The second half, however, was more what the fans came to see. Federico Macheda put two goals past Bobby Shuttleworth in a four-goal second half for United. J.S. Park and Michael Owen each scored one as well. Kenny Mansally was in the right place at the right time as Benny Feilhaber's free kick deflected off him and into the back of the net for New England's lone tally.

Manchester United heads west for the club's second game in this Herbalife World Football Challenge as they take on the Seattle Sounders Wednesday, July 20.

New England, winless in the team's last nine matches, hosts the Philadephia Union, tied for first place in the Eastern conference, Sunday at Gillete. Kick-off is 7 p.m.

FINAL: United 4, Revolution 1: The final whistle has blown and the United have won 4-1. After a first half with numerous chances but no goals, the Red Devils recovered in the second half and used some nifty passing to get into scoring position, and they didn't miss.

The man of the match is 19-year-old Manchester forward Federico Machado, who scored twice for United in the win.

80th minute, 4-1 United: After Gabriel Obertan turned Zak Boggs around twice on the right side, he found Ryan Giggs at the top of the 18-yard box. Giggs played one through to Ji-Sung Park who found himself nearly on top of Bobby Shuttleworth before chipping one just under the bar for United's fourth goal of the second half.

73rd minute, 3-1 United: Nice counterattack by New England during the last sequence. After a United shot from the left side leaked through the Revs defense and in on goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, the Revolution quickly sprinted up the pitch, looking to catch the Red Devils out of position. The strategy worked as Shalrie Joseph led the rush and led Kenny Mansally with a lead pass to the left of the box. Mansally got off a strong shot, but not strong enough to beat Anders Lindegaard, who dove to his left to deflect the ball away until a teammate could clear it out.

67th minute, 3-1 United: More substitutions for Alex Ferguson and Steve Nicol. In for New England in the 64th minute are Zach Schilawski, Ryan Guy and Ousame Dabo.

In for United are Ryang Giggs and Gabriel Obertan.

Since entering the game, Bobby Shuttleworth has seen Federico Macheda beat him twice and nearly finish his third. Shuttleworth denied Macheda's far post bid, resulting in a corner for United. The second half has been wide open in the first 25 minutes with both teams getting some quality chances and burring them, much to the approval of the Manchester-heavy fan base.

61st minute, 3-1 United: Right place, right time for Federico Macheda. After a pass from the right flank by Rafael Da Silva was deflected by a Revs player to Macheda, the 19-year-old collected with his right foot and struck with his left, putting it into the far corner for his second goal of the night, giving United a 3-1 lead.

57th minute, 2-1 United: After a scoreless first half, the second half has seen three goals in ten minutes.

Nani sprung Michael Carrick down the right side who then played Federico Macheda inside the 18 who was left with just Shuttleworth to beat. The forward finished low far-post in the 54 the minute.

Three minutes later, Benny Feilhaber's free kick at the top of the 18 deflected off Kenny Mansally and ended up in the back of the net. Lindegaard had no chance.

51st minute 1-0 United: We are scoreless no more. Coming out of half time with much greater focus, United took control of the ball and set up an attack in the New england end. Michael Carrick controlled the ball from just outside the center of the box and delivered a pinpoint lead pass to Michael Owen, who sprinted past two Revs defenders for a chance in alone. Owen attacked from the left side and accurately used a righty strike to the far post, out of the reach of new goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. The Red Devils now have a 1-0 lead.

HALF, 0-0: As promised, here are the statistics from the first half of play.

United is outshooting New England 9-5, and have control for most of the first half. Matt Reis has been a busy man in net , moving from post to post to keep the ball out, though so far he has been credited with only one save in the contest, the same for Anders Lindegaard. The Red Devils have earned two corner kicks, while the Revs have yet to earn such an opportunity.

Thus far it has been a relatively clean play, with no cards and generally no hard fouls. United has six fouls while New England has two.

Substitutions have been anounced for the second half. For United, Rio Ferdinand is in for Nemanja Vidic, Michael Owen in for wayne Rooney and Federico Macheda in for Dimitar Berbatov.

HALF, 0-0: United nearly scored in the 43rd minute as Nani ran onto a ball played into the 18 by Fabio. Matt Reis held his post and made a kick save, and a beauty ,to keep the game scoreless. Reis, already with the biggest save of the game thus far, has been busy tonight. United has tested the goalkeeper with dangerous crosses from both flanks. Reis and the Revolution back line held their ground though and denied Berbatov and company through the first 45.

The Revs, although unable to sustain pressure on Anders Lindegaard, had success on the counter in the first half. Nyassi and Tierney delivered quality crosses into the box with Joseph nearly connecting on one from Tierney.

Aside from sorting out the game ball situation in the opening minutes, the officiating staff, led by Mark Geiger, remained relatively quiet. No cards were issued in a clean first half.

First half stats and starting line ups for the second half coming up soon. 

1st half, 41st minute: Some tense moments in front of the New England net. First, Fabio da Silva delivered an absolutely perfect pass in front of the net to a wide open Dimitar Berbatov. Matt Reis dove to his left just in the knick of time, preserving the 0-0 score, for now.

Not long after, Nani crossed a pass from the right flank to Wayne Rooney for another good scoring chance, but the superstar forward did not connect cleanly and the ball was cleared out of the box by Kevin Alston. These were the two best scoring chances of the night so far. United looks to be gaining steam in the final moments of the first half.

1st half, 33rd minute: Shalrie Joseph sprung Sainey Nyassi down the left flank that resulted in a cross into the box just out of the reach of Joseph. The Revs have been able to build an attack off the counter as United has dominated possesion thus far.

United has tried twice now to connect with front man Dimitar Berbatov and looking for the second man running on. United's ability to spread the Revs' defense has opened up the option. Twice Rooney and Berbatov have attempted the give and go, but it has not produced on a shot on target.

1st half, 24th minute: Benny Feilhaber's hustle results in the first shot on goal for the Revs in the contest. After a turnover near the midfield stripe, New England set up with attackers surrounding the 18. The ball found its way just outside the box with Ashley Young nearby. Feilhaber sprinted and beat Young to the ball, sending a leftfooted strike to the lower left corner of the net. Anders Lindegaard was in good position, however, and dove to keep it out.

1st half, 20th minute: Wayne Rooney nearly gave United two goals in a span of two minutes. The forward delivered a beautiful one touch pass to Dimitar Berbatov who ran on to the pass just inside the 18. Berbatov was unable to finish the set up.

Minutes later, Rooney headed a cross just over the bar on a ball delivered from Nani off the right wing. Rooney found a seam and was unchallenged as he redirected the cross.

1st half, 13th minute: Chris Tierney is looking good in the opening minutes of this one. Dribbling up the left sideline, he delivered a beautiful cross into the box intended for Shalrie Joseph. The Revs captain dove to head the ball toward the net, but just ended up directing it a few feet too far to the right.

Fabio Da Silva looked to be a little out of position on the play as the youngster was beat to the ball by Joseph. Fortunately for him the ball stayed out of the net.

1st half, 10th minute: After some issues with the game ball, officials have finely sorted out the issue and play has resumed after a brief halt.

Chris Tierney gave the Revs their first real chance on a set piece just outside the 18-yard box. Tierney found the ball on his foot after it was headed out by United's back line and Tierney put it wide.

1st half, 4th minute: It didn't take long for United to set up shop in the New England end. Thanks to a great lead pass by Wayne Rooney, Fabio Da Silva got loose down the sideline before being taken out by Salrie Joseph. No foul was called, but United got a corner kick after Joseph slid to knock the ball out of bounds. Matt Reis looked cool in net however, snatching the corner kick out of the air before a United player could get a touch.

8:10 p.m.: Emerging from the locker room with the Premier League trophy, the United players greeted the Revs at the midfield stripe and are ready to get underway at the Herbalife World Football Challenge.

The lower bowl at Gillette is just about filled, about half wearing Revolution colors and the other half wearing Red Devils colors.

The player who received the heartiest cheer during introductions? None other than Wayne Rooney himself. No surprise there.

7:35 p.m.: The Revs have taken the field for warmups, dressed in their home blue kits with blue jerseys and blue shorts. The Red Devils took the field shortly afterwards, wearing their white road kits, with red jerseys and white shorts.

The starting lineups for both teams have been released as well. Sir Alex Ferguson doesn't appear to be holding anything back in this one as his starting 11 feature the usual top names.

United

Anders Lindegaard, GK
Nemanja Vidic, D
Fabio Da Silva, D
Rafael Da Silva, D
Jonathan Evans, D
Michael Carrick, MF
Anderson, MF
Dimitar Berbatov, F
Wayne Rooney, F
Ashley Young, F
Nani, F

New England

Matt Reis, GK
Franco Coria, D
AJ Soares, D
Kevin Alston, D
Chris Tierney, MF
Sainey Nyassi, MF
Shalrie Joseph, MF
Benny Feilhaber, MF
Pat Phelan, MF
Rajko Lekic, F
Zak Boggs, F 

6:50 p.m.: For those keeping score at home, here are the rosters for both clubs. First for United:

Dave De Gea, GK
Patrice Evra, DF
Phil Jones, DF
Rio Ferdinand, DF
Michael Owen, FW
Anderson, MF
Dimitar Berbatov, FW
Wayne Rooney, FW
Ryan Giggs, MF
Chris Smallings, DF
Ji-Sung Park, MF
Javier Hernandez, FW
Nemanja Vidic, DF
Michael Carrick, MF
Nani, MF
Ashley Young, FW
Danny Welbeck, FW
Fabio Da Silva, DF
Rafael Da Silva, DF
Jonny Evans, DF
Federico Macheda, FW
Mame Biram Diouf, FW
Anders Lindegaard, GK
Tom Cleverley, MF
Ben Amos, GK
Sam Johnstone, GK

New England

Matt Reis, GK
Franco Coria, DF
Didier Domi, DF
Otto Loewy, MF
AJ Soares, DF
Ousame Dabo, DF
Kenny Mansally, MF
Chris Tierney, MF
Rajko Lekic, FW
Kheli Dube, FW
Alan Koger, FW
Ryan Guy, MF
Diego Fagundez, MF
Zack Schilawski, FW
Sainey Nyassi, MF
Shalrie Joseph, MF
Benny Feilhaber, MF
Andrew Sousa, MF
Darrius Barens, DF
Stephen McCarthy, MF
Pat Phelan, MF
Kevin Alston, DF
Zak Boggs, MF
Bobby Shuttleworth, GK
Ryane Kinne, MF
Tim Murray, GK
Ryan Cochrane, DF

6 p.m.: After a torrential downpour throughout much of eastern Massachusetts, the weather finally seems to have cooperated and the sun is peeking through the clouds. There is even a rainbow over the south end of the stadium, so that's a good sign as well.

The field here at Gillete is a little soggy, but the field crew looks to have it in good condition. Players will take to the pitch shortly for warmups, which will be important for them to make sure they have the proper cleats and can move on the slippery grass.

The clubs will have their full rosters available for tonight's game, the starting lineups will be announced sometime around 7 p.m. Both coaches have said they expect their starters to play the entire first half with substitutes taking over in the second half.

We'll have more updates for you as we inch closer to kickoff.

4 p.m.: Kickoff is just four hours away for the highly anticipated match between Manchester United and the New England Revolution.

Wayne Rooney and his crew will take the pitch around 8 p.m. in front of a huge crowd in Foxboro.

NESN.com's Corey Hanlon and Patrick McHugh will be live blogging all the action from Gillette, so check back here throughout the game for the latest from the stadium.

The Celtics last won a championship in 2008, the Red Sox before them in 2007 and the Patriots prior in the 2004 season. In fact, as us locals and the outsiders who despise us know, fans in this city went from having exactly zero titles between 1987 and 2000, to six since 2001 (or February of 2002, to be precise).

Six world championships in the last decade.

How fitting now that the Bruins have a chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time since 1972 in 2011, nearly 10 years after Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard field goal to beat the heavily favored Rams got the party started.

Just imagine a city seeing all four of its professional sports teams collect rings in the span of a decade. Most cities don't even have pro sports at the major league level, and the ones that do often don't have four — unless you're talking about New York, where there are about 34 different clubs to choose from throughout the city and state.

Yes, those of us here in the Hub are truly blessed … and, for that reason, hated by thousands … err … millions, really.

But, hang on. You see, hockey is an animal of another kind entirely. It's Canada's sport with a popularity that has slowly migrated to the United States, and it has pockets of dedicated fans throughout the country that are simply unmatched in other circles.

There's a reason the Boston Bruins' marketing department had a little fun with Tampa Bay Lightning fans. As good as the Bolts are (or were), Tampa is simply a lousy sports city when it comes to fan support. We've seen that with the Rays for years now, and that club is certainly not the laughingstock it used to be.

Hockey fans — true hockey fans — are as passionate as they come. While people may be hopping on the Bruins' bandwagon now, that's going to be gone come October of next season, win or lose this summer. Sure, some will stay after gaining an appreciation of hockey, but others will likely sit back and jump aboard again should there be an opportunity next April.

That's just the way it is. Hockey isn't a pink hat sport. Girls, for the most part, aren't running around talking about how dreamy Tyler Seguin is. When the Bruins advanced to the Eastern Conference final after overpowering Philadelphia, the team was congratulated at a Celtics-Heat playoff game as Brad Marchand was shown on the scoreboard. This guy has been phenomenal in the playoffs and won the team's Seventh Player Award during the regular season, but I'd be willing to bet most people at the Garden that night didn't have a clue who he was. Zdeno Chara? Sure, but how many 6-foot-9 Slovaks do you see walking around Boston? That guy stands out. Brad Marchand looks like someone you'd see doing curls a few feet from you at the gym. Big difference.

Still, in Boston there's a fan base that's long been suffering, those who don't care that the Red Sox broke an 86-year-old curse, that the Patriots won three times in four years, or that Danny Ainge's forward-thinking Big Three formula may have started a trend that could ultimately destroy the NBA as we know it.

Bruins fans have been withheld and often tormented since the early 1970s. Sure, the team makes the playoffs virtually every year but, until now, they've done so with a pre-2004 Red Sox-like support system that asks how it's all going to fall apart.

In 2008, the B's were the eighth seed and managed to push the top-ranked Canadiens to seven games in the opening round. That shouldn't have happened, and it brought many Bear supporters out of hibernation.

In 2009, the Black and Gold enjoyed a spirited sweep of Montreal in the opening round in a 1-8 reversal in seeding, before ultimately losing in the second round to Carolina, as villain Scott Walker netted the decisive overtime goal in his team's Game 7 win.

As for 2010, that was one for the record books, and not in a way fans around here would like to remember. In fact, it's probably just left unsaid.

And now this.

The Bruins fell behind 0-2 to Montreal to begin the postseason before catching fire. The win over Philadelphia was retribution at its finest and, in the conference finals, everyone watched with bated breath in a scoreless game that had ugly-goal-leads-to-unfortunate-loss-for-one-team written all over it. Instead, David Krejci made a beautiful pass to Nathan Horton, who delivered with such calmness that you'd never know this is his first postseason — maybe because the last two-plus months have already felt like years.

Friday night could have resulted in just another year where the B's got ahead and faltered. It didn't. There's something magical going on here, make no mistake about it. All the angst of the last 39 years could potentially be vanquished as the Bruins prepare for their first Stanley Cup appearance since 1990, when they fell to Edmonton. This time, it's another Canadian foe — the Vancouver Canucks.

Ask anyone knowledgeable of hockey — the B's are not supposed to win this series. The Canucks are a skilled powerhouse of a team with great goaltending, an incredible power play, solid defense and, well, the Sedin twins are basically two Dolph Lundgren's who, like in Universal Soldier, are programmed to destroy anything that gets in their way. More to the point, Vancouver makes this year's Montreal and Philadelphia squads look like the Bruins were facing AHL teams.

That being said, Curt Schilling — who incidentally was at Game 7 against Tampa Bay wearing a Bruins sweater — once said in 2004, "Why not us?" He even had T-shirts made.

And it's true; why not them? Ray Bourque never won here, nor team president Cam Neely or assistant general manager Don Sweeney. NESN analysts Rick Middleton, Mike Millbury and Barry Pedersen didn't raise a Cup in Boston, and neither did Adam Oates or P.J. Axelsson.

But Vancouver-born Milan Lucic could, as could Patrice Bergeron, Krejci and Tim Thomas, perhaps the man who has earned his stripes the most.

We're starting to hear all of the information come out. Boston and Vancouver are matching up for the first time in the playoffs, and the B's have long dominated the regular-season history between the clubs. The Bruins haven't won a title in 39 years, and the Canucks have never won it all in the 40-year history of their franchise, last reaching this point in 1994.

In the league's eyes, there's a great story no matter which team wins. For Versus and NBC, it's a win already because the ratings will continue at record-setting levels.

But, for the hockey fans of Boston, the people out there who bleed Black and Gold, there can be but one outcome. These fans are perhaps the most loyal and passionate of any sports-rooting group in this city and they live and die by a game that is unfortunately about as interesting as soccer to most people in the U.S.

Fans have earned the experience that the next two weeks will bring, and they've earned a duck boat parade that would be like nothing they've ever experienced before.

The Bruins won on home ice in Game 7 against Montreal in Round 1, followed suit in Game 4 over Philadelphia and we all saw what happened just a few days ago.

Should the B's do what was once considered to be the unthinkable, you can bet they'll do it in Game 6 at the Garden with tens of thousands of fans and alumni present and at surrounding watering holes near Causeway Street.

Let's be honest here. It's the only way it should be.

Now, the Boston Bruins are poised to party like it’s 1992 as they open the Eastern Conference final on Saturday night at the TD Garden against the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning. By now, we all know the B’s will be playing in the conference finals for the first time since ’92, but there are likely a slew of things that fans and spectators alike don’t know, or haven’t even thought about.

First, some basics.

The Oscar for Best Picture honoring 1992 cinema went to Unforgiven, for which Clint Eastwood also captured Best Director. The Best Actor went to the one and only Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman.

How about a couple of the top songs? We’ll never forget Whitney Houston‘s “I Will Always Love You” and Boyz II Men‘s “End of the Road” … no matter how hard we may try.

I hate to even mention that gas prices didn’t each reach $1.50 per gallon for the most expensive option, but enough of the standard comparisons.

More interesting is that the last time the Bruins were playing in the conference finals, current rookie Tyler Seguin was just a few months old. Ironically, he had the same amount of NHL playoff experience then as he does now, though that projects to change this weekend, with Patrice Bergeron still recovering from a mild concussion.

On the other end of the spectrum, 43-year-old Bruins veteran Mark Recchi was then just 24 years of age and already playing his fourth NHL season. Interestingly, before finishing that season with Philadelphia — the team that Boston had just eliminated to advance — he began the year with Pittsburgh, the very club that eliminated the B’s in ’92 en route to sweeping Chicago in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Speaking of sweeps, here’s a comparison fans would hate to see repeated.

In 1992, Boston won its opening round in seven games — defeating Buffalo — and then swept Montreal to move on to face Pittsburgh. The far superior Pens, led by Mario Lemieux, took out the B’s in four games. This year, as we know, the Bruins survived a seven-game run with the Canadiens before sweeping the Flyers just days ago. Like I said, hopefully the comparisons end there.

Let’s get back to the players.

This year’s match-up between Boston and Tampa Bay features a pair of dinosaurs in net, at least in hockey terms. Vezina Trophy finalist Tim Thomas has enjoyed a magical run since training camp broke, and now the 37-year-old is matched up with 41-year-old goalie Dwayne Roloson, who had a 24-win regular season splitting time between Tampa and the New York Islanders, but has been every bit as impressive as Thomas since the postseason began.

Far more fascinating, however, is that ageless wonder Martin St. Louis, who at 35 had 99 points during the regular season and currently leads the Lightning in playoff scoring with 13 points, now gets to go head-to-head with Thomas, a friend and former teammate. In 1992, the two were teenagers and just one year away from spending the next four college seasons together at the University of Vermont. Now that’s full circle.

Then, there’s Bruins management.

In ’92, general manager Peter Chiarelli was years from taking on a role in hockey operations, while assistant GM Jim Benning was a recently retired 10-year NHL defenseman.

Fellow assistant GM Don Sweeney, meanwhile, was starring as Benjamin Kane in Wayne’s World. Wait, that was his doppelganger, Rob Lowe. Sweeney was completing his second full season on the blue line for Boston before appearing in 15 playoff games.

As for team president Cam Neely, well, the beloved Bruin didn’t get to enjoy any postseason action, as he was limited to a mere nine contests during the regular season due to injury. Sadly, that was the beginning of the end for the Hub hero, who was limited by injuries for the rest of his career.

Finally, head coach Claude Julien was playing his final season of pro hockey for the AHL’s Moncton Hawks, where he shared the ice with a young center named Rob Murray, who is coming off eight seasons coaching in Providence.

On that note, did you know the Providence Bruins didn’t even exist at this time in 1992? Now, with the likes of Thomas, Bergeron, David Krejci, Brad Marchand, Johnny Boychuk and so many others, just think of where this year’s Bruins would be without the feeder squad down I-95.

To wrap things up, as we look ahead to what’s sure to be an exciting next couple of weeks, perhaps the most telling look back at 1992 can be summed up with this: While the Boston Bruins were playing for a chance at Lord Stanley’s Cup, the Tampa Bay Lightning were just a thought in the womb of the NHL’s belly.

Party on.

Naturally, though, any series is going to provide a surprise or two after a grueling couple of weeks.

Nathan Horton's two overtime winners? Can that ever really be predicted? Well, no. But if you had to pick one guy to do it, would it have been Horton?

Milan Lucic's 30-goal regular season resulting in just two assists in the opening round? Not many people would have had Andrew Ference doubling Lucic's production in their crystal balls.

How about 0-for-21 on the power play, yet still winning the series? Jack Edwards is the only one who could really tell us all what that means in its deepest historical sense.

Then there’s Brad Marchand.

The rookie scored 21 goals and added 20 assists during the regular season on the way to earning the team's coveted 7th Player Award. Still, he's only in his second NHL season, first full campaign, and the gritty winger is participating in the postseason for the very first time on the grandest of stages.

Are you surprised he was nearly a point-per-game player in the first round? You shouldn't be.

Historically, no matter the level, playoff time is Marchand's time. Since his second junior hockey season in Moncton in 2006, the soon-to-be-23-year-old has simply been delivering when it's counted most.

During that 2005-06 campaign, Marchand scored five goals and totaled 19 points in 20 postseason contests, helping Ted Nolan's Wildcats to a President's Cup championship and runner-up honors in the Memorial Cup tournament.

The following year, well, the numbers were just plain outrageous. Marchand had moved on to the Val d'Or Foreurs, where he again appeared in 20 games, this time scoring 16 goals while adding 24 assists for a ridiculous 40 points, which was good for half of his regular season total in just a third of the games. His club would again reach the President's Cup finals, this time, though, falling in a 4-0 sweep to Lewiston.

The 2007-08 season brought yet another team for Marchand, but similar success, as he and Bruins "Black Ace" Andrew Bodnarchuk teamed up on the Halifax Mooseheads, where Marchand produced 16 assists and 19 points in 14 postseason clashes. Halifax fell a round short of Marchand's third straight trip to the President's Cup, but you certainly couldn't fault his efforts.

The then 20-year-old transitioned to the pro ranks the next year, and it was a banner season for the 2008-09 Providence Bruins. The year marked the last time the club has qualified for the postseason, and the P-Bruins advanced all the way to the AHL's final four before falling in five games to the eventual champion Hershey Bears. Marchand scored seven goals and amassed 15 points in 16 games as he once again took his team a few lucky bounces away from the finals.

Last year, the P-Bruins failed to make the playoffs, and Marchand, hard to imagine it now, had not quite proven himself enough to earn a spot in Boston's postseason line-up, leaving him to watch all 13 games from the press level.

Not this year. This year, Marchand has been every bit a reason for Boston's success over Montreal as anyone – other than maybe Tim Thomas.

Does that mean Marchand's appearance will lead Boston to at least the conference finals? Let's hope so, but leave those assumptions to the truly superstitious prognosticators.

This much we know -– with an exciting second round rematch with Philadelphia beginning on Saturday, Marchand's playoff contributions are likely only beginning.

After all, it's just what he does.

Final, Canadiens 3-1: And another disappointing night at the Garden comes to a close with the Canadiens winning both games in Boston to take a 2-0 series lead back to Montreal.

The Bruins again fell behind early, came on strong in the second, but fell short of ever pulling even with the Canadiens, who played a near-perfect road game to finish off their second straight win in Boston.

The Bruins now face the daunting challenge of trying to get back in the series as it shifts north to Montreal for Game 3 on Monday.

Third Period, 18:08, Canadiens 3-1: The Bruins have pulled Thomas for the extra attacker, leaving the net open as they need two goals to tie.

Third Period, 16:40, Canadiens 3-1: The Bruins are still struggling to get shots through to Price as the Habs defense continues to clog the shooting lanes and sacrifice their bodies to block shots.

Third Period, 13:20, Canadiens 3-1: With seven minutes to play and down two goals, the Bruins send out the fourth line, which proceeds to get hemmed in its own zone for most of a 45-second shift.

Third Period, 10:33, Canadiens 3-1: The Bruins have 31 shots on Price again with just under a half a period remaining. They got one by him this time, but they need at least three more to pull out this victory, and that's going to be a very tall order with how Price has played so far.

Third Period, 8:02, Canadiens 3-1: Big shift from Johnny Boychuk, who sends in a blast from the right point that forces Price to check behind him, but the Montreal goalie had made the save. Boychuk then lines up Travis Moen for a thunderous hit at the Boston blue line.

Third Period, 5:20, Canadiens 3-1: Strong sustained pressure by the Bruins throughout the power play, but they can't come up with the goal they so desperately need.

Third Period, 3:20, Canadiens 3-1: The Bruins get a power-play chance as Subban is called for tripping up Paille. Huge opportunity for the Bruins to get back in the game here.

Third Period, 1:29, Canadiens 3-1: It's another stanchion hit, but this one causes no harm. Johnny Boychuk delivers the check on Ryan White in front of the benches, drawing a roar from the crowd.

Third Period, 0:00, Canadiens 3-1: The final frame is under way here at the Garden, and the Bruins are in need of a huge rally to even this series before heading up to Montreal.

Brick Breaks Down the Game: Just spent a few minutes talking with NESN analyst Andy Brickley about what we've seen so far and what the Bruins need to do in the third to get back in this series.

Here's Brick's breakdown:

"That's a killer," Brickley said of Montreal's third goal. "It doesn't defeat you, but it makes the challenge in the third period immense. The Bruins had the game where they wanted it. They got their first goal. They got the crowd into it. They had great pressure right after [the goal]. Then to give up that goal on a turnover in center ice and a bad rebound and you're right back to square one.

"They've got to dig deep in the third. They've got to understand what this period means to the series. You saw what Phoenix did in the third against Detroit today. A little effort, a little good fortune, a little believability. It can be done.

"But the Bruins have to be the better team in the neutral zone. If they do that, good things will happen in both ends and they'll get offensive opportunities. Center ice is the critical area, because Montreal will try to do what they did in the third period in Game 1 and just chip it out, chip it out. If the Bruins can be the better team in center ice, they have a chance."

End Second Period, Canadiens 3-1: The Bruins finally scored, but they got no closer as Montreal answered late in the period to take a two-goal lead into the third.

Second Period, 18:19, Canadiens 3-1: The Bruins nearly answer with a chance in front, but the puck stays out and a mad scramble ensues with the scrum taking the net off its moorings as Gill shoves Marchand into it.

Second Period, 17:21, Canadiens 3-1: The Habs with the crushing goal to extend the lead back to two goals with Yannick Weber scoring on a rebound in front.

The Bruins had tried for a long outlet pass to spring Horton, but the Habs intercepted it and quickly transitioned to the attack. Lars Eller had the initial shot from the right circle. Thomas made the save, but Weber banged home the rebound at the left post.

Second Period, 14:23, Canadiens 2-1: The Bruins can't convert on the power play, just missing on a couple of chances including a tip in front that just slipped wide in the closing seconds. While they didn't score, that power play wasn't a complete failure, as the Bruins maintained the momentum with some solid pressure.

Second Period, 12:23, Canadiens 2-1: The gloves come off for the first time in the series, as Shane Hnidy drops them with James Wisniewski after Wisniewski drills Peverley into the boards with a dangerous hit.

Wisniewski appeared to land more punches than the rusty Sheriff, but full marks to Hnidy for stepping up for his teammate. The Bruins get the power play as Wisniewski gets two for charging on the hit in addition to the matching fighting majors.

Second Period, 11:59, Canadiens 2-1: Thomas is fighting the puck a bit, bobbling a couple of bouncing shots in on him. The Bruins can't afford to let a fluke goal slip in here to kill their momentum.

Second Period, 10:07, Canadiens 2-1: The Bruins have definitely come alive since taht goal, as they are swarming the net like they should have been since the start of the series. Krejci, Ryder, Recchi and Bergeron have all had chances in close since the goal.

Price has come up big, but the Bruins are doing a much better job of getting quality chances on him and need to continue this pressure.

Second Period, 7:38, Canadiens 2-1: The Bruins finally break through, and the Garden has come alive.

Patrice Bergeron gets Boston's first goal of the series, completing a nice play from linemates Brad Marchand and Mark Recchi. Recchi began it with  pass from the right wing over to Marchand on the left boards, and Marchand sent it to Bergeron for an easy tap-in at the top of the crease.

Second Period, 6:34, Canadiens 2-0: The Bruins survive that Montreal power play, and a Tomas Plekanec breakaway chance just after it ended, but they still have a long way to go to get back in this one.

Second Period, 4:34, Canadiens 2-0: The Bruins will now be shorthanded with Milan Lucic going off for high-sticking P.K. Subban. Huge kill for the Bruins, as the Habs could put this game away with another goal here.

Second Period, 1:28, Canadiens 2-0: The Bruins don't do much with that power-play chance, and Gill is back on the ice as the sides return to even strength.

Second Period, 0:00, Canadiens 2-0: The middle frame is under way here at the Garden, with the Bruins still on the power play for 1:28 and in desperate need of a goal.

First Intermission Notes: The Bruins accomplished their goal of being more physical in the opening period. That's the only goal they have.

Boston is still searching for its first actual goal of the series after four frustrating periods against Montreal. Boston needed a fast start and a quick lead to force the Canadiens out of their stifling defensive style. Instead, the Habs scored 43 seconds into play, added another six seconds after a questionable interference call on Dennis Seidenberg and it's been more of what we saw in Game 1 since. The Bruins are getting shots again, this time a 15-8 edge, but haven't seriously threatened Carey Price.

The one bright spot is the physical play. Boston has a 16-9 edge in hits and has delivered some big shots. They need to continue that to wear down the smaller Habs, but they also need to finally break through with some scoring. They'll start the second with 1:28 left on Hal Gill's cross-checking penalty. Converting that power play will go a long way toward getting Boston back in this game, and this series.

End First Period, Canadiens 2-0: And a nightmare period for the Bruins comes to a close. Boston has a 15-8 edge in shots, but the Habs scored the only two goals.

First Period, 19:27, Canadiens 2-0: The Bruins will get another chance on the power play late in the period as Hal Gill is sent off for cross-checking with 32.1 seconds left in the first.

First Period, 14:37, Canadiens 2-0: Horton with a display of emotion as he smashes his stick at the bench going off at the end of a frustrating shift.

First Period, 12:42, Canadiens 2-0: The Bruins might not be winning anything else, but they're winning the physical battles. Another hit by Seidenberg was followed by Boychuk running over Cammalleri.

First Period, 10:24, Canadiens 2-0: That power play doesn't last long, as Horton gets a roughing call to even it up after knocking Hal Gill into Price behind the net. That came after Krejci stole the puck from Price. Krejci and P.K. Subban then got into it after the whistle, but no further penalties were called.

First Period, 10:09, Canadiens 2-0: Excellent shift from the top line, with Horton, Lucic and Krejci creating multiple chances and throwing their weight around, but it still doesn't lead to a goal.

Things get nasty at the end of the shift, with Roman Hamrlik taking a shot at Horton. Horton was incensed, but was held back and only Hamrlik goes to the box. He gets two minutes for roughing and the Bruins will have their first power play of the night.

First Period, 8:04, Canadiens 2-0: A juicy rebound in front for Brad Marchand after a rare shot by Tomas Kaberle, but he can't put it home. The Bruins have picked up the physical play with some big hits, but they've been way too sloppy with turnovers in the own zone.

First Period, 6:28, Canadiens 2-0: The Habs nearly strike again, as Tom Pyatt sends a rebound just wide in front. The Bruins actually have a 7-5 edge in shots, not that it's done them much good.

First Period, 2:20, Canadiens 2-0: The Habs need just six seconds to convert on the power play, as Mathieu Darche doubles the lead with a goal in front.

He scored at the left post off a feed from Cammalleri.

First Period, 2:14, Canadiens 1-0: The Bruins will now be shorthanded as Dennis Seidenberg is called for interference after leveling Benoit Pouliot behind the Bruins net.

First Period, 0:43, Canadiens 1-0: Game 2 opens a lot like Game 1, as the Canadiens grab an early lead.

This time it took two shots, with James Wisniewski sending in a shot from the right circle. Tim Thomas stopped that one, but the rebound went right to Michael Cammalleri, who banged it into the open net from the left slot.

First Period, 0:00, 0-0: Game 2 is under way here at the Garden, where it is deafening once again as the Bruins look to even this series with Montreal.

7 p.m.: The Chara-less Bruins will open with Tomas Kaberle and Adam McQuaid paired on defense. Expect all the pairs to be shuffled throughout the game as Shane Hnidy is worked into the rotation with the captain sidelined.

David Krejci's line with Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton on the wings gets the call to start up front, with Tim Thomas in goal.

The Canadiens counter with Mathieu Darche, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta up front, Roman Hamrlik and James Wisniewski on the blue line and Carey Price in net.

The Habs are also without a key player, as Andrei Kostitsyn with miss this game after blocking a Chara shot in Game 1. Jeff Halpern, Paul Mara and Alexandre Picard are also out. Yannick Weber will dress, as Montreal goes with seven defensemen. Weber may see time up front.

6:55 p.m.: Despite taking the warm-ups and skating in the line drills, Zdeno Chara is apparently not feeling well enough to play and has been scratched.

Shane Hnidy is in the lineup. Tyler Seguin remains the scratch up front.

6:40 p.m.: No changes in the Bruins lines during warm-ups. Tyler Seguin and Shane Hnidy were on the ice as they were before Game 1, but did not skate in the line drills and appear to be the scratches again as anticipated.

Here are the lines from warm-ups:

Lucic-Krejci-Horton

Marchand-Bergeron-Recchi

Kelly-Peverley-Ryder

Paille-Campbell-Thornton

Defense pairs:

Chara-Boychuk

Kaberle-Seidenberg

Ference-Boychuk

6:30 p.m.: Zdeno Chara is on the ice for the warm-ups. Looks like he will be able to play as expected.

Tim Thomas and Carey Price led the teams out. That will be the goaltending matchup, also as expected.

6 p.m.: It's been an eventful day at the Garden, with the bulk of the drama surrounding the status of Zdeno Chara.

The Bruins captain was hospitalized for dehydration on Friday night, but will likely still play in Game 2 on Saturday. The final decision will be made by the team's medical staff, and no official announcement has been yet.

Assuming Chara plays, there shouldn't be any lineup changes for the Bruins. The Canadiens will have game-time decisions for forwards Andrei Kostitsyn and Jeff Halpern. Halpern has been out with a lower-body injury but did skate Saturday monring. Kostitsyn was hurt by a Chara shot in Game 1 and did not skate with the club Saturday morning.

8 a.m.: The Bruins didn't open the postseason the way they had hoped.

Montreal scored on the very first shot of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal against Boston just 2:44 and the Bruins never scored, falling 2-0 in Game 1 at the Garden on Thursday.

The rivals meet again on Garden ice for Game 2 on Saturday, and the Bruins can't afford to fall behind by two games before the series shifts to Montreal next week. They also can't afford to fall behind early like did on Thursday, which allowed the Canadiens to play their stifling defensive style and frustrate the Bruins' efforts to answer.

"They obviously make it difficult for us to generate some offense," Bruins forward Daniel Paille said. "They got that goal early and just sat back, were patient and succeeded."

The Bruins will have to do a better job of forcing the issue in Game 2. That means ramping up the intensity and physical play, using their superior size and toughness to their advantage the way they did in the final two regular-season clashes at the Garden, which Boston won 8-6 and 7-0.

Even with a bigger and tougher lineup, it isn't easy to impose a physical style of game on a team like Montreal, especially when the Canadiens have the lead and are basically playing a little rope-a-dope.

"We talk about our team being physical," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "I think we want to be physical, but it also can be a challenge when you feel you've played most of the night with the puck. We had the puck all night [on Thursday]. They didn't spend much time in our end, so our D's couldn't really get involved that physically. When we had the puck in their end you're not hitting when you're controlling it, so it's a bit of a challenge. We still got a fair number of hits, but I think that kind of deflated the physical aspect of our game."

Even when the hits are delivered, the Habs aren't likely to be intimidated with a chance to take a commanding lead in the series.

"I think we played pretty physical," Bruins forward Brad Marchand said. "I think we did a pretty good job, but it's different in regular season than it is in playoffs. In regular season sometimes guys just don't show up and just don't care to go through that battle every night. But in playoffs they're not going to sit back. They're not going to cower from us. They're going to come out battling and hit us right back. I thought we did a good job of playing physical. Maybe we can be a little more aggressive, win a couple more battles, but we did a pretty good job."

The Bruins will have to do a better job in this one to get their first win this postseason and even the series before heading up to Montreal.

The puck drops at 7 p.m., so check back here throughout the day for updates on all the action.

Assigned to Providence on April 6 for the AHL club's final weekend of the season as something of a playoff tune-up after sitting in nine of 10 games for Boston, Kampfer sustained an injury in his second game of the weekend on Saturday in Springfield.
 
"Steve got tangled up in the neutral zone there early in the game with a Springfield player and it’s still being determined what the extent of the injury is," said P-Bruins head coach Rob Murray prior to his team’s final game against Manchester on Sunday at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
 
"He came back, he played one shift after that and he didn't feel he could go, so we shut him down for the game and hopefully it’s not too serious," continued Murray. "He was able to get back out there and skate. The doctors were in here this morning to look at him, so we’ll see. Hopefully it's not, you know, that's a tough break for him if it's anything serious."
 
The potential loss of Kampfer for any amount of time is far from ideal but not detrimental for Boston, as the B’s do have veteran Shane Hnidy as one of seven healthy defensemen on their roster.
 
A rookie, Kampfer has appeared in 38 games for the parent Bruins, totaling five goals and five assists, along with 22 contests for the gang an hour down I-95.

Sporting his new shaved head, as part of Cuts for a Cause, the "part-time" Bruins defenseman will find himself in familiar territory back in Providence, but his time with the P-Bruins will be short-lived.

Kampfer told Adam Kaufman that he was surprised to hear he was heading back down to Rhode Island, but the coaches agreed it would be best for the defenseman to get in some playing time in case they need him to jump back in with the big club come playoff time.

"I wasn't expecting to come down," he said. "I'm just going to get some games in and be ready for playoffs up there. In case somebody gets hurt, I'm ready to go."

Kampfer added that he will prepare for the games in Providence like they are games with Boston, saying that he wanted to help the team end the season in a winning fashion.

"I think you gotta prepare like you're gonna play up there," he said. "We're gonna do our best to get six points this weekend."

As far as playoff predictions are concerned, Kampfer thinks the Bruins have what it takes to win the Stanley Cup.

"We expect to go all the way," he said. "We have the personnel, we have everyone that can do the job. We struggled the past couple games, didn't play our style. Youre gonna see that determined hockey club that's there that wants to play."

For the complete interview with Kampfer, click the player below.

Steven Kampfer (4.8.11) – Playoff Tune-up in Providence, Boston Expectations

Adam Kaufman turned over his interviewing duties to the two roommates, and they asked each other some interesting questions.

Knight, who was draft pick No. 32 in 2010, started off the interview with typical questions, like how Spooner was feeling going into his first professional hockey game.

"I'm pretty excited for it," Spooner said. "I'm sure I'll be pretty nervous when I first go out there."

After that, the questions strayed away from hockey, touching on topics like napping and favorite Gargoyles.

"It was a popular kids' show back in the day," Spooner said in defense of the subject.

When it has his turn, Spooner, who was selected 45th overall last season, asked Knight if he was the best Knight on the London Knights.

"I was the only Knight, yes," he said. "But we were a good team and we had a bunch of good players."

When asked why he was selected ahead of Spooner, Knight replied simply, "I don't know … I'm better looking."

For the full interview, and to learn more about Knight's tattoos and Spooner's personal life, click the player below.

Jared Knight & Ryan Spooner (4.8.11) – Interviewing Each Other Prior to First Pro Game 

As just a first-year pro in 2008-09, the agitating winger burst onto the professional scene with 18 goals and 59 points in an ironman-like 79 regular-season games for Providence, followed by point-per-game play in 16 postseason outings and enough verbal jabs to make him one of the most hated players in the league’s Atlantic Division.
 
In his sophomore season, injuries limited Marchand to just 34 AHL contests, during which he still managed 13 goals and 32 points. Injuries, however, weren’t the only catalyst to a short stint in Rhode Island. The then-21-year-old also enjoyed his first NHL experience, earning 20 games in Boston and a mere one assist before watching the playoffs from the press level.
 
My, how times have changed.
 
Marchand was voted by the fans as the team’s 7th Player for going above and beyond the call of duty and exceeding the expectations of Bruins fans over the course of this season.
 
Is that because of his role early in the year on the Merlot line?
 
Yes.
 
His ability to get under the skin of the opposition?
 
Yes.
 
What about his unlikely offensive production (21 goals, 41 points, plus-25 rating in 74 games)?
 
Most definitely.
 
His golf swing?
 
You know the answer by now.
 
The only irony here is perhaps that this honor would likely have surprised most people back in training camp. Most people, however, didn’t get to watch Marchand grow in Providence the way P-Bruins head coach Rob Murray did.
 
“I’m glad for Marsh,” said Murray of the forward’s award. “He’s getting some recognition. He’s a good kid who works so hard all the time, and we used to talk about that last year. If I could get the effort that he puts in just in practice out of the majority of our team, there’s a pretty good chance you’re not going to lose too many games.”
 
If not for Marchand’s play, it’s fair to speculate that the distinction might have gone to defenseman Adam McQuaid, another product of seasoning down I-95. After all, that’s been the theme in recent years. Before Marchand, recipients of the 7th Player Award were Tuukka Rask in 2010 and David Krejci in 2009. Both wore the spoked-P under Murray’s watch before solidifying their spots in Boston.
 
“It’s nice to see our alumni go and make the jump to the NHL, and also make an impression and do well,” Murray said.
 
Maybe McQuaid’s turn will come next year — or Steve Kampfer‘s? It could be anyone, really, even someone who’s not on the roster right now. But, would it really surprise anyone if the next fan favorite once called the Dunkin’ Donuts Center home?

Not one bit.

The good news was that P-Bruins center Trent Whitfield was named the Reebok/AHL Player of the Month for March. Whitfield posted an impressive 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) during the month, and had points in 10 consecutive games. He will receive an award for this achievements prior to an upcoming home game in Providence.

The bad news? Whitfield won't be able to take his hot scoring streak into the playoffs because the P-Bruins did not make the postseason for the second straight year.

Adam Kaufman sat down with Providence captain Jeremy Reich to discuss what went wrong during the 2010-2011 season as well as the team's plan for the six remaining regular season games.

The P-Bruins' captain said that his team battled with inconsistency throughout the season and that was ultimately their downfall.

"In this league it's about being consistent," he said. "You can't go on a long losing streak at times because it will end up hurting you."

As far as the plans for the rest of the season, Reich said that the team wants to play spoiler to the competition.

"We just want to go out and win every game we can,” he said. "We have to make sure we're playing other teams tough."

For Adam's full interview with Reich, click below.

Jeremy Reich Interview Discussing P-Bruins Season

First, there was the acquisition of Chris Kelly from Ottawa, followed by Rich Peverley from Atlanta, and then the prized piece, puck-moving defenseman Tomas Kaberle from Toronto.
 
No one, not even general manager Peter Chiarelli and his team of constituents could have realistically envisioned what has happened since. Following Saturday night’s overtime defeat to Pittsburgh, the Bruins have taken points in eight straight, including seven wins, with six of those coming on the road.
 
What’s flown somewhat under the radar, however, are the big club's smaller additions to provide depth for the stretch run and support for its struggling farm club in Providence.
 
In danger of missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season for the first time in the franchise's 19-year history, the P-Bruins reloaded courtesy of a series of transactions over the last two-plus weeks.
 
The remainder of Providence’s season was quickly put into concern with Boston’s Feb. 18 trade for Kaberle as 2008 first-round pick Joe Colborne was sent the other way. With 26 points in 55 AHL games, while also serving as the P-Bruins' most consistent presence on the power pla,y the move left a big gap at center.
 
On that same day, that size was recouped and then some with the acquisition of 6'7" defenseman Boris Valabik from the Thrashers’ organization, another piece in the deal that shipped Mark Stuart and Blake Wheeler out of town. At the time, the NHL-experienced Valabik gave Providence eight defensemen, a signal of more moves to come.
 
Nine days later, late in the evening on Feb. 27, the Bruins made a minor league deal with Anaheim that sent extra defenseman Sean Zimmerman and the one-dimensional Brian McGrattan to Syracuse in exchange for forwards David Laliberte and Stefan Chaput. Both were brought in to help fill some of the offensive void left by the loss of Colborne. Laliberte, though having a down year with only eight goals at the time of the deal, is a former 28-goal scorer in the AHL, and Chaput is an energetic centerman coming off a career-year in Albany.
 
The moves didn’t stop there.
 
Though the goaltending duo of Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask has been a stabilizing defensive force up in Boston all year, the trio of Nolan Schaefer, Michael Hutchinson and Matt Dalton had been hampered by inconsistency since the very first game of the season. With the parent Bruins poised for a deep playoff run, they needed a reliable third option in net in Providence in case of injury, and that option simply was not there.
 
So, on Feb. 28, the B’s dealt long-time P-Bruins defenseman Jeff Penner and the restricted rights to Mikko Lehtonen to Minnesota for young Anton Khudobin, a 24-year-old All-Star with a winning track record in both the NHL and AHL.
 
Yes, the loss of Penner was a substantial one for Providence as good AHL blue-liners can be hard to come by, but often you have to sacrifice something of value in order to get the same, and that was a gamble Boston was willing to take in the form of Khudobin, who has a career 4-1-0 big league record, one shutout, a 1.39 GAA and .959 save percentage.
 
By picking up Khudobin, the writing was on the wall for the veteran Schaefer, and it didn’t read as he may have liked as a Providence College alum. Off to a 9-16-1 start in 30 games this season, Schaefer was loaned Friday to Hershey, a perennial AHL powerhouse. Schaefer is slated to see a considerable bump in playing time en route to what could be a deep Calder Cup chase in a return to one of his former teams. In the long run, the grass may prove to be greener for an eighth-year pro hoping to earn another NHL contract next year.
 
Defensively, the losses of Penner and Zimmerman, plus the broken hand suffered by Nate McIver on Feb. 26, left a team that once had a surplus of bodies on the blue-line needing reinforcements, leading to the recalls of Ryan Donald and Alain Goulet from Reading. The moves were fortunate in timing as Matt Bartkowski was soon after summoned to Boston for the third time this season to fill in following the injury to his former roommate Steve Kampfer.
 
Since the dealing began, the P-Bruins, like their friends up I-95, have found good success, going 5-2-0-1. But, the true excitement shined through this past weekend in Rhode Island as all of the pieces were assembled for the first time, resulting in a 4-2 victory over Charlotte on Friday and a 6-0 thumping of Bridgeport on Sunday afternoon.
 
Old faces and new friends gathered to guide Providence to the offensive barrage, led by four goals and seven points from alternate captain Trent Whitfield. The offense was assisted by seven points from three new Bruins as Chaput scored against his former Checkers teammates, Goulet found the back of the net while adding three assists, and Laliberte struck for a goal and an assist. In net, Khudobin recorded his 20th and 21st wins of the AHL season and his first two as a P-Bruin, thanks to several dynamic stops and 45 saves in all.
 
As important as any area, however, was special teams, a weakness throughout the year for the gang from the Ocean State. Entering Friday ranked 30th in the league on the power play and 29th on the penalty kill, Providence converted five times on 12 man-advantage chances and killed all 14 minor penalties it was assessed.
 
Now, with 17 games remaining in the regular season, the playoff push is on. The P-Bruins sit nine points out of a postseason spot with three teams to overcome: Connecticut, Worcester and Springfield. As usual, fate is in their hands as 16 of the final 17 contests are scheduled within the division, and eight of those meetings are with the Whale, Sharks and Falcons.
 
What happens next for Boston is sure to be a lot of fun to watch and we may all be fortunate enough to be talking about it in June.
 
What happens next for Providence will likely come down to the wire, just as it did a year ago. Maybe the excitement generated by this weekend's wins at the Dunkin' Donuts Center can be chalked up as 'just two games.' We don’t know yet.
 
But, boy, what a weekend.

Bartkowski, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., was called up from Providence on Friday afternoon after his former roommate and current Bruins defenseman Steven Kampfer suffered a concussion in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, putting him out for at least a week.

The newest call-up sat down with Adam Kaufman before he left town and said that his experience against the Penguins will give him an extra advantage in Saturday’s game.

"It's comforting, eases the nerves," he said. "It settles me down a little more because I know their lines, know their players. I know what to expect."

Bartkowski said he hoped he would move up to the Boston Bruins after Kampfer called him to say he was hurt. This time, Bartkowski hopes to stay with the big team for more than just one game, but he isn't looking into the future too much.

"I'm focused on my first shift to try and get in and settle down," he said. "Rush the puck, get a shot, get a hit, something to get in the game early."

Click below to hear the full interview.

Matt Bartkowski Recalled Again to Play Pittsburgh

But there’s another very good reason to be excited for the changing of seasons, and it’s not just the hope that we may finally see grass again.

Baseball season is right around the corner.

That being said, it’s also Oscar season. So, after Sunday evening’s look at Hollywood’s finest and best dressed, let’s take an Oscar-themed look at the 2011 Boston Red Sox, helped by this year’s nominees for Best Picture.

WINTER’S BONE
Noted by Oscar co-host James Franco as one of this year’s dirtiest movie titles – one of several unfunny moments of the marathon awards show – it’s actually a relevant title for a few prominent Red Sox starters heading into the season.

Going around the infield, newly acquired and soon to be extraordinarily well-paid first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is still recovering from October’s right shoulder surgery. Meanwhile, longtime first baseman Kevin Youkilis, now back at the hot corner across the diamond, is healthy and active again after his 2010 season was cut short due to surgery in August to repair a torn muscle in his right thumb. Finally, second baseman Dustin Pedroia spent the offseason recovering from foot surgery and firing off zingers at anyone who made a joke about crutches.

The health of this club, and particularly its key players, will be a focal point this year after injuries were such a remarkable concern in 2010. Youk was limited to 102 games last season – a high number compared to Pedey’s 75, Jed Lowrie’s 55, Mike Cameron’s 48 and Jason Varitek’s 39. 

Forget about Jacoby Ellsbury’s 18-game limited schedule due to an order of boneless ribs, or slated starting catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s 10 outings – 12 if you include his short time in Texas. Plus, Josh Beckett‘s time on the DL hindered his turns in the rotation to a modest 21.

Many factors make the Red Sox the favorite to win the AL East. For that premonition to come true, health will be as important as anything.

INCEPTION
Speaking of health, if the possibility of avoiding serious injury exists, the 2011 Red Sox are a dream, right? Just a concoction of our imaginations, cruelly placed deep in our subconsciousness by Hank and Hal Steinbrenner?

How tragic that would be, since this club has the potential to win 100 games, something no Red Sox team has done since Joe Cronin’s squad in 1946. Yes, today’s Red Sox will downplay the queries surrounding how good they could be, as they should, but let’s be serious for a moment.

John Henry’s crew paid more than it would cost to perfect time travel to bring in Gonzalez (well, almost) and Carl Crawford. The new additions join Pedroia, Youkilis and David Ortiz in the lineup. On the mound, the rotation consists of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka. The bullpen boasts closer Jonathan Papelbon, future closer Daniel Bard, former closer Bobby Jenks and Rhode Island native Dan Wheeler.

Typing or reading that last paragraph is impossible to do without smiling. If this is a dream, a united front of Boston fans have no interest in waking up.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK
If Saltalamacchia hasn’t added the entire 2011 Red Sox pitching staff as friends on Facebook yet, he’d better get to it before the season rolls around as Jason Varitek has accepted his backup role.

Red Sox pitchers of the past 13 years regard ‘Tek as one of the best in the game in terms of preparation and calling pitches. Those skills, along with his leadership and respect in the clubhouse, compelled Boston to re-sign him in December. Now Saltalamacchia must learn from the captain. After all, Varitek’s a three-time All-Star, has a Gold Glove and two titles under his belt, and has caught four no-hitters.

As for Saltamacchia, Theo Epstein got the youngster after years of hearing rumors. Though injuries – and the presence of Victor Martinez –- limited Saltalamacchia’s playing time in Boston after his July 31 acquisition, he’s in line for regular responsibility at the backstop position. Watching how that transition goes should be interesting.

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Unlike the movie, this section won’t involve talk of lesbians, so it’s understandable if you’d like to skip ahead.

Beyond Saltalamacchia, the Red Sox “kids” include prospects Ryan Kalish, Josh Reddick, Yamaico Navarro and Lars Anderson if we use age 25 as a cutoff. The first two provide depth in the outfield, while the latter show promise in the infield. Either way, if the big club is healthy, all of them will see considerable time in Pawtucket to hone their skills and be ready in the case of disaster, a la 2010. Let’s be honest, Kalish can hit and run, but nobody wanted to see him play in 53 games last season. No one wants to see that this year either.

Naturally, the farm also has lots of young arms, but with arguably the best five-man starting rotation in baseball and a deep bullpen aided by a few new veteran arms, youth beyond Bard and perhaps Michael Bowden really shouldn’t be spotted at Fenway this summer – unless the Spinners are playing.

TOY STORY 3
On the subject of kids, in Toy Story 3, Andy had to leave Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang behind because it was time to grow up.

For the Red Sox, Clay Buchholz experienced his own transition to adulthood in 2010. After three years shuttling up and down I-95, Buchholz proved what some people were too impatient to wait around for: he’s the real deal.

Boston’s 2005 first-round pick was perhaps the Red Sox’ most reliable starter after finishing second to Jon Lester in wins with 17 and first on the club with a pristine 2.33 ERA. For his efforts, Buchholz was named an All-Star and finished sixth in the Cy Young voting.

Now after one full year in the majors, Buchholz, 26, has to show that his freshman season was no fluke. With the lineup that will be supporting him in 2011, a 20-win campaign could be on the horizon.

If the people at Pixar were writing the script, a Cy Young Award also could be waiting for Buchholz at season’s end. Strap on your 3-D glasses, and get out of the way of steaming fastballs.

TRUE GRIT
Jeff Bridges was nominated for his performance as Marshall Rooster Cogburn, a righteous man of the law who wore an eye patch and was often seen drunk.

In 2010, Josh Beckett had disastrous year.

Beckett may still be his team’s ace, but he’s coming off an injury-plagued 6-6 campaign with a 5.78 ERA and 1.535 WHIP. Over his 10-year career, only his first season in Boston in 2006 — when he struggled adjusting to American League hitters and went 16-11 with a 5.01 ERA and 1.295 WHIP in 33 starts over more than 200 innings – came close to being as bad.

Beckett rebounded well in 2007. He finished second in the Cy Young voting, was named an All-Star and went a career-best 20-7 with a 3.27 ERA and 1.141 WHIP. He also was lights-out in the postseason and won his second career World Series championship. The excitement now lies in seeing if he’s got the true grit to bounce back again.

THE FIGHTER
While “Irish” Micky Ward was a perennial underdog before taking the WBU intercontinental lightweight title and light welterweight titles, Boston’s J.D. Drew perpetually has been considered a top dog. At least, that was true until a couple of disappointing seasons at the Fens.

Granted, the term “disappointing” is relative. If Darnell McDonald hit 22 home runs, drove in 68 and walked 60 times a year ago, his jersey would be seen all over Lansdowne Street. But those numbers aren’t good enough for Drew. Ever since inking a five-year, $70 million contract with the Red Sox in 2007, he’s come under harsh criticism. But in a contract year, he has an opportunity to silence those critics.

Whether players do better with money on the line, you can bet Scott Boras’ piggy bank that Drew won’t hit .255 again with free agency right around the corner. Call it a prediction, but expect that average to be a lot closer to and maybe even surpass his career .281 mark – that is, unless he starts hanging out with Dicky Eklund.

127 HOURS
You could easily put together 127 hours worth of questions surrounding this year’s Red Sox season, but here are a few fun ones.

Is spring training over yet? Why does it have to last so long? Has Adrian Gonzalez signed his contract extension yet (it’s inevitable, right)? Will David Ortiz be worth Boston’s investment to bring him back? Will Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury combine to steal 575 bases? Will Tim Wakefield pitch until he’s 50 (he’s not 50 yet, right)?

Have the Red Sox gotten over the fact that they paid $50 million just for the opportunity to acquire Daisuke Matsuzaka? Is Jon Lester the best left-hander in baseball? Will Dan Wheeler do what Rocco Baldelli could not for his hometown team? Have we discovered why Hideki Okajima is back? Will Dustin Pedroia beat Terry Francona in a game of cribbage this year?

Oh, and are the Oscars over yet? This year’s show was painful, and James Franco looked like he was going to cut his arm off.

BLACK SWAN
The White Swan or the Black Swan? Natalie Portman or Mila Kunis?

Some choices are easier to make than others, and that will again be the case in the AL East. As usual, most pundits probably won’t put much stock in Baltimore or Toronto, despite very good offseasons for both organizations. That fact will be true for Tampa Bay as well after the Rays lost more key pieces (Carl Crawford, anyone?) than they brought in. Seriously, they signed Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon. Those two were Idiots in 2004, but who are the idiots this year?

So, the AL East returns to the good old days of Red Sox versus Yankees. Game after game, fans across the country will have to regularly endure four-plus hours of nine-inning action. Good and evil. Thing is, the Evil Empire had a lousy offseason.

The Yanks re-signed ageless closer Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, but suffered through publicly ugly negotiations with the guy who is basically the face of New York. Then, they lost out on prized free agent pitcher Cliff Lee to Philadelphia. They did bring in setup man Rafael Soriano from Tampa, but at a very steep $35 million price tag. New York also added Andruw Jones. Yes, that Andruw Jones. The last time he had an impact was in a video game.

No doubt, the Red Sox won the offseason, but will they win the regular season?

THE KING’S SPEECH
On Sunday night, the big winner at the Oscars was The King’s Speech – taking home Best Actor, Best Director and Best Picture honors.

When it comes to the 2011 Red Sox, hitting and pitching obviously are important, but the best acting, directing and framing of the complete picture largely falls upon manager Terry Francona’s shoulders.

For the last seven years, Francona, who’s never been named Manager of the Year, has found a way to control a very chaotic clubhouse with a number of very strong and highly paid personalities. How he ever dealt with Manny Ramirez is beyond the comprehension of most. 

His camp counselor-like approach has helped lead the Red Sox to a pair of World Series championships, providing young Red Sox fans with an unbelievable gift: They have no idea what suffering means.

What Francona does in 2011 remains to be seen. His room will include another group of many new faces, though a surplus of returnees and a stable group of veterans should keep any potentially challenging egos in check.

So now armed with new players and coaches on his staff, the Red Sox have one goal, the same one Francona has had since he took over the dugout before the 2004 season: win.

On Sunday, Bruins’ coach Rob Murray revealed that despite the bitter weather conditions and victory, it’s a game he would not like to do again.

“I can’t express to ya how cold it was last night,” Murray told Adam Kaufman. “Out on the bench it was really cold.

“Glad I experienced it. Glad we got the win. I don’t ever want to experience it again.”

Murray wasn’t the only one who wanted to go home early. The Zambonis didn’t even show up to clean the ice before the shootout.

“After the first period, all I wanted to do was go home.”

The match up against the Whale, however, was not to be taken for granted by the P-Bruins, especially after a recent 7-0 loss on Friday night and trailing 2-0 at the end of the second period on Saturday.

“Nothing worse than getting embarrassed and standing out in the freezing cold and in front of 21,000 people.”

At the end of the second intermission, the team responded to earn a “gritty win.”

Murray also praised Boris Valabik‘s debut with Providence following a trade that brought him from the Thrasher organization to the Bruins.

“He comes as advertised a big man, plays with an edge.” He also adds that Valabik is “real competitive” who handles himself well and wants to win.

Below you can listen to the entire interview:

Rob Murray (2.20.11) – Full Recap of Whale Bowl, Hutchinson, Arniel, Valabik Debut, Worcester Preview

“I was really excited because obviously Boston is a top organization, it’s an original team, and for me, as a defensive defenseman the organization doesn’t get any better than Boston. I think their style fits me pretty well… I couldn’t be happier.”

The 25-year-old, a first-round draft pick in the 2004 draft, is often compared to Boston’s Zdeno Chara, and it’s easy to see why. 

Both defensemen were born in Czechoslovakia and are towering figures.  Each weighs in at 255 pounds, though Valabik, who stands at 6’7″, comes in a couple of inches short of Chara.  Although there’s a large disparity in their offensive production — Chara puts up about six times Valabik’s projected point total — both are large and take advantage of that with their physical style of play.

Valabik has looked up to Chara and hopes to match his talent in the future.

“He’s been always the kind of guy I’ve looked up to and the kind of guy that I modeled my game after.  He’s been through pretty similar things that I have been, we’ve been both told to play basketball instead of hockey growing up back home in Slovakia… It’s kind of a good story for me to look up to — his time when he was younger wasn’t easy as well.”

In 80 games with the Atlanta Thrashers, the young defenseman only managed to record seven assists.  He did, however, accrue 210 penalty minutes during his time.

He also knows what it will take to prove himself within the organization, especially after Boston GM Peter Chiarelli‘s statements on the subject.

“Valabik [has] been a little slow in developing,” Chiarelli said. “He’s still a project, but he’s a guy we’re willing to work with.”

Valabik is looking forward to showing that he is in fact worth the investment.

“I knew my time in Atlanta was done — things happened that I didn’t have control over, I got hurt, but now it’s gonna be a fresh start for me… I think I have a lot of people to prove wrong, and that’s what gets me going and what makes me work harder.”

Listen to the interview in its entirety below.

Boris Valabik and Adam Kaufman

Much to the dismay of the coaching staff in Providence, it's been a very streaky season in net, where rarely has a goalie truly stolen a win. Nolan Schaefer, the assumed number one goaltender coming out of camp, has struggled at times in re-acclimating himself to the North American game after spending the 2009-10 campaign in Russia. The veteran and former Providence College product sports a 9-15-1 record in 28 games, along with a 3.14 GAA and .897 save percentage. Though his record is not entirely reflective of his play, the results don't lie. Aside from a solid three-game run in late-January, Schaefer hasn’t won a game since Dec. 19.

After Schaefer, success has been momentarily seized by rookie Michael Hutchinson and AHL freshman Matt Dalton, but neither has been able to claim the top job as his own. Instead, Hutchinson and Dalton have each split the season between Providence and Boston’s ECHL affiliate in Reading. To no surprise, both have enjoyed good success for the AA-level Royals, but it's been a challenge to consistently parlay those numbers to the next level.

Both Hutchinson and Dalton began the year in Rhode Island with Schaefer in Europe with the big club, but Dalton's two-period struggles on Opening Night resulted in a quick return to Reading, where he helped guide the Royals to the American Conference Finals as a rookie last season. With Schaefer back in tow, it was Hutchinson's turn.

The first-year goalie and 2008 third-round pick cast aside his remaining junior eligibility and, after a 1-2-0 start, went seven straight games without a loss, earning five wins. Eventually, Hutchinson was rewarded as Providence's November Player of the Month. Little did he know at the time, though, that was the start of an unfortunate trend for the club’s young goalies. After his great run ended on Nov. 24, the former OHL standout appeared in seven more games, winning only one. That ensuing rough stretch ultimately resulted in a Dec. 29 departure to Reading.

Hutchinson's loss was Dalton's gain after the second-year pro put together a strong showing following his rocky start in Providence. Dalton led the Royals to first-place in the standings behind an 11-7-0 mark, two shutouts, a 2.88 GAA and .912 save percentage, building the confidence it would take for him to finally succeed at the AHL level.

Succeed, he did. After Dalton dropped his first game back with Providence on New Year's Day, he reeled off six wins in seven games, including his first career AHL victories and first two shutouts in a P-Bruins sweater. Wouldn’t you know, Dalton was named the club’s January Player of the Month as he helped Providence to a 19-point month and thrust his team right back into the playoff race.

If such a "Player of the Month Curse" exists, however, it reared its ugly head again. Dalton lost six of his next seven starts, capped by Wednesday's embarrassing 7-0 defeat in Portland. The loss was the backstop's fifth in a row, which coincided with Providence’s season-long seventh straight collapse, including a few less-than-desirable outings that resulted in head coach Rob Murray questioning his team's effort.

Along the way, as the P-Bruins have struggled, the Royals have thrived with Hutchinson between the pipes. Since his demotion, the 20-year-old went 9-5-3 with his first professional shutout, a 2.85 GAA and a .917 save percentage in 17 games.

On Thursday, the inevitable switch was made. Hutchinson was promoted to Providence, while Dalton was handed a one-way ticket back to Reading.

Hutchinson responded favorably in his first outing back in the Ocean State on Friday night, reacting to Dalton's touchdown-sized loss in Portland with a 4-3 shootout win over those same Pirates. More impressive, the man with the plain white mask stopped 47 of 50 shots through overtime before forcing all four Pirates he dealt with in the shootout to walk the proverbial plank.

Just like that, the losing streak was over, but the uncertainty surrounding the P-Bruins' consistency in net remains.

What happens next is a mystery, but with Providence sitting nine points out of a playoff spot with 24 games remaining, the club is going to need to find the missing piece to its goaltending puzzle, whether that piece is already in the system or elsewhere.

Up north, yes, the Boston Bruins know how to put the puck in the back of the net, but they’ve shown diligence in preventing opponents from doing the same and, to their credit, stand tall at third in the Eastern Conference. It’s a lesson their brethren in Providence are trying to learn.

In many ways this season, the P-Bruins' goaltending situation has been one of a goalie-by-committee format. For weeks, Murray publicly bellowed to his net-minders, "If you win, you’re in." At times, there was a response, but for the most part the top dog in the crease has yet to be determined.

With Dalton gone and a busy schedule still ahead, it will be between Schaefer and Hutchinson to take an opportunity and run with it. Hutchinson got the first crack upon his return and, if his glove gets hot, history would show the job is his until his mitt cools down.

The Providence Bruins center just finished a three-game stint in Boston, posting one assist and a plus-1 rating in those games. He was also a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game in Detroit.

Hamill said that playing in the NHL is a "cool, special" experience, but also tough at times. He added that it took him only one game to start feeling comfortable, but could sense the added intensity that came with games against Montreal, San Jose and Detroit.

His future with the Bruins organization is unclear, however, with the recent trade for center Chris Kelly from Ottawa. Hamill's contract is also up at the end of the season.

As far as his role with the P-Bruins is concerned, Hamill said that he is going to simply play his game in any way that helps Providence win. He hopes this will earn him another run in Boston.

Hamill recently sat down with Adam Kaufman to discuss his experiences playing for the big club, as well as how his expiring contract affects his game play.

Zach Hamill (2.16.11) – Demoted from Boston, Kelly Trade Disappointment, Now and Future Outlooks

To many pundits, the Heat are the team to beat in the East. Now that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have put a forgettable 9-8 start behind them and learned how to play as a team, they are mere percentage points behind Boston and setting the table for a possible conference finals matchup in May.

Of course, the psychological edge exists. Thus far, there have been three meetings between Miami’s Big Three and Boston’s newly marketable Big Four. The Celtics have taken all three matchups and enjoyed the pleasure of eliminating King James in two of the last three postseasons.

Still, there’s one overwhelming issue as the Feb. 24 trade deadline approaches: health. Erik Spoelstra’s Heat squad is getting healthier, allowing players to better figure out their roles. Doc Rivers’ club, meanwhile, is managing to string together wins while the team’s health spirals.

Think about it. Shaquille O’Neal has a sore Achilles. Semih Erden, a strained groin. According to Rivers, neither player will be back until after the All-Star break. Jermaine O’Neal is out indefinitely after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Those are just the bigs.

Among the guards, Delonte West is missing a bit longer after right wrist surgery, and Marquis Daniels is out at least another few weeks with a bruised spinal cord. Nate Robinson saw limited time on Sunday, but on a bruised knee. Then there’s "The Truth," Paul Pierce. Well, truth is, he’s banged up, too.

As everyone knows, this team is aging. Never mind that. It’s aged. It’s a fine wine that chilled during the 2009-10 regular season and popped its proverbial cork in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the bottle was empty before the buzzer sounded to end Game 7 in Los Angeles.

That brings us back to the trade deadline. Going back through the last few years, Danny Ainge always has done something. For that matter, he’s always done two somethings.

In 2009-10, the Celtics cruised through the regular season, amassing only 50 wins, but rested their key players and allowed themselves to get healthy. They made late-season moves to acquire Robinson for fan favorite Eddie House from New York and also added former All-Star Michael Finley after he was waived by the Spurs. The problem was, House was a perfect fit for the Celtics, Robinson wasn’t quite used to coming off the bench, and Finley was more popular among fans for what he used to do than what he could still contribute on the wrong side of 35. Ultimately, Boston advanced as far as it did for the players it already had, not the ones it picked up.

The 2008-09 season was a colossal failure regarding late-season acquisitions. The team won 62 games during the regular season and later enjoyed a spirited playoff run without the services of an injured and sorely missed Kevin Garnett. Two of the men relied upon for depth, however, were talented-yet-troubled guard Stephon Marbury and big man Mikki Moore, a veteran with marginal expectations who somehow managed to deliver less. Neither player proved to be a game-changer and both free-agent signings were ill-fated experiments.

Then there’s the pinnacle – the 2007-08 campaign, the Banner 17 season to which all future seasons with this personnel will be compared. At the time, it was the first year of the then Big Three of Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen. They were all hungry, with each player seeking a first world championship. Between the learned ability to play together, everyone understanding their roles, a dynamic and deep bench and two helpful additions, the Celtics were a force to be reckoned with and eventually overmatched Phil Jackson’s bunch from the City of Angels.

How fondly Celtics fans will remember late-season signings Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown. Cassell served as insurance at guard and a mentor for Rajon Rondo, while Brown came out of nowhere – literally – to be a key cog off the bench and also the man that hit the memorable jumper to put away Cleveland in LeBron James’ first playoff run-in with the C’s.

The common theme over recent years is that in late February and early March, Ainge has targeted veterans to assist in his club’s time of need, players in search of a title and eager to give it one more kick of the can. In some cases, it’s been done through a trade or signings as a result of previous buyouts. Either way, Ainge hasn’t hesitated to pick up the phone when he’s seen room for improvement. He executes.

Cassell and Brown won, and both retired. Moore lingered a little longer and is no longer in the NBA, while Marbury left to build an empire in China. Finley walked away, knowing there was nothing left and no jobs waiting for him. Robinson, the only pickup with youth on his side, of course, still remains in green.

Fans and media members alike continue to want to compare this year’s club to the season when all the magic began. When this season started, the C’s were perceived as deep enough to make a title run without the need for help. If everyone returns to reasonable health, that may still be the case. Shaq, Jermaine, Daniels and West would be pretty valuable late-season pickups for most teams, so imagine getting all of them.

If not, what’s out there? Will Rip Hamilton finally be moved from Detroit? Do the C’s have the pieces or desire to go after him? Are the whispers that Rasheed Wallace is interested in coming back true? If they are, would Boston even want a guy who publicly mailed in the 2009-10 regular season?

Right now, the Celtics lead the East, but they need help in the long run. Maybe that help is in house, or maybe Ainge will have to make a few long-distance calls. We’ll know soon enough. If history is any indication, though, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish aren’t walking through that door.

But someone will be.

Tyler Seguin, taken second overall in last year's draft, has been under the strictest of microscopes, and he's contributed eight goals and 17 points in 50 games wearing the black and gold.

Jordan Caron, the 25th overall selection in 2009, began the year in Boston and appeared in 20 games while recording seven points before falling victim to a numbers game and getting assigned to Providence, where he's flourished with 16 points in 24 AHL games after a slow start.

A year earlier, big Joe Colborne was drafted with the 16th pick in 2008, and he's put together very respectable totals with 11 goals and 25 points in 47 games for Providence in his first full season at the professional level.

Then there's Zach Hamill. Surrounded by lofty expectations as the eighth overall pick in the 2007 draft, he's since floated under the radar as someone who's battled issues with size, strength and inconsistency. For those reasons, along with Boston's significant depth at the center position in recent years, the 5'11'', 180-pound former junior scoring champion has been relegated to Providence, save for a brief one-game recall to Boston for the regular season finale in Washington last season.

This year has been a bit different for Hamill. While in previous seasons, he was entrusted almost automatically with the responsibility of being a first-line centerman or the quarterback on the power play, in part because of the expectations that come with being a high draft pick, this season has seen Hamill play throughout the line-up. Now in his third pro season, the days of a certain skill level being assumed are gone. Instead, he's been forced to play with several players of varied skill in hopes of a return to top line duties, no different than a lower round pick, an undrafted selection, or an ECHL call-up would have to do to earn his minutes.

It's worked, though, and, as a result, he's heading back to Boston.

''I'm excited and ready to go,'' Hamill said by phone shortly after receiving the good news from Bruins assistant general manager Don Sweeney on Thursday. ''Just feeling pumped up to play.''

It's been an up and down season for Hamill. After a disastrous October in which he tallied only one assist in eight games, and was even benched by Providence coach Rob Murray for one game as something of a wake-up call, Hamill returned to form in November by averaging a point a game in 11 contests, including a four-assist effort in Albany. He thrived playing with the likes of Jeremy Reich and David Ling, as well as Lane MacDermid, and former Providence forward Jordan Knackstedt.

But, the ups turned to downs again starting in late November as Hamill went nine straight games without a point, finishing up the month of December with only four points, two of which came on New Year's Eve. It's unknown if he made a New Year's resolution for 2011 on that day, but he hasn't looked back since.

''I think I've just been gaining confidence and being more creative on the ice,'' said Hamill, who is coming off a 12-point January. ''You know, if there are plays out there I want to make, earlier in the year I wasn't making them, but now, I think, if the play is there, I'm making that play and having the confidence to be able to make it. Playing all three zones is a big key to that too.''

Much of Hamill's success over the last month has come from playing consistently with Reich and Caron. The three have been on a line together since the calendar turned to 2011, and Hamill's pass-first mentality has done worlds for his confidence now that he's joined by big-bodied forwards who love going to the net.

''It's been huge,'' Hamill said of playing with his linemates. ''I think I'm a guy that gets used to his linemates and wants to know where they like to go and where they want to be. Sometimes with those guys, without looking, I know where they want to go and where they want to score goals, so it's nice to build chemistry with those two guys.

''They are obviously two bigger guys,'' he continued, ''which creates room, and they get in the corners with me. I like passing the puck and they both have great shots. They're really easy to play with.''

You can't argue with the results. Hamill's point-totals last month were surpassed in Providence's line-up only by Caron, who scored six goals and added seven assists. Reich collected seven points, including six of his 11 goals on the season.

''Ham makes a lot of good passes and has great vision,'' said Caron of his linemate. The three play a simple game and, as significant as their success on the score sheet has been their defensive zone play, where they've prided themselves on getting pucks out of their own zone.

Naturally, their coach has taken notice.

''After Christmas, [Zach] came back with a purpose,'' remembered Murray. ''I don't know whether he was playing a little guilty at first because he had immigration problems after taking the wrong Visa back with him when he went back for Christmas to Vancouver, but he's come back with a little bit of an edge to him and he's really played well.

''That chemistry with him, Jeremy Reich and Jordan Caron has really propelled his game because the plays that he's making are ending up finding guys open and those guys are executing and scoring goals for him.''

The goals have resulted in 25 assists for Hamill, good for first in Providence, and his 28 points rank second behind All-Star Jamie Arniel's 30. Now, Hamill must examine his own goals. He's a third-year guy playing in a contract year and he undoubtedly feels like he has something extra to prove as a first-rounder whose career has been spent almost entirely in the minors. And, with Marc Savard’s timetable for a return uncertain at best, it's a potentially lengthy opportunity to show there is still some value in his first round stock.

''I'm just gonna take it day by day, even smaller than that, shift by shift, and just work hard, go out there and play my game and try to make the most of the opportunity,'' said Hamill of his NHL expectations.

Still, he knows this situation, this time of the year, is far more substantial than his last stop in Boston 10 months ago, which was for many nothing more than a playoff tune-up.

''Last year, it was obviously nice to play my first NHL game,'' Hamill acknowledged. ''At the same time, I don't want to say it was a mean-nothing game because it obviously wasn't for me being my first game, but now, especially with the standings the way they are in the Eastern Conference, every game is huge, so to hopefully be a part of that will be pretty special.

''I'll go out there and compete every shift to hopefully help the team make the playoffs. If I can help the team out, I'll do what I can.''

Colborne has had a strong season with the P-Bruins, posting 11-14-25 numbers through 47 games. He is just one of many young players enjoying success while honing their skills in the AHL.

Assistant coach Bruce Cassidy recently sat down with Adam Kaufman, who talked about expectations for one of the Bruins’ first-round draft picks.

Check out the interview below.

Bruce Cassidy (1.29.11) – Butches Breakdown – Joe Colborne