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BOSTON -- It really doesn't matter where Bruins coach Claude Julien positions defenseman Zdeno Chara on the power play because the captain can do it all.

Chara scored a pair of power-play goals -- a redirect in front and a slap shot from the point -- to help Boston to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals Monday night at TD Garden.

Julien likes the idea of having Chara in front of the opposition's net during a Boston power play, so the coach is using the preseason games to station the 6-foot-9, 255-pound blueliner above the paint to create blind havoc.

Julien has tried this in the past but he's taking advantage of the exhibition games to get Chara more comfortable in that spot. During the team's morning skate Monday, Chara spent extra time working on redirecting the puck in front of the net. The work paid off.

In the waning minutes of the second period, the Bruins were on the power play and Chara was camped out in front when teammate Dennis Seidenberg took a shot from the left point. Chara set the screen and redirected the shot past Capitals goalie Braden Holtby to tie the game at 1-1 at 18:22 of the period. Chara's celebration did not reflect this was merely an exhibition game.

Since the start of training camp, Julien has worked Chara, David Krejci, Jarome Iginla, Milan Lucic and Torey Krug as the team's top power-play unit. Chara said he's comfortable being camped out in front and it continues to be a work in progress. The big man certainly creates a major blind spot for opposing goaltenders. Since Krug did not play, fellow blueliner Matt Bartkowski worked on the power-play unit.

With Monday's game tied at 1-1, the Bruins had a 5-on-3 man-advantage when Chara's slap shot from the point found its way past Holtby.

"He was good," Julien said of Chara. "When you look at the first goal, he tipped it in and then he was in front with a lot of chaos going on and a lot of loose pucks. He creates some havoc in front.

"Probably on a normal night we would have had more success, but their goaltender played extremely well tonight and we had a difficult time getting pucks past him. You’re going to see him at the point at times and during that 5-on-3 you saw what his shot can do from back there. We’ll continue to look at that and an 82-game season is a long year, so nothing is carved in stone."

"It’s obviously been pretty good for us in the preseason," Lucic said of the power play. "We just need to stay sharp and keep working on it in practice. Our puck movement is a lot better and there’s confidence in making those good passes and guys are shooting the puck when they have the opportunity."

The Capitals tied the game at 2-2 when Martin Erat beat Tuukka Rask during a scramble in front at 6:38 of the third.

In overtime, Chris Kelly scored the game-winner.

Drop 'em: There were a few fisticuffs in the opening period and continued throughout the game. First, the Bruins' Kevan Miller and the Capitals' Aaron Volpatti dropped the gloves at 9:46. Not only did the pair receive five minutes for fighting, each received an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct for removing their helmets prior to the fight, which is a new rule this season.

At 15:23 of the first period, Lucic and Washington's Joel Rechlicz went toe-to-toe in a spirited bout. The two exchanged haymakers and by the end of it both were exhausted.

In the second period, Rechlicz dropped the gloves again, this time going with Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk. Rechlicz received two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct, five minutes for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct.

The donnybrooks continued in the opening seconds of the third period when the Capitals' Michal Cajkovsky knocked Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid to the ice from behind. Boston's Nick Johnson, who's battling for a roster spot and has three goals in four preseason games, challenged Cajkovksy and the two went at it. Meanwhile, when McQuaid got to his feet, he dropped the gloves and went with Washington's Dane Byers.

Quiet night for Rask: Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask played his first complete game of the preseason, but didn’t face many shots and finished with 12 saves.

“That’s why you practice too, right? Rask said. “Every game is different. Sometimes you don’t get any shots and today was probably one of the worst-case scenarios for a goalie. But it’s still a game and you have to learn to live with that in those kinds of situations too.”

With only two preseason games remaining, Julien said after Monday’s game that Rask will play the final exhibition against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday in Saskatoon. The season opener is Oct. 3 against Tampa Bay at the Garden and Rask said he’ll be ready.

“I feel good out there,” Rask said. “I don’t feel like I have to do a lot of extra stuff. It’s about being sharp, getting some practices and maybe one good [preseason] game and then go from there.”

Roster cut by three: Craig Cunningham and David Warsofsky have been assigned to Providence and Mike Moore will be placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Providence. The cuts put the Bruins' roster at 28.

BOSTON -- In the final five minutes of Boston's 8-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night at TD Garden, some of the 16,839 in attendance began to chant: "We want Tuukka."

It was unwarranted given that Malcolm Subban, who was in net for the Bruins, was in his first full preseason game. The rookie and former first-round pick (24th overall in 2012) received plenty of encouragement from coach Claude Julien after the game despite the tough performance.

“It was one of those nights, unfortunately, our guys in front of him certainly left him out to dry a little bit,” Julien said. “We made some real bad mistakes. It’s easy to point the finger at him, but if anything we all have to take the blame for that and that’s for leaving him out to dry.”

Subban made his debut Monday in Montreal, playing the final 30 minutes against the Canadiens, and earned the win with his 12-save performance.

Despite the number of bad goals Thursday against the Canadiens, Julien wanted Subban to fight through it and finish the game.

“This is a good learning thing for a goaltender,” Julien said. “This is what he’s going to be facing and he’s got to fight through these situations.”

It was evident Subban was not happy with his performance.

“No matter what I did, the puck just found its way in. Some bad bounces, but I didn’t do my part tonight,” he said.

Julien didn’t have to explain much because Subban realizes the team he faced Thursday night is one of the best in the league with talented veterans.

“They’re a good team and it can only get better from here. I’m not looking at it that way. I’m looking at it a positive way,” Subban said. “It’s probably a good thing, now I can be more focused obviously and start the game better. Going down 2-0 pretty early like that didn’t help.”

The Red Wings gained a 2-0 lead in the first period. Justin Abdelkader scored a power-play goal at 5:01, before Dave McIntyre gave Detroit a two-goal advantage at 16:07 when he scored during a delayed penalty.

The Red Wings gained a 4-0 lead with a pair of second-period goals by Henrik Zetterberg (3:28) and Danny DeKeyser (9:17).

The Bruins' Jarome Iginla scored his third goal in two games when he notched Boston's first tally. He was camped out in front when a shot by Bruins defenseman Matt Bartkowski hit his skate and beat Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard at 11:47 of the second period.

Speaking of three goals in two games, Bruins' Nick Johnson accomplished the same feat when he made it 5-2 at 11:32 of the third period. However, that was all the offense the Bruins were able to produce.

Detroit added three more goals to pull away.

“I guess when you let in eight goals, focus probably isn’t there all the way,” Subban said. “I guess I thought I was focused, but obviously not. I’ve got to be better the next opportunity I get.”

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BOSTON -- One of the Bruins’ most dependable, reliable assets looked anything but that in the final three games of the Stanley Cup finals, all of which -- not coincidentally -- were losses.

Defenseman Zdeno Chara has been the steady workhorse of the Bruins, logging a yeoman’s load of ice time every night during the playoffs and often neutralizing the opposition’s top playmakers. Yet against a Blackhawks juggernaut featuring skilled forwards Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa and Conn Smythe winner Patrick Kane, the Bruins captain was made to look ordinary.

In all, Chara was on the ice for eight of the Blackhawks’ 17 goals this series, including seven of the 12 goals scored in the final three games. He finished a minus-five for the series.

In Monday's Game 6, Chara was on the ice for the Hawks’ first two goals. Out of a faceoff early in the second period, Toews undressed Chara and left him in the dust coming up the boards, swooping in and going five-hole on Tuukka Rask to make it 1-1. Then with less than 80 seconds to go in the contest, Chara couldn't prevent the game-tying goal, with Toews coming out of the corner and slipping a pass through the big defenseman as Bickell went backdoor.

Was Chara hurt? A team source told ESPNBoston.com that Chara played through “bumps and bruises”, but nothing particularly serious. Asked about his injuries, Chara told a group of reporters, “I’m not talking about my physical status, sorry.”

Perhaps Chara had finally hit a wall after logging heavy minutes throughout the playoffs. In the triple overtime loss to Chicago in Game 1, Chara logged close to 45 minutes of ice time. On Monday, he led all Bruins with 25:29, second in the game to Duncan Keith’s 28:51. For the playoffs, Chara set a career high in minutes, averaging more than 25 per game.

With the Bruins in another physical battle trying to shut down one of the league’s most explosive offenses, maybe it all finally got to him.

“I think that it was the case for every team,” Chara said. “I think it wasn’t just Chicago. I think that throughout the whole playoffs, no matter who you play it’s going to be physical, it’s going to be grinding and it’s not just Chicago. It was just the playoffs. I think that that’s the way it is. It’s physical and you have to expect that.”

With a 3-1 loss in Game 5 on Saturday night, the Bruins fell behind 3-2 in the Stanley Cup finals and now will have to stave off elimination in Game 6 on Monday at TD Garden. Here are five takeaways from Game 5:

Can the Bruins win the Stanley Cup without Patrice Bergeron? Give the Bruins plenty of credit; they did not fold after falling behind 2-0 and losing arguably their MVP as well as a leader in Bergeron. Bergeron suffered an undisclosed injury prior to Patrick Kane's scoring his second goal to make it 2-0 5:13 into the second period. The Bruins regrouped and held the fort strong for the remainder of the middle frame, and then cut the lead to 2-1 on captain Zdeno Chara's third goal of the playoffs 3:40 into the third. But that lead, and the absence of the player who is arguably a co-captain (not just alternate) with Chara and their best all-around player, plus a revitalized Blackhawks team seemed to be just too much for the resilient Bruins. With the news that Bergeron was taken to a local hospital for observation, I tweeted during the third period, "No Bergeron = No Cup" for the Bruins, and I believe that to be the case. Yes, the Blackhawks lost Jonathan Toews in the third period, but he remained on the bench and wasn't taken by ambulance to a hospital. And yes, Bruins coach Claude Julien said there was no update on Bergeron and he might play in Game 6, but if that's not the case and even if Toews doesn't play, this scribe believes the Bruins cannot win two straight elimination games without Bergeron. If not for Tuukka Rask, Bergeron very well could be the Conn Smythe winner if the Bruins were to win the Cup. He is the heartbeat of the Bruins and the player who can provide anything in any situation in which Julien needs him. The Bruins might force a Game 7 because they're that resilient, but without Bergeron, they will not win the 2013 Stanley Cup.

CLICK HERE to read colleague Joe McDonald's column on Bergeron.


Just a reminder that Chara is still Chara: Heading into Game 5, the Blackhawks openly bragged that they were not intimidated by Chara and knew how to beat him. After showing that in Game 4, with Chara finishing at minus-3, they did so to an extent in Game 5, as the captain was minus-2 and struggled for much of the first two periods. But Chara wasn't about to roll over, and in the third period, he came out flying, hitting anything in sight and scoring the Bruins' lone goal. While his defensive game might not have been up to his usual standards in the past two games, he still has a goal and two assists in those two games. Let's be realists here: Chara is human, and like anyone else, he can wear down when playing the minutes he has been playing. But he is still one of the hardest workers in the NHL, and he showed that again in Game 5.

Rask and Crawford bounce back: Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask and Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford were the subject of scrutiny by media and fans alike heading into Game 5 after questionable performances in the Blackhawks' 6-5 Game 4 win. But as they have on so many occasions during the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, the two netminders and Conn Smythe candidates bounced back in Game 5. Rask finished with 29 saves and really couldn't be blamed for either of the two goals he allowed to Kane. As Rask did in Game 4 -- even when allowing six goals -- he kept his team in the game and gave it a chance to win Game 5. He stopped all 12 shots he faced in the third period as the Bruins tried to come back and potentially tie the game. Rask was the least of the Bruins' problems, and the Bruins had some costly defensive lapses in front in Game 5. Meanwhile, Crawford once again silenced the doubters, with a 24-save performance and the win. He was especially big in the opening period as the Bruins outshot the Blackhawks 11-8 but still trailed 1-0 after the first. He is now 15-7 with a 1.83 goals-against average and .932 save percentage as well as being one win from the Stanley Cup.

Faceoffs a difference again: As they have been throughout this series, faceoffs were a crucial factor in Game 5. Even though the Blackhawks were beat on the faceoff dot 39-38 in Game 4, they were a much different team after being dominated in faceoffs in the previous two games. In Game 5, the Hawks actually won the faceoff battle 33-24, and it helped them take a 3-2 series lead. When their skilled players have the puck more, chances are they will score or at least create scoring opportunities more often, and that was the case in Game 5. The Bruins clearly missed their faceoff master after Bergeron left the game injured. They will need to step up as a team at the dot to prevent the Blackhawks from utilizing their offensive skill.

Soderberg not a bad choice: Julien did some line shuffling for Game 5, replacing Kaspars Daugavins with Carl Soderberg on the fourth line with Shawn Thornton and Rich Peverley. The Swedish forward made his coach look pretty smart. Soderberg had some solid chances early on thanks to some strong skating and forechecking. And thanks to his efforts, he found himself taking Bergeron's spot between Jaromir Jagr and Brad Marchand on the second line. Soderberg couldn't seize a regular spot in his six regular-season games, but after a solid 14:16 of ice time in Game 5, he definitely will have Julien thinking about playing him again in Game 6, especially if Bergeron doesn't play.

CHICAGO -- Unlike when the Boston Bruins played the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Stanley Cup, this year's finals have been tame in terms of gamesmanship.

The Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks have mostly been expressing respect for each other, but that stance changed after the Blackhawks defeated the Bruins 6-5 in overtime in Game 4 Wednesday night at TD Garden. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews shot a verbal missile across the bow of Boston captain Zdeno Chara, saying the Blackhawks are not intimidated by his size or strength and they're not afraid of him.

Chara was on the ice for five of the six goals in Game 4, including the game-winning tally when Toews completely outmuscled Chara to allow Brent Seabrook's shot from the point to beat Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask.

Whether or not the Blackhawks believe they can handle Boston's physical style of play, any comments made won't bother the Bruins, according to veteran defenseman Andrew Ference.

"The Stanley Cup motivates you, not people's comments," he said. "We expect them to be able to take it. We're all playing hockey and we're all hockey players and guys are pretty tough. It's not that we never expect teams to be able to take our physical style of play, but we're still going to play physical because we know it has some effect on the game.

"If that's their game plan, that's their game plan. It really doesn't concern us and the way we prepare for the game or anything."

Bruins power forward Milan Lucic has been a physical force during the Stanley Cup playoffs, especially in the finals. He's been applying bone-crushing, teeth-shattering hits on the Blackhawks and slowing them down.

"We've just got to stick to our game and play the way that we do," Lucic said. "They're a confident group and we knew they were going to be. [Toews] is a really good player, so whatever is said is said and it doesn't really bother us. We've got to focus on what will make us successful."

Have the Blackhawks figured out a formula to contain Chara's size and strength?

"I guess we'll see," added Ference. "That's why you play the game to see if your strategy and your way of playing is better than the other team's. That's sorted out when you hit the ice."

It's unusual to see Chara with a minus next to his name on the score sheet, but his teammates are not worried about it.

"Yeah, without a doubt," Ference said. "You expect great things out of him all the time because he delivers. Just because you're on the ice doesn't mean it's your fault; we've all seen enough games to know that. He has a lot of pride, but he also wants another Cup so I think that's going to trump any other feeling of pride or anything like that. The desire to win is going to outweigh anything."

Overall, Chara is averaging a career-high in the postseason for ice time, but his shot total has declined in the first four games of this series. He has 14 points, including a plus-10 in 20 postseason games this spring.

"Z, he plays lots of minutes and obviously there's going to be some shifts that are not his best shifts but that's how it goes when you play almost 30 minutes a game," said Bruins forward David Krejci. "He's been great the whole playoffs for us, even in the finals. Sometimes it happens you have a bad shift but I'm sure he's going to play a strong game tomorrow and we're going to have his back just like he has our back all season."

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks haven't lost their respect for Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, but they have ceased to fear him.

The Blackhawks stopped trying to avoid the 6-foot-9, 255-pound Chara in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals on Wednesday and discovered they could have success against him as they scored five of their six goals with Chara on the ice. Chara finished Game 4 with a minus-3 rating, which was his worst rating of the playoffs.

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BOSTON -- The Bruins' Zdeno Chara finished the 2012-2013 lockout-shortened season ranked fifth in the league in shots for defensemen. At the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs, he continued that onslaught and recorded 42 shots in the first 12 games of the postseason.

However, in the last seven games, beginning with the Eastern Conference finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chara has only eight shots on net, which makes one wonder whether the captain is dealing with some sort of ailment. Chara is still averaging 25 minutes of ice time per game, though.

So, why has his shot totals declined?

“It’s just making smart decisions,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien. “Chicago is a team that does a great job fronting. We used to talk about New York, but Chicago does a great job, too. They’re in shooting lanes. Maybe when he gets the puck, they’re in the shooting lanes. He’ll make a smarter decision with the puck than to get it blocked. I don’t see an issue there.

“At the end of the day, scoring chances are there. It’s tight on both sides. But I think last game we had close to, by our count, 20 scoring chances. So they’re there. I’m not going to put too much emphasis that his shot total is down.”

Chara’s defensive partner Dennis Seidenberg explains his side of it, saying Chicago is a fast team and the Blackhawks come at you pretty hard and close the gap when you have the puck on the blue line.

“It’s not always easy to find lanes, and once you shoot they like to take off on you and go the other way,” Seidenberg said. “We have to think defense first in the playoffs. There are games when there’s more opportunities to shoot, and some games you just can’t find the lanes, so you’ve got to be smart about it.”

Chara and Seidenberg are considered the top shutdown defensive pair in the league, and their prowess has been on display in the playoffs.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Seidenberg said. “We’ve been doing it now for a while and we seem to thrive in those situations. We enjoy it and we like to battle hard. It’s fun.”

BOSTON -- Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara received stitches over his left eye after catching an edge and colliding with teammate Milan Lucic before Monday’s Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals.

The injury was initially believed to be to the back of his head.

The two collided on the ice in front of the Bruins’ bench with just more than three minutes remaining in pregame warmups. Both players lost their helmets. Chara quickly went to the dressing room, got the stitches and was on the ice in time for the puck drop.

In the video above, Barry Melrose takes an early look at the upcoming Eastern Conference finals between the Bruins and the Penguins. One matchup to watch is Zdeno Chara ("the best defensive defenseman in the world," according the Melrose) vs. Sidney Crosby ("the best forward in the world").

BOSTON -- The Bruins won their second consecutive overtime game in the Stanley Cup playoffs, taking a 3-2 decision over the New York Rangers to take a 1-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Brad Marchand scored 15:40 into the extra frame to get his first of the playoffs and send TD Garden into hysteria for a second straight game.

Torey Krug had tied the game, 2-2, 2:22 into the third period after the Rangers took a 2-1 lead on a Derek Stepan goal 14 seconds into the third. Zdeno Chara also scored for Boston and Ryan McDonagh scored for the Rangers.

Tuukka Rask (33 saves) and Henrik Lundqvist (46 saves) began what should be a great goalies’ duel.

Marchand breaks through at right time -- Maybe Marchand should leave the morning skate with an injury more often. After having to be helped off the ice at the team’s skate Thursday morning, Marchand ended up playing and finally found the twine with his first goal of the playoffs. While he hadn’t scored, Marchand has been playing better and utilizing his speed. That speed played a major role in his overtime goal as he and Bergeron connected for the winner.

Mr. OT comes through again -- Bergeron is starting to build a reputation as an overtime player. After scoring the winner in overtime of Game 7 in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bergeron, along with Chara, jump-started the breakout that led to Marchand’s overtime winner and gave Marchand a beautiful feed.

Chara letting it rip, racking up minutes -- One of the hot topics heading into this series was how the Bruins would get shots through the Rangers, who block shots with the best of them. Well, that’s what Chara’s 108 mph shot is for, right? Chara used that blistering shot to open the scoring 12:23 into the middle frame. Chara let one rip that Lundqvist couldn’t handle and the puck was then inadvertently knocked into the net by a Rangers player in front. Chara now has two goals in the playoffs and even if he doesn’t score with his shot, the more he lets it rip, the better the chances the Bruins will score. Chara also assisted on Marchand’s game winner. In addition to providing offense, Chara once again racked up the minutes on ice with three regulars on the blue line out with injuries. Chara finished with an astonishing 38:02 of ice time.

Blue-line rookie trio gets job done -- Already depending on two rookie defensemen, the Bruins welcomed another rookie rearguard to the blue-line corps to help fill in for veterans Andrew Ference, Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden. Torey Krug was called up on Tuesday and wasted no time in making his presence felt, tying the game on a power-play goal 2:22 into the third period. It was Krug’s first NHL goal. Meanwhile, Matt Bartkowski and Dougie Hamilton continued to fill in admirably, with Hamilton picking up a helper on the Krug goal.

Depleted defense gets scare -- The Bruins -- already hurting on the blue line -- got another scare. Johnny Boychuk appeared to suffer an upper-body injury when he was the recipient of a high hit from Rangers forward Taylor Pyatt early in the second period. But Boychuk quickly returned after a trip to the training room.

Seguin and Jagr switch spots again -- Coach Claude Julien had Tyler Seguin back down on a line with Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley and had Jaromir Jagr riding shotgun with Marchand and Bergeron to start the game. Here’s what the forward lines looked like:

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

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.

TORONTO -- Now that the Eastern Conference quarterfinals series between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs has shifted to the Air Canada Centre, Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle will be able to get the matchups that best suit his team.

In the first two games of this series in Boston, every time the Maple Leafs top line was on the ice, Bruins coach Claude Julien made sure defenseman Zdeno Chara was, too. Now that Toronto gets the last change in their building, the Maple Leafs will try to avoid Chara as much as possible.

"He's obviously a pretty big force," said Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bozak. "He's going to play against the top guys every night as much as he can. He's got such a long reach and he's so strong and he's obviously one of the better defensemen in the league, so whenever you get a chance out there, when he's not out there, you've got to try to make something happen. At the same time, he's going to make some mistakes during the game and you have to make sure to take advantage of the times that he does."

With defenseman Andrew Ference back in the lineup after serving a one-game suspension in Game 2, Julien will likely reunite Chara and defensive partner Dennis Seidenberg. That shutdown pair stifled Toronto's attack -- and in particular Phill Kessel -- in Game 1.

BOSTON -- As if there wasn’t enough hype and pressure on highly touted Bruins blue line prospect Dougie Hamilton coming into this 2013 training camp, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara -- who Hamilton considers an idol and has a picture of in his Twitter avatar – had high praise for the 19-year old defenseman Sunday.

“He’s way better. He’s way better than I was [at age 19], I can tell you right now,” Chara said. “He’s way better than I was at his age.”

When informed of the high praise from the 2009 Norris Trophy winner, Hamilton was thrilled and humbled.

“That’s awesome,” said Hamilton who now gets to reside two stalls down from Chara in the Bruins dressing room. “Just watching him out there, you can see how good he is. I don’t get to watch that much NHL hockey because we’re always playing. But you go out there and watch him and he’s pretty sick. If I can learn from him and try to get better and just watch him, he’s going to help me out a lot. I’m really looking forward to that.”

But while Chara was letting it be known just how special he thinks Hamilton can be, he made it clear he is just as impressed with how Hamilton is off the ice and how eager he is to learn. Chara said he isn’t worried that the hype will get to Hamilton’s head.

“You don’t see very often guys being so humble and almost shy come around and be so good,” Chara said of Hamilton who. “We all can see he’s very talented and willing to learn, so it’s exciting for all of us to have a guy like that around and try to help him out as much as you can and see him growing as a person.”

Chara is entering his 15th NHL season and he knows from experience when he sees a rare breed of talent. That’s what he believes the Bruins have in Hamilton and he is excited to be a part of the development of the No. 9 overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
“I can only say only say that those kinds of people and players don’t come around too often,” the Bruins captain said. “I think we’re all looking forward to seeing him grow as a man and as a player.”

BOSTON -- A few more Boston Bruins players joined the team for practice Wednesday, including captain Zdeno Chara and forwards Patrice Bergeron and Chris Kelly.

The Bruins held another informal post-lockout practice Wednesday morning at Boston University’s Agganis Arena.

Chara returned Tuesday from Prague in the Czech Republic, where he was playing in the KHL. In 25 games, the defenseman registered four goals and six assists for 10 points.

After spending more than an hour on the ice Wednesday, the captain said he’s healthy, in shape and ready to go.

Bergeron recently returned from Switzerland, where he played 21 games for Lugano (of National League A) and posted 11 goals with 18 assists for 29 points. Bergeron said it was a good experience, but he’s excited about being back in Boston and is confident about the team’s chances this season.

Captain Zdeno Chara became the latest Boston Bruins player to take his talents overseas during the NHL lockout, signing with Prague of the KHL, his agent told ESPN.com on Tuesday.

"Close to home in Slovakia, knows guys on the team and has played in Prague before so he is comfortable there," his agent Matt Keator said via email.

The 35-year-old Chara also played in Prague for HC Sparta as a junior player in 1995-96. He finished last season with a career-high 52 points after helping the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2010-11 with a 44-point campaign.

Chara becomes the eight Bruins player to join a foreign team for the lockout , joining Tyler Seguin (Switzerland), Dennis Seidenberg (Germany), Tuukka Rask, David Krejci and Andrew Ference (Czech Republic), Anton Khudobin (Russia) and Rich Peverley (Finland).

Bruins forwards Patrice Bergeron and Shawn Thornton were still weighing their options as of last week.

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