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BOSTON -- NHL preseason games are less than perfect.

Teams are trying to accomplish many things during training camp and exhibitions don’t always allow for ideal situations. That was the case Monday night as the Boston Bruins defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime before 17,006 at TD Garden.

As the preseason schedule dwindles -- Boston has two games remaining, both against the Winnipeg Jets, on Friday and Saturday -- Bruins coach Claude Julien is attempting to get a better look at the players battling for a roster spot, while prospects and veterans alike are trying to get their games in check for the regular season.

But the main goal during training camp is to come out of it healthy.

So when Bruins veteran Milan Lucic dropped the gloves with the Capitals’ Joel Rechlicz at 15:23 of the first period, you couldn’t help but think no good can happen in a preseason fight. But Julien understands fisticuffs are part of the game no matter where or when they occur.

“Hockey’s hockey,” Julien said. “You don’t necessarily like seeing that, but guys are used to playing the game a certain way and preseason is about fine-tuning yourself. It was what it was. I’ll tell you what, that guy had a steal jaw because he wasn’t going down and Looch kept throwing some pretty good punches. It was a fight for men and the people who enjoy that kind of hockey certainly got their money’s worth just in that one alone.”

It was a spirited bout between Lucic and Rechlicz. They exchanged haymakers and both stayed on their feet until complete exhaustion set in and the linesmen stepped in.

“I was hoping he was going to go down,” Lucic said. “A big, tough kid. It was a great fight and I’m sure you guys enjoyed it. It’s always nice to get into one because it’s been the offseason and not getting into a fight, so having one like that there’s no better way to get back into it.

“It’s a guy trying to do anything he can to get himself noticed,” Lucic added. “That’s his game. He brings that physical, intimidation type of style and sticking up for his teammates. We didn’t cross the line to get jumped, but at the end of the day, guys at this point are trying to do whatever they can to make the team.”

Lucic is not one to ever shy away from dropping the gloves, and even though it was a preseason game, he was happy to oblige.

“There are a lot of cons to fighting in the preseason. You don’t want to break a hand or get a concussion or anything like that fighting in the preseason,” Lucic said. “The pros are you’re showing, no matter what the situation is or what the game is, you’re going to stick up for yourself and your teammates. That’s what it was there and I basically didn’t have a choice. It was good to get into and it was a long time. I had to catch my breath after that one.”

One different aspect to fighting this season is the new helmet rule, which states if a player removes his helmet prior to a fight then he’s assessed an extra two-minute penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Problem is most players are wearing visors now, and players with 25 NHL games or fewer have no choice but to wear one.

Players are not thrilled with the new rule, but they understand what the league is trying to do.

“I don’t know,” Lucic said. “With the mandatory visors and not being able to take off your helmet, you’re going to see a lot of guys punching a lot more helmets and maybe guys breaking their hands a lot more just from hitting a helmet. It’s one of those rules the NHL felt like they needed to make and regardless of what I think of it, we still have to live with it.”

Players have learned to get creative.

During a first-period fight between the Bruins’ Kevan Miller and the Capitals’ Aaron Volpatti, the two attempted to remove the other’s helmet before dropping the gloves. They weren’t totally successful and were given the extra two minutes.

“It’s a tough rule and I guess you have to abide by it,” Julien said. “Players are always looking to get around those kinds of things. Obviously, it doesn’t look like it’s overly popular right now but they’ll have to get used to it. The league is trying to make this game safer. You’ve seen guys, you’ve seen some in preseason that have fallen and knocked their heads on the ice and it turns into concussions, or they split their heads open and that can be dangerous. It’s the league taking precautions to try to make the game safer and eventually guys will get used to it.”

Miller explained after the game the thought behind removing your opponent’s helmet.

“I’m not a guy who would advocate taking your helmet off because you can hurt yourself, but at the same time, in my case I had a visor on and the guy I was fighting didn’t have a visor on, so it’s kind of an unfair advantage,” he said. “I think in that case there has to be some kind of leeway or something has to change there because guys can break their hands on visors. You have to level the playing field somehow, and to be honest the only way to do that is to take each other’s helmets off. It’s kind of a respect thing.

“It’s a common understanding because I don’t know that guy. At the same time, I see him and he doesn’t have a visor on, he sees me and I have a visor on. I gave him the nod like, ‘Yeah, I’ll take mine off.’ It’s fair. Obviously, you don’t want to hurt guys and guys don’t want to hurt their hands.”

Many players, including Bruins veteran pugilist Shawn Thornton, have suggested making a removable visor. Miller admitted after the game he has a friend who works for Oakley and said a removable visor is on the drawing board.

In the meantime, players will attempt to use the loophole of removing the other’s helmet.

“They’re going to do something obviously,” Miller said. “It’s definitely a little bit of a loophole. I think there’s already been a few fights during preseason with guys doing that, but [the league] also understands why we’re doing it. They’ll sort it out.”

BOSTON -- Bruins coach Claude Julien was pleased that all players passed their physicals, including forwards Patrice Bergeron and Gregory Campbell. Both suffered severe injuries during the final two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs and three months later, they’re prepared for training camp. Julien said both players are cleared for practice, but if games were to start Thursday, they wouldn’t be ready.

"When it comes time to play those exhibition games, it'll be a conversation again with our trainers in making sure if they're going to play that there's not a risk factor," Julien said. “Right now, I would tell you that they would not be cleared to play a game if we started today, but that might change in the upcoming days or in a week from now.”

Bergeron suffered torn rib cartilage, a broken rib on his left side, a separated right shoulder and a punctured lung that ended up collapsing and forced him to spend three days in the hospital after the Bruins lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup finals last June.

Campbell broke his right fibula in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against Pittsburgh when he blocked a slap shot by the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin.

The Bruins have their first of seven exhibition games Monday at Montreal against the Canadiens.

• When the Bruins hit the ice for their first official practice Thursday morning at TD Garden, Julien will get his first look at what could be the team’s lineup when the season begins on Oct. 3. The Bruins’ top line of center David Krejci and left winger Milan Lucic will welcome new linemate Jarome Iginla. Second-line center Bergeron and left winger Brad Marchand will be working with new right wing Loui Eriksson.
  
  Julien admitted Wednesday he was pleased with the way forwards Daniel Paille and Chris Kelly meshed during the Stanley Cup finals, so it could be possible to see those two, along with a host of right-wing candidates, during training camp.
  
  “In the real perfect world, you’ve got your top two lines, and you’d like to see them score on a regular basis. Your third line should be able to give you some secondary scoring and then your third line should also be able to give you some secondary grit that the fourth line gives you,” Julien explained. “So they're kind of, to me, caught in the middle where they give you a little bit of both, and that is what we are looking for from that line. We need more than just two lines to score. We know our fourth line has given us that, but our third line needs to give us that as well, and, at the same time, defensively and on the gritty side of the game they got to be able to give us that, too.”
  
  That leaves the team’s energy line of Campbell and Shawn Thornton. If Paille makes the jump to the team’s third line, it will leave a spot open on the fourth line.
• Youth and depth will be a key factor for the Bruins during camp and into the season. GM Peter Chiarelli has made it known that in order for this team to win, it will need contributions from an influx of younger players. There are roster spots to be won on both the offensive and defensive ends of the ice. Julien reiterated that point on Wednesday, and his advice to the prospects was simple.
  
  “Take advantage of it,” he told them. “We’ve been clear, and it hasn’t just come from me. Peter is the one who has kind of came out and said, 'Listen, we’re going to bring some youth into our lineup, so if some guys want a spot on this hockey club, here is a good opportunity to do that right now.' And it’s open. I think we’ve got some guys on [Boston's AHL development team] Providence last year that deserve that look. We’ve got some guys who we got in some trades that are going to certainly be battling for those spots as well.”
  
  Forwards Anthony Camara, Craig Cunningham, Jordan Caron, Matt Fraser and Reilly Smith are all in the mix.
• With a few tweaks to their roster, the Bruins and coach Julien will focus on the team’s systems play during training camp. Julien believes the team can be a little “tighter” in that area.
  
  “Those are things we’re going to be working on and making sure that’s at the top of our list,” Julien said. “I thought that was one of the things that we could do better, and when we did it well, it gave us success but we didn’t do it on a consistent basis, so that’s one of the things we’re going to be tweaking. It’s a bunch of little things. It’s minor maybe to you guys, but to me, it’ll make some big difference in games, some of the things that we’re going to be working on.”
  
  Julien likes consistency and chemistry, so if he likes what he sees early in camp, then expect to see those lines and special-team units remain the same.
• Earlier this week, Julien said he believed his team was ready to make amends for the way last season ended with a Game 6 loss to the Blackhawks. When asked how long it would take in order to get a feel for his team’s motivation, Julien said he already knows.
  
  “I feel it right now,” he said. “I think our group is in the right place. I like the feeling of our hockey cub right now. These tests today just kind of solidified what I thought. Guys are in great shape, and it would have been easier for guys after finishing so late to just kind of shut it down for the summer, but they’ve kept themselves in great shape and they look excited to get off to a new start here.”
• With the disappointing ending to the 2012-13 season in the books, Julien and his players are looking forward to a fresh start. There are some new faces in the mix, and with the Stanley Cup-winning core from 2011 intact, this should be another successful season in Boston.
  
  “I think it's important every once and a while to get some fresh faces in and continue to create that excitement of being competitive and wanting to win every year,” Julien said. “Things can get stale after a while. That's a known fact. And I think what we've done right now is kept our core together; we got some great leaders, a great core group of guys, and we've added some quality people in there, too. But also we've left room for some guys to come in and win themselves a spot.”
  
  Now, it’s ice time as the first practice will be held Thursday at the Garden.

Now that NHL players are officially participating in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, the national federations can move forward with preparations. Hockey Canada announced the list of 47 players invited to a summer orientation camp Aug. 25-28 in Calgary. The camp begins the process of selecting the 23 players who will make the Olympic team.

Three Bruins have been invited: center Patrice Bergeron and wingers Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand.

Bergeron is the only Bruin with Olympic experience. He is among 15 invitees who helped Canada win gold in Vancouver in 2010. Lucic
participated in the Vancouver selection camp but was not chosen to play in the 2010 Games. He and Marchand, a newcomer to the senior team, will compete for spots this time around.

Veteran forward Jarome Iginla, who signed with the Bruins during free agency this summer, was not invited to camp. The full list of Canadian national team staff and player hopefuls can be found HERE.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

When Milan Lucic was signed to a three-year contract extension worth $18 million last September, many critics questioned the signing, wondering if that was too much money to give the then 24-year-old rugged winger.

Entering this season, Lucic was coming off consecutive 20-goal seasons (26 in 2011-12 and 30 in 2010-11). But both successful regular seasons were followed by inconsistent and frustrating playoff performances. Some wondered if he really deserved that pay raise after not performing when it counted most.

But after a 2013 regular season that resembled his past playoff outings, with just seven goals and 20 assists in 46 games, Lucic finally delivered in the postseason. In terms of production he was much more consistent, with seven goals and 19 points. But what was even more impressive was the leadership he showed and how his hard work inspired his teammates.

That was probably best exemplified when he played a major role in the Bruins' improbable comeback against the Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. He and his teammates erased a late 4-1 deficit to force overtime and then extend their season on Patrice Bergeron's overtime winner. Lucic had a goal and an assist in the comeback, cutting Toronto's lead to 4-3 with just 1:22 left in regulation before Bergeron tied it with 51 seconds left.

Last week Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli lauded the leadership Lucic showed in that game as the comeback started.

"I just go back to that Toronto game," Chiarelli said. "He passed it to [Nathan Horton and then he came behind the bench and the way he said it, delivered his message to the bench: 'There's one, boys. Got a couple more to go.' That, to me, that speaks to the leadership. I've been on the bench before with stuff like that said. I think it just raises the level. He was a man among boys that game. He had a real good playoff."

That level of play and that leadership never stopped until the final horn of Game 6 against the Blackhawks. Lucic nearly propelled his team to a Game 7 by giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead with 7:49 left in regulation. Although the Blackhawks erased that lead in 17 seconds and went on to win the Stanley Cup, Lucic's impact will not be forgotten by his teammates. Lucic may have had a slow start to the season and battled fatigue at times after not playing during the lockout, but he showed up when his teammates truly needed him.

"He didn't play during the lockout so it wasn't easy," linemate David Krejci said. "Almost all of us played so he kind of just jumped in the middle of a moving train. It was kind of tough but he got going pretty quickly. We had a good start as a line and then maybe it caught up to him a little bit that he wasn't playing. He was in a little bit of a slump. He stuck with it. He was still a great teammate. Then in the playoffs, he was one of our best players."

As he packed his gear up for the summer Wednesday, Lucic acknowledged that it wasn't just the lack of game action he had during the lockout but also the new contract he signed that was weighing on him.

"I think once I stopped thinking about it is when I started playing well this year," Lucic said. "I stopped worrying about living up to the expectation of the paycheck, and my game started being where it wanted to be. Obviously when you make as much as you do it's always going to weigh on you. But I think for myself what I learned the most was once I stopped thinking about that and once I stopped worrying about living up to some unrealistic expectation that I put on myself, and just focused on playing hockey that's when I was playing at my best."

That focus on hockey is reassuring to the critics and Bruins fans alike. More importantly, Lucic proved he can be a prime playoff player and leader with his size and skill set.

"It felt like you had something to prove, especially with what happened in the season and all that type of stuff," Lucic said. "You just try to get your game back, and try to have fun with it again. I saw it as an opportunity to get my game back to where I wanted it to be, and show that I am still able to be a big-game, big type of player. Thankfully I was able to peak and play my best at the right time, and hopefully I can carry that into next year."

CHICAGO -- Opponents have been unsuccessful in trying to contain the explosive offensive surge by the Boston Bruins' top line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

That is, until now.

The Chicago Blackhawks have limited that line to only nine points in the first four games of the Stanley Cup finals. Boston's top trio entered this series with a total of 51 points in the previous 16 games this postseason.

Only Lucic has scored in this series, with two goals in Game 1 and one in Game 4, while Krejci (three assists) and Horton (two assists) have yet to light the lamp against Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford.

With the best-of-seven series tied at 2-2 and Game 5 on Saturday at the United Center, Krejci understands his line needs to produce a little more.

"There's nothing to it," Krejci said. "Just play the game. It's not like we've sucked or something the last game. I feel like we just played so-so, and so-so is not good enough. We have to skate hard. We have to hit. We have to pay attention to little details. As far as our line goes, we have to take care of our defensive zone first and go from there."

While the Bruins have been receiving offense from the other lines, including the newly revamped third line of Daniel Paille, Chris Kelly and Tyler Seguin, Bruins coach Claude Julien is not concerned about the top unit.

"They've been pretty good throughout the whole playoffs," Julien said. "I certainly wouldn't be the guy to complain about their performance so far. They've been pretty good. But at one point you get to the finals and everybody wants to give a little bit more. I think they're no different. They're a line that's very proud of what they've accomplished in these playoffs so far and would like to finish on a good note. If we can get a little more from those guys, it would be a bonus."

Boston's second line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Seguin was the team's most consistent unit during the regular season, while Krejci's line dealt with too many inconsistencies. But once the puck dropped on the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Lucic-Krejci-Horton trio has been solid. Overall it has 60 points in 20 games.

"We have to be big. We have to be playing great," Krejci said. "We have to be playing the way we know how to play, but we also need the other lines to play our hockey. Obviously, the last game we gave up six goals, which is a lot for our team, and that's not how we want to play up-and-down hockey. We've got to play good Boston Bruins hockey and all four lines have to chip in and we've got to keep going."

The Blackhawks have been able to contain Boston's top line in this series.

"They've been playing us tight from Game 1," Lucic said. "They've been keeping a good gap, and as you can tell, they definitely try to take away your space in all areas, in all three zones. We definitely need to be better as a line and we've got to find a way to break through in whatever kind of adjustments that they've made.

"You definitely want to step your game up in order to help your team win," added Lucic. "You want to do whatever you can to contribute. As the series goes along, and every game gets bigger and bigger, and right now it being 2-2, it's come down to the best of three and there's a maximum of three games left in this year's hockey season; when you look at it like that, the focus has to be to put everything on the line because there's nothing left after a potential three games. You want to leave it all out there and hope you can bring your best in order to help your team win."

Ever since Horton aggravated a shoulder injury in Game 1 of this series, he's been limited to two assists after producing seven goals and 10 assists in the first 16 games of the playoffs. Still, he's a plus-23 and his teammates don't believe his injury is affecting his play too much.

"I think Horty's been playing OK," Krejci said. "We haven't been putting the puck in the net but he made a terrific play on the tying goal [in Game 4] when Johnny [Boychuk] shot it, so he's still doing his thing. I don't think we should talk about him; we should talk about us as a line. Each of us has to help each other a little more, and maybe the last couple of games we didn't look like the line that we would like to play in the finals. We know we can do it. We know we can do it against Chicago. We're ready to bounce back."

CHICAGO -- With word out that Peter and Bobby Farrelly will write and direct "Dumb and Dumber 2" as a sequel to their original hit comedy, it gained the attention of Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic.

Current Bruins president Cam Neely appeared in the first film as the character "Seabass," and there's talk that Lucic could play Seabass' son in the upcoming movie.

"We'll see," said a smiling Lucic during Bruins player availability Friday afternoon at the team hotel.

Lucic did say he's a big fan of the original movie.

"Of course, I think everyone has always been a big fan of that movie," he said. "It was just something that I was joking around about with Bobby Farrelly. If it happens, great. If it doesn't, that's great, too. I'm just happy to see a sequel's finally coming out."

In a recent interview with the NHL Network, Bobby Farrelly said he hopes Neely will also be available to play his character.

The Boston Bruins lost the fifth-longest game in Stanley Cup finals history 4-3 on an Andrew Shaw goal 12:08 into the third overtime of Game 1 and trail the Chicago Blackhawks 1-0 in the best-of-seven 2013 Stanley Cup finals. Here's my five takeaways from this marathon classic:

The Blackhawks aren't the Penguins: In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Pittsburgh Penguins appeared to try to send a message to Boston that they could play just as physical and veered away from their own game of speed and skill. The Bruins gladly obliged and schooled Pittsburgh on physical play, frustrating the Penguins beyond repair to the point that they never led in the series and scored just two goals in four games. Well, the Blackhawks are not the Penguins. While Chicago may have seemed to take a similar approach early on in this game, the Blackhawks quickly realized they were not going to beat Boston at its game and reverted to their own. The Blackhawks' game is speed and up-tempo hockey, striking fast and furious. That's exactly what they showed in the third period when they scored two unanswered goals to erase a 3-1 Bruins lead and force overtime. Another obvious trait of this Chicago squad is its resilience. Just as the Bruins have shown a no-quit attitude throughout the playoffs, this Blackhawks squad has as well and will not fade away as the Penguins seemed to do in the Eastern Conference finals.

Bruins let their guard down: For the most part throughout the playoffs, the Bruins have done an amazing job of protecting leads by not taking the foot off the pedal. But each time they took a two-goal lead in Game 1, they seemed to let up, allowing a Chicago goal about more than two minutes after they made it 2-0 and then allowing the Blackhawks to make it 3-2 just less than two minutes after Patrice Bergeron made it 3-1. Whether it was a false sense of comfort from their dominance of the Penguins or just not reading the feel of the game right, the Bruins appeared to sit back and then get a little too cute with the puck. A Torey Krug turnover led to the Dave Bolland goal that made it 3-2 Boston, and then an Andrew Ference turnover led to the game-tying goal by Johnny Oduya. These things happen, and to the Bruins' credit, they had seemingly erased the complacency that plagued them in the regular season and for much of the Toronto series. But it crept back into their game at the wrong time, and that is the reason they found themselves in the longest game of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs and now down 1-0 in the series.

Rask and Crawford put on a show: Rask was brilliant from start to finish in this one. As expected the Hawks came out flying, but Rask was there to stem their initial momentum, and once again the Bruins fed off his stellar play. When his team got into penalty trouble and played on their heels for much of the second period, Rask was there again to shut the door and hold Chicago to just one goal in the period. He gave up two goals in the third period, but there aren't many goalies who could have stopped those shots. In overtime he was dominant again, making 23 of his 59 saves. Meanwhile Crawford's performance was almost a tale of two games. The much-maligned goalie looked a bit awestruck at the magnitude of the Stanley Cup finals at first. The first Bruins goal wasn't necessarily his fault, but Rask was making saves on similar shots at the other end. As for the Bruins' second goal, Crawford definitely wants that one back. But as the game went on Crawford settled in. Patrice Bergeron beat him with a power-play goal 6:09 into the third period to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead, but right after that Crawford robbed Milan Lucic. It seemed to spark his team as they scored just less than a minute later and then tied the game on Johnny Oduya's goal 12 minutes into the final frame. Crawford's solid play continued in OT as he made 29 of his 51 saves in through the overtime periods.

Lucic in beast mode: Since he took over Game 7 in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, cutting the Leafs' lead to 3-2 and playing with that trademark snarl, Lucic has been in beast mode. He had gone seven games without a goal heading into Game 1, but he has been a constant physical presence and an inspiration to his teammates. The Bruins always say that when Lucic has his game going, the rest follow, and that was the case early on in this game. Lucic helped set a tempo, and if some of his teammates hadn't let up in the third period, the Bruins would've been sleeping in their hotel rooms by the time this game eventually ended. For much of his career, Lucic has been criticized for his stretches of futility, especially in the playoffs. But set to make $6 million in each of the next three seasons, Lucic is showing he will earn that money.

Mixed bag on special teams: Not surprisingly the Bruins' penalty kill was lights-out, killing off all three Blackhawks power plays, including a five-on-three in the second period. But while the Boston power play did connect in the third period on Bergeron's goal that made it 3-1, they didn't come through when it mattered most, wasting two gift-wrapped power plays. The Blackhawks were called for too many men on the ice at 12:08 of the first overtime and at 19:07 of the second extra frame, and the Bruins still couldn't register the winner. It wasn't necessarily surprising, considering the Bruins' power play has been their Achilles' heel for the past three seasons, but if ever there was a time that they needed to deliver on the man-advantage, it was on these two opportunities.

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings in five games with a 4-3 double-overtime win to clinch the Western Conference and advance to the 2013 Stanley Cup finals, in which they will face the Boston Bruins.

The Bruins will once again likely be underdogs against the Blackhawks in the finals. While the Bruins proved the naysayers wrong against a similarly high-powered offense in the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Blackhawks bring a more balanced game to the table. The Hawks are loaded with offensive skill, but they also have a great blue line. They carry many of the same traits as the Bruins, and that's why this promises to be one of the best series in recent memory as well as the first Original Six finals since 1979.

Here are three things the Bruins and their fans should expect from the team that had the best start in NHL history this season by earning a point in 24 straight games:

1. The Hawks can light you up and shut you down: The Blackhawks finished tops in goals against in the regular season and second in goals for. They've got skilled forwards like Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews and emerging power forward Bryan Bickell, who is tied with Sharp for second in playoff goals with eight, trailing only Bruins center David Krejci, who has nine. But much like the Bruins, these forwards start their offense with defense. Similarly to Bruins center and reigning Selke Award winner Patrice Bergeron, Hossa leads the way as the best two-way player on the roster. But the slight difference between the Bruins and the Blackhawks is that while the Bruins defense has become one of the better puck-moving groups in the playoffs, the Hawks defense has been doing that all season and is the best when it comes to transition. Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith lead the transition game, but Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson are right behind them in turning defense into offense while at the same time limiting chances in their own end. That's why Corey Crawford's 1.74 goals-against average is actually slightly better than Tuukka Rask's 1.75.

2. The Hawks bring finesse, grit and frustrating tactics: As witnessed in the first period of Saturday's Game 5, when they struck for two goals in 2:17, the Hawks can strike fast and furiously and possess plenty of skill and finesse. But they can also be physical. In addition to Bickell's prowess, they also have other bangers like Brandon Saad and Dave Bolland and bring a hard-hitting game every night. The Hawks have their own version of Brad Marchand in the pesky Andrew Shaw, who will be doing his best to agitate the Bruins' best players. It will be very interesting to see how Milan Lucic handles Shaw. The sometimes hot-tempered Lucic was successful in the way he dealt with Matt Cooke in the Eastern Conference finals by maintaining his physical presence but not crossing the line, and that will be key with Shaw.

3. Expect a chess match: The Blackhawks are well coached by Jack Adams Award candidate Joel Quenneville, who has a system in place that his players buy into and execute on the ice. Similarly to Bruins coach Claude Julien, Quenneville seems to have a pulse on his team and can adapt game to game, period to period and shift to shift, as evidenced by the way he handled his players' ice time in the overtime sessions in Game 5. Like Julien, Quenneville doesn't allow star power to take over in the dressing room and holds everyone equally accountable. Both of these teams play hard and play together. This series should be a classic.

BOSTON -- The Bruins will continue their drive for a second Stanley Cup in their last three seasons on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. One of the mains reasons that this current team is still playing is that the young core, specifically Milan Lucic, Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand, stepped up their level of play in the third period and overtime of that miraculous 5-4 come-from-behind win against the Maple Leafs. That continued in the next round against the Rangers.

Following that win over the Leafs, Lucic acknowledged that he and his teammates felt that if they had lost to the Leafs, there might have been changes made in the offseason.

“When you’re looking at the clock wind down with half a period left at 4-1 you start thinking to yourself, ‘Is this the end of this group here?’ Because it probably would have been if we didn’t win this game, but you’ve got to have bounces,” Lucic said following the game. “You’ve got to have luck. You’ve got to have everything go your way and that’s what happened there in the last 10 minutes of the third period.”

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli made it clear in the offseason that he believed in the young core of the Bruins and in their importance to the future of the franchise. In a span of a week last September, Chiarelli locked up Marchand (4-year, $18 million extension), Seguin (six-year, 34.5 million extension) and Lucic (three-year, $18 million extension).

But all three forwards have been up and down at times this season. Lucic was a healthy scratch for a game late in the regular season against the Penguins and struggled to find consistency for much of the season. While Seguin and Marchand had more success in the regular season, both of them struggled at times in the first round against Toronto. Seguin registered just one point in the entire seven-game series, but it was a big one, coming on Patrice Begeron’s game-winning goal in overtime.

As the season wound down, three NHL scouts even labeled the team’s youth and specifically those three players as a “complacent” in interviews with ESPNBoston.com. But it appears they learned their lesson in the Toronto series and are now focused on rewarding Chiarelli for his faith.

“I don’t think we played our absolute best against Toronto,” Marchand acknowledged after practice Friday. “You do sometimes get complacent when you’re in certain situations and maybe we thought that since we beat Toronto a lot over the last few years we’d roll through them. But they played extremely well and it could be them here now instead of us if they get the lucky bounce in overtime. I think we all realized what was at stake and we believed in each other as Peter believes in us and it’s paying off now.”

As Marchand pointed out, he and his teammates realized after that series just how lucky they are to be playing for a team like the Bruins, in the playoffs, let alone the conference finals. They want to show their gratitude by going even deeper, and not just this year, but consistently in the future.

“We’re very honored to be in this system. We know it’s a treat to be here and we know we have something very special with this group,” Marchand said. “It’s not every team or every season that many players have a shot to come in and realize they have a shot to be a contender and we have that here. The fact that he [Chiarelli] sees what our team can do and they believe in us that much means a lot. They haven’t changed it up a whole lot and they locked this core in. So yes we definitely feel an onus to live up to the expectations and make sure we deliver. None of us want to leave here; we all love it here and one way to make sure we remain together is to go very deep into the playoffs and that’s what we’re doing and want to keep doing.”

Seguin also alluded to that Game 7 as the wake-up call and expressed his appreciation for the faith Chiarelli has shown. The 21-year old forward loves the bond he and his teammates have with each other and wants it to continue through more playoff wins.

“It’s a great feeling just knowing that he [Chiarelli] has that trust and confidence in us,” Seguin said. “We’ve become such a tight group of guys here. I haven’t been on any other NHL team but guys that come in from other teams to play here say that we such a close team and it’s a lot of fun to play here. I think that’s a great feeling to have and that guys always fight for each other here. Look at Game 7 against Toronto and we were scared there that if we lose the game ‘what’s going to happen to this group?’ but we kept fighting for each other and came back.”

Seguin was asked if he felt that he has to elevate his game to show Chiarelli just how grateful he is?

“Yeah that’s why I scored a couple games later [after Game 7 against Toronto],” Seguin joked. “No, but I just think we have so much pride in this team and each other that that’s what makes us a tight group and a good hockey team.”

Chiarelli also hasn’t been shy in showing his trust in his coach either, as he inked Claude Julien to an extension last year and then following the Toronto series made it clear Julien’s job is safe as long as he is in charge.

"I feel strongly about our coach, and his job is safe," said Chiarelli following the Toronto series. "As long as I'm here, his job is safe.”

Julien returned the praise recently and credited Chiarelli’s managerial skills and faith in this team as a main reason they’re back in the Eastern Conference Finals.

“You know it becomes harder when you win. We won a couple years ago and he’s managed to keep the core and most of the players around,” Julien pointed out. “He’s done a great job. I’ve said it all along, to have an opportunity to coach a team that’s deep because of the players he’s provided us with, that’s a credit to him and his group. The coach is as good as the people that surround him; that means the assistant coaches, but also means the players, and obviously management. That’s always been the case; it’s not something that’s new.”

The Boston Bruins narrowly escaped a first-round upset loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Bruins almost blew a 3-1 series lead, but they were able to rally back from a 4-1 third-period deficit and cap a historic comeback by beating Toronto in overtime to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

But if the Bruins decide to rest on their laurels the way they have so many times this season, then this could be a quick series. The New York Rangers are a much more formidable, stronger team than the Maple Leafs. These Rangers finally seem to be fulfilling their potential. Here's the scouting report:

Records

Bruins: 4-3 in playoffs. 28-14-6, 62 points, fourth in Eastern Conference, second in Northeast Division in regular season.

Rangers: 4-3 in playoffs. 26-18-4, 56 points, sixth in Eastern Conference, second in Atlantic Division in regular season.

Head-to-head: The Rangers won the season series 2-1-0. After the Bruins took the season opener against the Rangers at TD Garden with a 3-1 victory, the Rangers took the teams' next two matchups at Madison Square Garden, winning 4-3 in overtime and 4-3 in a shootout.

Forwards

Bruins: The Bruins have scored 17 goals in the playoffs thus far. David Krejci leads the way with five lamplighters and eight assists in seven games. Krejci and linemates Milan Lucic (two goals, seven assists) and Nathan Horton (four goals, three assists) have been sparking the Bruins' offense. Other than Patrice Bergeron, who came alive with two goals and an assist in the epic Game 7 win over the Maple Leafs, the Bruins have not had the scoring balance they will need against the stingy Rangers and goalie Henrik Lundqvist. If the depth up front doesn't come through in this series, the Bruins will have a hard time winning. All a very solid Rangers defense will need to do is shut down the Lucic-Krejci-Horton line and the Bruins will be in trouble. That is why the rest of the forwards, specifically Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand, must step up.

Rangers: The Rangers are similar to the Bruins in that they play a heavy game. Boston GM Peter Chiarelli noted that the Rangers are missing a scoring dynamic with the loss of Marian Gaborik. But the Rangers' sum of parts adds up to a gritty team, like the Bruins. Still, while it's great that Derek Brassard, who came over from Columbus in the Gaborik trade, has nine points in the playoffs, the Rangers will also need their scorers to step up. That hasn't happened yet as Rick Nash has no goals and just two assists and Brad Richards has one goal.

Edge: Even. Right now, both teams need more balance up front. The Bruins and Rangers need more of their usual goal scorers to find the net and could also use more contributions from depth players.

Defense

Bruins: When healthy and playing to their potential, they Bruins' defensemen can be one of the most well-rounded blue-line groups in the NHL. They were not playing to their potential when healthy against the Maple Leafs, and now they are not healthy. Boston will likely start this series without Wade Redden, Andrew Ference and possibly Dennis Seidenberg, who has become a premier minutes-eater and shutdown defenseman. It appears the Bruins will need to depend on their youth in Matt Bartkowski, Dougie Hamilton and Torey Krug. If all three play, that would mean that half of the Bruins' six defensemen to start this series would be rookies. But besides their youth, all three rookies will not bring the physical prowess that Seidenberg and Ference can bring and maybe not the calmness that Redden brings. Their inexperience could make it very difficult to match up against the big and gritty Rangers forwards. The B's three young defensemen can bring offense and help the power play, but can they take the physical toll the Rangers will put on them? Will captain Zdeno Chara wear down from logging all the extra minutes in the absence of Seidenberg and Ference?

Rangers: While the Bruins might gain some offensive punch from their rookie trio of Bartkowski, Krug and Hamilton, don't expect too much offense from the Rangers' blue line. The Rangers don't have many offensive-minded defensemen. But they get the job done in their own end by utilizing shot-blocking, size and toughness. Players like Ryan McDonagh and Michael Del Zotto can bring the noise when it comes to hitting and making opposing forwards pay. In what should be a stingy series, that will make it difficult for Bruins forwards to create space and scoring chances.

Edge: Rangers, because of their size, shot-blocking and overall grit.

Goalies

Bruins: Tuukka Rask is 4-3 with a 2.49 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in the playoffs thus far, but those stats would be much better if he had had a team in front of him that was playing better team defense. Rask was solid in every game against the Maple Leafs and on more than one occasion bailed his team out or at least gave the team a chance to win. As this second round begins, Rask is the least of the Bruins' worries and the one factor they know they can count on.

Rangers: Lundqvist is once again King, and as former Ranger Jaromir Jagr said on Wednesday, “As Hank goes, the Rangers go.” Right now Lundqvist is going, as he is 4-3 with a 1.65 goals-against average and .947 save percentage in the playoffs. Lundqvist was a major factor as the Rangers recovered from a 2-0 series deficit against the Capitals, and he will be difficult to beat for the Bruins.

Edge: Rangers. This by no means is a knock on Rask, but at this point, Rask is not quite the elite goalie that Lundqvist is.

Power Play

Bruins: The Bruins are 3-for-20 on the power play thus far in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but while they surely would like some more goals, there have been signs that the power play is improving. They are moving the puck better overall and, with the exception of Game 7, appear to be looking for the right play rather than the pretty play.

Rangers: The Rangers' power play is actually worse than the Bruins' power play, as New York has gone 2-for-28 in the playoffs. The Rangers' big guns, such as Nash and Richards, aren't getting the job done.

Edge: Even. This series will be won 5-on-5.

Penalty Kill

Bruins: The Bruins have allowed five goals on 21 power-play attempts against them in the playoffs. Their penalty kill has not been the amazing, shutdown crew it was for three-quarters of the regular season, but this is not an area of concern for Boston. Against a woeful Rangers power play, it shouldn't be an issue.

Rangers: The Rangers have been even better than the Bruins on the penalty kill, allowing just three goals on 16 attempts in the playoffs. Like the Bruins, the Rangers' PK is a pesky and opportunistic group and should make it difficult for the Bruins to get their power play on the scoreboard.

Edge: Even. Again, don't expect special teams to play a major role in this series.

Coaching

Bruins: Claude Julien was under heavy scrutiny as many (including this scribe) believed his job was in jeopardy heading into Game 7 with the Maple Leafs. But the Bruins became the first team to rally from a three-goal, third-period deficit in a Game 7, and Julien has lived to see another day. His job security shouldn't even have been an issue in the first place, as he has already proven himself by winning a Cup and dealing the best he could with an underachieving roster. He was a major reason the Bruins came back to win in Game 7 and he will be a major reason the Bruins advance if they're able to beat the Rangers.

Rangers: John Tortorella is one of the most boisterous and controversial coaches in the NHL. But he has won a Stanley Cup, and regardless of whether or not his players like him, they play for him. Tortorella helped his team weather an up-and-down season after being a popular preseason pick for the Stanley Cup. If the Rangers do fulfill those predictions, he would be a major reason why.

Edge: Even. Two great coaches should make for a strategic series between the Bruins and Rangers.

Prediction

Rangers in 6: The Rangers were heavy preseason favorites to be the 2013 Stanley Cup champions but until recently haven't shown signs that they could be. Much like the Bruins, the Rangers have some underachievers and haven't consistently played their game. But the playoffs can bring out the best in teams, and that is going to happen for one team here. The bet is that with a banged-up defense, even if the best comes out in the Bruins, they won't be able to handle the Rangers' best.

BOSTON -- During the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs, it was deemed taboo by veteran forward Shawn Thornton to discuss the Bruins' collapse in the 2010 Eastern Conference quarterfinals. They blew a 3-0 series lead and a 3-0 lead in Game 7 as the Philadelphia Flyers became just the third team in NHL history to win a series after losing the first three games.

The Bruins went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2011. On the way, they once again found themselves up 3-0 on the Flyers in the second round, but they sealed the deal in Game 4 to sweep Philadelphia, essentially erasing the demons from the previous season.

The Bruins have struggled to close out other playoff series since then, including Friday's 2-1 loss to the Maple Leafs in Game 5. But as the Bruins prepared to head back to Toronto for Sunday's Game 6, they appeared to know they are in a much better place than they were in 2010. That bad experience and others since then have helped the core of this team understand how to compartmentalize each game and move on, without letting doubt creep in.

"It's OK to talk about it. We won the year after, so it's OK," Bruins winger Milan Lucic said Saturday with a laugh when asked about the epic collapse to the Flyers. "It's a part of the learning process as a player, as a person and as a team. Not take anything for granted and once again you look at the situation yesterday and it's almost like we did take it for granted. But thankfully we're still up in the series, and you go back to how we played in the year after against Philadelphia and how we had that opportunity to close them out and we made no mistakes again and closed them out."

Lucic doesn't see anything similar now to what he and his teammates were experiencing as that 2010 series slipped away. Instead, he sees a team that knows exactly what it did wrong and what must be done to correct matters in Game 6.

"That year in 2010 was almost like a snowball effect," Lucic said. "They won in overtime, and then they came in here and won 4-0. It just kept getting bigger and bigger, and we couldn't stop it.

"But I think in this case, especially the way [Friday's] game ended and the way we played in the third period, we realize that we didn't have the best start. We kind of waited to see what they were going to do and then kind of playing like a deer caught in the headlights. Like I said, if we can come out like we did at the end of last game, we're giving ourselves a chance to win."

Thornton felt the same way and hasn't sensed any nervousness.

"I haven't heard any doubt here," Thornton said. "I think we're a pretty confident group in here. We should be at least because we're up 3-2, we're a good team, and we just have to figure out a way to win one more game."

But as coach Claude Julien said after practice Saturday, it's now about putting words into action and playing the way the Bruins know they can.

"The one thing, like I said, that has been a challenge for us in the past has been closing out series," Julien said. "And we know that; we're aware of that. But at the same time, the strength of our team has also been to bounce back from adversity and situations like that. As much as yesterday was proof of it, hopefully tomorrow's the proof of the other side that we are capable of bouncing back and playing the type of game we need to close the series off."

BOSTON -- When players are sporting black eyes and stitch marks all over their faces, it's a sure sign of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Both the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs suffered some injuries during Boston's 4-3 overtime win in Game 4 Wednesday night at Air Canada Centre. The Bruins will be without veteran defenseman Wade Redden for Game 5 tonight due to an undisclosed injury. He's listed as day-to-day. Bruins forwards Milan Lucic and Chris Kelly both suffered facial lacerations during Game 4 but will play tonight.

Lucic was hit in the face by a redirected puck in the closing seconds of the first period Wednesday, when the Bruins were on a power play. He dropped to the ice and was bleeding as the buzzer sounded to end the period. He then got to his feet and slowly skated off the ice with team trainer Don Del Negro waiting for him at the bench. Fortunately for the Bruins, he returned for the start of the second period and quickly assisted on Patrice Bergeron's power-play goal at 32 seconds.

After Friday's morning skate at TD Garden, Lucic's right eye was swollen and slightly closed. He was sporting nine stitches above his eye, but said there are no vision issues.

"I've been icing it the last few days, but I probably have the worst eyesight on the team and I'm squinting all the time [without the injury], so it shouldn't be a problem.

"I feel good," added Lucic. "I'm looking forward to tonight. Obviously I've got a little bit of a shiner on my right eye, but looking forward to tonight and there's a lot on the line for both teams. After last game, we expect them to come out hard and bring their best because we know what they're playing for and we need to come out with the same approach as the Leafs are."

Kelly was injured when he took a nasty high stick to the face from the Maple Leafs' Nazem Kadri only 58 seconds into the third period. Kelly was cut on the play and skated directly to the dressing, and Kadri was handed a double-minor. Kelly received "nine or 10" stitches on his right cheek, but he's fine.

"Just a little swollen, just a cut, it's fine," Kelly said after Friday's skate. "It was bleeding and the refs knew it was bleeding, so there's no need for me to lay on the ice; skate off and get it done quickly."

The Maple Leafs will be without defenseman Mark Fraser, who had surgery on Thursday to repair a broken bone after being hit in the forehead with a puck shot by Lucic midway through the third period in Game 4.

"He's back home resting comfortably," said Toronto coach Randy Carlyle on Friday morning. "It is tough when you lose players, and lose players to that type of injury."

TORONTO -- The Bruins and Milan Lucic had a scary moment in the closing seconds of the first period of Wednesday night's Game 4.

The Bruins were on the power play when Lucic was hit in the face by a redirected puck. He dropped to the ice and was bleeding as the buzzer sounded to end the period. He got to his feet and slowly skated off the ice with team trainer Don Del Negro waiting for him at the bench.

Lucic returned for the start of the second period and assisted on Bergeron's power-play goal at 32 seconds.

After Boston's 4-3 overtime win, Lucic was sporting nine stitches above his right eye.

"Thankfully it hit me on the eyebrow and wasn't lower," he said. "I kind of felt like I got kicked in the head there when the puck hit me."

Lucic was on the other end of another scary moment halfway through the third period. Lucic unloaded a slap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that hit the Leafs' Mark Fraser in the forehead. The Toronto defenseman dropped to the ice and left a pool of blood. He was able to skate off the ice with the help of a trainer, but did not return.

"I saw him get escorted out of the arena and it wasn't an eye injury for him and that's good to see that he didn't receive an eye injury and he was up and walking on his own," Lucic said. "It's a part of the game. We have the choice of wearing visors or not, but luckily for us not more damage happened than what could have happened."

TORONTO -- The Boston Bruins erased an early two-goal deficit and finished with a 4-3 overtime win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals Wednesday night at Air Canada Centre.

The Bruins' David Krejci scored the winning goal at 13:06 of OT to complete a hat trick and give Boston a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 is Friday night at TD Garden.

Krejci continues to be an offensive force with his three goals, including a power-play tally, while Patrice Bergeron also added a goal on the man-advantage.

The Maple Leafs had goals from Joffrey Lupul, Cody Franson and Clarke MacArthur.

Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 45 saves, while Toronto netminder James Reimer finished with 41.

After the Maple Leafs held their morning skate to prepare for Game 4, numerous Toronto players were talking about the importance of getting the first goal against the Bruins. Well, the Maple Leafs capitalized at the 2:35 mark of the first period to gain a 1-0 lead. Toronto's Phil Kessel threaded a pass to Lupul out front and he pumped it in for his third goal of the series.

The Bruins outshot the Maple Leafs 15-8 in the first period, but in the waning minutes Toronto took a two-goal lead when Franson's easy wrister from the right point beat a screened Rask for a 2-0 advantage.

The Maple Leafs blocked 13 shots in the first period, while Boston blocked two.

The Bruins stormed back in the second period and it didn't take them long to mount the comeback. Only 32 seconds into the period, Bergeron scored a power-play goal to cut Boston's deficit. The Bruins tied the game 2-2 when Krejci scored his first. He crashed the net and knocked home a Brad Marchand shot at 12:59 for his third goal of the series.

He wasn't done.

At 16:39, with the Maple Leafs' Colton Orr in the box for elbowing, Krejci scored a power-play goal to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead. His wrist shot from the left faceoff circle beat Reimer to the top left corner.

Boston's lead didn't last for long, however, as MacArthur scored at 17:23 to tie the game 3-3. The Maple Leafs had a 5-on-3 situation for 52 seconds at the end of the second period and to start the third. Boston stifled the attack and killed off the pair of penalties to keep the game tied at three.

The Bruins had a golden opportunity with a four-minute power play early in the third period, but could not capitalize. There was plenty of back-and-forth action in the third and the Bruins created numerous quality scoring chances, but couldn't convert. The Bruins' Nathan Horton had three of those chances.

In overtime, Krejci notched his fifth goal of this series to give the Bruins the win.

SCARY MOMENT: In the closing seconds of the first period, the Bruins were on the power play when forward Milan Lucic was hit in the face by a redirected puck. He dropped to the ice and was bleeding as the buzzer sounded to end the period. He got to his feet and slowly skated off the ice with team trainer Don Del Negro waiting for him at the bench. Lucic returned for the start of the second period and assisted on Bergeron's power-play goal at 32 seconds.

ANOTHER SCARY MOMENT: Nearly to the midway point of the third period, Lucic unloaded a slap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that hit the Leafs' Mark Fraser in the forehead. The Toronto defenseman dropped to the ice and left a pool of blood. He was able to skate off the ice with the help of a trainer, but did not return.

INJURED: Early in the second period, Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk injured what appeared to be his left leg during a scramble in front of Rask. Boychuk skated gingerly to the bench, but came back for his next shift. It didn't last long as he returned to the bench in obvious pain and went to the dressing room. He returned to the ice two minutes later and finished the game.

Bruins forward Chris Kelly also was injured when he took a nasty high stick to the face by the Maple Leafs' Nazem Kadri 58 seconds into the third period. Kelly was cut on the play and skated directly to the dressing room and Kadri was handed a double-minor. The Bruins could not capitalize on the four-minute power play. Kelly returned and finished the game.

LINE TWEAK: Coach Claude Julien tweaked his lineup a bit in the second period by flip-flopping Shawn Thornton and Jaromir Jagr. Thornton played on the wing along with Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley. Jagr was lined with Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille.

SCRATCHES: As expected, Julien kept the same lineup for Game 4. The healthy scratches for Boston were defensemen Dougie Hamilton and Aaron Johnson, along with forwards Kaspars Daugavins, Carl Soderberg and Jay Pandolfo.

UP NEXT: The series continues Friday with Game 5 at TD Garden with the Bruins having an opportunity to end it on home ice.

BOSTON -- The Bruins managed to silence their late-season critics with a convincing 4-1 win over the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Now, if they can avoid the inconsistency that plagued them in April and seize the momentum, they should be able to take this series.

A big part of the responsibility lies with the top line, which stepped up on Wednesday night.

Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton provided exactly what the team needed Wednesday night and combined for six points, including Horton’s game-winning goal at 19:48 of the first period. Overall, Krejci had a goal and two assists, Horton had one goal and Lucic added two assists.

“They’re a great part of our team and when they’re on their game like that we all feed off of it," said Bruins assistant captain Patrice Bergeron. "Last night they were obviously very good for us.

“I wasn’t even worried about it. You could tell also in the last few [regular-season] games Looch was really getting into his game and his groove. [Krejci] has been good all year, so it was great to see them play like that.”

With Horton back in the lineup after missing the last five regular-season games with an upper-body injury, the chemistry returned when the Bruins needed it most. He was forechecking, cycling the puck well and strong in front of the net, which produced his goal when he redirected a shot by defenseman Wade Redden and past Toronto goalie James Reimer for a power-play tally in the closing seconds of the first period.

Let’s face it, the Bruins’ top line wasn’t at its best for the majority of the season, but this threesome proved crucial in Game 1.

Horton’s goal was his ninth career playoff goal and his first since the 2011 Stanley Cup finals. He was absent from the playoffs in 2012 after suffering a season-ending concussion. This spring, he’s healthy and it showed in Game 1.

“He’s stepped up and scored some big goals and he’s been a big part of this hockey team since he’s been here and I even said it, it was a big loss not having him a part of our group last year heading into the playoffs and it’s good to see him healthy again and helping us win,” Lucic said.

Krejci has always performed on the big stage. His three total points on Wednesday matched his totals from the final 13 games of the regular season. He now has five career postseason games with three or more points.

If the Bruins enjoy a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs, at this pace Krejci could challenge his 23-point total (12 goals and 11 assists) during the 2011 playoffs.

"I’m just trying to go out there, do my best and help the team to win games,” he said. “As a line, I think we did a good job. We put the puck in the net. But in the playoffs, there’s always somebody new to be a hero, so [Wednesday] I feel like we had a good game, but if we want to make a good run, we know that we’re going to need all four lines.”

Krejci’s humble attitude does not go unnoticed by his teammates. He can also be cocky in the most professional way possible, and that’s why he’s able to perform at such a high level in the playoffs.

“David, I think he’s really underrated,” said Bruins forward Daniel Paille. “He’s a skilled player, but he can play with some grit and that’s what I love about him, the way he steps up for us that way. They stepped up huge for us and continue to dominate like they did. When they play strong that way, they’re a tough line to stop and it’s really fun to watch them.”

When Lucic plays mean and with passion, the results are usually positive for the Bruins. When he’s at his best, the team feeds off his energy and it normally equals success. It’s worked that way in the past, and it did again in Game 1.

Of course, there’s plenty of hockey remaining, so he and his teammates will need to maintain that level of play.

“It’s a part of my game. It’s the way I have to play and like I said, we just got to keep it going,” Lucic said.

The Bruins did not practice Thursday, as players were given the day off to rest or receive treatment. They’ll be back on the practice ice Friday morning at Ristuccia Arena to prepare for Game 2 Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at TD Garden.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs practiced at Boston University on Thursday and will look to even this series before it shifts to the Air Canada Centre for Games 3 and 4 next Monday and Wednesday.

Boston will try to build on its performance from Game 1, one that the Bruins have been trying to find all season.

“Playoffs are so different than in-season,” Krejci said. “You’re trying to build something, and I feel like we built something in the first game. We have to carry it on into the second, but we know that Toronto is going to be even better on Saturday, so we have to bring our ‘A’ game again.”

If the Bruins’ top line can match its performance from Game 1, that shouldn’t be a problem.

“It was the first time in a long time where we really pushed the pace and you can see in the first period that we wanted to come out with a better outcome than being down 1-0 or just being tied 1-1 and we were pushing and pushing and pushing,” Lucic said. “So, we’re just focused on what we need to do to be successful and it was great that everyone was able to step up and contribute, but it’s only one game and there’s a long, long road ahead and I know with a great coach like they have they’re going to make certain adjustments and come out even harder in Game 2.”