ESPN

BOSTON -- They came as early as 4:30 p.m., hearts heavy but excited, and they came from all directions, forming lines that snaked up and down Causeway Street -- north, south, and around the corner. They came in outfits trimmed in yellow, some from the familiar gold of their faithful Boston Bruins, others from the historic marathon that came to a senseless, tragic conclusion some 48 hours prior.

They came in all sizes and ages up and down the Atlantic coast, from Maine to Connecticut.

They came to sing.

-----

5:34 p.m., Causeway Street
Like a lot of people Wednesday night, Taylor O'Neil had her tickets well in advance. The 21-year-old native of Berwick, Maine, had bought her tickets a month ago, part of a field trip from her school, Plymouth State University, with 24 of her peers. And like virtually everyone gathered here well beforehand, the visage was not nervousness but excitement.

"We're not gonna stop living because somebody wants to terrorize Boston," she said. "It's not going to work that way for us. We're excited that we can have some place that we can all come together as a community."

O'Neil and three of her friends stood in front of the large TD Garden sign that lines Causeway Street, adjacent to the Bobby Orr statue, and posed for pictures in black T-shirts with "Pray 4 Boston" hand-written in large yellow letters down the front.

Across the way at the intersection of Causeway and Haverhill streets, where thousands each day exit the trains, 53-year-old Mary Ellen Cahill proudly displayed her sign to a group of police officers. She had a yellow sign with the words "Thank You Boston Police + Firefighter" written in black.

But she also found herself apologizing on several fronts. For one, the words were off-center, and the sign was missing the final "s" at the end of "firefighter."

For another, she forked out $350 apiece for two seats 15 rows up from the glass at approximately 2 p.m. today, refreshing her Internet browser for nearly 45 minutes before two available tickets popped up. Not only did she use her husband's credit card, she chose to give the second ticket to her daughter, Cathy.

"Can I say to my husband that I am so sorry when you see the Visa bill?" she laughed. "But I wanted to take my daughter and just, we really wanted to come in. It was real, real important for us to come in."

Cahill felt safe as can be traveling to Wednesday night's game, with such dramatically heightened police presence scattered about. And like everyone else, Cahill was expecting an "extremely emotional game."

Sewing it all together for Cahill and many others here before the game was a sense of togetherness.

"We took the Red Line in from Quincy [from Quincy Adams station], switched over to the Orange Line, and everyone's just smiling at one another, 'Can I read your sign?'" she said. Everybody has eye contact with you. It's a real sense of community."

-----

6:04 p.m., Bobby Orr statue
As soon as he saw the carnage, soon as he saw the damage done, Brian Fitzpatrick knew exactly where he had to be on Wednesday night, by any means necessary.

"We had to come out tonight -- HAD to," the 20-year-old Wilmington resident explained as he rehashed his story of shelling out upward of $300 for balcony seats -- 10 rows from the top -- at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

"I knew I had to be here tonight," he began. Trailing off, he continued, "I just had to come tonight and let everyone know that …"

His friend Sean Sullivan, 21, finished his sentence: "We're not going to live in fear."

With an American flag draped over his back like a cape, with a native accent as thick as the Boston air, Fitzpatrick found himself marveled at that same sense of community that enveloped the air around the building. Never has he felt so safe. Never has he felt so unified.

"It's just … it brings people together that normally wouldn't be together, that normally wouldn't express themselves," he said. "New York and Boston, you don't find us rooting together. I saw somewhere they had on a building down there, 'New York loves Boston,' and it's like, really? That's the day.

"I go to Red Sox and Yankees games and I throw [expletive] at Yankees fans, but not around these times obviously. This is a tragedy, but it's awesome [too]."

A few yards away, 11-year-old Christopher Loranger donned his own American flag cape, this one with hand-written words along the flag's white stripes: "Boston Strong, RIP Martin" -- homage to the 8-year-old Dorchester resident who was one of the three who died following Monday's bombings.

The idea is the brainchild of his father, Christopher Sr., who bought tickets in the balcony for $60 at the beginning of the season.

"That building is going to be out of control," he said. "I can't wait to be in that atmosphere an hour from now."

Still an hour before the puck drop, and the elder Loranger was already proclaiming this one of the best moments in his life, after the birth of his children and his wedding day.

"Absolutely," he said. "The birth of my children, that euphoria that I expect to approach … I will never say that they are even, but it will be in that arena. I've never been to an event with such energy around it."

(Read full post)

BOSTON -- Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand returned to the lineup Wednesday night for the Boston Bruins' 3-2 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

Bergeron had been out since suffering what the team called a moderate concussion April 2. Marchand suffered a mild concussion April 10 when he took an elbow to the head from New Jersey Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov.

"They both played well and they both played hard," coach Claude Julien said. "You know, it's unfortunate they didn't get rewarded with anything tonight, but they had some great opportunities."

Marchand acknowledged that the time off may have actually been good for him.

"I felt good and I felt maybe with the little rest I had, I was able to get my legs back a bit," Marchand said. "I was skating hard and didn't feel like I missed a beat. I still practiced pretty much every day and you get it back quick. So that's good."

BOSTON -- On an emotional night at TD Garden, the Bruins and their fans stood together as one to honor the Boston Marathon bombing victims. But while the Bruins were able to clinch a playoff spot with a point and tie Montreal for first place in the Northeast Division, their late-game struggles continued as they allowed a Sabres power-play goal with just 26.6 seconds left in regulation and lost 3-2 in a shootout.

After Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference took a delay of game penalty with 48.8 seconds left in regulation, Sabres center Cody Hodgson tied the game to force overtime. Drew Stafford then won the game in the shootout as he beat Bruins goalie Anton Khudobin, who stopped the first two Buffalo shooters and made 30 saves for the game. Thomas Vanek had the first Buffalo goal.

Ryan Miller was a wall for the Sabres, making 41 saves and stopping all three Boston attempts in the shootout. Only Chris Kelly and Daniel Paille could solve Miller for the Bruins.

Bruins honor bombing victims throughout night: The Bruins and TD Garden did a fantastic and touching job of honoring the victims of the marathon bombings. Both teams wore "Boston Strong" decals on their helmets, and a pregame tribute video set the tone. Rene Rancourt started the national anthem and then handed over the singing to the 17,565 fans in attendance, who faithfully obliged in the most stirring rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" this scribe has ever witnessed.

Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs also pledged to donate $100,000 on behalf of the entire Bruins organization to the recently established "The One Fund Boston" charity designed to raise money to help families most affected by the events at the Boston Marathon. TD Garden was lit in yellow and blue, the colors of the Boston Marathon, and two dasher boards had The One Fund logo. A special "B-Spoked Salute" took place during the second intermission to honor first responders. Bruins forward Brad Marchand will raffle his suite for the Bruins' first home playoff game, with all proceeds to benefit the family of Martin Richard, 8, of Dorchester, who was killed in the bombings.

Paille and Kelly connect: As stated here before, Paille is this team's unsung hero. But more and more, Paille is starting to prove that his offensive skills may have been underrated. He scored his ninth goal of the season Wednesday and then fed Kelly for the Bruins' second goal, putting them up 2-1 late in the second period. Kelly's and Paille's two-way versatility and speed complement each other nicely, and it won't be surprising if they play on the same line a lot more.

Ference's nightmare season continues: This has not been the season Ference needed heading into unrestricted free agency. The Bruins rear guard has been a turnover machine on defense, not at all resembling the steady presence of years past. But his delay of game penalty with 48.8 seconds left had to be his toughest mistake of the season, as it led to the brutal overtime defeat. On an emotional night, with the Bruins about to snap a two-game losing streak, that mistake couldn't have come at a worse time.

Khudobin gets the nod: Khudobin made his first start in a week since allowing four goals in a 5-4 win at New Jersey April 10. That was not a great night for Khudobin, but he rebounded nicely in this game. He continues to show he can handle a strong workload. While he wasn't tested as much as he has been in the past, he still made the saves he needs to make.

Julien does more line shuffling: With the return of Patrice Bergeron and Marchand up front, Julien shuffled the lines again. Bergeron and Marchand were reunited with Tyler Seguin, but most notable in the forward lines was that Milan Lucic was on the fourth line with Rich Peverley and Shawn Thornton, and Nathan Horton was on the third line with Kelly and Paille. This wasn't the first time Lucic has been demoted, but Horton has seemed to get plenty of slack as he tried to find his game again and it appears Julien's patience has run out. Julien also reunited Czech national team linemates David Krejci and Jaromir Jagr on a line with Gregory Campbell. On the blue line, Wade Redden made his Bruins debut and Matt Bartkowski sat up top as the healthy scratch. Here's what the lineup looked like to start the game:

Forwards:
Gregory Campbell-David Krejci-Jaromir Jagr
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Daniel Paille-Chris Kelly-Nathan Horton
Milan Lucic-Rich Peverley-Shawn Thornton

Defense:
Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Wade Redden-Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Dougie Hamilton

Goalies:
Anton Khudobin
Tuukka Rask

Here are some observations and quotes from the scene at TD Garden tonight after the Bruins' emotional opening ceremony:

“It was amazing to hear the whole place singing without Renee [Rancourt]. He didn’t need to sing at all. The Bruins are the heart of Boston, to me. Sports pulls everybody together and Boston is a city of sports fans.” -- Sue Lincoln, of Plymouth, Mass., who was in attendance with her mother, Judy

---

“I was going to be here for Monday night’s game, but I think they made the right decision to cancel it.” -- Mike Adler, of Framingham, holding American flag on Loge level, next to runway where Renee Rancourt emerges

---

“I think people are looking to blow off some steam. I think they want to get excited about something.” -- Jeff Tully, of Middleton, who went to Monday's Red Sox game and had planned to attend Monday's Bruins game

---

"Being in Boston today, I have so much pride for my city! ... They went through my bag pretty good, which I think is a good thing. I don’t feel like anything bad is going to happen -- knock on wood." -- Cristina Sluhocki, of Southbridge, attending first Bruins game

---

“I think it was more welcoming. It was real heart-felt, genuine.” -- Jeff Reid, of Southbridge, on the feeling in the city today

---

"We have die-hard fans, and I think it’ll help to take our minds off everything for a little while and have a good night." -- Steve Yanchuk, of Medford

---

"We knew with everything going on that there was going to be enough security to feel safe while we’re here. We had no problem.” -- Bob Dube, Madison, Conn., on whether they thought about not coming to the game

BOSTON -- There couldn't have been many dry eyes in the building.

In typical Boston fashion, the Bruins held an emotional pregame ceremony to honor those victims of Monday's Marathon bombings. Once the Bruins took to the ice, the 17,565 fans in attendance gave this city's hockey team a standing ovation. The arena became silent as a "Boston Strong" themed video (link HERE) played on the Garden video board, accompanied by the song "Home" by Philip Philips, honoring the first responders with a montage of pictures.

The video concluded with a written message: "We are Boston. We are Strong. Boston strong." Then, surrounded by the Boston Fire Color Guard, local icon Rene Rancourt began to sing national anthem. Only a few words in, he motioned to the fans to start singing. The noise was incredible. (Videos of both "Boston Strong" and the national anthem can be viewed on the Bruins' official website).

"Going out there was emotional," said Boston firefighter David Blaides, the commander of the guard. "It was very emotional. Experiencing what we did the last couple of days, to be able to go out there and get the energy from the crowd, I can't even compare it to going into a fire building because it didn't involve us directly. It definitely involved the community of Boston, and a lot of the family that's injured. Our hearts definitely go out to them.

"Being out here today, the energy from the crowd, it's as though your tears turn into joy. It was fulfilling being out there today."

Throughout the game, the Bruins continued to honor the victims.

During the second intermission, a special B-Spoked Salute will honor the first responders.

Bruins forward Brad Marchand also raffled off his own TD Garden suite for the team's first home playoff game, with all proceeds to benefit the Richard family of Dorchester, whose 8-year-old son, Martin, died in Monday's bombings.

"Our whole team saw the photos of Martin at our game from last Thursday and learned that he and his family are big fans of ours," Marchand said. "This is just one small gesture which I hope can help the Richard family during this incredibly sad time for them. What they are going through is unimaginable and we will try to assist them in any way we can."

Security was tightened in and around North Station and TD Garden prior to the game. In the morning, vehicles entering the North Station garage were examined, using mirrors to look underneath. In the afternoon building personnel were removing the recycle and trash bins from Causeway Street and around TD Garden. Bomb-sniffing dogs were brought in to inspect the building.

Once the puck dropped, the Bruins quickly took a 1-0 lead on Daniel Daniel Paille's goal and the crowd erupted.

BOSTON -- Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand will return to the lineup for the Bruins tonight, providing a much-needed boost for a squad that has lost its last two games and has been under scrutiny for its recent play. But there will be no Carl Soderberg in the lineup tonight, and that may not be such a bad thing for the Bruins and Soderberg.

Coach Claude Julien said that even though there are only six regular-season games left after tonight’s tilt with the Sabres at TD Garden, the Bruins don’t want to rush the Swedish star’s acclimation to the NHL.

“He’ll do the warm-up tonight. He just [got] in last night and he’ll get a chance to practice with us tomorrow,” said Julien. “It’s as much for him as it is for us. There’s a change in time, and there’s the fatigue of travel and everything else. Not knowing much about our system, he’s going to have a chance to watch tonight -- and see some things. Hopefully he sees the right things.

"I think it’s to his benefit and to our benefit for him to sit and watch. It’s better than just throwing him out there and watching him ad-libbing. He’s a big, strong guy that’s a good skater. I saw some good things. We put him on the power play there at the end of practice to see how he handled the puck. We like what we see from him.”

The Bruins will also do their best to make sure Soderberg knows immediately that he is part of the Bruins family both on and off the ice. The core of this team has done a great job of that in the past, specifically when Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley and Tomas Kaberle arrived at the 2011 NHL trade deadline and became key parts of the team's Stanley Cup run. While Kelly didn’t have to make quite as much of a transition coming from Ottawa as an NHL veteran, the welcome he received from his new teammates then was crucial to him, Peverley and Kaberle filtering into the culture of the team.

“It was a bit of transition for me, too,” Kelly said. “But the guys here are very accepting and they made Kaberle, Rich and myself feel very comfortable when we arrived, and that has continued and will continue for whomever becomes part of this team,” Kelly said.

Kelly realizes that it is now his job as a Bruin to do the same for Soderberg.

“I think it’s our job to make him feel as comfortable as possible,” said the Bruins alternate captain. “It’s a huge jump and transition, not only on-ice but off-ice. Swedes normally speak English very well so that won’t be a problem, but just the culture. We need to make it as normal as possible for him and make sure he feels comfortable in this room and knows we’re here for him and he’s part of this team now.”

As for Soderberg, he seemed comfortable already on Wednesday morning and was only uncertain about adjusting to the smaller NHL rinks.

“I don’t know [about the adjustment to North American ice surfaces]. We’ll have to see,” he said in his first Boston media scrum.

But he had nothing but praise for his new team.

“Great team,” said Soderberg. “They work hard, and they’re big players.”

BOSTON – The Boston Bruins are hosting the first professional sporting event in Boston since Monday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon. Their opponent knows exactly what to expect tonight at TD Garden.

The Buffalo Sabres suffered their own kind of tragedy on Feb. 12, 2009, when a plane crashed near Buffalo and killed 50 people. The following night, the Sabres hosted the San Jose Sharks and won 6-5 in overtime.

“It was a tough situation. We came in and played the next day and it was almost like a type of game where you knew the crowd would be into it,” explained Sabres assistant captain Drew Stafford at Wednesday’s morning skate. “Emotions were running pretty high then, too, and I obviously expect the same type of thing going out there tonight. It’s really hard to explain, it’s tough to put into words, but we know there’s going to be a lot of emotion involved. We know what to expect. We’re ready for it.”

The Sabres arrived at the Garden just before 10:30 a.m. with a police escort of a dozen motorcycles. The team had been in town on Tuesday and some of the Sabres players walked down Boylston Street to get a sense of what happened. Among that group was former Boston College standout Nathan Gerbe, who played for the Eagles from 2005 to 2008.

“To go down there and see everything, it sends a sick feeling in your stomach, knowing what happened there and the people that were injured, and also for the families who go through the tragedy. It’s terrible and we always send our prayers. Just to see it, it’s something else.”

Normally for any opposing team, playing the Bruins at the Garden is a hostile environment. When the puck drops Wednesday night, however, the atmosphere will be different.

“Obviously there’s going to be a lot of emotion out there tonight,” Stafford said. “You can’t really put into words everything that happened, it’s just surreal. It definitely puts things into perspective that this is just a game and there are more important things. We’re just trying to do our best to keep those emotions in check and at the same time put out a quality product for the fans if they want to come and be entertained.”

From a security standpoint, the Buffalo players said they feel safe and protected coming into a building that seats 17,565, but there will be a sense of anxiety.

“There is a little bit of concern there, but we know with the extra security, the police force, the FBI and everyone that’s been involved in this has done an amazing job of making sure that everyone feels safe,” Stafford said. “They’re telling everyone that there are no worries for anything else and we’re protected. At the same time, we’re trying our best to focus on going out and being ready for a big game. It’s going to be highly emotional. There are no worries at all about any lack of protection. They’re doing a great job making sure everyone feels safe.”

During his college days in this city, Gerbe attended a few marathons and knows the area well. He understands what it’s like to play in Boston on a normal day, never mind on a night when the entire world will be watching the Bruins and their fans.
“I know it’s going to be a great crowd, they’re going to show how proud they are to be from Boston and they’re going to stand up and show their faith, so I’m excited. I know it’s devastating what happened here, everyone around the league feels it and we feel for the families.

“We know their emotion is going to be high, but ours is also high. We feel for the victims. We feel for the families that have been injured. We’re people and this is a game we all love and this is a chance for us to put on a good show and hopefully let the people of Boston know that we’re trying to take their minds off the real world.”

WILMINGTON, Mass. -- Bruins center Patrice Bergeron is likely to return to the lineup Wednesday night against the Sabres at TD Garden, with coach Claude Julien saying it was “highly probable” Bergeron would play.

When he does return, Bergeron obviously will give a lift to the Bruins both offensively and defensively as the 2012 Selke Trophy winner’s two-way play has been sorely missed since he suffered a concussion on April 2 and missed the last six games.

But while Bergeron’s skill was absent from the Bruins lineup as he battled to recover from his fourth concussion, his leadership wasn’t. Last Thursday morning, prior to the Bruins’ 2-1 loss to the Islanders, Bergeron addressed his teammates in a players-only meeting and let them know that he felt they could be better.

“At some point in the year, everyone in my position has to do that and make sure that the team realizes how good we can be as a team,” the Bruins alternate captain said. “I just told them it’s about getting back to basics and playing how we can play and how I know we can play.”

Bergeron has had the privilege of learning from some true leaders over the course of his career, dating back to his rookie season of 2003-04 when Marty Lapointe took him under his wing as a mentor and allowed the 18-year-old from Quebec City to live with his family as he adapted to an English-speaking community. Bergeron also played with Glen Murray and then Mark Recchi as he became an alternate captain for the Bruins. All three helped mold Bergeron as a leader and now he feels he knows when he needs to address his team.

“My first year I learned from one of the best,” Bergeron said of Lapointe. “Marty for me was an amazing leader. Then [Recchi] obviously and [Murray] too, but [Recchi] was really important because I was older and an assistant captain by then. So it was a time that I needed to really learn a lot about leadership and how to apply it. [Recchi] really took the time to do that and teach me. I learned that it has to come naturally and you have to speak from your heart.”

While the Bruins have lost two games since Bergeron spoke to his teammates, he has seen signs that they’re reverting to the brand of hockey they should be playing.

“I really feel even in the last two games and specifically Carolina, we had some good things happening that had slipped out of our game that were coming back,” Bergeron said. “[Tuesday's] practice was a perfect example because I thought we were going hard the whole time and it all starts in practice. So that’s a good sign and hopefully we can go from there.”

The Boston Bruins game against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night is scheduled to be played, marking the first pro sports game in Boston since Monday’s bombing at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

“The city informed us that there are no issues with playing,” Bruins president Cam Neely said on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Tuesday. “Obviously, there is going to be tight security in and around the building. We’re confident that we’re going to have the proper measures taken and security here. The city has informed us that they don’t see a need for us at this point to postpone another game.”

Face-off for the Bruins-Sabres game is 7:30 p.m. ET.

Meanwhile, the Bruins' postponed game against the Ottawa Senators, originally scheduled for Monday night, will now be played Sunday, April 28 at TD Garden (7 p.m.)

WILMINGTON, Mass. -- Less than 24 hours after the tragic events in Boston, the city’s hockey team practiced with heavy hearts Tuesday morning at Ristuccia Arena.

The Bruins' practice lasted just more than an hour, and afterward, all the focus was on the victims and families affected by Monday’s bombing at the Boston Marathon finish line. The mood in the Bruins’ locker room was somber.

“It was one of those days you practice with heavy hearts,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “Obviously, we have a job to do and we still have to do our job, but our guys are proud of this city they represent, Boston, and as much as it was hard to really go out there today and give your all, I think our guys did a good job. Practice is over, and our thoughts are back with those people affected by it.

"Boston, for me personally and my family, is a city we’ve fallen in love with, so when you see something like that happen, there’s no doubt it affects you as an individual, and even for us as a group,” Julien said.

Like all his teammates, Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference was home resting for Monday's game when he received a phone call from his wife, who was on Boylston Street with the couple’s daughters and heard the explosions.

“I knew they were safe because she called, but obviously she was pretty worried,” Ference said. “You’re scared for anybody. You start thinking about people you know who are running the race and people who are down there watching. ... You feel helpless, and it’s an empty feeling. It’s tough to say what you felt, other than you’re proud so many people are helping out and you start to hear back from people that you know and they’re OK and you’re happy. But obviously you know there are a lot of people who are getting different news and you feel pretty heartbroken for them.”

One of Ference's close friends, an Army Ranger, ran the marathon and had just finished when the explosions occurred. Within a minute, his friend was on the sidewalk helping the wounded.

“He was obviously pretty disturbed,” Ference said. “The last time he was deployed, one of his friends got hit, so it brought back some bad memories.”

Prior to Tuesday’s practice, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara gathered the players and they talked about what they can do to help. The players and Julien kept those discussions internal, but they plan to “play their hearts out” Wednesday.

“We all know it was a very sad day and emotional around the city for everybody,” Chara said. “We just have to support each other. We can all play for each other, and during these tough times, maybe help people cheer. With the way we play, we can show the support.”

Bruins veteran forward Jay Pandolfo went to school and played hockey at Boston University, and attended many marathons during his collegiate days.

“It’s pretty shocking,” Pandolfo said. “You don’t expect something like this to happen, especially at the Boston Marathon. People, it’s a lifelong goal of theirs to finish a marathon, and you’ve got family and friends there watching you, so for something like this to happen, you can’t describe the feeling, especially for people who were directly involved with it.”

After Tuesday’s practice, there wasn’t much talk about hockey.

“It’s such a great event and there are so many smiling faces, then you see the footage of sheer terror on people's faces. It’s just a sad day in the city,” Bruins forward Chris Kelly said.

When the puck drops Wednesday night at TD Garden, the Bruins realize they can help distract the people and fans of the city and region by playing a good hockey game. Those three hours will help heal this city for at least a short time.

“We represent the city of Boston and we want to make sure we represent them well,” Julien said. “All you can do is go out there and give it all you’ve got. Whether it gives a little bit of joy, or excitement to some people, it’s going to take a while to heal from this, and we don’t expect tomorrow to be the day that everything’s going to be OK, but you’ve got to start somewhere and tomorrow’s a great time for us to go out there and play our hearts out for all the right reasons.”

BOSTON -- Moments after Monday's explosions near the Boston Marathon finish line only a few miles away, news of the tragedy spread quickly around TD Garden as the Boston Bruins were preparing to host the Ottawa Senators.

At that time of the afternoon, the rink usually is quiet, as players are back home or at the visitors hotel, taking their normal afternoon naps. Building personnel and media gathered in the media room on the third floor and watched the local telecasts of the events happening minutes away from the Garden.

An hour later, around 4 p.m. ET, players from both teams began arriving. Bruins players, including veteran Shawn Thornton, were concerned for friends, family and fans who had attended the marathon. Players from both teams began their normal pregame routines because they did not know whether the game would be played.

A few minutes before 5 p.m., general manager Peter Chiarelli emerged from the Bruins’ locker room and walked down the hall toward the visitors locker room, telling the opposition the game had been postponed.

Bruins players, some still dressed in their suits, began to leave the Garden. The Senators quickly packed their equipment and headed to the team bus.

Moments of silence were observed before the Flyers-Canadiens game in Montreal and the Stars-Blackhawks game in Chicago.

The Bruins game has not been rescheduled, and due to limited building availability, it’s going to be difficult to find a date that works for both teams. Even with the condensed, lockout-shortened schedule, teams are not allowed to play three nights in a row.

Bruins president Cam Neely released a statement shortly after the game was postponed, saying that after consulting with city, state and NHL officials, the decision was made to postpone the game.

“Public safety personnel from the city and state still are gathering information regarding today’s events and it is vital they have all resources available for their investigation. The thoughts and prayers of everyone in the Bruins organization are with the city of Boston and all those affected by today’s tragedy,” the statement said.

The NHL also released a statement: “The National Hockey League wishes to express its sympathy to all affected by the tragic events that took place in Boston earlier this afternoon.”

The Bruins game tonight against the Senators has been postponed. The NHL released the following statement:

The game between the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins scheduled for tonight at TD Garden has been postponed, the National Hockey League announced today.

The game will be rescheduled. The date and time will be announced at a later date.

The National Hockey League wishes to express its sympathy to all affected by the tragic events that took place in Boston earlier this afternoon.

BOSTON -- With the Stanley Cup playoffs quickly approaching, Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien has already begun to give some players games off in order to stay relatively fresh for the postseason.

After sitting rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton the last two games, he’ll be back in the lineup Monday against the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden, but fellow blueliner Andrew Ference will get to sit and watch from the ninth level.

“We’re going to rotate some players in and out from here on in,” explained Julien after the team’s morning skate. “We decided to make that decision no matter what, so Ference will be the one sitting tonight.”

Ference has played all 41 games this season and has three goals and eight assists for 11 points, including a plus-6 rating.

It’s also a possibility captain Zdeno Chara and fellow defenseman Dennis Seidenberg will also get a night off given the amount of ice time they’ve both logged in this lockout-shortened season.

BOSTON -- After being a healthy scratch the last two games, Bruins rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton will return to the lineup Monday against the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden.

Prior to last Thursday’s game against the New York Islanders, Hamilton had played in all 39 games this season.

“I don’t think there’s any issue with his reaction,” Julien said. “He’s 100 percent on board with us. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything to hurt a player more than I’ve done to help a player, and he knows that. He needed the rest and those two games gave him X amount of days to rest. As I’ve mentioned before, he’s the guy that’s played the most on our team this year, and with all the stuff he’s been through before he got here, and then the compressed schedule, this is doing the right thing for the right player at the right moment.”

During the lockout, Hamilton, 19, played for his junior team, the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL. He also played for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship in December before making his NHL debut with the Bruins on Jan. 19.

When asked what he thought of having two consecutive games off, Hamilton said he totally understands the situation.

“Just playing so much, it feels like the end of the year, which it is, but I think just to get a rest, I guess, mentally, and most of all just to get away from playing and to be able to come back, it kind of feels like junior a little bit when you get the week off and then you go back to playing the weekend,” he said. “Hopefully I didn’t get too rusty over that couple of days, but I think I feel good.”

Hamilton, who has four goals and 11 assists for 15 points with a plus-4 rating, said he understands he’ll need to be rested and healthy for his first Stanley Cup playoffs, so he has no issue with Julien’s decision to sit him the last two games.

“Obviously it’s a lot more fun playing and being in the room and being part of the team, but I thought it was good,” he said.

BOSTON -- Bruins forward Brad Marchand (concussion) skated for the second day in a row and participated in the teams’ morning skate Monday, but he has not been cleared to play.

Marchand has missed two games since he suffered the injury on April 10 against the New Jersey Devils, but since he’s skated the last two days all he needs to do now is participate in contract drills before he gets clearance to return.

Marchand had a concussion when he was 16, but it wasn’t as significant as his most recent one. He took an elbow to the head from Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov in Boston’s 5-4 win, and it didn’t take long for the NHL to hand down a four-game suspension.

“That stuff happens and I’ve been on both sides of it,” Marchand said. “The game happens quickly and the league took care of it, so I’ve put it behind me.

“I was a little worried right away once I get hit – my head was pounding and I felt a little different. I was a little foggy but I remember everything, which is good because it could have been a lot worse. I’m just trying to make sure that every day I feel a little bit better and hopefully I’ll be able to play soon.”

In 38 games this season, Marchand is leading the Bruins in scoring with 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points, including a plus-22 rating.