ESPN

Earlier this summer, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli told the media that he had informed unrestricted free agent forward Steve Begin and his agent that the team "was going in a different direction" in order to give younger players a chance to make the team. But according to the 32-year old Begin, the Bruins are still interested in bringing him back for another season in Black and Gold. Begin told the French-Canadian sports station RDS that there is interest from the Bruins still but that the team's salary cap issues have prevented them from making an offer. According to Capgeek.com, the Bruins are currently $3.087 million over the $59.4 salary cap.

"They [the Bruins] still want to sign me but they have some cap issues,” Begin told RDS. “They are trying to make some changes but the market is quiet right now"

After spending the last four seasons with the rival Canadiens, Begin signed a one-year contract with Boston last summer. The pesky forward had five goals and nine assists with 53 penalty minutes in 77 games in 2009-10.

When asked if he would consider returning to Montreal to play for the Habs, Begin replied: "I would like to return to Boston, it would be my first choice. But I want to play, and I'll be happy wherever."

BOSTON -- The Bruins’ anemic power-play unit (0 for its last 19) just got a huge boost from its sibling.

Boston’s penalty-killing unit has scored three shorthanded goals -- all on the same penalty -- against the Carolina Hurricanes this afternoon.

With Bruins defenseman Matt Hunwick in the box to start the second period, Boston’s Daniel Paille, Blake Wheeler and Steve Begin all netted shorthanded goals in a span of 1:04.

Boston entered the game with only three SHG all season. The Bruins last scored a pair of shorthanded goals on an opponent's power play on Jan. 9, 1985 against Toronto.

BOSTON -- Bruins forward Vladimir Sobotka will not be in the lineup against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight due to a neck injury he suffered on Tuesday in Atlanta. To take his place, the Bruins have recalled Trent Whitfield from the Providence Bruins.

“There’s never timetable for injuries like Vlady’s, but he is better today,” coach Claude Julien said today. “Hopefully we’ll know more about his situation by tomorrow.”

Julien said it’s not a concussion, and that Sobotka is taking steps in the right direction. But between periods of the Lightning game, Sobotka told ESPNBoston.com that he did suffer a concussion on the hit. He said it’s not serious and hopes to be back in the lineup soon.

Sobotka was slammed into the board by the Thrashers’ Evgeny Artyukhin in the early minutes of the first period on Tuesday and did not return. Sobotka was evaluated in Boston on Wednesday.

This is the fourth time this season Whitfield has been recalled from the P-Bruins. The 32-year-old forward has played 14 games for the Bruins this season.

“It’s good to get an opportunity,” said Whitfield. “You always want to stay up here as long as you can, but that’s the way it goes. Unfortunately [for the Bruins] there have been a lot injuries, but fortunately for me I’ve had an opportunity to come up here and show them I can play at this level. They feel confident to bring me in this time of year to keep the ship going.”

He’s played 52 games in Providence this year with 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points.

“Whit is a guy who can make plays and he’s hard worker,” said Julien.

During the morning skate, Whitfield was on a line with Milan Lucic and Miroslav Satan. After Sobotka was injured, Julien inserted Steve Begin on that line and the coach said this morning he’ll make a game-time decision for that line.

It took Sobotka a moment to get to his feet and he was able to skate to the bench on his own after the hit. He was clearly shaken up on the play. Sobotka is generously listed at 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds, while Artyukhin is 6-foot-4, 255-pounds.

“He’s pretty durable and he plays hard, but that’s a pretty big boy he ran into,” said Whitfield. “It’s unfortunate for him, but it’s another opportunity for me to come in here and contribute.”

BOSTON -- Forwards Marco Sturm and Steve Begin will return to the Bruins' lineup from their respective injury absences Saturday night against Los Angeles at TD Garden.

Shawn Thornton and Vladimir Sobotka will be the healthy scratches.

Based on warm-ups, Sturm will skate on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi, while Begin will center Byron Bitz and Daniel Paille.

Defenseman Adam McQuaid will also be an healthy scratch.

As expected, Boston Bruins center Marc Savard will return to the lineup tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, the Boston Globe reported Friday afternoon.

Savard, who has nine goals and 13 assists in 28 games this season, has not played since Jan. 7 with a slight MCL sprain in his knee. The free-falling Bruins, losers of their last five, hope he can give their offense a jumpstart.

While Savard will be in the ice, two other Bruins who are making their way back from injury -- Marco Sturm (leg injury) and Steve Begin (undisclosed injury) -- will not suit up for the Black and Gold in Buffalo, the Globe reported.

Multiple reports indicated Tuukka Rask was the first goalie off the ice at the Bruins' workout Friday morning, so he'll likely get the start in net for Boston, which is coming off a four-day layoff and sits 11th in the Eastern Conference standings (though is only one point out of a tie for the seventh spot).

WILMINGTON, Mass. -- Winger Marco Sturm made an unplanned exit from Bruins practice Wednesday at Ristuccia Arena after about 45 minutes of the hour-long session.

Head coach Claude Julien said that Sturm, who has already missed two games with a leg injury, is questionable for Thursday night's game against Columbus.

Defenseman Matt Hunwick took a puck to his left eye during battle drills and was bleeding. He left the ice but returned to finish up the drill and should be fine for the Blue Jackets game.

While Sturm at least got on the ice, injured forwards Steve Begin and Byron Bitz didn't practice and remained day-to-day.

BOSTON -- First-line left wingers are not supposed to go 29 games without scoring a goal.

To be fair, Steve Begin has only been a part of the Bruins' top unit with Marc Savard and Marco Sturm for a little more than a week. And with just 49 goals in his career of more than 400 games entering Wednesday night's game against the Atlanta Thrashers at TD Garden, Begin isn't exactly relied upon as a sniper.

Nonetheless, when his knee deflected Derek Morris' blast from the right point 16:50 into the first period, Begin gave the Bruins a 3-0 lead, chased Atlanta goaltender Ondrej Pavelec to the bench and snapped a goal drought that had lasted since Oct. 22.

"It's about time," Begin said after the Bruins' 4-0 win. "It feels good too. It was an ugly one, but it doesn't say anything at the end of the season. I just went to the net, the puck hit me and it went in. I almost got a second one too on that [penatly kill]. I got surprised it got put on my stick."

Begin didn't get that second goal, but Patrice Bergeron, Marco Sturm and Byron Bitz (snapping a nine-game drought) managed to find the back of the net to give the Bruins some momentum heading into Friday's Winter Classic at Fenway Park.

Despite his lack of production on the score sheet, Begin's play hasn't floundered. When it comes to grinding in the corners and causing havoc on the forecheck, he is the Bruins' best weapon. He hasn't changed his game just because he's moved up the depth chart and coach Claude Julien wouldn't want it any other way.

"I've known him for quite a while and I know his personality and you don't have to draw him a picture," Julien said. "He knows. He's been in the league long enough and he knows what's given him success."

Begin didn't even know how long his goal-scoring drought was. After he was informed that he hadn't scored since autumn, Begin was confident he wouldn't slump that long again.

"That's why I got excited. The meter is back to zero, so I'm going to try not to go that far this time," he said.

Sizzling Sturm

After a fortuitous bounce of a Marc Savard shot, Sturm shoveled the puck into the net for his fourth goal in five games. The hot streak has followed a slump in which he failed to score in five games.

"We talked about it. It's just how it is. A couple of good bounces and it comes right to your stick. That's funny how it works," he said.

Sturm was named to the German national team for the 2010 Olympics earlier in the day. It will be his third Olympic Games.

Loose pucks

Johnny Boychuk was high-sticked in the nose by Evander Kane in the first period. The collision drew blood from both nostrils but only a single minor was called. "[Andrew Ference] passed me the puck and I couldn't see. Both nostrils were gushing," said Boychuk, who somehow avoided a broken nose & The Bruins will practice at Fenway Thursday in preparation for the Winter Classic. A few Bruins players have competed in outdoor games in the past, so they know the drill. "We need to go there and make sure we know what kind of ice we're going to skate on and most of us, most of the guys, haven't skated outside. The last time they probably played outside was when they were a kid," said Begin, who was with Montreal for the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton. "It's different. So we have to make sure everyone knows what they're going to be skating on." Forward Daniel Paille played in the first Winter Classic two years ago for Buffalo. "Just getting to know the ice and the wind and weather condition there. Tomorrow is all about enjoying it because the next day obviously is all about business."

WILMINGTON, Mass. -- It was easy for outsiders to look at the Bruins' penalty kill at the outset of the season and diagnose why on Oct. 19 the club was ranked 26th in that department.

Savvy veterans P.J. Axelsson and Stephane Yelle had left the organization and created a void that at the time seemed impossible to fill. However, Boston soon solved the problem with both the addition of Daniel Paille and a set rotation of forwards that could create chemistry with each other.

When the Bruins woke up this morning, they were ranked second in the league with a success rate of 86.1 percent. Boston has killed 70 of 75 opposing power plays (a 93.3 percent success rate) since Oct. 20.

"I think guys are picking good times to be aggressive, jump on the guy when maybe he has his back turned or he bobbles the puck," defenseman Mark Stuart said. "We're doing a good job of seizing those opportunities, and basically guys are just winning more battles."

Despite the addition of Steve Begin during the offseason and the return of Marco Sturm from injury, the Bruins were using around eight or nine forwards to kill penalties during the season's first few weeks. After Paille arrived from Buffalo, coach Claude Julien started tightening up his personnel pool to about six players and the players started to jell. Even the absence of center Marc Savard didn't hinder the Bruins' improvement on the PK.

"Probably the first month, the first few games, we were chasing the puck. We were not on the same page, and right now everybody's on the same page. If a player goes hard, everybody has to go. And that's what we're doing right now," Begin said.

Obviously, the defensemen have played a part of the Bruins' unbelievable success rate since Oct. 20. And the consistently stifling goaltending the Bruins lacked in the season's first month has made a huge difference. But what about the arrival of Paille?

"It helped. You don't want to take any credit away from the guy because he's done a great job penalty killing, but I don't think you want to throw all the credit his way either. One guy doesn't make your penalty kill move up that much," Julien said. "It's a combination. There are at least six, seven guys up front penalty killing. Most of our D's have been killing as well. So it's just a group combination.

"And give credit to the coaching staff, too. [Assistant coach Craig Ramsay] has been working with [assistant Doug Houda] in that area, and they do a good job of giving guys a really clear direction on what we need to do and they take it to heart. When our penalty kill runs around a little bit, that's as vocal as you'll hear 'Rammer' on the bench I think."

Loose pucks

There was no sign of Dennis Wideman or Derek Morris during practice Tuesday for the second straight day. But after the formal session, Wideman took the ice with strength and conditioning coach John Whitesides. Julien said there's a chance both players could practice Wednesday. … The team's annual shopping trip to buy holiday gifts for children's hospitals was scheduled to include just a handful of players Tuesday. But Patrice Bergeron said that even though it's not a mandatory full-team event, pretty much the entire squad was headed to Target. The gifts will be distributed later this month.

BOSTON -- If playing with four new forwards, including two call-ups from the American Hockey League, didn't prevent Bruins coach Claude Julien from using four lines Wednesday night at TD Garden against the Predators, it seems nothing will.

And center Steve Begin rewarded the faith the Boston bench boss apparently has in every one of his players. Begin, normally a fourth-liner but the third-line center against Nashville, scored the winning goal 8:33 into the third period, helping the Bruins earn a 3-2 comeback win, just their second regulation victory in six home contests.

After the goal Begin raised his arms and let out a yell as if he'd just struck gold.

"It's awesome," said Begin, whose last NHL goal came last March 12 when he was with Dallas. "The most important thing is we won the game, but it's great to get my first goal out of the way and now I'm going to have to think about something else. Not that I was thinking about it every day but …"

Begin shouldn't have been thinking about it much because he's not a Bruin to score. Boston brought him in as a free agent to bang, forecheck and win faceoffs. On Wednesday night, he prevailed on eight of 11 draws and helped the Bruins' maligned penalty-killing unit snuff out all three of Nashville's power plays.

Begin logged a season-high 15 minutes 47 seconds of ice time, as every Bruins skater except Trent Whitfield had at least 10:44 of playing time. In their Boston debuts, rookie Brad Marchand skated for 14:42 and trade acquisition Daniel Paille, who assisted on Begin's goal, skated for 14:22.

"We needed energy out there," Begin said. "Claude always rolls four lines, so it's good for the team and it's good for the fourth-liners. They want to go out there and give more for the team and it's kind of a reward for them too."

You watch him fly around the ice, during games and practices, and you wonder if Boston Bruins forward Steve Begin wakes up on the wrong side of the bed every day.

Then you meet the soft-spoken Quebec native off the ice and realize he's a polite family man with a sense of humor. But that doesn't stop the question from popping up every time he makes the glass at TD Garden shake with a thunderous hit: What makes Begin so nasty?

"All my life, I've heard people tell me, 'No, you're too small. You can't make it to the next step, the next level,' stuff like that," the 6-foot, 193-pound Begin said. "My dad was always telling me to work hard and to keep with it. He was always giving me examples of players that work hard, leadership guys, like [Dale] Hunter and those guys."

Begin's father, Gilles, did more than just pass on verbal advice. He showed Begin firsthand what hard work is all about -- first by raising Begin and his two siblings all by himself (Begin's parents divorced when he was young) and second by taking his young son out on jobs with his landscaping business. Begin said he started helping his father out when he was about 6.

"When it's plus-30, 35 Celsius [86 to 95 Fahrenheit], you're out there with your shovel digging holes. You can't get the big truck there to dig the hole, so you go in there with the wheelbarrow. So that was a hard part," he recalled.

Begin figures he started playing the role of a grinder when he was about 11 or 12, blocking shots and checking with all his strength. Fueled by a mix of his desire to disprove naysayers and his natural "middle child complex," Begin battled his way to the NHL, debuting with Calgary during the 1997-98 season.

Begin joined the Bruins as a free agent this offseason. He's found a home on the fourth line, centering Shawn Thornton and Byron Bitz, and adding speed and attitude to the unit.

"He's 100 miles an hour all the time, which is the way me and [Thornton] like to play too," said Bitz. "He's fun to play with."

While it's not likely Begin, who entered this season with 86 points in 409 NHL games, will continue to share the team lead in points (he does right now with three), it won't be shocking if he stays at or near the top of the hits race. Begin leads the Bruins with eight hits through two games.

And his play is resonating with more than just his linemates.

"Begin plays his heart out," said defenseman Derek Morris. "He comes every single night and he's going to play like that. Basically, the first guy into every single scrum and the last guy out. You know, he plays with a lot of heart, he always has."