Andrew Ference, echoed his coach’s sentiments.

“Everybody is really happy for him,” Ference said. “His whole last two years just to get back playing at this level out of the AHL and now to be able to contribute for us in the playoffs, guys are very happy for him. He’s got a lot of respect not just in this room, but you could tell just with his old teammates and stuff, he’s a well-respected player.”

BOSTON -- Early in the first period of the Bruins’ 4-1 series-opening win over the Maple Leafs, Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference came up high with his elbow as he skated past Toronto forward Mikhail Grabovski and connected with Grabovski’s head. There was no penalty called on the play, but the replay clearly showed Ference raising his elbow to make contact.

Ference was asked after the game if he was concerned he may get a call from NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan on Thursday and told the media he didn’t recall the play.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about,” Ference said. “I don’t even know which play you’re talking about.”

Bruins coach Claude Julien said he wouldn’t comment on the play until he reviewed it, but Toronto coach Randy Carlyle didn’t seem to have a problem with it.

“To me, those are hits in the game,” Carlyle said. “Sometimes in the playoffs, you’re going to see physicality. It’ll be front and center. It’s a game that’s made to be physical. You’re allowed to hit people. To judge if it was offside, a bad hit or a belligerent hit, that’s not for me to judge. That’s for people in the league to make those determinations.”

This isn’t the first time Ference has been involved in a questionable play during the playoffs. During a first-round series with Montreal in 2011, Ference made an obscene gesture to Canadiens fans after scoring a goal at the Bell Centre. At the time, Ference termed it a “glove malfunction” but later admitted in a team-written book on the Bruins’ Cup-winning season that he did indeed make an obscene gesture. Ference was fined $2,500.

Will Ference call this an “elbow pad malfunction”?

BOSTON -- For the past two days, the Boston Bruins insisted their late-season funk was in the rearview mirror. There would be no more blown leads in the third period and no more lackluster starts. The skilled and physical Bruins would return.

Well, the Bruins kept their promises as they overcame an early Toronto Maple Leafs power-play goal and scored the next four goals, dominating the Leafs 4-1 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

David Krejci had a goal and two assists, Wade Redden had a goal and an assist and Nathan Horton and Johnny Boychuk both lit the lamp for the Bruins. Tuukka Rask looked solid between the pipes, making 19 saves, with James van Riemsdyk’s power-play goal in the opening period the only shot that beat him.

For the Leafs, James Reimer was under siege all night as the Bruins poured 40 shots on him.

Lucic-Krejci-Horton line clicks again: One of the big question marks heading into this series was whether Milan Lucic, Krejci and Horton could find their magic again. If Game 1 is any indication, the band is back together and the magic is there. In addition to Krejci’s three-point performance and Horton lighting the lamp, Lucic had two helpers and continued to look more like the Lucic who used a combination of grit, size and skating to earn two straight seasons of 20-plus goals. The chemistry was back as Horton and Lucic got to open spaces to benefit from Krejci’s playmaking skills, and Krejci looked a lot like the player who was a candidate for the 2011 Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Bruins defense provides offensive boost: Prior to Game 1, coach Claude Julien lauded Redden for his recent play and puck-moving skills. Redden continued to impress with his goal and an assist, but the Bruins' entire defense did a great job of moving the puck and creating offense in Game 1. In addition to Boychuk's goal, Bruins defensemen helped in peppering Reimer and controlling neutral zone play.

Power play looks better: While the Bruins’ power play (1-for-5) can certainly still be better, it did convert once and moved the puck a lot better. The passes were crisp, and there was less hesitation. If that continues, the scoring production will increase.

Suspension coming for Ference? Andrew Ference could very well be sitting out a game or more after elbowing Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski in the head in the first period. No penalty was called, but the replay clearly shows an elbow to the head.

Bruins have two goals called back: Things could have been even worse for the Leafs if not for two Bruins goals being called back. The referees and replay officials got it right in calling back a Tyler Seguin shot that clearly rang off the post 1:10 into the second period. But Patrice Bergeron’s no-goal was a bit questionable as the referees claimed the whistle was blown before Bergeron pushed it into the net. But even if the refs were wrong, the rule states if they intended to blow it and didn’t do it in time, then it’s still not a goal.

Bad blood boils at end: In addition to Ference’s questionable hit to the head of Grabovski, there was plenty of hard hitting throughout the game. As time wound down in the third period and it was clear the Bruins would win, the Leafs decided to let the Bruins know they were still there, taking plenty of extra hits after the whistle and then stirring things up at the final buzzer. The result was a Chris Kelly-Leo Komarov fight. It should be a physical Game 2.

Hamilton and Peverley sit: Not surprisingly, Julien kept Dougie Hamilton in the press box as a healthy scratch. The defenseman struggled in his last few games of the regular season, and Julien seems to have opted to take the learning-from-up-top route he took with Seguin as a rookie to start the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. While Rich Peverley might have had an off season, one would think Julien would prefer playoff and Cup experience in the lineup instead of an inexperienced Kaspars Daugavins. But it was Daugavins playing with Kelly and Jaromir Jagr for Game 1.

Here’s what the rest of the lineup looked like:

Forwards
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Daugavins-Kelly-Jagr
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Ference-Boychuk
Redden-Adam McQuaid

Goalies
Rask
Anton Khudobin

BOSTON -- While Bruins coach Claude Julien said his lineup for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Toronto Maple Leafs will be a game-time decision, based on the Bruins’ morning skate it seemed clear who is in and who is out.

When asked about Dougie Hamilton’s status, Julien said the rookie defenseman would “probably” be a healthy scratch. That means the top six defensive pairings would be:

Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg
Johnny Boychuk-Adam McQuaid
Andrew Ference-Wade Redden

Offensively, it appears Nathan Horton will return to the lineup and play alongside Milan Lucic and David Krejci. Horton missed the last five games of the season due to an upper-body injury.

The line of Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin remains intact, as does the Bruins’ energy line of Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton. Boston’s third line will consist of center Chris Kelly, winger Jaromir Jagr and either Rich Peverley or Kaspars Daugavins on the other wing.

Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask will see his first playoff action since 2010.

BOSTON -- When Wade Redden was acquired from the Blues at the NHL trade deadline last month, it was understood by all that it was a depth move by GM Peter Chiarelli. In fact, it was such a depth move that Boston sent a conditional 2014 seventh-round pick to St. Louis in the deadline deal, with the pick becoming a 2014 sixth-rounder if he plays at least one playoff game in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. That pick will very likely change to a sixth-rounder tonight as Redden figures to be in the Bruins lineup when they host the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals series at TD Garden.

Redden has earned head coach Claude Julien’s trust, playing like the puck-moving defenseman that patrolled the Ottawa blue line in their heyday in the mid-2000s and that helped lead them to the Stanley Cup finals in 2007 (the Senators lost to the Randy Carlyle-coached Ducks in five games). He had a goal and in an assist in the final three games of the Bruins' regular season, and Julien believes Redden’s experience and recent play can help Boston in the playoffs.

“I think Wade feels pretty good about himself right now,” Julien said. “I mean, he’s
had some tough years, as far as where he was, whether how he’s been traded and
everything else, but he’s come in here and he’s got a fresh chance to prove himself.
The games that he played, he moved the puck extremely well. His experience is
invaluable, and his confidence right now is pretty good. When you have Wade in that
zone, he becomes a pretty good player.”

Those tough years Julien spoke of came after Redden signed a six-year, $39 million deal with the Rangers in the summer of 2008 but then watched his game decline so drastically that he ended up playing for the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford for the last two seasons. Thanks to the rules of the former CBA, the Rangers couldn’t bring him back up and be totally exempt from his salary even if a team claimed him. So Redden was held hostage basically until the Rangers used a tool of the new CBA, the compliance buyout, and freed him from hockey purgatory. Redden was signed by the Blues early this season, and now with the Bruins he has a chance at the Stanley Cup again.

A clearly excited Redden told the media after the Bruins’ morning skate that he is just going to go out, play his game and be thankful for another opportunity in the playoffs.

“You never know what’s in store for you,” Redden said. “I went down, I approached
the game [the way] I always have. That hasn’t changed today, so I’m just going to play my
game, go out there and have some fun. I’m looking forward to it. This is what we all play for this time of year. Everything is on the line, so it’s going to be fun. I’m going to try to
enjoy as much as I can. It’s obviously an intense atmosphere. To try to go out there,
play loose and play free. That’s the best way to approach it.”

Redden, 35, joked that he is envious of the young Bruins core that has already won a Stanley Cup.

“You gotta go out, earn the right to get it, and obviously these guys did at a young age,” Redden said. “I’m happy to be here with them now.”

BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins received a bit of a scare Wednesday during the team’s morning skate -- or did they?

As the Bruins were preparing to face the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at TD Garden, they were going through some drills when forward Tyler Seguin shot a puck towards the net after a play. Goaltender Tuukka Rask was paying attention to the next play and did not see Seguin’s shot coming. It hit the goalie in the left leg behind the pad and Rask dropped to the ice and stayed there for a minute.

When he got to his feet, he was flexing his left leg when Seguin skated over to check on him.

“I think he was just kind of joking around,” Seguin said after the skate. “When I went up to him he was laughing, so it was just a light puck that hit the side of his leg. No harm done.”

Rask remained on the ice and showed no ill effects.

During the Stanley Cup playoffs two seasons ago, Seguin took a one-timer during practice and broke Milan Lucic’s toe.

BOSTON -- Once the Stanley Cup playoff matchups were determined, Boston Bruins forward Tyler Seguin and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel knew they would be part of the storyline for this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

Hockey fans, especially in Toronto and Boston, have known since June 2010 that Seguin could have possibly played for the Maple Leafs if the organization hadn’t traded first-round picks in the 2010 and 2011 NHL Entry Draft to the Bruins to acquire Kessel in September of 2009.

The Bruins selected Seguin with the No. 2 overall pick in 2010, and then defenseman Dougie Hamilton ninth overall in 2011.

Seguin helped the Bruins to a Stanley Cup title during his rookie season and this will be his third trip to the playoffs. Kessel hasn’t been in the postseason since he was with the Bruins during the 2008-2009 playoffs.

When the puck drops for Game 1 Wednesday night at TD Garden, no doubt the chants of “Thank you, Kessel” will be heard from the 17,565 in attendance.

It’s no secret Kessel has never enjoyed speaking with the media, especially when asked about the trade and the chants when plays in Boston.

“It was four years ago, right? So I don’t think it matters that much anymore,” Kessel said.

“It’s never been me to [think] much of the attention. I’ll talk when I have to talk and that’s about it.”

Seguin almost feels the same way about the transaction that ultimately made him a Bruin, and when he first heard those “Thank you, Kessel” chants in 2010, he laughed.

“First time I thought it was funny, just because it was my first year and I kind of smirked on the bench,” Seguin said. “Since then, fans can do what they want to do. The fans show great support here in Boston, but it’s not going to change how I play, and I’m sure it’s not going to change how he plays, either.

“It’s not like Toronto knew I was going to be the pick. It was just a pick and it happened to be me and Dougie, so I guess it’s just going to be linked through what people want to talk about and have stories. Other than that, Phil’s a great player and I definitely respect him on the ice. I’ve met him a few times off the ice and he’s a good guy, too.”

During his career with the Maple Leafs, Kessel has struggled against the Bruins and defenseman Zdeno Chara. In 22 games, Kessel has only three goals and six assists for nine points against Boston, including a minus-22 rating.

Overall this season, Kessel played well and recorded 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points in 48 games for the Leafs. He was held pointless in four games against the Bruins.

He’s hoping to have better success in the playoffs.

“It’s going to be fun, right?” Kessel said. “Obviously I’m excited. It’s a good opportunity for myself and the team, we haven’t been in the playoffs for a while, so we’re looking to have a good time out there tonight.

“I like it here [Boston]. I had three great years here, some great memories. They were great to me when I was here,” added Kessel. “When you leave you’re always going to get the grief, right? It’s OK but I enjoy playing here, they have great fans and I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere tonight.

“It’s about the team, right? We’re going to have to play a good, hard game out there because they’re a great team over there. It’s going to be a battle.”

Once this series was scheduled, Seguin received numerous text messages from friends and family back home, asking for tickets. He jokingly said he shut off his phone so he could concentrate on the series. He did admit, however, it’s going to be a cool experience playing against the team he grew up watching.

“It was my hometown and I would go do Leaf games all the time,” Seguin said. “When we play at the ACC, I kind of look up to some sections where I know I was sitting growing up with a kid with my dad. I grew up hoping the Leafs would make the playoffs, and here they are playing against us. It’s a cool experience, an exciting experience, but I want to take it as just a playoff round and not about who you’re playing. You’ve got to make sure you’re ready.”

The Boston Bruins limp into the playoffs having lost three of their past four games, blowing leads and looking nothing like the team that dominated early on. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs carry the excitement and momentum of being the first Toronto squad to make the playoffs since 2004. Here's what to look for as these two divisional rivals and Original Six teams meet in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Records

Bruins: 28-14-6, 62 points, fourth in Eastern Conference, second in Northeast Division

Maple Leafs: 26-17-5, 57 points, fifth in Eastern Conference, third in Northeast Division

Head to head: The Bruins won the season series 3-1-0. That one loss was their first to the Maple Leafs since March 2011. Since the 2009-10 season the Bruins are 15-4-3 against their Northeast Division rivals.

Forwards

Bruins: On paper the Bruins have a clear edge in depth when it comes to skilled forwards. If they can finally play up to that potential on the ice, they will be a lot better than they have been down the stretch. Even with a subpar stretch run and major struggles lighting the lamp, the Bruins still finished sixth in five-on-five scoring. Of course, they will need top goal scorers Brad Marchand (18 goals) and Tyler Seguin (16 goals) to continue to score in the playoffs, but what may be more important will be whether players such as Nathan Horton (13 goals) and Milan Lucic (7 goals) contribute. If Lucic and Horton can utilize the playmaking skills of David Krejci -- who led the team in assists with 23 and will likely be centering them -- the Bruins have two scoring lines with the potential of more on a third line that will feature future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr. In addition to increasing their scoring output, it will be essential that the Bruins play their physical game.

Maple Leafs: All the hype surrounding the Maple Leafs' turnaround seems to be their physical game and the way they resemble the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Ducks, who were coached by current Leafs boss Randy Carlyle. But don't sleep on Toronto's scoring potential. The Leafs scored 105 goals at even strength and were ranked fourth in the NHL in five-on-five scoring. Former Bruin Phil Kessel has finally started to live up to the potential that former Leafs GM Brian Burke was counting on when he traded a 2010 first-round draft pick (which turned into Tyler Seguin) and a 2011 first-round draft pick (which became defenseman Dougie Hamilton). Burke never lived down that trade, and Kessel and the Leafs are constantly reminded of it with "Thank you, Kessel" chants from Bruins fans at TD Garden. But Kessel comes into the playoffs leading the Leafs with 20 goals and 52 points, and if he can come out from underneath Zdeno Chara's shadow, the Leafs' chances of pulling an upset increase dramatically. Toronto's scoring doesn't stop after Kessel. Emerging stars Nazem Kadri (18 goals, 44 points) and James van Riemsdyk (18 goals, 32 points) pose threats as well.

Edge: Experience usually wins in the end, so the Bruins get the slight advantage here.

Defense

Bruins: This is another area where, if the game were to be played on paper and not ice, the Bruins would get the edge hands-down. But considering the Bruins' blue-line struggles of late, it's hard to predict whether one of the deepest groups of D-men in the NHL will show up. Will the Bruins' blueliners be the turnover machine that has left their goalies out to dry so many times recently? If the Chara-Dennis Seidenberg shutdown tandem returns to form, the Bruins should have an advantage. The scariest part of the Bruins' defensive woes lately? Chara has been at the core of it, turning the puck over more than any other time in his Bruins career. The Bruins have some solid defensemen in their bottom two pairings and finished the season third in goals against. But this defense goes the way Chara goes. If he isn't his Norris Trophy-level self, the Bruins are in trouble.

Maple Leafs: If you said before this season that Cody Franson would lead Leafs defensemen with 29 points or even say you knew anything about Franson, then you're either a really good NHL scout or a psychic. Franson finished with one point more than Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf. But after Franson and Phaneuf, Toronto's blue line drops off, helping to explain why they finished 14th in goals against. However, the Leafs' defense -- and their forwards -- will make you pay the price if you're going to get down deep or in front of the net. They have the ability to grind opposing forwards down.

Edge: Bruins, because Chara's game simply can't be in as much decline as it has seemed lately.

Goalies

Bruins: Bruins fans should be chanting "Thank you, Leafs!" for goaltender Tuukka Rask. In a contract year, Rask -- whom Toronto dealt to the Bruins in June 2006 for former NHLer Andrew Raycroft -- has done his part in earning a long-term deal with Boston thus far. Rask is 19-10-5 with a 2.00 goals-against average and .929 save percentage. While he admittedly has had a bad game here and there, he has been Boston's most consistent performer and has bailed his team out on many occasions. That type of goaltending is what wins in the playoffs. With a motivated Rask looking to erase the memories of 2010, when he was the starter and his team blew a 3-0 series lead in the playoffs to the Flyers, this is one area the Bruins can count on.

Leafs: James Reimer has continued to silence the doubters, despite coming into the season knowing that his team was trying to replace him with Roberto Luongo via trade, and then having Leafs GM Dave Nonis publicly acknowledge they were doing so again heading into the trade deadline. Reimer finished the season at 19-8-5 with a 2.46 goals-against average and .924 save percentage. But this will be his first playoff experience, so the doubts will continue. Thus far, Reimer's perseverance in blocking out the distractions of the trade rumors and playing in a hockey hotbed like Toronto have shown he can handle it.

Edge: Bruins. Rask puts the epic collapse of the Philly series behind him and will be the MVP of this series.

Power Play

Bruins: There is really not much to say here in terms of the Bruins' power play. They don't have one. Nothing has changed over the past three seasons. The Bruins finished 8-for-64 on the man-advantage during the regular season. If that changes in this series, it will obviously help, but don't count on it.

Leafs: The Leafs' power play wasn't much better as they finished 14th overall and were 16-for-88. They have some weapons in Kessel, Kadri and Joffrey Lupul but they won't win this series on the power play.

Edge: Leafs, but not by much.

Penalty Kill

Bruins: The penalty kill has been the Bruins' bread-and-butter with Claude Julien at the helm. They once again finished near the top, with the fourth-best rate in killing off 142 of 163 power plays against them this season.

Leafs: Toronto's penalty kill actually finished ahead of the Bruins' in killing off 138 of 157 power plays, second-best in the NHL. The Leafs play a similar tenacious style to the Bruins on the penalty kill. Against a woeful Bruins' power play, Toronto shouldn't have any problems.

Edge: Leafs, but again, not by much

Coaching

Bruins: Claude Julien is second all-time in wins for Bruins coaches and brought Boston its first Stanley Cup in 39 seasons in 2011. While his team was bounced in the first round last season and struggled down the stretch this season, many players will tell you things could be worse if not for Julien's even-keel approach. If the players follow his game plan, they should find a way to win this series.

Leafs: Carlyle transformed the Anaheim Ducks into a bruising team that scored clutch goals, leading to a Stanley Cup for them in 2007. He has successfully started the same transformation in Toronto, though the Leafs probably won't hoist their first Stanley Cup since 1967 this June. Still, Carlyle has the coaching skills to pull an upset in this series.

Edge: Too close to call.

Prediction

Bruins in 7: The Bruins played like a team riding out the season for the last month. While fatigue played a factor, it wasn't enough of an excuse for their lackluster, underachieving performance. However, there is something about the Stanley Cup playoffs that can wake a team up. With the experience the core of this Bruins team has in the playoffs, the bet here is the Bruins will play more like the team that looked like Cup contenders in February. The Leafs do have a team that could pull an upset. If they can steal one in Boston in the first two games, those chances obviously increase. But the Leafs won't be pushovers, experience usually takes over in the playoffs.

BOSTON -- Bruins forward Shawn Thornton won his first Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, playing for a head coach, Randy Carlyle, who expected hard work and physical play from his players. The Ducks delivered on both fronts, playing with a lunch-pail mentality and leading the league in penalty minutes.

On Wednesday, Thornton and his Bruins teammates will play a similar team coached by Carlyle. In about six months as head coach of the Maple Leafs, Carlyle has transformed the Leafs into a physical, hard-working team whose young stars are finally realizing their potential. The result so far is a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference and the organization's first playoff appearance since 2004.

Carlyle was hired by the Leafs on March 3, 2012. Toronto faced the Bruins in his second game as head coach.

"I remember running into him in the lobby of the Westin," Thornton recalled. "I knew right away he would help them. I didn't know their former coach [Ron Wilson] that much. But I knew Randy, from playing for him, that he would get the most out of his players."

Carlyle has done just that, but Thornton also was familiar with the man who helped construct the roster Carlyle inherited. Former Leafs general manager Brian Burke was the GM of that Cup-winning team in Anaheim. Thornton sees Burke's fingerprints all over this current Leafs squad.

"A lot of the pieces that Burkie put in place are there now and they're playing the way he wanted them to play," Thornton said. "He deserves a lot of credit."

Thornton is happy for his ex-coach and knows that he and his Bruins teammates are in for a physical, hard series against this rejuvenated team.

"I'm sure he's a big part of it," Thornton said of his former bench boss. "He's an extremely smart coach. He demands a solid work ethic. I think he'll have them going at the top of their ability, that's for sure. They're a skilled team that plays big and tough. They're built a certain way, and they play that way and to their style."

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins forward Nathan Horton said Tuesday that he's hoping to return to the lineup in Wednesday's Game 1 of a first-round Stanley Cup playoff series versus the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Displaying his trademark smile throughout most of a lengthy media scrum, Horton indicated he is ready to play in his first game since suffering an upper-body injury in a fight with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jarome Iginla on April 20.

"It's nice to be out there again," Horton said. "Working hard and I feel pretty good out there. I've been skating on my own every day, for four or five days now. I feel great."

Bruins head coach Claude Julien later termed Horton a game-time decision, but the excitement of likely playing had Horton beaming.

It would be his first playoff game since suffering a season-ending concussion in Game 3 of the 2011 Stanley Cup finals, which the Bruins went to win for their first Cup in 39 seasons.

Horton suffered another concussion in January 2012 and missed the remainder of last season, including the Bruins' first-round loss to the Washington Capitals.

Now Horton is chomping at the bit to help his team snap out of its current funk.

"Going through it and then sitting out last year, this is the time of year that you do want to play," Horton said. "The season definitely was hard on everyone this year, playing every other night for most of the year, but you play every night in the playoffs and still get up for the game because that's the way it is. Just excited to be back in it."

If Horton can play the way he was playing when he suffered his latest injury, the Bruins will get a much-needed boost with the physical style he brings.

"I thought he was playing really well before he was pulled out of the game," Julien said. "Since then, I think he's been really excited about coming back. He skated well today, so right now if he's good to go, I hope to see the same player that left the ice the last game he played."

Horton knows he can be better, and he wasn't making any excuses Tuesday. The rugged winger was asked if his contract situation -- he will be an unrestricted free agent on July 5 if the Bruins don't re-sign him before then -- played a role in his struggles this season.

"I'm not even thinking about that," Horton said. "Either way I'm just going to play hockey, so it doesn't really matter. I'll find out later what's going to happen and it's nothing that I'm thinking about right now."

He's focused on turning things around for his teammates and himself.

"It means a lot to me and I think it means a lot to everyone," Horton said. "Everyone didn't have their best season, including me. I think we're just looking forward to the new season, to the playoffs. This is when we have to be at our best."

BOSTON -- Bruins veteran forward Jaromir Jagr has been battling a serious case of the flu the last few days, and even though he’s feeling better and practiced with the team Tuesday morning at TD Garden, he was hoping for at least one more day of rest before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin.

“I felt like s---, man,” Jagr said. “I was hoping we were going to play Thursday. That’s the strongest flu I ever had.”

Jagr first felt sick prior to the Bruins’ game at Philadelphia on April 23, but he played through it that game, and again the next game against Tampa Bay on April 25. Bruins coach Claude Julien decided to give him the final two games off of the regular season in order to rest and recuperate.

Jagr will be in the lineup for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday night at the Garden. This will be the 41-year-old’s 17th appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. When asked if he’ll play any different given his past experience, the two-time Cup winner said no.

“It’s a tough question,” he said. “I’ve never thought about it. I don’t see any differences in the way I play. The only difference I see is it’s more exciting from the fans’ side, from the media side and every mistake, or every good play will make more of a difference. You can be a bigger hero or you can be a bigger zero.”

Since he arrived in Boston at the April 3 trade deadline, Jagr played a total of 11 games for the Bruins. During that stretch the team finished 5-6-2, but the future Hall of Famer believes this team can be better.

“It’s all up to us, the way I see it,” Jagr said. “If we play the best hockey we can play, we can beat a lot of teams, maybe not everybody, but that’s why I’m saying it’s up to us. We didn’t do it, we didn’t play our best hockey the last 10 games. Something was always missing. We didn’t score goals or we made bad decisions. We never played a full 60-minute game at our best. That could be a good thing to know if you play your best hockey, you might have a very good chance to win.”

In 180 career playoff games, Jagr has 78 goals and 111 assists for 189 points and the Bruins could use that type of production against the Leafs.

BOSTON -- When Bruins forward Rich Peverley arrived Tuesday morning for practice at TD Garden, he found a green sweater hanging in his locker, meaning he wasn’t skating with one of the top four lines.

Based on the Bruins’ practice, it would appear as though Peverley will be a healthy scratch -- along with Jay Pandolfo and Carl Soderberg -- for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but Bruins coach Claude Julien said not to make any assumptions.

“That doesn’t mean that’s my lineup, just so you guys know,” Julien said. “I put some lines together today, but my lineup has not been done yet and it will only get finalized tomorrow. I want everybody ready and that’s the way it is right now. We have line combinations today, doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the way it’s going to be.”

Peverley, who has only six goals and 12 assists for 18 points, including a minus-9 rating in 47 games this season, was one of the last players on the ice after practice and said he understands the situation if he’s watching from press level.

“It’s coach’s decision and if that’s what he chooses for [Wednesday] then it’s what’s best for the team, and if that’s me out of the lineup and we win, it’s great.

“If that’s what happens you take it as motivation, but at the same time you just really want to do what’s best for the team. If I have to go out and practice hard and make our guys better then I’ll do that.”

When the Bruins acquired Peverley from the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for forward Blake Wheeler and defenseman Mark Stuart on Feb. 18, 2011, Boston received the type of veteran presence it needed on the team’s third line. Peverley, Chris Kelly (also acquired at the trade deadline in ’11) and Michael Ryder played a big role in the Bruins’ Stanley Cup run.

Peverley had four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 25 playoff games to help the Bruins hoist the Cup.

In the 2011-2012 postseason, the Washington Capitals ousted the Bruins in the first round, but again, Peverley played well and posted three goals and two assists for five points.

Peverely, whose three-year, $9.75 million extension – signed after 2011 – started this year, struggled much of the season.

“I would probably say disappointing,” he said. “I tried to end the year on a good note. You evaluate your own game and I’ve thought about it a lot the last couple of days. It’s disappointing and not what I expected, which is very unfortunate but it’s a new season and hopefully things go well from here.”

Peverley missed only one game this season when he was a healthy scratch on March 21 at Ottawa.

“There’s no doubt, when he looks at his stats, it’s disappointing,” Julien said. “We all know that Pevs is a better player than he’s shown, but he’s right, I think he’s been getting better lately and skating a lot better than he has all year. I think his stats are a little disappointing for him, but we’ve seen how good a player he can be, we certainly have hopes in him being a good player for us in the playoffs.”

If Bruins’ lineup for Game 1 does not include Peverley, it appears the team’s third line will consist of Jaromir Jagr, Kelly and Kaspars Daugavins. But given Peverley’s playoff experience and success, he says he’ll be ready if given the opportunity.

“I definitely feel like I’m energized going into the playoffs and I’m looking forward to it,” Peverley said. “It’s something that after you have a not adequate season you want to go forward and play well.

“I’ve always tried to play well in the playoffs in the past and it’s something I take a lot of pride in. To be able to play well in the playoffs is something you really want to hang your hat on and hopefully we can do that here.”

Milan Lucic's season was a disppointment to himself and to the Bruins. The rugged forward finished with just seven goals and 13 assists, and as the season wound down openly acknowledged that he needs to be better.

Lucic accepted coach Claude Julien making him a healthy scratch on April 20 against the Penguins and since then has started to put his words into action, finishing the season with two fights, a goal and two assists in his last four games. His trademark snarl seems to be coming back, leaving general manager Peter Chiarelli optimistic that Lucic -- who can be one of the most intimidating players in the NHL when he’s at his best -- is rounding into form at the right time.

“I feel really good about that. His last two games have been very, very good,” Chiarelli said in a conference call with the media. “[Lucic is] moving his feet, strong on the puck, good shooting, physical. He’s really picked up his game, and that’s the type of game we need to have success in the playoffs.”

While Chiarelli wasn’t making excuses for the player he signed last summer to a three-year extension that will pay Lucic $6 million per season, he did acknowledge that any time a player gets a hefty raise, it can weigh on him as expectations increase.

“Generally, I would say when someone signs a big extension there is pressure, whether they admit it or not,” Chiarelli said. “It puts you in a different stratosphere. And you know what, you can say that about all these guys that got extensions. [Brad] Marchand and [Tyler] Seguin got extensions and both have had levels of performance that have been good at times, and like the rest of the team, just OK at times. There is pressure when you sign those extensions, and Milan is no different than the rest of them.”