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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.

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

ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun handicaps the Norris Trophy race, saying it’s a two-player contest right now between Nashville’s Shea Weber and Boston’ Zdeno Chara. Writes LeBrun:

1a. Shea Weber, Nashville Predators
Ever wonder what this guy would fetch July 1 if he was unrestricted as opposed to a restricted free agent? Let’s put it this way: I’m guessing at least a third of the general managers in the NHL would pick him first overall if the league redrew the rosters. Among the league leaders in points (36), plus-minus (plus-20) and ice time (26:15), Weber just does it all. Runner-up last season to the legendary Nicklas Lidstrom for the Norris, this finally could be Weber’s first win -- unless of course the next guy on this list wins it. They’re neck and neck in my opinion.

1b. Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
The parallels with the younger Weber are all too true. Physical impact, offensive force, shutdown terror and a great leader. They apply to both players; the only difference is that the veteran Chara has done it longer in this league. The 2009 Norris Trophy winner has a great shot at another one.

Click HERE to read the rest of LeBrun's piece

Wilmington, Mass. -- The Bruins held practice at Ristuccia Arena on Tuesday morning before jetting off to Buffalo for a Northeast Division tilt with the Sabres on Wednesday. While Buffalo is just 13th in the East and the Bruins are 2-0 against them this season, the B’s realize they can’t take their division rivals lightly.

“The one thing that we’re well aware of is that we haven’t fared well against teams that are out of the playoffs right now,” Julien pointed out. “We have to be a little bit better and our goal right now is to carry last game (a win in Washington) into this game here. I really felt like we had control most of the game and we did the things that we normally do when we’re successful. So we need to bring that to Buffalo and repeat it. I think that’s what our main focus is on and the challenge is playing better against those teams. Just because they’re there right now, doesn’t make them a bad team, it makes them a hungry team. So we are certainly aware of that and our focus is about our team more than it is other teams at this stage.”

Zdeno Chara was absent from practice Tuesday, but Julien calmed any fears following the skate, telling the media the captain was given a day off after a hectic week last week following the All Star weekend in Ottawa.

The forward lines once again looked the same as they did when the Bruins 4-1 win at Washington concluded on Sunday with David Krejci centering Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Caron instead of being in his normal slot next to Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton (or whoever is playing in place of Horton, who is out with a concussion.

Lucic was playing with Rich Peverley, who was again in Horton’s slot and Chris Kelly in Krejci’s place at center.

Speaking of Horton, Julien had no updates to give after practice, and wasn’t too happy he was asked to give one.

“Guys, I’m done talking about it,” a seemingly frustrated Julien said. “You know I look at every team who has guys with concussions and it would be nice if you guys would give him a chance and let him go through his things. I can’t give you an update every day because it could be long, it could be short. When you see him on the ice with us, it’s going to be a real good sign so we’ll leave it at that. I don’t have the answer so I’m not going to give you the answer when we don’t know what concussions are all about. There’s forward steps and there’s backward steps and I just can’t come out here every day because it doesn’t make sense.”

Here’s what the forward lines and defensive pairings looked like Tuesday:

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

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

Tim Thomas(
Tuukka Rask

As expected, the Bruins will have captain Zdeno Chara back in the lineup for Saturday’s afternoon tilt against the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia Flyers, according to media reports from Philadelphia. The 6-foot-9 defenseman had missed the previous two games -- both wins -- with what the team was calling a lower-body injury suffered in a collision with Blue Jackets forward Antoine Vermette during the Bruins' 5-3 victory last Saturday in Columbus.

Chara did skate with the team Wednesday morning prior to that night’s game against the Ottawa Senators, but he wasn’t deemed ready to play.

"He's obviously doing a lot better, but certainly not to the point where we want him in, but very optimistic that he'll be back pretty soon," coach Claude Julien told reporters Wednesday night in Ottawa.

The Bruins designated defeseman Steven Kampfer to Providence of the AHL on Friday, a good indication that Chara was going to be back in the lineup Saturday.

Chara, who has six goals and 13 assists on the season, is tied for the plus/minus lead among NHL defenseman at plus-19.

Zdeno Chara will most likely not be available for games this week against Los Angeles, Ottawa and Philadelphia because of a leg injury, according to the Boston Globe, citing an unnamed source.

If Chara's recovery goes well, he might be ready for the Bruins’ home game against Montreal on Dec. 19, or the Bruins could opt to keep Chara out of uniform until after Christmas to give his injury more time to heal, the Globe report says. The Bruins play at Phoenix on Dec. 28.

Chara was injured in a collision with Blue Jackets forward Antoine Vermette late in the second period of a 5-3 win at Columbus on Saturday night and did not return. He had scored 58 seconds into the second period to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead.

After the game, Chara was walking without noticeable discomfort, according to the Globe.

ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun offers up some first-quarter awards today and a number of Bruins are in the running.

Second-year forward Tyler Seguin checks in as an honorable mention for the Hart Trophy. Zdeno Chara is No. 3 for the Norris Trophy, while Tim Thomas is No. 2 for the Vezina.

While those three come up a little short, LeBrun has Patrice Bergeron as the front-runner for the Selke Trophy. Writes LeBrun:

1. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins: One of the smartest two-way players in the league and a player who deserves to get his name on this trophy at least once in his career. He's among the faceoff leaders again this season.

Click HERE to read all of LeBrun's first-quarter review.

BOSTON -- Bruins captain Zdeno Chara is normally a very serious person.

He was the last player available during the team’s annual media day in preparation for the 2011-2012 season and he had a bit of fun with a small group of reporters. As the scrum began to form in the spot Chara would be speaking, the 6-foot-9 defenseman jumped out from behind a black curtain and surprised the group.

He should be in a good mood because the players will receive their Stanley Cup rings during a ceremony Tuesday night, and then the championship banner will be raised to the rafters prior to the season opener Thursday at the Garden.

“It’s obviously very exciting,” Chara said. “I’m sure it’s going to be a great atmosphere and it’s going to be very emotional. We’re all looking forward to it.”

BOSTON -- The Bruins host the Islanders Friday in in their first home preseason game and captain Zdeno Chara will return to the lineup after missing the “Black and White” scrimmage Tuesday and the preseason opener Wednesday at Ottawa. Chara had suffered a contusion in his right knee area Monday when an errant clearing shot hit him in practice. He told the media Friday morning that he is ready to go and is happy the injury wasn’t serious.

“I’m feeling good,” Chara said. “I’m very glad that it wasn’t [serious]. Obviously it’s something that you’re a little worried about when it does happen but I was pleased that it wasn’t as bad as it looked. We took all the necessary steps to make sure that it was nothing major and it isn’t. Just have to still treat it and nothing major. The pain is just a factor that I can handle but as far as the swelling and being able to have the full range of motion that’s the key.”

As for what Chara will focus on tonight, he said he is just trying to keep things simple and work hard.

“Compete, work extremely hard and play simple,” Chara said. “Obviously it’s the first game so I’m not trying to do too much but I’m trying to find the timing and get that rust away. So nothing too complicated.”

Chara also said he is ready for whatever ice time head coach Claude Julien throws at him.

“Whatever coach is comfortable with,” Chara said. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s preseason or regular season. I should be out there and I’m fine with it.”

Here’s the list of players dressing for tonight’s game:

Forwards: Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Benoit Pouliot, Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Jared Knight, Lane MacDermid, Alexander Khokhlachev, Jamie Arniel, Daniel Paille, Zach Hamill, Rich Peverley

Defensemen: Zdeno Chara, Steven Kampfer, Zach McKelvie, Dennis Seidenberg, Matt Bartkowski, Johnny Boychuk

Goalies: Tim Thomas(, Anton Khudobin

For its current issue focused on Boston's sports success, ESPN The Magazine followed around some Bruins players, who take their local neighborhoods to heart. Among the players featured in the video above are Andrew Ference, who talks about living in the North End, Milan Lucic, who takes the Magazine to his barbershop, and Tim Thomas.

Also, check out this photo gallery, with shots of Ference, Lucic, Thomas, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin and Shawn Thornton around the city.