ESPN

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron (concussion) will be examined again Monday afternoon by the team’s medical staff, and there’s a possibility he could return to the lineup Monday night when the team hosts the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden.

Bergeron has missed the last six games after he suffered his fourth career concussion against the Senators on April 2 at Boston. He began skating with the team last week and did so again this morning, while centering Milan Lucic and Tyler Seguin. Bruins coach Claude Julien said he’ll wait to hear from the medical staff before the team makes the final decision.

“It’s just making sure we’re all on the same page,” Julien said. “He’s been feeling a lot better the last few days and seems to be doing extremely well, but when you’ve been through what Patrice has been through, we’re always going to make sure to be extra safe with him even if it takes a little extra time.”

Bergeron said he was cleared to play Saturday in Carolina, but the team thought it would be best to give him some more time for precautionary reasons.

“I’m feeling good,” he said. “I feel like I’m close.

“I obviously want to get back out there. I feel good. I feel confident. I don’t feel cautious, either. We’re taking the time and there’s a reason for that, so I’m not hesitant and I feel good.”

The Bruins will clinch a playoff berth with their next point, so there was some thought, based on the condensed schedule and the amount of games the Bruins have played, to give Bergeron a little more time in order to be rested and healthy for the playoffs.

“Why wait any longer if everything is A-OK and there’s no issues, nothing that can happen that will be able to go back and say he came back too early,” Julien said. “We’re just making sure everything is clear. He’s a smart individual and he’s a person who thinks things through and he’s also not going to take a chance with his career. It’s a mutual thing we have going between him, ourselves as an organization, and that’s the way we’ve treated every player and we’ll continue to do that.”

The Bruins are 3-3-0 during Bergeron’s absence.

“We miss his leadership, his work ethic and everything else,” Julien said. “He’s a good player and he’s an elite player. You don’t replace him, so what you miss is what you can’t replace.”

This is Bergeron's fourth career concussion, but this time the symptoms lasted only one day and it’s been different from the other three.

“I’ve healed a lot quicker and I’ve felt better a lot quicker, so that was good news,” Bergeron said. “We took the time for precautionary reasons. I had a little bit of symptoms the next day after it happened, but after that, that was it, so it was very positive.”

Bergeron was more annoyed than anything else the day after his incidental collision with the Senators’ Colin Greening on April 2.

“A little bit of that, that’s for sure,” Bergeron said of the frustration. “It’s one of those things that’s always hard to go through. I’ve had enough of it, but at the same time I was optimistic by the way I felt and the Bruins did a really good job making sure I was taking the time to heal properly.”

In 35 games this season, Bergeron has 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points, including a plus-23 rating.

The way things have been going for the Boston Bruins of late, it's no surprise their misfortunes continued Saturday night when former Bruin Joe Corvo scored a power-play goal 9:36 of the third period to help the Carolina Hurricanes to a 4-2 win at PNC Arena.

After Boston dominated Carolina 6-2 on Monday at TD Garden, the Hurricanes played a more aggressive game and kept the Bruins from gaining the top spot in the Northeast Division.

Carolina's Jiri Tlusty scored a pair of goals (one empty net), while Jeff Skinner and Corvo added the others. The Bruins' Milan Lucic scored, and Tyler Seguin added Boston's other goal. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask finished with 32 saves.

The Bruins sustained a solid forecheck and scored first when Lucic deflected in Matt Bartkowski's offering from the left point and beat Carolina goaltender Justin Peters for a 1-0 lead at 6:07 of the first period.

Just when it seemed the Bruins would enter the first intermission with the lead, the Hurricanes capitalized on the power play with 35.3 seconds remaining to tie the game at 1-1 when Jeff Skinner snuck it past Rask.

The Hurricanes gained a 2-1 advantage at 14:04 of the second period when Jiri Tlusty beat Rask to the short side after Carolina's sustained pressure in the offensive zone. It was a shot Rask should have stopped, but his teammates responded and tied the game at 2-2 when Seguin notched his 15th of the season by beating Peters to the top right glove side at 17:57 of the period.

Corvo's power-play goal proved to be the game winner at 9:36 of the third period. Tlusty added the empty-netter for a 4-2 final.

SAVE OF THE GAME: Peters made an incredible glove save on the Bruins' Jaromir Jagr at 10:13 of the second period. With the game tied 1-1, Boston had a power play when Jagr received a pass on the off post with an open net, but Peters snared the snap shot to stifle the attack.

SODERBERG SIGNS: Prior to Saturday's game, the Bruins announced the signing of forward Carl Soderberg to a three-year, one-way contract through the 2014-15 season. The 27-year-old will join the team on Wednesday and will be eligible for the remainder of the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs. His salary is worth an annual cap figure of $1 million.

"We are fortunate to get a player like Carl at this stage of the season," Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said. "I would like to thank the president of the Linkoping hockey club, Mike Helber and their GM, Johan Hemlin, in playing a significant part in allowing Carl to play for the Boston Bruins. Carl is a big strong two-way center who can also play wing. We look forward to him joining our team this week."

In 54 games this season with Linkoping HC of the Swedish Elite League, he posted 31 goals and 29 assists for 60 points, including a plus-18 rating. The Bruins originally acquired Soderberg from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for goaltender Hannu Toivonen in July 2007.

DROP ‘EM: There were plenty of fisticuffs in the first period. The Bruins' Shawn Thornton first dropped the gloves with the Hurricanes' Kevin Westgarth at 14:14. Then at 18:41 of the period, Carolina's Jay Harrison jumped the Bruins' Zdeno Chara during a scrum and the two went toe-to-toe. In the waning seconds of the period, Boston's Gregory Campbell dropped the gloves with Carolina's Nicolas Blanchard.

UP NEXT: The Bruins return home for four games, beginning Monday against the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden. Boston will then host the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers, on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, respectively.

Swedish star forward Carl Soderberg signed a three-year contract with the Boston Bruins on Saturday, the team announced.

Soderberg will join the team Wednesday, and has an annual cap hit of $1 million.

Soderberg previously had reached an agreement with Boston on Tuesday, but was blocked from joining the team by the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation.

According to a source, the NHL had five days to consider the rejection and any arguments that came with it. The NHL could still disagree and say the release is proper per their rules and register the contract despite the Swedes' position.

"We are fortunate to get a player like Carl at this stage of the season," Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said in a release. "I would like to thank the President of the Linkoping hockey club, Mike Helber and their GM, Johan Hemlin, in playing a significant part in allowing Carl to play for the Boston Bruins. Carl is a big, strong, two-way center who can also play wing. We look forward to him joining our team this week."

Soderberg had his best season yet in the Swedish Elite League -- 31 goals and 60 points in 54 games. Bruins president Cam Neely had said he planned on giving the 27-year-old a shot to prove himself in the NHL this season and potentially play a role in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Neely said he likes Soderberg's skill set, though he has never seen him play in person and was unsure how quickly he would pick up the American game, which is played with more physicality and on smaller ice surfaces than European hockey.

"He's played against men in the Swedish Elite League and has had success doing it," Neely said. "It's just a matter of getting adjusted to the North American style -- bigger ice surface, less contact [in Europe]. But he's a big body. He protects the puck well. He skates well. He's got a good shot. But we have to temper this a little bit if he does get over here based on getting adjusted to this style of game."

Soderberg was selected 49th overall in the second round of the 2004 NHL entry draft. He has played the past two seasons with Linkoping after playing the previous four in Malmo.

Information from ESPNBoston.com's James Murphy was used in this report.

WILMINGTON, Mass -- Bruins center Patrice Bergeron skated with 12 other Bruins in an optional practice Friday at Ristuccia Arena, and as he skated coach Claude Julien told the media that Bergeron is improving and will travel with the team to Carolina for the game against the Hurricanes on Saturday.

"He's skating now and he's skating with us, and he's better off to work out with us than to stay behind,” Julien said.

But Bergeron, who suffered his fourth concussion on April 2, isn't expected to play Saturday.

"I don't think so," said Julien. "We're certainly going to be cautious with him. He's had a history of [concussions] and we're not going to take a gamble with it."

But for a Bruins team in dire need of a lift on and off the ice, the fact that one of their leaders and arguably their best player is nearing a return brought smiles.

“It’d be very big,” said Matt Bartkowski of the mental boost that having Bergeron back would bring. “He’s consistent and that’s what we need to find right now. We had a pretty solid game [Thursday] and I thought we played better even though we didn’t get the result. If we can find consistency every game like he brings every shift, then I think we’d be in much better shape.”

Bruins winger Jaromir Jagr was acquired from Dallas the same day Bergeron suffered the concussion and has yet to play with the reigning Selke Trophy winner. But Jagr realizes just how valuable a player like Bergeron can be and is looking forward to the opportunity.

“I haven’t had a chance to play with him yet or see him play -- if I don’t count the games against him -- but what I hear is he’s a top guy, so it’s hard to play without your top guy,” Jagr said. “There’s not many guys who can make a huge difference during the game and he’s that kind of guy. So it will be a huge plus for our team when he comes back.”

Jagr was asked whether, during the course of his storied career, he has had the pleasure of playing with a player like Bergeron.

“Probably Ron Francis,” Jagr said. “He was very responsible defensively and he had good numbers offensively. He could pass the puck so well.”

When asked how much players such as Francis and Bergeron help those around them, Jagr said they also make life easier for coaches.

“Not only for me, but even for the coaches,” Jagr said with a laugh. “I think they feel a lot better when those guys are on the ice and don’t have to worry about the team scoring against you. It’s a huge plus for them, and coaches don’t get headaches during those shifts.”

BOSTON -- Win or lose, since the month of March began and the Bruins embarked on a stretch of 33 games in 62 days, the condensed schedule has been the question and the answer when trying to figure out why the Bruins aren't playing up to their capabilities.

Prior to his team's Feb. 25 win over the Panthers, Bruins coach Claude Julien said, "It's the end of the easy schedule. The tough one kicks in starting this afternoon. We're aware of that. We've got some games in hand that we've got to win along the way if we want to get back to being one of the top teams."

The Bruins beat the Islanders 4-1 that February night, and since then they have gone 15-8-2, including Thursday's 2-1 loss to those very same Islanders. It was the same reply when Julien or his players were asked about why the 60-minute effort wasn't there.

"I thought the first period was the best first period in a long time," Julien said. "And the rest of the game, although they were the better team for the most of it, I just felt that I could see our guys were trying, we just ran out of gas. Third game in four nights and the effort, will was there, but they did a great job. They were obviously a little fresher than we were. We just didn't have enough in the tank tonight, I think, to battle through that."

No one is questioning that the Bruins are tired with 10 regular-season games left. But what team hasn't felt that way for stretches of this season? At what point do we all stop talking about it and really examine what this Bruins team is capable of?

"You can ask me if I'm tired of that or I can ask you if you're tired of asking," captain Zdeno Chara said in a blunt postgame scrum. "Like I've been saying, everybody knew that it's going to be heavy, that it's going to be a lot of games in a short period of time. But now we're coming towards the end of the season, and, yeah, it's not easy, but like I've been saying, it's not an excuse. Everybody has the same schedule."

But then, just when it seemed the captain might call out his teammates for a game they clearly needed to win to send a statement that mediocrity won't be accepted, he went back into the glass-is-half-full mode.

"I think we are in a good spot, we just need to get better in certain areas of our game and make sure that we get everything that we need going into the playoffs," Chara said. "It's not going to be a perfect season. I don't think anybody has a perfect season, and those teams that do have, well, good for them. You can't play a perfect season. That's just the way it goes. You're going to have some tough stretches. I thought the last few games -- a number of games -- we battled through them."

This belief of battling through came on the heels of a game in which the Bruins watched leading scorer Brad Marchand take an elbow to the head, did nothing about it and then barely held on for a 5-4 win Wednesday night in New Jersey. Then the Bruins came out of the gates flying Thursday, and while fatigue was definitely a factor in not sustaining that energy, the mental complacency that has seemed to plague this team settled in again.

The Bruins are tired and short-handed without two of their best players in Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. All things considered, they played well Thursday despite losing. But the fact is they still had the skill and ability to beat an inferior team.

Forward Gregory Campbell said the Bruins are still gearing up for the playoffs.

"I think there's definitely enough experience and leadership in here to know what we're facing, and the playoffs is a different season, and you really start from scratch," Campbell said. "We're trying to build towards a game where we're playing within our strengths and we're competing every night and feeling positive, but there's a lot of things that are up in the air right now, seeds and whatnot, and we're looking forward to the playoffs, and, like I said, we realize that a lot of things can change. A lot of things can happen, and that's the season that really matters."

BOSTON -- The Bruins could have clinched a playoff spot with a point Thursday, but it was the Islanders who looked more like a playoff team, grinding out a 2-1 win at TD Garden behind two goals from Josh Bailey and 30 saves from Evgeni Nabokov. Tyler Seguin scored and Tuukka Rask made 34 saves for the Bruins, who lost against the team that as of Thursday would be Boston's opponent in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Good start but same old story for Bruins: The Bruins came out of the gate strong and seemed to have plenty of urgency in the first period, yet they found themselves trailing 1-0. That one goal, of course, came on a Bruins turnover, and while Seguin, Gregory Campbell and Jaromir Jagr put on a clinic on the power play and clicked for the tying goal 3:41 into the middle frame, the turnovers increased after that and led to the game winner. The Bruins were forced into scramble mode, veering further away from their game plan and system.

Rask does his job but still needs more help: It can't be fun to be a Bruins goalie right now. Both Rask and Anton Khudobin have made the saves they should make and also some they'd be excused for not making. Many nights they give the team a chance to win, but lately the Bruins aren't doing their job in front of them. Rask had plenty of great stops that kept the Bruins in the game, including a beauty on Matt Moulson halfway through the second period following a Zdeno Chara turnover. Granted, Rask could've made the save on Bailey's second goal, but the Bruins are lucky to have Rask and Khudobin, who as of late have been under siege.

Seguin hustling more to utilize his skill: While Seguin scored a goal in the 5-4 win on Wednesday, he did not have a good game at all and as of late has lacked the necessary hustle and grit to be playing more minutes both 5-on-5 and also on the power play. People can criticize Julien all they want for not utilizing Seguin properly, but if Seguin hustles and works hard, Julien will reward him just as he rewards others. For the majority of this game Seguin was working hard, and it paid off with his second-period power play goal, his 14th of the season. Seguin's game dipped a bit as the rest of his team's did in the second period, but overall this was one of his better games.

Power play connects: The Bruins scored on their first power play Thursday. Just as impressive was the way they moved the puck around, created chances and then executed. The Bruins still have a long way to go on the power play, but if they can use more puck management and execution, they will have more success.

McQuaid returns; Daugavins in for Marchand: Defenseman Adam McQuaid returned to the lineup Thursday, playing for the first time since March 19 when he suffered a shoulder strain. With McQuaid returning, rookie Dougie Hamilton was the odd man out as the healthy scratch. McQuaid was paired with Andrew Ference and finished with no points and was minus-2 in 15:52 on ice. Up front, Brad Marchand missed his first game of the season with a mild concussion suffered in the 5-4 win over the Devils on Wednesday. Back in the lineup was Kaspars Daugavins, who was on a line with Rich Peverley and Shawn Thornton. Daugavins had no points in 8:16 of ice time. Here's what the lineup looked like to start the game:

Daniel Paille-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Milan Lucic-Gregory Campbell-Jaromir Jagr
Jordan Caron-Chris Kelly-Tyler Seguin
Kaspars Daugavins-Rich Peverley-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Matt Bartkowski-Dennis Seidenberg
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid

Tuukka Rask
Anton Khudobin

The Bruins announced Thursday evening that left winger Brad Marchand suffered a "mild concussion" on the elbow hit to the head he took Wednesday night from Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov in Boston's 5-4 win.

The Bruins did not say how long Marchand will be out. The announcement from GM Peter Chiarelli said the team will "provide an update on his status when appropriate."

Marchand is leading the team in points with 33 and goals with 16.

Volchenkov was given a four-game suspension for the second-period play, which forced Marchand to leave the game.

The Swedish Ice Hockey Federation has blocked forward Carl Soderberg from joining the Boston Bruins.

Soderberg had reached an agreement Tuesday with the Bruins on a multiyear contract, and had been released by his Swedish team, Linkoping, according to a source, but the deal still had to be approved by the Swedish Hockey Federation.

It is unknown why the Federation blocked the move.

According to a source close to Soderberg, the NHL now has five days to consider the Swedes' rejection and any arguments that come with it. The NHL can still disagree with them and say the release is proper per their rules and register the contract despite the Swedes' position.

Soderberg had his best season yet in the Swedish Elite League -- 31 goals and 60 points in 54 games. Bruins president Cam Neely had said that he said he planned on giving the 27-year-old a shot to prove himself in the NHL this season and potentially play a role in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Neely had said he likes Soderberg's skill set, though he has never seen him play in person and was unsure how quickly he would pick up the American game, which is played with more physicality and on smaller ice surfaces than European hockey.

"He's played against men in the Swedish elite league and has had success doing it," Neely said. "It's just a matter of getting adjusted to the North American style -- bigger ice surface, less contact [in Europe]. But he's a big body. He protects the puck well. He skates well. He's got a good shot. But we have to temper this a little bit if he does get over here based on getting adjusted to this style of game."

Soderberg was selected 49th overall in the second round of the 2004 NHL entry draft. He has played the past two seasons with Linkoping after playing the previous four in Malmo.

BOSTON -- It was like an elephant in the room for the Bruins on Thursday morning. After watching their leading goal scorer, Brad Marchand, have to be helped off the ice because of an elbow to the head from Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov in the second period of their 5-4 win at New Jersey on Wednesday night, they knew the question was coming and they weren’t about to bite.

The question, of course: Why did their physical play and intensity seem to decline following the cheap shot to their teammate that earned Volchenkov a four-game suspension? Why wasn’t there any push-back from the Bruins after an opponent went after their star player?

Have the Bruins lost their identity as the physical “Big, Bad Bruins” that they established in their Stanley Cup-winning season of 2010-11?

“We’ll deal with that internally. I don’t throw my guys under the bus, you know that,” head coach Claude Julien said when asked if he expected more of a physical response from his team. “There’s a situation there that happened [Wednesday]. Could we, in the past? I think you would’ve seen that. Is there a reason why it didn’t happen? Not really. But you guys can say what you want. I’m not going to let negativity -- like, for example, now we’re not hitting enough, our guys aren’t going to bat. My job is to right the ship, and I’m going to right the ship the way that we’re ready for playoffs. The battle is for ourselves to be better and the battle is to battle against you guys where you guys will find those kinds of things, and we’re not going to let that creep into our dressing room.”

But while Julien said he doesn’t throw guys under the bus, it seemed like he at least threw them onto the street and into the line of oncoming traffic. When he said “you would’ve seen that” in the past, he is acknowledging that there is something missing with this current Bruins squad that was there in the past.

Later, when the dressing room was opened to the media, defenseman Adam McQuaid, who had to watch the game from above, said he was itching to be on the ice and respond to the Volchenkov hit.

“Yeah, I was pretty much boiling up inside with that situation there and I wish I would’ve been on the ice there,” McQuaid said.

But later, when defenseman Andrew Ference -- who was on the ice for the hit -- was asked about the lack of response, Ference pointed to the fact that most of Marchand’s teammates didn’t see the hit until after the game or even Thursday morning.

“Yeah, if people see what happens. Most of us saw it this morning, how it really went down,” said Ference.

Ference was then asked if he saw his teammate lying on the ice, and he declined to answer.

“Next question,” he said.

But to Ference’s credit, when another reporter rephrased the question and pointed out signs that the Bruins might be losing their identity, Ference agreed and said it’s time for the Bruins to start practicing what they preach.

“Part of having an identity is not just talking about what your team should be like, it is about doing it,” Ference said. “It’s about actions, like strong fore-checks and hits and stuff that is within the game. It’s not about gooning it up or anything like that but just having that physical presence. For sure, not just [Wednesday] in the third but for many games it’s been a missing element that in the past has put our team over the top for sure.”

The Bruins rearguard was then asked if the condensed schedule had affected their identity at all, and unlike his coach and some players who recently have used that as an excuse, Ference did not.

“It has to be there and there’s no excuses,” Ference said. “Everybody has the same number of games this year and teams have had heavier schedules at different times, but everybody is going through it and feeling the effects of not only the schedule but, like I said, the competitiveness of this year has been extremely high. So it’s the same on both sides. Complaining about the ice is a really cheap excuse to lean on. The identity that you talk about and being a tough team to play against, you have to constantly prove it regardless of the schedule and whatnot. It has to be there.”

Ference is right. Actions speak louder than words, and right now the Bruins aren’t being heard on the ice the way they have in recent seasons. Until they are, it could be open season on their key players.

The NHL didn't waste any time on this one. The Department of Player Safety announced that Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov has been suspended four games for elbowing Bruins winger Brad Marchand in the head during the second period of Bruins' 5-4 win at New Jersey on Wednesday. Marchand had to be helped off the ice and did not return. There was no further word on his condition Thursday morning.

The reason for the swift action from the league most likely was due to Volchenkov being a repeat offender. He was suspended three games for another illegal hit to the head in 2011. The Russian defenseman has one goal and three assists with 22 penalty minutes in 32 games this season.

BOSTON – While there was no update on the condition of Brad Marchand, who left the Bruins’ 5-4 win at New Jersey in the second period after taking an elbow to the head from Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov, the Boston Bruins had a welcome sight at their optional game day skate Thursday morning as center Patrice Bergeron (concussion) was skating and doing non-contact drills with some of the defensemen.

“It’s a sign that he’s going in the right direction,” head coach Claude Julien said of Bergeron, who has been working out and skating alone in recent days. Bergeron has been out since April 2, missing four games after suffering a concussion.

According to forward Tyler Seguin, Bergeron is already playing a role with his team as he tries to help them get their game going in the right direction again.

“We know he’s a tough guy and to see him out on the ice and around the locker room definitely brings out the spirits in the guys,” Seguin said. “He’s a huge part of our team and a huge player and he still had things to say to us after watching the game last night.”

The Bruins will also apparently get some immediate help on their blue line Thursday night when they host the New York Islanders as Adam McQuaid appears ready to return from a strained left shoulder suffered on March 19.

“Adam’s ready. There’s a good possibility that he’ll be in the lineup tonight,” Julien said.

McQuaid was thrilled to hear that and is looking forward to helping his team again.

“I’m feeling good. I’m cleared and so I guess at this point it’s just a coach’s decision, and hopefully I’ll be in soon,” McQuaid said. “I’m looking forward to it. Especially this being a short season and missing anytime is tough so I’m just looking forward to getting back out there and competing.”

After undergoing offseason surgery for a blood clot, McQuaid struggled to find his game early on and just as it seemed he had turned things around, he suffered the shoulder injury in a 3-1 loss at Winnipeg. But rather than let frustration get the best of him, McQuaid has kept a positive approach.

“It’s obviously not the situation that you want to be in but I’ve tried to kind of change my outlook on things,” said McQuaid who has a goal and three assists in 25 games. “I want to play a hard game and I think that with that come injuries sometimes. So I’ve tried to stay positive and just work hard to get myself ready. Really that’s all I can do because I can’t really change the situations. You just try to take positives out of negative situations.”

The Boston Bruins held on for a 5-4 win at New Jersey on Wednesday to take a one-point lead on Montreal in the Northeast Division. They also trail Pittsburgh by four points in the Eastern Conference.

Boston jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period but had to withstand a late Devils rally when Matt D'Agostini scored with 37 seconds left to pull the Devils within one. But the Bruins were able to hold on and take advantage of a great performance from their penalty kill unit, which killed eight power plays. Gregory Campbell (two goals), Daniel Paille (goal, assist) and Jaromir Jagr (two assists) led the way offensively. Tyler Seguin and Zdeno Chara also scored for the Bruins, and Anton Khudobin got his ninth win with a 24-save performance.

Patrik Elias, Travis Zajac and Andy Greene also scored for New Jersey. Martin Brodeur made 13 saves.

Paille an unsung hero: While his finishing skills still need some polishing, Paille is a secret offensive weapon that may not remain a secret much longer. His all-around play has been huge for the Bruins this season and he's up to eight goals now. Julien can slot him in just about anywhere and know that Paille will provide a responsible and defensive performance. But he also has speed, hustle and a sneaky shot.

Marchand injured on hit to head: Bruins winger Brad Marchand left the game in the second period and did not return after taking an elbow to the head on a questionable play by Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov. While the play itself was hard enough to swallow for a team that is already missing Patrice Bergeron to a concussion, what was also difficult to watch was the lack of response from Marchand's teammates. Marchand is leading the team in points with 33 and goals with 16. With the way the Bruins have lacked passion and purpose as of late, it was not a good sign that the only player to go after Volchenkov was Jagr, who has been with the team for just over a week.

Jagr continues to contribute: With two helpers, Jagr has now registered a point in three of the four games he has played for the Bruins since being acquired on April 2. Jagr has been a spark plug for an offense that is suddenly clicking with 11 goals in two games.

Campbell taking advantage of promotion: Since being put on a line with Marchand and Jagr, Campbell has not disappointed. His two goals now give him four points in two games, as he had two assists in the 6-2 win over the Hurricanes on Monday. Campbell's grit has been paying big dividends.

Strong start but lack of finish remains: The Bruins roared out to a 4-0 lead in the first period despite allowing four Devils power plays. In contrast to recent games, their start was much better than their finish. The Bruins seemed to lay back a bit and once again made costly turnovers in their own zone that allowed the Devils to stick around and make things a lot more interesting than they needed to be.

PK dominance: Not only did the Bruins' penalty kill off eight New Jersey power plays, but they also struck for two short-handed goals, which turned out to be the difference between winning and losing in this game. It felt like the Bruins were short-handed for the whole first period and yet they played as if they were on the power play. If only the Bruins could play with that intensity and passion when they're even strength or on their own power plays.

Peverley peaking: Rich Peverley is really starting to find his game, at just the right time for the Bruins. There's no doubting his speed and instincts; he created two successful short-handed bids.

Roster remains the same: After watching his team put up a season-high six goals Monday, Julien didn't tinker with his lines to start the game. Here's what things looked like at the opening faceoff and until Marchand was injured:

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

Defensemen:
Zdeno Chara-Dougie Hamilton
Andrew Ference-Dennis Seidenberg
Matt Bartkowski-Johnny Boychuk

Goaltenders:
Anton Khudobin
Tuukka Rask

After learning before their game in New Jersey Wednesday night that center Patrice Bergeron was progressing in his recovery from his fourth career concussion that he suffered April 2, the Bruins may have lost another star player to a concussion.

Brad Marchand was hit with an elbow to the head from Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov 15:11 into the second period, with the Bruins leading 4-1. Marchand, who had an earlier assist, left the game and did not return. Volchenkov was given a five-minute major for elbowing and a 10-minute penalty and game misconduct.

With his assist Wednesday, Marchand now leads the team in points with 33 and goals with 16. It would be a huge loss for the Bruins if he were to be sidelined for any length of time.

Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, who suffered his fourth career concussion April 2, is progressing in his recovery, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said Wednesday during a radio appearance. Chiarelli sounded encouraged because Bergeron has been practicing on his own and working out.

"On the road to recovery," Chiarelli said on the Toucher & Rich show on 98.5 The Sports Hub. "So it looks good. He's working out and things are looking good."

Bergeron suffered his latest concussion on an incidental hit to the side of the head from Senators forward Colin Greening in Boston's 3-2 win over Ottawa April 2. Bergeron has been examined by concussion specialist Dr. Robert Cantu and received positive results, according to the Boston Globe.

While Bruins head coach Claude Julien was obviously happy to hear this news, he told the media following his team's game-day skate that he won't allow himself to get too excited given the nature of concussions.

"Any time a guy starts to do something," Julien said. "It's a step in the right direction. We keep our fingers crossed and hope he keeps getting better."

Prospect Carl Soderberg and the Bruins have agreed to a contract and are awaiting for his transfer to be finalized by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, with Bruins president Cam Neely saying Tuesday that “things were looking good.”

Should the approval happen and Soderberg joins the Bruins for the stretch run of the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs next month, it should be a huge addition as the 27-year-old, 6-foot-3, 210-pound forward lit up the Swedish Elite League this season with 31 goals and 60 points in 54 games.

While Soderberg will need to adjust to the NHL faster than he normally would with the season winding down, one NHL scout who saw him play this season believes Soderberg’s skill level is so high that if he uses his size to adapt to the physical rigors of the NHL, he will be able to fit in just fine.

“This guy is the real deal,” the scout said. “He’s big, talented and versatile. He’ll help Boston for sure.”

“Versatile” is the key word for the Bruins, who already are deep at center and, according to Neely, are planning to put Soderberg -- a natural center -- on the wing when he arrives in Boston.

"I think we'd like to try him on the wing first and see if he's comfortable there," Neely said Tuesday afternoon on Boston sports radio station 98.5 the Sports Hub. "Obviously, playing center at this level is not as easy as it may appear, with coverage down low and both corners. Understanding that part of the game takes some time. Who knows how quick a study he'll be?"

Neely also sounded optimistic about the return of center Patrice Bergeron, who has been out after suffering a concussion, but would not commit to a timetable.

If and when Bergeron returns, it would make sense for Soderberg to play the wing. But whom would he play with? If Bergeron returns, one imagines that coach Claude Julien would put him between his normal linemates Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin, who with Bergeron have been the Bruins’ most consistent line this season. But then again, Jaromir Jagr and Marchand seem to be forming some chemistry, as witnessed by Jagr assisting on both of Marchand’s goals in the Bruins’ 6-2 win over the Hurricanes on Monday night. But let's presume Julien reunites his best line this season. Where would that leave the offensive-minded Soderberg?

It won’t be a bad problem for Julien to have, but he may end up sitting some players. If Bergeron and Soderberg are both in the lineup, here’s how this scribe would have the forward lines set up:

Jagr-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Marchand-Bergeron-Seguin
Soderberg-Chris Kelly-Milan Lucic
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Rich Peverley

While I believe Shawn Thornton provides a huge spark both on the ice and in the dressing room -- as witnessed when he entered the lineup in Game 3 of the 2011 Stanley Cup finals and got the Bruins going in the right direction with physical play in the opening minutes of the game -- the Bruins have been struggling offensively for most of the season and need as much skill as possible. If the fourth line isn’t working, Julien can always throw Thornton or Jordan Caron back in there.

But no matter how Julien shuffles his lines and uses his new offensive weapons in Jagr and Soderberg, it will be up to them and the rest of the Bruins to execute better than they have for the last month. As Julien has pointed out numerous times, their play has been “uncharacteristic” of the Bruins teams he has coached in recent seasons and even in the first two months of this season. Yes, their schedule became demanding in March and April, but every team has had to deal with similar issues so they can’t keep leaning on that as an excuse.

Soderberg will help, just as Jagr already has, but like Jagr, he is not a savior. That saving grace will need to be found from within every member of the Bruins.