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The Boston Bruins woke up Sunday morning, Oct. 30, dead last in the Eastern Conference at 3-7-0, having just been swept in a home-and-home by the rival Montreal Canadiens.

And yet, it's in that moment of despair that Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli believes the defending Stanley Cup champions found their “on” button.

“Those two games were so public; it’s such a huge rivalry that I think it just woke the guys up,” Chiarelli told ESPN.com on Friday.

Fast-forward three weeks and seven consecutive wins later, and the heart of a champion very much beats loudly in Beantown.

“We have a really strong group. These guys went through the trenches together last year,” Chiarelli said. “You turn the page [on last season] and you face new battles and new challenges. It wasn’t a pretty one [2-1 shootout win over lowly Columbus on Friday], but we found a way to win and to me that shows the strength of the group I think when you win a game like that.”

One of my favorite statistics is five-on-five goals-against ratio: The Bruins were tops in the NHL last season at 1.40 en route to their Stanley Cup championship (Vancouver was second). And lo and behold, the Bruins were tops again entering the weekend with a 1.63 mark.

“We’re a deep team and we pride ourselves on five on five,” Chiarelli said. “It speaks to how we have scoring from top to bottom. That helped us last year in the playoffs when our power play was struggling and our even strength was so good. It helped us get through.”

Leading the way up front with 20 points (11-9) and a plus-15 rating has been sophomore forward Tyler Seguin, who has gone from little-used rookie to go-to player in his second year under head coach Claude Julien. His ice time is up five minutes per game from last season in doing so.

“The biggest thing is that he’s stronger, and he’s engaging more,” Chiarelli said. “The rest of his game has just come along once that happens. I really feel that’s the foundation of a young guy’s confidence when he’s able to win his battles and engage all the time. That’s when the player’s game blossoms.”

Little Joe is hot

Joe Pavelski leads the San Jose Sharks with 18 points (10-8) in 16 games entering the weekend, and he’s on pace so far to easily eclipse his career high of 66 points set last season.

He’s benefited from moving up from a third-line role last season to a top-six role this year after the Sharks moved both Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi.

“I spent more time this summer shooting and doing all the little things getting prepared for this season,” Pavelski told ESPN.com on Friday after practice. “I really focused on improving my shot. I also focused on skating so that you’re in the right position to get to rebounds. But obviously I’m playing with great players and getting more ice time.”

Pavelski has spent the past four games playing on a line with Joe Thornton and Logan Couture. But there’s never a bad match when the rest of the top six includes Ryane Clowe, Martin Havlat and Patrick Marleau.

Two springs ago was a coming-out party of sorts for Pavelski, when he was oh-so-clutch en route to 17 playoff points (9-8) in 15 games. But last spring he dipped to 10 points (5-5) in 18 games.

He was playing hurt but doesn’t like to hang it on that.

“Yes but it doesn’t matter, not enough for an excuse,” Pavelski said. “There were guys that were more banged up than me. I had chances to score but didn’t get the job done. It’s unacceptable at that time of year. A goal here and there can really change a game around at that time of year.”

Pavelski is plus-7 on the season, and there are lots of players on his team on the plus-side. That’s a key component to his team’s start this season, Pavelski said.

“It starts in your end, if you defend better things will come for you,” he said.

Trade talk

My colleague, Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, has an interesting piece talking about the Oilers’ need to help their banged-up blue line.

Cody Franson of the Toronto Maple Leafs is available, and we’d be shocked if the Oilers haven’t yet inquired about him. The Carolina Hurricanes also have some defensemen available. We’re hearing the names of Tomas Kaberle and Bryan Allen. The Canes are working hard to make a trade to shake up their slumping team, and they’d like to move a defenseman in return for a forward.

The struggling Anaheim Ducks are also working the phones. They entered the weekend last in the NHL in goals per game. The top dogs -- Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan -- aren’t getting it done, although you know that will come around just based on past practice. But one of the other issues has been the lack of offense from their bottom-six forward group, and really, the overall play of their third and fourth lines. The Ducks did pick up Niklas Hagman to help in that regard, but that won’t be enough.

Jeff Carter has not officially asked for a trade, Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson announced. But you can bank on this: If and when Howson got a trade that made sense, Carter would likely welcome it.

New on Friday that goalie James Reimer would not be ready to play at least for another seven to 10 days, which will only intensify the Leafs’ attempts to trade for a goalie.

Well, well, fans in Boston and Buffalo are riled up this week after Milan Lucic collided with (or was it drilled?) Ryan Miller. Let’s a take a look:

lumpy1981: I'm sick of everyone calling Lucic's hit dirty. Especially those people talking about him deliberately going after Miller’s head. Lucic didn't avoid any contact, that was a 2-minute penalty. He took a penalty to make sure Miller or any goalie would think twice about leaving his net next time. The rule is stupid. If a goalie leaves his crease like that, he should be fair game. If you want to prevent hits on goalies, make it illegal for goalies to leave their crease or some designated area.

Kaleta3600: When will the NHL finally crack down on the dirty, gutless Milan Lucic?! Shanahan dishes out suspensions at every single hit and then somehow he gives Lucic a hall pass. Lucic had every intent of hitting Miller on that play, whether he meant to concuss him or not will never be known, but by watching the play unfold it was obvious he was aiming straight for Miller. And isn't hitting a goalie illegal? Oh believe me, Lucic knew very well. With a case like this and with a guy like Lucic, who isn't exactly revered around the league for his sportsmanship, I will never understand how and why Brendan Shanahan let that slide.

My take: From the NHL rulebook, Rule 42.1: “A goalkeeper is not ‘fair game’ just because he is outside the goal crease area. The appropriate penalty should be assessed in every case where an opposing player makes unnecessary contact with a goalkeeper. However, incidental contact, at the discretion of the Referee, will be permitted when the goalkeeper is in the act of playing the puck outside his goal crease provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.’’

So first of all, Lucic did get a two-minute penalty on the play; you can’t forget that. Second of all, the debate then is whether you feel this was incidental contact. The part I didn’t like was Lucic’s arms being pushed/stretched out on the play. But otherwise, it’s a race to the puck, which is incidental. In my book, it would have been worth a fine. But nothing more.

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SumNoob: What is wrong with Iginla? has the teams worst plus/minus. seems to look lost half the time and isn’t accomplishing much right now. I know he is a slow starter but i don't remember him looking this bad. Also do you think he is going to finish his career in Calgary?

My take: The whispers out of Calgary are that the captain and the head coach may not be on the same page. Keep an eye on this one. Jarome Iginla has a no-trade clause and has never wanted to leave Calgary. But I wonder if this isn’t finally the year he says, “Enough is enough.’’ We’ll see.

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webelieve11: The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted four great, passionate and dedicated players. They were just missing a great, passionate and dedicated coach to join them. I still can't believe that Pat Burns has yet to be inducted. And it's an absolute disgrace that they didn't get him in before he passed. When will they correct this terrible mistake, Pierre?

My take: Well said, my friend. It’s a terrible mistake that Burns hasn’t yet been included in the Hall. It should have been done two years ago, when he was still alive and could have enjoyed that moment. The reason he’s Hall-worthy is because he’s won three Jack Adams Awards with three different teams, plus a Stanley Cup. Hopefully, the 18-member selection committee gets it right next June. I’m not surprised they didn’t put him in this year because it would have looked like they were reacting to the public outrage from the year before. But surely it’s time to get it right. As Doug Gilmour said Monday night at the end of his speech, “We believe he’ll be here one day.’’

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nizkizzle: When will the league realign the conferences? Too many West Coast teams are being punished, and frankly are being physically prevented from healing due to long travel miles. San Jose, Edmonton, Vancouver and Phoenix each have over 50k travel miles and Anaheim and Calgary have just under 50k. Meanwhile Islanders, Rangers, Devils, Penguins, and Flyers all have under 30k travel miles. I understand that East Coast teams are located close to one another, but I can't help but feel East Coast teams get the better deal when it comes to Coast to Coast travel. They say the healthy team in the playoffs wins, well looking at the Cup winners previous 10 years, only 2 teams, Avalanche, Ducks, are East of the Mississippi River. You can't tell me that 20k less travel per year, or even 10k would help keep players healthier, and more fresh in the course of the year. Now I also get that these guys aren't flying coach, or staying in Motel 6's, but swelling and headaches don't get better while at 30k feet in the air…

My take: Niz, the NHL’s Board of Governors will vote on realignment Dec. 5-6 in Pebble Beach, Calif. And yes, the Western teams are the ones more aggressively pushing for radical change while the Eastern teams are more content with something close to the status quo, other than realizing Winnipeg has to move. The four-conference proposal seems to be gaining traction, however. The debating and lobbying will continue for another few weeks before Pebble. The GMs had their say in Toronto on Tuesday, the league looking for their feedback, but it’s a governor issue in the end.

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m_works: Guys, can you do something about the bipolar weekly rankings? I can't be the only person frustrated watching teams soar or plummet 10 or 12 spots based on how they played over the past 2 or 3 games. Maybe an average between both your rankings?

My take: What can I say? Burnside and I don’t agree on anything!

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jaykk1: How is Tyler Seguin not on the All-Star ballot? He could be leading the league in goals and points very shortly (currently 2nd and 3rd respectively). I guess when you include Doug Hamilton and Jared Knight, the Bruins made out quite well in that trade.

My take: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ... Oh sorry, All-Star Game? Fell asleep there for a moment. As many of you know, my care level on the All-Star Game is below zero. I can’t get riled up about it. Sorry, folks. But yes, obviously Seguin should have been on the ballot.

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beerleaguer726: I am REALLY sick of the ban the 1-3-1 talk. It would be a disgrace to do so. The league would be laughably in the wrong if they were to dictate what systems/style a team can play. My opinion: Laviolette got outcoached! Plain and simple. You’re an NHL coach, and you can't come up with a scheme to beat it. Quit whining and earn your paycheck! Get creative (something lacking in Philly outside of Giroux and Jagr). You as 10th year NHL coach are basically conceding to the fact that a second year coach outfoxed you. Boucher put the time in and implemented a system that could straight up frustrate the Flyers. For Laviolette not to put the same effort into the game is embarrassing. Embarrassing that he wasted the fan's time "bringing light" to a dead-puck era system instead of doing his job. I'll take a page from Shanahan on this one; This onus is on the coach to design a winning game plan, NOT the league.

My take: The GMs talked about the trap here in Toronto on Tuesday, but in the end you cannot legislate against it. This is an age-old issue. The league even formed a blue-ribbon committee under Brian Burke in the 1990s to tackle the trap. But nothing really came of it. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren himself told us Monday night at the Hockey Hall of Fame that he believed last Thursday night’s controversy was an “isolated incident.’’

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anfarnzk: am i the only sabres season ticketholder who thinks the sabres won’t make the playoffs? they play like garbage and i think they are a joke. their soft and play horrible defense every single game. the only reason we have won at all is enroth getting lucky in like 4 games and playing horrible teams. with such an easy starting schedule, the sabres have legit sucked and I’m happy miller is hurt hopefully he still has some value in a trade because he has to go asap, and yes, the defense has given up many of these goals, but at least make one save on any of them he just quits! he goes after first shot halfheartedly and then lays on the ice. its pathetic look for my seats on ebay!

My take: I promise to eat 50 chicken wings in one sitting if the Sabres miss the playoffs. I’m that confident. Patience, young man !

BOSTON -- Here are five things on our radar for tonight's Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals:

1. Tyler Seguin

There was a lot of discussion before Nathan Horton's season-ending injury in Game 3 about whether Tyler Seguin should or shouldn't be in the Boston Bruins' lineup; but all of that is moot now that Seguin will draw back in for Game 4.

When Seguin made his debut in the Eastern Conference finals, he piled up three goals and three assists in his first two games. The No. 2 pick in last year's draft was held pointless in seven straight games after that before being made a healthy scratch in Game 3 of the Cup finals, but maybe the rest will invigorate the talented young center.

The question is how Boston coach Claude Julien will choose to use him. Will he slot Seguin in on the wing on the top line in Horton's place, or is that too much exposure for a young man who still struggles with the defensive elements of the game that are so important to Julien? But if he moves Seguin down the lineup, he risks upsetting the line balance that generated seven different scorers in Game 3.

For the record, Julien declined to discuss how he might fill the gap created by Horton's season-ending concussion.

"I don't think anyone can replace a guy like Horts," Seguin said Wednesday morning. "Whatever role I'm put in, I want to make the most of it. I wasn't happy with how I played last game in Vancouver. I don't think I played my best. I can't say I saw [the benching] coming, can't say I was shocked. It was what it was. I gave Thorty [Shawn Thornton] a pat on the back and said, 'Go get them.' That's all you can do."

2. Good Roberto or bad Roberto?

Vancouver Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo opted to remain in goal for the duration of Game 3, although he looked as disinterested as the rest of the Canucks in giving up eight goals in the last two periods. Hard to blame Luongo for the first few goals, but the challenge will be to stop the bleeding in Game 4.

When the Canucks went sideways in the first round against Chicago, it took a couple of games to stop the slide. Will Luongo's performance in Game 3 carry over into tonight? If it does, the Bruins will tie the series and force the Canucks into winning a best-of-three.

In some ways, this is a defining moment for Luongo, who has enjoyed a terrific stretch of hockey since being lifted in Game 6 of the first round. If he can put Game 3 behind him, it will go a long way toward cementing his reputation as a clutch goaltender. If he can't, well, the Luongo story will take on a much darker tone.

3. Special, so special

Shocking to think the talented Canucks have been waxed in the special-teams battle so far in the series. Not only have the Bruins outscored the Canucks on the man advantage (3-1) but Vancouver also gave up two short-handed goals in Game 3. Heading into the series, the Canucks seemed to have a distinct advantage in this area; but if they cannot stop this trend, they'll risk seeing the series slip away from them.

"It's going to help, obviously. It's one of those things that can either win you a series or lose you a series," Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk said. "If your penalty kill is not going, the other team's going to probably win the game. If your power play is not going, we need it to be going because it gives a little bit of an edge if we score a goal or two."

One shocking stat: Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin is without a point in this series and has yet to register a shot on goal in three games.

"Usually, when things work, you don't have to talk about the power play, and it's been working all year," Daniel Sedin said Wednesday. "Like I said, we had some tough stretches in the regular season and in the playoffs, too, and we have always been able to bounce back. We need to do better, we know that, but I like our group."

4. Thornton to the rescue

We admit we were surprised when Julien benched Seguin in Game 3 in favor of veteran Thornton, who had been a healthy scratch for seven straight games. Hard to put a hard-hitting forward such as Thornton into the middle of the Stanley Cup finals. Yet Thornton responded with an inspired performance, helping create a number of chances and drawing a crucial penalty.

Along with Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell, Thornton gave the Bruins' fourth line a needed boost and, as Paille would say afterward, its identity. Thornton, who was tossed out of Game 3 in the third period after having an extended chat with Vancouver's Ryan Kesler, will be bringing more of the same in Game 4.

"It's great having him here in the room, on the bench," Boston left winger Brad Marchand said. "He's so talkative. He just keeps the emotion up on the bench. He gets everyone fired up. Obviously, every time he's on the ice, the crowd loves him. He's bringing so much energy to the team that he's a huge help out there."

5. The extracurricular stuff

Since the Alex Burrows bite on Patrice Bergeron, there have been a few instances of players wagging their fingers in other players' faces and post-whistle tongue wagging and taunting. Pretty funny, actually. But NHL executive Mike Murphy, the man who handed down a four-game suspension to Aaron Rome for his hit on Horton, told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun on Tuesday that he will make it clear to both teams that any more of that "crap" would be met with a two-minute minor and 10-minute misconduct.

But will it change any of the obvious ill will between the two teams?

Julien, who blasted his own players for some of the shenanigans, said he hopes so.

"I think it's been some pretty exciting hockey," Julien said. "I think we need to focus more on that than the other stuff that's been making headlines here. I don't think we need that in our sport, and Mike Murphy was absolutely right in sending us that message to both teams. We need to sell this game in a proper way."

Marchand, who has been known to get under players' skins, wasn't so sure.

"There's no way of knowing. You get out there and everything just kind of carries over to after the whistle. We'll see tonight," said Marchand, who scored a crucial short-handed goal in Game 3 to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead. "It's a very exciting time for the fans and everybody that's watching it. That's what playoff time brings. It brings a little bit of everything. It's why the games are so exciting right now."

Bonus: Ice quality

There was plenty of talk about whether the hot, humid weather in Boston would make for slushy ice conditions in Game 4. Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault seemed unconcerned, pointing out that both teams have to play on the same sheet.

Julien joked that the soft ice suited his game.

"Well, I know I was flying. I don't know if you guys noticed," Julien said. "It looked really good; it was very good. They made some adjustments to this building. I think it's been some great adjustments. To me, the ice looked really good. I think the guys were pretty pleased with it last game, as well."

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Here are five things that will be on our radar for tonight's Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks:

1. Discipline

Each team had six power plays in Game 1, and the Canucks were guilty of taking a double minor for high sticking and giving the Bruins a lengthy 5-on-3 early in the second period. No power-play goals were scored, so the penalties didn't end up being a factor in the Canucks' 1-0 victory. Still, the number of minor penalties certainly didn't make either coach happy. Part of the reason might have been the emotion of the first game, but don't look for a similar parade to the penalty box in Game 2.

"I think going into our first game, it's pretty tough to keep your emotions in check," Vancouver defenseman Christian Ehrhoff said Saturday. "Obviously, for most players, it was the first game on that stage, so you probably saw that a little bit on all the penalties that were taken. Now that we got the first game out of the way, I think everybody is going to be a little more comfortable in Game 2."

The fewer the penalties, the better it is for the Boston Bruins, whose penalty kill has been terrific this spring, while their power play has been, well, dirt.

2. Speaking of the power play ...

We know Boston coach Claude Julien has repeatedly pointed the Bruins' ability to hold the Canucks in check on the special-teams battle in Game 1 (both teams went 0-for-6). Fair enough. But the Bruins' chances of winning this series without getting any meaningful production from their power-play unit are slim at best.

Before the start of the playoffs, GM Peter Chiarelli said Tyler Seguin's skill set put him in the top 5 percent of the league. Hyperbole? Maybe. But if it's so, why did Seguin see just 1:20 of power-play time in Game 1 while Mark Recchi, the NHL's oldest player, was allotted 3:34 of time?

When your team has scored just one road power-play goal throughout the playoffs, isn't it time to think outside the box a little? For the record, Seguin had zero shots on goal in Game 1.

The Bruins will be playing with fire if they give the Canucks six more power-play opportunities. As recently as the Western Conference finals against San Jose, Vancouver has shown it can bury you if you are going to give it chances with the man advantage. We're guessing Game 2 features the first power-play goal(s) of the series.

3. The twins and the tower

Boston captain Zdeno Chara (28:09) and his defensive partner Dennis Seidenberg (27:13 combined) played more minutes than any other skaters in Game 1. They will likely do so again in Game 2. A lot of those minutes were logged skating against Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who were held off the score sheet in Game 1.

Watch for that battle to intensify in Game 2. If the Bruins can continue to hold the Canucks' top forward unit at bay, it bodes well for gaining a split in the series.

"I've said all along he's one of the top defensemen in this league," Daniel Sedin said of Chara. "He's got a long stick, so I think you've got to get close to him and try to use that to your advantage, move the puck quick and move your feet. That's the only way you can beat him."

4. Missing D

The Canucks played for most of the last two periods of the Cup finals opener without Dan Hamhuis, one of their top defensive defensemen and a player who regularly logs big minutes against opposing teams' top forward units.

The Canucks prevailed, but if Hamhuis cannot play in Game 2 (he is a game-time decision, according to coach Alain Vigneault), it will once again test the Canucks' formidable defensive depth. We're guessing Keith Ballard would draw back into the lineup, as he did in the Western Conference finals when Ehrhoff was sidelined.

"Our team was built on a strong and deep defense, and we've used it all year long with different guys being out at different times," Ehrhoff said. "Everybody can play with everybody, so it's not a big adjustment we have to make. Obviously, whoever comes in has to step up and play some big minutes and that's what we've done all year."

5. Hero wanted

With the big guns on both sides held in check in Game 1, it was checking winger Raffi Torres who seized the moment with 18.5 seconds left (converting a terrific pass from equally low-profile forward Jannik Hansen) for the game winner.

The Bruins are looking to find their own hero as they hope to knot this series up before returning to Boston for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday. Based on their level of play in Game 1, look for Brad Marchand and Chris Kelly to factor into a Boston victory. Both were terrific in the opener.

As for Vancouver, the team's third line has come in for much-deserved praise throughout the playoffs, but Maxim Lapierre was especially dynamic with six shots on goal. Only Daniel Sedin (eight shots) had more for either team.

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon wonder why Boston Bruins forward Tyler Seguin wasn't getting more ice time before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals:

TAMPA, Fla. -- When you have two off days between the first two games of a playoff series, it can feel like the process is encased in mud.

But after Boston's wild 6-5 victory Tuesday that evened these Eastern Conference finals with the Tampa Bay Lightning at one game apiece, the rhythm is going to build nicely with games every other day.

With Game 3 looming Thursday night, here's a little tour around this series:

Rookie steals the show

Tyler Seguin is the story of the series so far with the rookie producing an NHL record-tying four-point second period in Game 2 on two goals and two assists. That four-point effort added to a goal and an assist in Game 1 to make the 19-year-old the most dynamic player in the series, a role made all the more surprising by the fact these were his first two playoff games.

Coach Claude Julien said he didn't think he needed to worry about Seguin's expectations being out of whack moving forward.

"He's not the type to get that way," Julien said.

That said, the coach removed any doubt that Seguin would go back to the press box even if Patrice Bergeron returns to action, as might be the case in Game 3.

"You don't pull a guy like that out of your lineup," Julien said of Seguin.

The Bruins' handling of the teenage prospect this season reminds us of how the Pittsburgh Penguins handled Jordan Staal, who stayed with the Penguins as an 18-year-old rookie after being drafted second overall in 2006.

Then-coach Michel Therrien and GM Ray Shero mapped out a plan for the youngster and followed it through, gradually expanding his role. Staal was a nominee for rookie of the year, and while Seguin isn't at that level yet, Julien said the same kind of planning went into Seguin's season.

"Through it all, you could see him progressing," Julien said.

Still, don't expect Tampa netminder Dwayne Roloson to be staying up late Wednesday night poring over tape of the No. 2 pick from last June's entry draft.

"No, I won't do any extra film to look at him specifically. It's not about him, it's about us, what we've got to do to shut down him and also the rest of his teammates," Roloson said during a conference call Wednesday as the Lightning, like the Bruins, took the day off from skating.

Once you start worrying about one player, another steps up and picks up the slack, so it doesn't make any sense to do so, Roloson explained.

Veteran needs to bounce back

Was anyone surprised that coach Guy Boucher lifted Roloson on Tuesday after the Bruins rang five goals past him in the second period on nine shots? The weird part of a decidedly off-kilter Game 2 was that you could hardly fault the 41-year-old netminder on any of the goals. Still, it wasn't surprising to see Roloson get a break with the score 6-3 after the second period.

"Yeah, we actually had a discussion, Coach and I and our goalie coach, and we just talked about what was going on and what I thought, and obviously I didn't want to come out, but at the same time, if that's what he thought was going to give us a little spark to be able to come back, then to make the move," Roloson said.

"And he made the decision, and obviously it was the right decision when the guys came back and battled back."

Not that there's any question about Roloson's ability to bounce back after giving up more goals in the second period than he had given up in any one game this spring. In fact, the six goals Roloson gave up in Game 2 are equal to the most goals he's given up in any two back-to-back games this spring.

Roloson had won eight straight postseason games and entered the game with a .941 save percentage and 2.01 goals-against average, both tops in the league. He also had made more saves than any other netminder prior to Game 2.

"It really wasn't Rollie's fault. We kind of left him out to dry," captain Vincent Lecavalier said Wednesday.

Look for Roloson to come up with a big game in Game 3.

Seidenberg playing big minutes

We haven't really seen too much from Zdeno Chara in this series thus far, and the Boston captain has just four points in 12 games this spring. But Chara's defensive partner, Dennis Seidenberg, is more than picking up the slack.

Seidenberg has logged more ice time this spring than any other player. His average ice time per game, 28:36, ranks second overall and first of all players still playing. In Game 2, he had two assists, including an important assist on the Bruins' first power-play goal of the series. We initially thought Seidenberg's big bomb with one second left on a lengthy first-period power play had gone straight in, but the goal was credited to Nathan Horton.

Seidenberg, who is making his first postseason run with the Bruins after being injured last year, has really enjoyed this spring's run.

"It's a lot of fun. As you said, I watched last year and it was frustrating. Every time you sit up top, I've said it many times before, it always seems like you're the best player because everything seems so easy [from up there]. So sitting up there was frustrating, and to be able to be part of the team this year and being able to help out just playing a big part on the team is a lot of fun and I really enjoy it," Seidenberg said.

As far as resting up when you're logging the number of minutes Seidenberg is, he said the playoffs are a completely different beast than the regular season.

"During the regular season, life goes on, my regular life. You do stuff during the day and stuff, but in the playoffs, it seems like all you do is you play the game and off day you just relax all day," he said.

"On off days, you just try and eat as much as you can and replenish your food and fluids, so that's maybe a little different than the regular season."

Pretty good gig, no?

The father of two young children, ages 3 and 7 months, said his family has been very supportive and that's without showing them the game sheet with his minutes highlighted.

"It's been good. They've been really supporting me," he said. "My wife has done a great job. I hardly [do] anything anyways."

End of pond hockey?

The Bruins and the Lightning might have been the two last teams you'd expect to get into a river romp like Game 2's 6-5 affair. But Julien explained that once a team opens up, like Tampa did when it got down 4-2 and later 6-3, it creates more open ice for his own players, and it’s hard for them to resist the temptation to take advantage. And when that happens, it becomes a seesaw effect with chances at both ends.

Neither Julien nor Boucher is expecting that kind of tilt Thursday night in Tampa.

"It's not our offense right now that's the problem; I think it's playing better defense. And we've given them things on the rush that we never give against anybody. So I think we have to tighten that up," Boucher said.

Aftermath of a streak

Teams don't generally go into the playoffs hoping to win eight games in a row. It just doesn't happen that way very often. But when you've won eight in a row, as the Lightning had until the Bruins stopped their streak in Game 2, you wonder how a team will respond to the sudden end to the good times.

"You know what, we've lived it, we lived it just before the playoffs, we won seven out of eight and we had our first series, obviously we lost and had to bounce back. So we've lived that this year. I think every team has," Boucher said.

"But the last time we lost, we bounced back and we won eight in a row. So there's absolutely no need to panic."

The Lightning's streak perhaps seemed longer than it was because they had to wait more than a week after sweeping Washington to start the conference finals series.

"Yeah, it's like you said, when you go on a streak like that and then we had those 10 days in between the series, and you haven't lost a game in probably -- felt like a month. So it was something that you have confidence and you get used to. But I think our team did a great job of not being content with it and always wanting more," Steven Stamkos said Wednesday.

"But you have to be a realist, and you're not going to go from the second round of the Stanley Cup finals and win every single game. The teams in this league are unbelievable teams, and they're here for a reason. And we expected this to be a long series. And our expectations haven't changed now just because we've lost one game," he added.

"It's nice to win every game, but that's not realistic. We've got to realize what we did wrong and focus on tomorrow night's game, especially in front of our home fans."

So, what the heck happened with that Marco Sturm trade, anyway?

Well, here’s what we’re told happened. The Los Angeles Kings realized the time frame for Sturm’s return from knee injury was about a week later than they previously thought, so the deal got scuttled. Whether the deal eventually goes through depends on who you talk to. Some sources connected to the deal say yes, others say no. It’s up in the air at this point.

Sturm, who has a no-trade clause, signed a consent form to accept a trade to Los Angeles. In the meantime, medical staffs from both teams have exchanged information on the player, so the Kings have an up-to-date picture on Sturm’s injury. If and when the trade goes through, it would still be contingent upon Strum passing a physical. The Bruins would get a conditional pick in return.

Stay tuned.

Board of governors meetings

My pal and ESPN.com colleague Scott Burnside will be covering the NHL’s board of governors meetings Monday and Tuesday in Palm Beach, Fla., this week. He’ll have details on the agenda Monday in his Five Things, but I wanted to pass along this nugget.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has traditionally hinted at the annual gathering what next year’s salary cap will be based on current revenue projections. A source told ESPN.com on Saturday that will again be the case this week and next year’s cap is expected to “up modestly.”

It might surprise some that the cap isn’t expected to go down given all the empty seats in places like Phoenix, Dallas, Florida, Long Island, Atlanta and Columbus. But the league has seen growth in other areas, particularly in new media and most relevantly in the Canadian dollar. The Canadian and U.S. dollars have essentially been at par all season long, and with the six Canadian teams representing between 30-35 percent of league-wide team revenues … well, you get the picture.

If the Canadian dollar was back down to 70 or 75 cents U.S., revenues for Canadian teams would be lower and the cap would go down.

Brad Richards update

I was told Saturday the New York Rangers’ interest in Brad Richards (set to be an unrestricted free agent July 1) is serious enough that they’re willing to pony up assets before the Feb. 28 trade deadline to make sure he doesn’t go elsewhere should the Dallas Stars decide to put him on the market in order to get value before he leaves. This despite the fact the Rangers could get him July 1 without giving up any assets.

Obviously, the carrot here for Richards, who has a no-movement clause, is his relationship with Rangers coach John Tortorella. The two won a Cup together in 2004 when Torts was behind the bench for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Bob Hartley

Former Colorado and Atlanta coach Bob Hartley was offered the head coaching job in Lugano of the Swiss League this past week, but told ESPN.com on Saturday he decided to take a pass.

Seguin and the World Juniors

ESPNBoston.com’s James Murphy reported this past week that the Bruins’ front office was thinking about whether they should send rookie forward Tyler Seguin to the World Junior Championship to play for Canada.

Elliotte Friedman from “Hockey Night in Canada” reported during Saturday night’s Bruins-Leafs telecast that the Bruins thought about it and ultimately decided not to send Seguin, who will instead remain with the Bruins.

A week in Leafs Land

What a week it’s been here in Toronto. Let’s start on the ice, where the team continues to flounder. The lowlight was a 5-0 home loss to Edmonton on Thursday in which fans chanted for coach Ron Wilson to be fired and threw some Leafs jerseys on the ice. Ugly.

On Friday, the players got a surprise address from Dave Nonis, the senior vice president of hockey operations. A little different to be sure -- usually only the coach or GM would address the team -- but I think it was wise to have a difference voice after veteran GM Brian Burke addressed the players last month.

According to a Leafs player, the message from Nonis was: “The answer comes from within this room, stop waiting for the answer to come from the outside [via trade]. And a coaching change is not in the works; the players have to provide the solution.”

That’s not to say Wilson won’t ever face the ax, but it’s clear at this point that Burke and Nonis don’t see that as the current solution. Not right now.

Leafs and its ownership

Meanwhile, the Toronto Star dropped a local bombshell earlier in the week with news that Canadian telecommunications giant Rogers Communications Inc. had approached the biggest shareholder in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, to buy its 66 percent share of the mega-sports empire which controls the Leafs, NBA’s Raptors and MLS’ Toronto FC, plus other assets.

Then, on Friday, the CEO of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan broke his silence, saying there had never been an offer from Rogers for its stake in MLSE.

“We have not received an offer for Maple Leaf Sports,” Jim Leech told the Globe and Mail.

Confused?

Here’s my take: I don’t think the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is aggressively looking to sell its share, but that doesn’t mean it won’t.

“It’s a pension fund,” an MLSE source told ESPN.com on Saturday. “They made a very wise investment a number of years ago. They will hold onto it as long as they think the enterprise value is growing. If it stalls, meaning it goes down or gets flat growth, they will sell it. Or if they believe they can sell it and deploy those millions of dollars somewhere else that will give a higher return, they will do that as well. So that’s where it’s at. It’s always for sale and it’s not for sale at the same time.”

In the end, though, the MLSE source said there’s really nothing going on at this point. In fact, the Leafs’ ownership situation is not even on the board of governors’ agenda this week.

The Leafs and their CEO

And finally, Richard Peddie made it official over the past week that he’ll step down as president and CEO of MLSE in December 2011. A search firm has begun the process to gather names. A source told ESPN.com on Saturday more than 100 names will be contacted before a short list is produced within a few months. So you’ll hear all kinds of names between now and then, especially given the prestigious nature of the job, one of the highest-profile gigs in North America.

One name another industry source told me to keep an eye on as a possible candidate is Scott O’Neil, president of Madison Square Garden Sports since July 2008. He’s been described a major rising star in the sports business. In his role, he oversees the business operations of the Knicks, Rangers, New York Liberty and Hartford Wolfpack. O'Neil also manages all MSG sporting events, such as college basketball, boxing, etc.