ESPN

(Editor's note: The sixth in our end-of-season report card series on the 2011-2012 Bruins.)

BOSTON -- Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid left Boston’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals 14 minutes into regulation. McQuaid was hurt after going face-first into the end boards behind the Boston net from a hit by Capitals forward Jason Chimera. McQuaid was helped off the ice by teammates and did not return. Chimera was given a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct.

Following the game, Bruins coach Claude Julien said McQuaid wasn’t himself after the hit, and that was why the medical staff wouldn’t allow him to continue playing.

“He suffered a cut over the eyebrow, and he wasn’t feeling quite right so the doctors didn’t want to take a chance of sending him back,” Julien said. “So we’ll probably learn more [tomorrow] and find out a little more about it. But for the obvious reasons the minute you don’t feel right, they pull you out, so hopefully we’ll get good news tomorrow, but we’ll find out later.”

Julien also felt that the hit wasn’t as dirty as it may have looked and didn’t believe there was intent to injure by Chimera.

“When it happens to you, you also have to be honest about it and I think [Chimera] came off the bench and he was going hard, and maybe it was a little bit reckless, but there’s no doubt in my mind that it wasn’t intentional,” Julien said. “You know, McQuaid just turned at the last second and put himself in a bit of vulnerable position. But still I agree with the referee’s call. It was a bit of a reckless hit, and it deserved probably a five-minute penalty when you look back at the replay, and they had to make that decision. It was a tough one, but certainly wasn’t intent to injure by the player, in my mind.”

As he has in the past, Julien maintained his stance that both the hitter and the recipient of a hit have to be responsible with the speed of the game being so fast.

“That’s why I keep saying, and you’ve heard me before, I really, really encourage our players to be careful, with the speed of the game today, to make sure you don’t turn your back to the play as much because those kind of things happen,” Julien said. “You worry about the security of the players, you worry about the safety of the game, and I’m one of those guys that will look at both sides of it and not just preach for my side of it.”

WILMINGTON, Mass. -- Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid missed practice on Wednesday morning at Ristuccia Arena due to a lower-body injury he suffered late in the third period of Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden.

He’s questionable for Thursday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, according to Bruins coach Claude Julien. McQuaid caught a rut late in the game and was shaken up on the play.

“We felt it was better to keep him off the ice today and we’ll re-evaluate his situation tomorrow morning,” Julien said. “Hopefully we’ll get him back on the ice tomorrow.”

McQuaid also dropped the gloves late in the first period with the Senators’ Zenon Konopka, but Julien said the blueliner was not injured during the fight.

The Bruins will have fellow defenseman Andrew Ference back in the lineup Thursday after he completed his three-game suspension.

BOSTON -- Defenseman Adam McQuaid picked a nice night to get his first goal.

Not only was McQuaid playing the team -- the Columbus Blue Jackets -- that traded him to the Bruins in May 2007, but his team -- as predicted by McQuaid to ESPNBoston.com Wednesday -- finally found itself in a low-scoring, tight affair. And thanks to McQuaid's second-period goal, the solid goaltending of Tuukka Rask and shootout goals by Rich Peverley and David Krejci, the Bruins were able to win 2-1 to complete a sweep of their five-game homestand.

McQuaid, admittedly a simple, stay-at-home defenseman, decided to let it fly from the point 4:24 into the middle period and the puck found its way through traffic and beat Blue Jackets goaltender Curtis Sanford to tie the game at 1. But following the game, McQuaid was happier with how he fared while paired with captain Zdeno Chara against the likes of Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash than with his lamplighter.

“I was just trying to keep it simple,” McQuaid said. “I had an opportunity to play a little more against their top line. I just wanted to play even simpler than I usually am. Just trying to keep them off the scoresheet.”

Turns out he was the only one to put the Bruins on the scoresheet in regulation and overtime, and his two-way game impressed his defensive partner.

“He stepped up,” Chara said of McQuaid. “He's playing against top lines and playing really solid, keeping the plays really simple and he took some really good shots. He's just a really solid defenseman that you can rely on.”

Coach Claude Julien was pleased with McQuaid as well.

“Adam’s a big guy, and he had played against top lines,” Julien said. “They’re a big, heavy team, so we needed a good physical presence up there, and I feel that Adam’s been playing better the last few games as far as handling the puck and making better decisions all around. He’s been a better player for us, and it was nice to see him play well tonight and score the goal that got us back in the game.”

BOSTON -- The Bruins held their game day skate at TD Garden in advance of the their first game in a home-and-home set with the Canadiens and following the skate, head coach Claude Julien indicated that defenseman Adam McQuaid -- out the last four games with a neck injury -- would be back in the lineup.

“He’s been cleared to go so we’ll have seven D’s out there tonight, but the possibility of him playing is probably very good,” Julien said.

If McQuaid returns he would likely take Steven Kampfer's spot in the lineup.

Goalie Tuukka Rask was the first off the ice so he should get his first start since October 18. The rest of the lineup (below) should look the same as it was in practice Wednesday.

Julien also stressed the importance of a good start for the Bruins and trying to get the first goal, something they haven’t done in the last six games. With the Habs playing last night, this is the third straight game that the Bruins are playing a team that played the night before. So far they’re 1-1 but as Julien pointed out, his team isn’t getting the start they need to take advantage of some tired legs on the opposite end of the ice.

“There’s no doubt you have to have a good start and a team that’s played two games in two nights, wants to make sure they take care of that first period and make sure that they stay in the game,” Julien said. “They want to handle that barrage that the team that’s fresh should be giving them. Every team is going to handle it it’s own way and I know that we have to have a good start but we have to start playing with the lead here and that’s something that we failed to do now for many games.”


Here’s how the lineup should look tonight:

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Rich Peverley
Milan Lucic-Chris Kelly-Tyler Seguin
Benoit Pouliot-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid

Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

BOSTON -- The Bruins practiced at TD Garden Friday after a big 6-2 win over the Maple Leafs on Thursday night. Adam McQuaid (neck) was back on the ice after missing the last three games but Milan Lucic was given a maintenance day from head coach Claude Julien, and was not present after scoring his first goal of the season Thursday. Julien still isn't sure if McQuaid will be ready to play for Saturday’s tilt with former Bruin Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks.

"Still day-to-day," Julien said. "Obviously he's practicing with us and that's a good sign. I haven't been confirmed of his presence yet in our lineup so still day-to-day."

While Jordan Caron was in the lineup (below) today in place of Lucic, expect the lines to stay the same Saturday after the Bruins played arguably their best game of the season Thursday. But despite how well the Bruins played, Julien cautioned that his team could fall back into the inconsistency that has plagued it in the early going this season.

"That's what I talked about to the guys again today," Julien told the media after practice. "We just seemed to have good days and average days and again today in practice we talked about it, mentally we weren't sharp sharp out there. We can't afford to do that and if you can sharpen yourselves up in practice it will become second nature in a game. That's the biggest challenge right now is maybe being able to sustain that focus. Maybe bringing it to the attention of the players will certainly help them get through it."

Today’s lineup at practice:
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Nathan Horton
Jordan Caron-Chris Kelly-Tyler Seguin
Benoit Pouliot-David Krejci-Rich Peverley
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo
Andrew Ference-Steven Kampfer
Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask

WILMINGTON, Mass. -- Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid was back on the practice ice Monday morning at Ristuccia Arena after suffering a neck injury last Wednesday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

McQuaid was diagnosed with a neck injury, but the team’s medical staff is treating it like a concussion and is taking the necessary steps to make sure he’s OK before returning to game action. Bruins coach Claude Julien said McQuiad will be a game-time decision when the Bruins host the Hurricanes on Tuesday night at the Garden.

“McQuaid’s been good,” said Julien. “He’s done every test he has to go through right now with the biking and excursion and stuff, so things are going well. His headaches are non-existent, which we felt it was more of a neck injury that was causing that and it seems to be going that way. We’re treating it as a concussion because it’s the safest route to take.”

He suffered the injury in the first period last Wednesday when he went crashing head first into the boards. He did not play in Chicago on Saturday, but was in the locker room during the game and riding the stationary bike. He also skated on his on his own on Sunday at Ristuccia and “felt great again” according to Julien.

“Right now everything looks good,” said the coach. “It’s certainly good news. When you see those types of injuries around the league you want to try to minimize them, so it’s good to see him back this early.”

McQuaid showed no ill effects during Monday’s practice.

“It feels good to be back out there skating again,” he said afterwards. “We’ll see how things go the rest of the day and tomorrow. I felt pretty good today.”

Bruins general manager discussed the signing of Adam McQuaid. Among the highlights:

-- Chiarelli: "Adam has been a bit of a poster child for our development. He came into our organization, he worked hard at his craft, at the American [Hockey] League level, and improved every year. He's found his way into the lineup and now is a real solid contributor, with his size, his toughness, his range, and we continue to see him improve, and he's still at a young age.

"We felt fortunate to be able to lock him up for the foreseeable future. He's a very competitive player and a competitive person. Although sometimes he comes across as quiet, we know that there's an inner drive to this player and we've seen it in the playoffs. We've seen the way he competes, the way he closes off his checks, and we're very excited as an organization to have him in the mix for the foreseeable future."

McQuaid: "Really, to be honest with you there was no hesitation at all. It's where I want to be, it's where I want to be for a long time, and to be able to do something that could put me in that position was really a no-brainer for me."

Marchand update?
Asked for an updated on the Marchand discussions, Chiarelli said flatly, "I'm just not going to comment every time I go to the media. There's been discussions, we feel there's been progress, and again that's where I'll leave it."

Click HERE for more

The Bruins announced Thursday that they signed defenseman Adam McQuaid to a three-year contract extension through the 2014-15 season. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

McQuaid appeared in 67 games this season for the Bruins, sccoring three goals and adding 12 assists. He finished the regular season second on the Bruins at +30. He also had 96 penalty minutes and was second on the team with 12 fighting majors.

McQuaid was originally drafted in the second round by Columbus in the 2005 draft. He was acquired by the Bruins in 2007 for a fifth-round pick in the 2007 draft.

The Bruins also signed forward Craig Cunningham to an entry level contract and defenseman Zach McKelvie to a one-year contract.

BOSTON -- The Bruins held their first optional skate after clinching the Eastern Conference title and earning the first Stanley Cup finals berth for the organization since 1990. Following the skate, winger Milan Lucic -- who will be returning home to his native Vancouver for the Cup finals -- had a media scrum in stitches describing how he and Johnny Boychuk received a standing ovation at Pizzeria Regina in the North End on Saturday night.

As Lucic spun his tale, defenseman Adam McQuaid said that he and his teammates are ready to move on to the next step in their quest for the Cup.

“We’re very excited and this opportunity doesn’t come around too often,” the rookie said. “There’s guys that play for years and years that don’t get this opportunity, so you certainly want to enjoy it. But you want to make the most of it.”

To that end, McQuaid says the Bruins realize they must keep the "game-by-game" mantra that has gotten them to this point and not get too high or too low as the series approaches.

“The intensity will increase but you have to harness your emotions,” McQuaid said. “We’re still playing hockey. You have to make the same plays and try to play with poise and confidence.”

Nathan Horton has become “Mr. Clutch” for the Bruins, scoring three game-winners -- including two series-clinching goals -- and eight goals overall in the first 18 postseason games of his career. But even Horton admitted that it was difficult initially to contain the excitement that comes with the Stanley Cup playoffs, and now that he's past that, it will help when the excitement level is at its peak in the finals.

“First couple of games, I was a little bit nervous trying to do too much,” Horton acknowledged. “But I think after playing in the first round in Game 7 and going through it with my teammates and really understanding how the playoffs work, I think I’ve learned to calm down. Everyone says that when you’re a veteran in the playoffs, you learn how to deal with the situations. So far so good. We’ve had opportunities that have been tough, but we stuck with it and in the end that’s all that matters.”

Coach Claude Julien has been impressed with the way the players have handled the spotlight and excitement.

“I think they’re obviously handling it very well,” Julien said. “We’re obviously excited to be here. This is a position that we’ve wanted to be in since the beginning of the year.

"Having said that, I think we’re also aware of what has to be done to make it even better, and we’re really doing a good job of staying focused and doing the things that we have to do here to prepare.

“It was important for us to enjoy the moment. If you’re going to remember those kind of things, you have to enjoy the moment. And for me, it took me a long time to get to sleep that night, certainly for the right reason, not the wrong one. But the next day was back to work thinking about what you had to do here. We had already started doing our preparation for the Vancouver team and today was just one step in that direction.”

Boston -- The Bruins held their first game day skate of the Eastern Conference finals Saturday morning at TD Garden and the players were thrilled to finally be getting back into their game day routines. The Bruins haven’t played a game since sweeping the Flyers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals May 6. It’s been quite the wait but their series with Tampa Bay, for the right to play for the Stanley Cup is here, and head coach Claude Julien and his players couldn’t be happier.

“I think it’s the same way for everybody. Aren’t you guys excited,” a smiling Julien asked the assembled media after the skate. “So it’s pretty well the same. I think that players, when they get to this stage are excited to play. A rest is always a good thing, but at the same time I think we all enjoy the rhythm that we get into when we are in the playoffs and to be able to start that again tonight s great for everybody. I know I am excited and I was up early without being forced out of bed. And I think the players were the same way.”

Defenseman Adam McQuaid -- who hasn’t played since spraining his neck in Game 2 of the Flyers series on May 2 -- will be back in the lineup and was happy to finally partake in a morning skate again and go home to take his game day nap.

“It’s great! I can’t wait to get that nap in because I was pretty anxious last night so I didn’t sleep well,” McQuaid said. “It’s just good to get back in the swing of things and start doing those things we always do on game days. And obviously I am excited to be back in the lineup.”

Forward Chris Kelly, who will be filling in for Patrice Bergeron (mild concussion) between Brad Marchand and Mark Recchi, is also excited to get things going.

“It was nice to get some rest and get some practice in but we love to play and that’s what we do,” Kelly said. “Enough practices, it’s time to play!”

Here’s what the forward lines and defense pairings should look like for the Bruins when they take to the ice for Game 1 tonight.

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton(
Brad Marchand-Chris Kelly-Mark Recchi(
Michael Ryder-Rich Peverley-Tyler Seguin(
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton

Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg(
Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk(
Tomas Kaberle-Adam McQuaid

Tim Thomas(
Tuukka Rask

BOSTON -- It’s obvious Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid is not 100 percent after suffering a neck strain in Game 2 of the conference semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers, but the blueliner is practicing with no restrictions and should be ready for Game 1 of the conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at TD Garden.

McQuaid missed Games 3 and 4 against the Flyers after he went head first into the boards in the waning minutes of the first period of Game 2 in Philadelphia. He’s been practicing in preparation for the next round, and he also knows how fortunate he is because his injury could have been a lot worse.

“I feel very fortunate,” he said. “The guys all stepped up and did a great job, and being able to close out the series and give us [injured players] a few more days [to rest] helps a lot, too.”

Because it was a neck injury, the Bruins’ medical staff was cautious with McQuaid.

“I did feel better today than I did yesterday,” he said. “I’m happy about that and hopefully I’ll keep progressing each day.”

WILMINGTON, Mass. -- Injured Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid (neck strain) should be able to return to game action and be ready to play at the start of the Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning later this week, coach Claude Julien said Sunday.

“McQuaid should be back for the start of the series. Things are looking really good for him,” Julien said.

McQuaid was injured in the waning minutes of the first period of Game 2 against the Flyers in Philadelphia when he slammed head-first into the boards. He was taken to the hospital and returned to Boston with the team later that night.

McQuaid began skating on his own last Thursday. In his absence, veteran defenseman Shane Hnidy was in the lineup.

BOSTON -- Injured Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid skated Friday morning for the first time since suffering a neck strain in Game 2 at Philadelphia.

McQuaid was injured in the waning minutes of the first period last Monday at Wells Fargo Center when he slammed head first into the boards. He was taken to the hospital and returned to Boston with the team later that night.

Coach Claude Julien said that McQuaid is progressing better than expected, but he will not be in the lineup for Game 4 Friday night at TD Garden.

BOSTON -- The Bruins received some good news Thursday morning that injured defenseman Adam McQuaid (neck strain) is progressing better than expected.

“Yeah, he’s definitely better,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien, following the team’s practice at TD Garden. “I know we’re still saying day-to-day, but there’s improvement. We’re getting very optimistic that things are going to happen quicker. We’re keeping our fingers crossed and he seems to be doing well and hopefully we’ll have some better news in the next few days.”

McQuaid was injured in the waning minutes of the first period in Game 2 Monday at Philadelphia when he slammed head first into the boards. He was taken to the hospital and returned to Boston with the team later that night.

He has not skated since the injury.