If the Bruins lose, they will become only the third team in NHL history to lose a best-of-seven series after having a three-game lead, joining the 1942 Detroit Red Wings and 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins. While the B's claim they’re not concerned with being on the wrong side of history, they simply don’t want their season to end.

"I don’t know about history and all that, really, but we just don’t want to be golfing after this game," said defenseman Dennis Wideman.

The TD Garden will be rocking on Friday. The question is, will the Bruins be ready to go, or ready to hit the links?

WHEN AND WHERE

Boston Bruins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Game 7, Eastern Conference semifinals
May 14, 2010, 7 p.m. (NESN)
TD Garden, Boston

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins and Flyers are tied 3-3 after a monster comeback by the Flyers, who once trailed 3-0.

The Bruins beat the Flyers 2-1 in overtime in the 2010 Winter Classic and were 2-1-1 against them this regular season, their other win coming at Philadelphia on March 11.Philadelphia won 4-3 in a shootout at the Wachovia Center on Oct. 22 and 3-1 at the TD Garden on Dec. 14.

The Bruins and the Flyers are meeting in the playoffs for just the fifth time in their postseason histories, and for the first time since 1978. Each team has won two of the previous four series, which all took place over a five-year span in the 1970s (1974, 1976, 1977, 1978)

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Raskis 7-5 with a 2.49 GAA and a .916 save percentage. Rask made 25 saves in a 2-1 loss in Game 6 and has lost three straight for the first time since since he went 0-4-2 Jan. 4 through Feb. 6. During the regular season, Rask was 22-12-5 with a league-leading 1.97 GAA and a .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.

Tim Thomas has not yet played in the playoffs. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, a .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season.

Flyers
Michael Leighton is 1-0-0 with a 0.63 GAA and a .978 save percentage this postseason. Leighton relieved the injured Brian Boucher in Game 5 and made 14 saves. Leighton was 17-9-2 with a 2.83 GAA and a .903 save percentage in the regular season.

Johan Backlund has not played in the playoffs. He was 0-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and a .917 save percentage this season.

Boucher is 6-4 with a 2.33 GAA and a .915 save percentage in the playoffs. Boucher was 9-18-3 with a 2.76 GAA and a .899 save percentage. He had one shutout.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Blake Wheeler–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Milan Lucic–Marc Savard–Miroslav Satan
Daniel Paille/Brad Marchand–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Steve Begin–Trent Whitfield–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Mark Stuart

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Flyers
Forwards
Simon Gagne–Mike Richards–Daniel Carcillo
Scott Hartnell–Danny Briere–Ville Leino
James van Riemsdyk–Claude Giroux–Arron Asham
Daroll Powe–Blair Betts–Andreas Nodl

Defensemen
Matt Carle–Chris Pronger
Kimmo Timonen–Braydon Coburn
Ryan Parent–Lukas Krajieck/p>

Goaltenders
Michael Leighton
Johan Backlund

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Dennis Wideman had an assist in Game 6, giving him assists in six of his last eight games. He is now tied with Patrice Bergeron for the team lead in postseason points with 11, which is the most by a Bruins defenseman in one playoff year since Ray Bourque led the club in postseason scoring with 25 points in 1991.
• Milan Lucic had the Bruins’ lone goal in Game 6. He has four points in his last five games.
• Zdeno Chara had an assist in Game 6 and now has four helpers in the playoffs. That was his first point since Game 3.

Flyers

• Mike Richards had a goal and an assist in Game 6, extending his assist and point streaks to three games. He has a goal and three helpers during that span.
• Simon Gagne had an assist in Game 6, extending his point streak to three games. He has three goals and an assist during that span.
• Danny Briere had a goal in Game 6, extending his point streak to three games. He has four points during that span.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• David Krejci is out for the playoffs with a dislocated right wrist suffered in Game 3.
• Adam McQuaid suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3, and according to Claude Julien, he is day-to-day. He has skated the last three days.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm in early April and is out for three to four more weeks. Seidenberg has skated recently but his timetable is still the same.
• Marco Sturm suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee 21 seconds into Game 1 and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.

Flyers

• Brian Boucher is out indefinitely after suffering a sprained left MCL in Game 5.
• Jeff Carter is out indefinitely after foot surgery.
• Mike Rathje is out for the season with hip and back injuries.
• Ian Laperriere is out for the playoffs with a brain contusion and concussion.
• Ray Emery is out for the season after hip surgery.

OUTLOOK

The Bruins played a much better Game 6 than Game 5, showing more heart and effort in their 2-1 loss. The problem is that this isn’t the time of year to be correcting your game. But, if the Bruins can build off their Game 6 effort, they should at least give themselves a chance to win.

Anything can happen in a Game 7, and right now — more than ever — the Bruins need a team-wide commitment to being at their best.

The B’s are coming off their worst performance of the playoffs, as they were dominated in a 4-0 debacle at the TD Garden on Monday. They know they need to increase their level of desperation and play hungry hockey if they are to finally finish off the Flyers, who are down 3-2.

"Everyone always says the fourth [win] is the hardest, and it’s proving to be like that right now," said forward Milan Lucic. "I’m not going to take anything away from [the Flyers]. They’ve played great the last two games. But we haven’t played nearly up to par to where we need to be to win that fourth game."

WHEN AND WHERE

Bruins vs. Flyers
Game 6 Eastern Conference semifinals
May 12, 2010, 8 p.m. (NESN)
Wachovia Center, Philadelphia

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins lead the series 3-2 after a 4-0 loss in Game 5.

The Bruins beat the Flyers 2-1 in overtime in the 2010 Winter Classic and were 2-1-1 against them this season. Philadelphia won 4-3 in a shootout at the Wachovia Center on Oct. 22 and 3-1 at the TD Garden on Dec. 14. The Bruins' other win over the Flyers was a 5-1 victory at Philadelphia on March 11.

The Bruins and Flyers are meeting in the playoffs for just the fifth time in their postseason histories, and for the first time since 1978. Each team has won two of the previous four series, all of which took place over a five-year span in the 1970s (1974, 1976, 1977, 1978).

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 7-4 with a 2.53 GAA and a .914 save percentage in the postseason. Rask made 31 saves in a 4-0 loss in Game 5 and has lost two straight for the first time since since he went 0-4-2 from Jan. 4 to Feb. 6. Rask was 22-12-5 this season with a league-leading 1.97 GAA and a .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.

Tim Thomas has not played in the playoffs so far. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, a .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season. 

Flyers
Michael Leighton relieved the injured Brian Boucher in Game 5 and made 14 saves. Leighton was 17-9-2 with a 2.83 GAA and a .903 save percentage in the regular season.

Johan Backlund has not played in the playoffs. He was 0-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and a .917 save percentage this season.

Boucher is 6-4 with a 2.33 GAA and a .915 save percentage in the playoffs. Boucher was 9-18-3 with a 2.76 GAA and a .899 save percentage in the regular season. He had one shutout. 

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Daniel Paille–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Milan Lucic–Marc Savard–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Steve Begin–Trent Whitfield–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Mark Stuart

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Flyers
Forwards
Simon Gagne–Mike Richards–Daniel Carcillo
Scott Hartnell–Danny Briere–Ville Leino
James van Riemsdyk–Claude Giroux–Arron Asham
Daroll Powe–Blair Betts–Andreas Nodl

Defensemen
Matt Carle–Chris Pronger
Kimmo Timonen–Braydon Coburn 
Ryan Parent–Lukas Krajieck

Goaltenders
Michael Leighton
Johan Backlund

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Patrice Bergeron leads the Bruins with 11 points in the playoffs. He had a five-game points streak snapped in Game 5.
• Miroslav Satan and Dennis Wideman are second on the team in points with 10. Satan has no points in his last two games after registering a point in the previous six.
• Mark Recchi leads the team with six goals in the playoffs.

Flyers

• Simon Gagne scored the game-winner in the Flyers' 5-4 overtime win in Game 4 and had two goals in their 4-0 win in Game 5. Gagne has five points in six playoff games.
• Ville Leino had a goal and an assist in Game 5. He has three points in his last two games and five in his last four.
• Matt Carle had another assist in Game 5 and now has five helpers in his last two games.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• David Krejci is out for the playoffs with a dislocated right wrist suffered in Game 3.
• Adam McQuaid suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3 and, according to head coach Claude Julien, is day-to-day. He has skated the last three days.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm in early April and is out for three to four more weeks. Seidenberg has skated the last four days but his timetable is still the same
• Marco Sturm suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee 21 seconds into Game 1 and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.
  

Flyers

• Claude Giroux has an upper-body injury he suffered in Game 5, and he did not skate on Tuesday. He is still expected to play on Wednesday.
• Brian Boucher is out indefinitely after suffering a sprained left MCL in Game 5.
• Jeff Carter is out indefinitely after foot surgery.
• Mike Rathje is out for the season with hip and back injuries. 
• Ian Laperriere is out for the playoffs with a brain contusion and concussion.
• Ray Emery is out for the season after hip surgery.

OUTLOOK

Look for much more tenacity, fore-checking, hustle and physical play from the B's. That’s what has worked for the Flyers in the last two games, and that’s what works for many teams that win in the playoffs.

It's time to play like there is no tomorrow, or there might not be come Saturday after a possible Game 7 on Friday night. 

Now, the Bruins are back at the TD Garden where they’re 5-0 in the playoffs and will try to feed off 17,565 raucous fans draped in black and gold. The B’s will try to go 2-for-2 in possible series-clinching games on Causeway St. during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs and avoid another trip back to Philly.

"We’ve played great at home and the fans have been awesome," forward Shawn Thornton told NESN.com on Sunday. "Now we need to clinch another in front of them."

WHEN AND WHERE

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins
Game 5 Eastern Conference semifinals
May 10, 7 p.m. (NESN)
TD Garden, Boston

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins lead the series 3-1 after a 5-4 overtime loss in Game 4 at Philadelphia.

The Bruins beat the Flyers 3-2 in overtime in the 2010 Winter Classic and were 2-1-1 against them this season. Philadelphia won 4-3 in a shootout at the Wachovia Center on Oct. 22 and 3-1 at TD Garden on Dec. 14. The Bruins' other win over the Flyers was a 5-1 victory at Philadelphia on March 11.

The Bruins and Flyers are meeting in the playoffs for just the fifth time, and it's the first time since 1978. Each team has won two of the previous four series, which all took place over a five-year span in the 1970s (1974, 1976, 1977, 1978).

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 7-3 with a 2.39 GAA and .920 save percentage. Rask made 29 saves in a 5-4 overtime loss in Game 4. He had a four-game win streak snapped with the loss. Rask was 22-12-5 this season with a league-leading 1.97 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.

Tim Thomas has not played in the playoffs so far. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season.

Flyers
Brian Boucher is 5-4 with a 2.43 GAA and .913 save percentage in the playoffs. Boucher was 9-18-3 with a 2.76 GAA and .899 save percentage. He had one shutout.

Michael Leighton has not played in the playoffs due to ankle surgery but practiced with his team this weekend and could back up Boucher. Leighton was 17-9-2 with a 2.83 GAA and .903 save percentage in the regular season.

Johan Backlund has not played in the playoffs. He was 0-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .917 save percentage this season.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Daniel Paille–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Milan Lucic–Marc Savard–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Steve Begin–Trent Whitfield*–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Mark Stuart

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Flyers
Forwards
Simon Gagne–Mike Richards–Dan Carcillo/Jon Kalinski*
Scott Hartnell–Danny Briere–Ville Leino
James van Riemsdyk–Claude Giroux–Arron Asham
Daroll Powe–Blair Betts–Andreas Nodl

Note: Daniel Carcillo (knee) was not on the ice Sunday and Jon Kalinski skated in his spot.

Defensemen
Matt Carle–Chris Pronger
Kimmo Timonen–Braydon Coburn
Ryan Parent–Lukas Krajieck

Goaltenders
Brian Boucher
Johan Backlund/Michael Leighton

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Mark Recchi scored two goals (including the game-tying goal with 31.5 seconds left) in Game 4 and now has six goals and nine points in the playoffs.
• Milan Lucic scored a goal in Game 4 and is riding a five-game point streak, where he has six points during that span.
• Patrice Bergeron and Dennis Wideman each had two helpers in Game 4. Bergeron now has a five-game point streak going and leads the team with 11 playoff points.

Flyers

• Daniel Briere and Chris Pronger had a goal and an assist each in Game 4.
• Simon Gagne scored the game-winner in overtime in his first game back from a foot injury. Gagne has three points in five playoff games.
• Matt Carle had four assists, including one on the OT winner by Gagne, and was a plus-5 in Game 4. Carle has six helpers in the playoffs.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• David Krejci is out for the playoffs with a dislocated right wrist suffered in Game 3.
• Adam McQuaid suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3 and according to Claude Julien, is day-to-day.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm in early April and is out for 3-4 more weeks. Seidenberg skated Saturday and Sunday but is still looking at the same timetable for a return.
• Marco Sturm suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee 21 seconds into Game 1 and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.

Flyers

• Daniel Carcillo did not skate the last two days and is questionable for Game 5 with a knee injury.
• Jeff Carter is out indefinitely after foot surgery.
• Mike Rathje is out for the season with hip and back injuries.
• Ian Laperriere is out for the playoffs with a brain contusion and concussion
• Ray Emery is out for the season after hip surgery.

OUTLOOK

The Bruins will try to squash any momentum the Flyers have Monday night and the best way to do that will be to get the first goal early.

"We need to just come out and kill any thoughts they have that they can get this back to Philly," center Marc Savard said.

The key to that will be to eliminate the traffic in front of Tuukka Rask that led to the Flyers five goals in Game 4 and create traffic of their own in front of the Flyers’ net. Look for some crash-and-bang hockey from the B’s as they try to close this series out in Game 5.

The Bruins are 16-0 all-time when leading a best-of-seven series 3-0. Of those 16 series, they have closed in a four-game sweep on 12 occasions (including the 1977 semifinals against Philadelphia), they have won in five games twice, they have gone to six games once and they were extended to the full seven games once (in the 1939 semifinals against the New York Rangers).

If history is to repeat itself, it’s time to pull out the brooms, because the Flyers have an 0-6 record when trailing 3-0 in a best-of-seven series.

WHEN AND WHERE

Boston Bruins (3-0-0) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (0-3-0)
Game 4, Eastern Conference semifinals
May 7, 2010, 7 p.m. (Versus)
Wachovia Center, Philadelphia

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins lead the series 3-0 after a 4-1 win in Game 4 on Wednesday.

The Bruins beat the Flyers 3-2 in overtime in the 2010 Winter Classic and were 2-1-1 against them this season. The Bruins' other win over the Flyers was a 5-1 victory at Philadelphia on March 11. Philadelphia won 4-3 in a shootout at the Wachovia Center on Oct. 22 and 3-1 at the TD Garden on Dec. 14.

The Bruins and Flyers are meeting in the playoffs for just the fifth time in their postseason histories, and for the first time since 1978. Each team has won two of the previous four series, which all took place over a five-year span in the 1970s (1974, 1976, 1977, 1978).

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 7-2 with a 2.18 GAA and a .928 save percentage in the postseason. Rask recorded his fourth straight postseason win on Wednesday, a streak that began with Game 6 of the quarterfinals against Buffalo. That matches his longest win streak of the regular season (Nov. 19-25 and Feb. 7-13). Rask has now won seven of his last eight postseason games. During the regular season, he was 22-12-5 with a league-leading 1.97 GAA and a .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.

Tim Thomas has not played in the playoffs so far. During the regular season, he was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, a .915 save percentage and five shutouts.

Flyers
Brian Boucher is 4-4 with a 2.31 GAA and a .916 save percentage in the playoffs. Boucher was 9-18-3 with a 2.76 GAA and a .899 save percentage in the regular season. He had one shutout.

Johan Backlund entered Game 3 for just 1:24, essentially to give Philly an extra timeout in the third period. He was 0-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and a .917 save percentage in the regular season.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Daniel Paille–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Milan Lucic–Vladimir Sobotka–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Marc Savard–Michael Ryder
Steve Begin–Trent Whitfield/Brad Marchand–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Mark Stuart*

*Stuart has not yet been ruled as a definite, but Claude Julien said Adam McQuaid was "very doubtful" for Game 4.

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Flyers
Forwards
Dan Carcillo–Mike Richards–Claude Giroux
Scott Hartnell–Danny Briere–Ville Leino
James van Riemsdyk–Darroll Powe–Jared Ross
Andreas Nodl–Blair Betts–Arron Asham

Defensemen
Matt Carle–Chris Pronger
Kimmo Timonen–Braydon Coburn
Ryan Parent–Lukas Krajieck

Goaltenders
Brian Boucher
Johan Backlund

*Note: Simon Gagne (foot) skated on Thursday and could play on Friday.

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Miroslav Satan had a goal in Game 3, extending his postseason points streak to a career-best six games, with five goals and four assists during that span.
• Milan Lucic had an assist in Game 3. He has five points in his last four games.
• Blake Wheeler had a goal and an assist in Game 3 and now has a goal and two assists in his last two games. The goal was his first career NHL playoff goal and it was his second career multiple-point playoff game.

Flyers

• Mike Richards has six points in his last four games and 12 points in the postseason.
• Danny Briere has nine points in his last five games.
• Chris Pronger has three points in his last three games and eight points in the playoffs.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• Center David Krejci is out for the season with a dislocated right wrist, suffered in Game 3.
• Mark Stuart could make his return to the lineup on Friday if he is cleared to play by the team’s medical staff. Stuart has been out since April 1 with cellulitis on his left pinkie finger. 
• Adam McQuaid suffered a lower-body injury in Game 3 and, according to head coach Claude Julien, is “very doubtful” for Game 4.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for 3-4 more weeks.
• Marco Sturm suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee just 21 seconds into Game 1 of this series and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.

Flyers

• Simon Gagne, who has been out since early April after foot surgery, could return to the lineup in Game 4 after skating on Thursday for the first time in three weeks.
• Jeff Carter is out indefinitely after foot surgery.
• Mike Rathje is out for the season with hip and back injuries.
• Ian Laperriere is out for the playoffs with a brain contusion and a concussion.
• Ray Emery is out for the season after hip surgery.
• Michael Leighton is out for the season with a left ankle injury

OUTLOOK

The Bruins have done an amazing job of staying within their system and refusing to be rattled by the things they can’t control. After losing David Krejci for the remainder of the playoffs due to a wrist injury, the B’s will need to continue to stay focused.

They will face a desperate Flyers team trying to stave off elimination on Friday, and they must do their best to match the initial wave of attack and momentum. The B's did that in Game 3 and can do it again.

There was plenty of extracurricular activity in Game 2 at Boston's TD Garden, from biting to dives to threats. This will indeed carry over to Game 3, which promises to be another fierce Eastern Conference Semifinal affair.

WHEN AND WHERE

Bruins (2-0-0) vs. Flyers (0-2-0)
Game 3 Eastern Conference Semifinals
May 5, 7 p.m. (Versus)
Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins lead the series 2-0 after a 3-2 win in Game 2.

The Bruins beat the Flyers 3-2 in overtime in the 2010 Winter Classic and were 2-1-1 against them this season. Philadelphia won 4-3 in a shootout at Wachovia Center on October 22 and 3-1 at TD Garden on December 14. The Bruins' other win over the Flyers was a 5-1 victory at Philadelphia on March 11.

The Bruins and Flyers are meeting in the playoffs for just the fifth time in their postseason histories, and the first time since 1978. Each team has won two of the previous four series, which all took place over a five-year span in the 1970s (1974, 1976, 1977, 1978).

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 6-2 with a 2.32 GAA and .932 save percentage. He was 22-12-5 this season with a League-leading 1.97 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.

Tim Thomas has not played in the playoffs so far. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season.

Flyers
Brian Boucher is 4-3 with a 2.21 GAA and .923 save percentage in the playoffs. Boucher was 9-18-3 with a 2.76 GAA and .899 save percentage. He had one shutout.

Johan Backlund has not played in the playoffs. He was 0-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and .917 save percentage this season.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Daniel Paille–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Milan Lucic–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Vladimir Sobotka–Marc Savard–Michael Ryder
Blake Wheeler–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Adam McQuaid

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Flyers
Forwards
Dan Carcillo–Mike Richards–Claude Giroux
Scott Hartnell–Danny Briere–Ville Leino
James van Riemsdyk–Jared Ross–Arron Asham
Andreas Nodl–Blair Betts–Darroll Powe

Defenseman
Matt Carle–Chris Pronger
Kimmo Timonen–Braydon Coburn
Ryan Parent–Lukas Krajieck

Goaltenders
Brian Boucher
Johan Backlund

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Miroslav Satan has a five-game point streak going with a goal and an assist in each of his last three games and eight points during the streak.
• Dennis Wideman has four assists in his last two games and has registered an assist in each of his last four games with six helpers.
• Patrice Bergeron had an assist in Game 2 and has a three-game point streak with four points during that span.

Flyers

• Mike Richards has a three-game point streak going with six points during that span and 12 points in the postseason.
• Danny Briere had a goal and an assist in Game 2 and that was the third straight game he has done so. He has a four-game point streak going with nine points during that span.
• Chris Pronger had an assist in Game 2 and now has three points in two games and eight points in the playoffs.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• Mark Stuart has been skating the last five days and is close to returning from two surgeries for cellulitis on his arm. He is out for Wednesday but questionable for Game 4.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for 3-4 more weeks.
• Marco Sturm suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee 21 seconds into Game 1 and will miss the remainder of the playoffs.

Flyers

• Simon Gagne remains out indefinitely after foot surgery.
• Jeff Carter is out indefinitely after foot surgery.
• Mike Rathje is out for the season with hip and back injuries.
• Ian Laperriere is out for the playoffs with a brain contusion and concussion
• Ray Emery is out for the season after hip surgery.
• Michael Leighton is out for the season with a left ankle injury

OUTLOOK

The Flyers are going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at the Bruins but the B's plan to initiate their own attack. To do so, they will need to score the first goal for the fourth straight game. But this time the Bruins will try to hold onto that lead and build from it. That will be key on the road as they try to quiet what promises to be a raucous Wachovia Center crowd.

The Bruins beat the Sabres in six games to get here, and the Flyers took care of the Devils in five. Now the longtime rivals will battle for the right to go to the Eastern Conference finals.

The Bruins will get an offensive and emotional boost with the return of center Marc Savard, who has been out with a Grade 2 concussion since March 7. They will also try to ride the brilliant goaltending of rookie Tuukka Rask, while the Flyers feed off the feel-good story of career backup Brian Boucher.

WHEN AND WHERE

Boston Bruins (0-0-0) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (0-0-0)
Game 1, Eastern Conference Semifinals
May 1, 2010, 12:30 p.m. (NBC)
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins and Flyers will meet in the playoffs for just the fifth time in their postseason histories, and for the first time since 1978. Each team has won two of the previous four series, which all took place over a five-year span in the 1970s (1974, 1976, 1977, 1978).

The Bruins beat the Flyers 3-2 in overtime in the 2010 Winter Classic and were 2-1-1 against them this season. Philadelphia won 4-3 in a shootout at Wachovia Center on Oct. 22 and 3-1 at TD Garden on Dec. 14. Aside from the Winter Classic, the Bruins' other win over the Flyers was a 5-1 victory at Philadelphia on March 11.

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
In the postseason, Tuukka Rask is 4-2 with a 2.18 GAA and a .927 save percentage. He was 22-12-5 this season with a league-leading 1.97 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.

Tim Thomas has not appeared in the playoffs so far. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts in the regular season.

Flyers
Brian Boucher is 4-1. The Woonsocket, R.I., native leads the NHL in goals-against average (1.59) and save percentage (.940) in the playoffs. Boucher was 9-18-3 with a 2.76 GAA and a .899 save percentage in the regular season. He had one shutout.

Johan Backlund has not appeared in the playoffs. He was 0-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and a .917 save percentage this season.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Marco Sturm–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Milan Lucic–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Daniel Paille–Marc Savard–Michael Ryder
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Steve Begin

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Adam McQuaid

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Flyers
Forwards
Dan Carcillo–Mike Richards–Claude Giroux
Ville Leino–Danny Briere–Scott Hartnell
James van Riemsdyk–Jared Ross–Arron Asham
Darroll Powe–Blair Betts–Andreas Nodl

Defenseman
Chris Pronger–Matt Carle
Kimmo Timonen–Braydon Coburn
Ryan Parent–Lukas Krajieck

Goaltenders
Brian Boucher
Johan Backlund

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Patrice Bergeron, Miroslav Satan, David Krejci and Mark Recchi are tied for the team lead in points with five.
• Dennis Wideman and Matt Hunwick lead the Bruins' blue line with four points apiece.
• The Bruins' penalty kill was perfect in the first round of the playoffs, killing off all 19 Buffalo power plays. Boston's power play was 6-for-22.

Flyers

• Flyers captain Mike Richards leads the team with eight points.
• Claude Giroux leads the team with four lamp-lighters.
• The Flyers are 8-for-29 on the power play and have allowed four power-play goals on 32 power plays faced this postseason.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• Mark Stuart has been skating the last two days and is close to returning from two surgeries for cellulitis on his arm.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for three to four more weeks.

Flyers

• Simon Gagne remains out indefinitely after foot surgery.
• Jeff Carter is out indefinitely after foot surgery.
• Mike Rathje is out for the season with hip and back injuries.
• Ian Laperriere is out for the playoffs with a brain contusion and concussion.
• Ray Emery is out for the season after hip surgery.
• Michael Leighton is out for the season with a left ankle injury.

OUTLOOK

Everyone is expecting this to be a physical series, but with all the Flyers' injuries up front, they will need to be careful to not get caught in penalty trouble, and they must rely on a very solid defense lead by Chris Pronger.

The Bruins will do their best to utilize their speed around Pronger and pound away shots on Brian Boucher, who has been in the zone thus far but has always been a streaky goalie. The B's will also try to take advantage of some rust on the Flyers' part, as Philly is coming off a nine-day layoff.

They lead this Eastern Conference quarterfinals series 3-1 after a thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 win in double overtime on Wednesday night and have won three straight since losing the first game 2-1. The B’s have shown great resilience and determination in this series, and they will need it Friday in what promises to be a rocking HSBC Arena with Sabres fans trying to help their team avoid elimination.

WHEN AND WHERE

Bruins (3-1-0) vs. Sabres (1-3-0)
Game 5 Eastern Conference quarterfinals
April 23, 7 p.m. (NESN)
HSBC Arena, Buffalo, N.Y.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins lead this best-of-seven series 3-1. Game 5 will be in Buffalo with Game 6, if necessary, back in Boston on Monday.

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 3-1-0 with a 1.80 GAA and .939 save percentage after making 35 saves in the 3-2 Game 4 win. He was 22-12-5 this season with a league-leading 1.97 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.

Tim Thomas is 0-0-0. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season. In his only appearance against Buffalo this season, Thomas was pulled after allowing three first-period goals in a 3-2 Bruins loss.

Sabres
Ryan Miller is 1-3-0 with a 2.26 GAA and .927 save percentage in the playoffs. He made 36 saves in the 3-2 double-overtime loss in Game 4. He was 41-18-8 this season. He was second to Rask in GAA (2.22) and save percentage (.929), and just like Rask, Miller had five shutouts.

Patrick Lalime is 0-0-0. He was 4-8-2 with a 2.81 GAA and .907 save percentage this regular season. He made 31 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Bruins on April 8.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Milan Lucic–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Marco Sturm–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Adam McQuaid

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Sabres
Forwards
Drew Stafford–Derek Roy–Jason Pominville
Paul Gaustad–Tim Connolly–Mike Grier
Tyler Ennis–Adam Mair–Cody McCormick
Raffi Torres–Tim Kennedy–Patrick Kaleta

Defenseman
Henrik Tallinder–Tyler Myers
Andrej Sekera–Craig Rivet
Toni Lydman–Steve Montador

Goaltenders
Ryan Miller
Patrick Lalime

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Patrice Bergeron scored the game-tying goal in Game 4 and added an assist. He now has two goals and two assists in the series, leading the Bruins with four points.
• Miroslav Satan scored the OT game-winner in Game 4 and now has 17 career playoff goals and 46 points in 77 playoff games. His last playoff OT winner was with Buffalo in 1999.
• The Bruins are 17-1 when leading a series by a 3-1 margin.

Sabres

• Tim Kennedy scored for Buffalo and now has a goal and an assist in the series.
• Tyler Ennis had an assist and now has two helpers in the series.
• The Sabres are 0-for-14 on the power play in the series.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• Mark Stuart is out for at least the first round following surgery for cellulitis on his right pinky finger.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for five more weeks.
• Marc Savard is still out with a concussion but has been skating all week. His return date is unknown.

Sabres

• Matt Ellis is day-to-day with a broken nose.
• Thomas Vanek is a game-time decision for Game 5 with a sprained ankle. Vanek skated again Thursday day and will test his ankle and foot in the gameday skate Friday.
• Jochen Hecht is out indefinitely after left pinky finger surgery.

OUTLOOK

The Bruins have fallen behind 1-0 in every game of this series, but with Buffalo facing elimination and looking to ride any wave of momentum they can find, the Bruins will need to do their best to light the lamp first and quiet the HSBC Arena fans. Setting the tempo and possibly erasing any thoughts that the Sabres can come back will be the key.

Despite surrendering the first goal in all three games, the Bruins have found a way to comeback and win two of those games and now are in the position to take a commanding 3-1 lead in this best-of-seven series.

But if the Bruins are to do so, and if they want to bring this series back to Buffalo with a chance to clinch a berth to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Black and Gold must follow these three keys to success:

1.  Don’t look ahead
The Bruins know all too well how it feels to be on the trailing side in a series. So they very well know that a series lead can evaporate very quickly if you let your guard down and look ahead. The Bruins have erased 3-1 series leads twice in the past two years — once in 2008 against Montreal and then last spring against Carolina. Yes, they failed to complete the comeback, but that’s a perfect indicator of how even when a team wins two straight in a series and appears to have stolen momentum, the opponent can grab it right back.

2. Continue the physical play
The Bruins, as they did through most of last season when they finished first overall in the Eastern Conference and made the second round of the playoffs, are thriving off their physical play. The Johnny Boychuk hit on Matt Ellis in the second period of Game 3 or the Zdeno Chara hit on Tyler Ennis at the end of the first period in Game 2 were perfect examples of how physicality wakes this team up and helps them find other elements of their game.

3. Score the first goal
The Bruins have yet to score the first goal in this series and that’s why this key to success remains here. They have proven they can battle back and win but why put oneself in such a position every game? Sooner or later, this will catch up to the Bruins — but never sounds better than both of those options. The only way for that to happen is to light the lamp first and be in the lead.

If they were to do so, they would be in position to clinch a berth in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Friday in Game 5 at Buffalo. Should they lose, the Bruins will return home for another playoff game to what has become a raucous TD Garden. Needless to say, they’re hoping they win Wednesday night and position themselves to not have to return home until the second round.

WHEN AND WHERE

Boston Bruins (2-1-0) vs. Buffalo Sabres (1-2-0)
Game 4, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
April 21, 7 p.m. (NESN)
TD Garden, Boston, MA

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins lead this best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 will be in Boston at TD Garden Wednesday night with Game 5 back in Buffalo on Friday.

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 2-1-0 with a 2.01 GAA and .936 save percentage after making 32 saves in the 2-1 Game 3 win. He was 22-12-5 this season with a League-leading 1.97 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.

Tim Thomas is 0-0-0. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season. In his only appearance against Buffalo this season, Thomas was pulled after allowing three first period goals in a 3-2 Bruins loss.

Sabres
Ryan Miller is 1-2-0 with 2.36 GAA and .929 save percentage in the playoffs. He made 27 saves in the 2-1 loss in Game 3. He was 41-18-8 this season. He was second to Rask in GAA (2.22) and save-percentage (.929) and just like Rask Miller had five shutouts.

Patrick Lalime is 0-0-0. He was 4-8-2 with a 2.81 GAA and .907 save percentage this regular season. He made 31 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Bruins April 8.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Milan Lucic–Patrice Bergeron—Mark Recchi
Marco Sturm–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Adam McQuaid

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Sabres
Forwards
Tim Kennedy–Derek Roy–Jason Pominville
Tyler Ennis–Tim Connolly–Drew Stafford
Raffi Torres–Paul Gaustad–Mike Grier
Chris Butler—Adam Mair–Patrick Kaleta

*Thomas Vanek is highly doubtful but didn’t rule himself out completely. Also, Matt Ellis missed practice yesterday due to a broken nose from the hit he took from Johnny Boychuk. Cody McCormick was called up from Portland of the AHL.

Defenseman
Henrik Tallinder–Tyler Myers
Andrej Sekera–Craig Rivet
Toni Lydman–Steve Montador

Goaltenders
Ryan Miller
Patrick Lalime

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Patrice Bergeron scored the game-winning goal in game 3, getting his first playoff goal in 19 playoff games dating back to the Bruins seven-game loss to the Claude Julien-coached Canadiens in the first round of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs.
• Dennis Wideman scored the game-tying goal in game 3 and added an assist. Wideman now has points in five of his last eight games including the regular season.
• Mark Recchi set-up the game-winner in Game 3 and now has two goals and an assist in the series.

Sabres

• Raffi Torres and Henrik Tallinder have both registered an assist in two straight games
• Cody McCormick who was called up Tuesday from Portland in the AHL, had a team-high 168 PIMs over 66 games with the Pirates.
• The Sabres are 0-for-12 on the power play.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• Mark Stuart is out for at least the first round following surgery for cellulitis on his right pinky finger.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for six more weeks.
• Marc Savard is still out with a concussion but has been skating and could return this series.

Sabres

• Matt Ellis is a game time decision with a broken nose.
• Thomas Vanek is doubtful for tonight’s game with a sprained ankle.
• Jochen Hecht is out indefinitely after left pinky finger surgery.

OUTLOOK

With the exception of the eight goals scored in Game 2, this has been the low-scoring series everyone expected but that could change if the Sabres get desperate. Buffalo may try to open it up and use their speed and that can either hurt or benefit the Bruins.

The Sabres are the faster team but if the Bruins maintain their defensive system and Tuukka Rask remains steady between the pipes, the effect of that speed will be minimized.

The Bruins’ resiliency was questioned all season, but now they have shown that they have the fight they need to win big games, and they will have to feed off that momentum in this one. If successful, they could take a 2-1 series lead and position themselves to take command of this best-of-seven series.

WHEN AND WHERE

Boston Bruins (1-1) vs. Buffalo Sabres (1-1)
Game 3, Eastern Conference quarterfinals
April 19, 7 p.m. (NESN)
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins and Sabres are tied 1-1 in this best-of-seven series. Games 3 and 4 will be in Boston at TD Garden on Monday and Wednesday, with Game 5 back in Buffalo on Friday.

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 1-1 with a 2.03 GAA and .918 save percentage after making 26 saves in the 5-3 Game 2 win. He was 22-12-5 this season with a league-leading 1.97 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts.

Tim Thomas is 0-0. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season. In his only appearance against Buffalo this season, Thomas was pulled after allowing three first-period goals in a 3-2 Bruins loss.

Sabres
Ryan Miller is 1-1 with a 2.52 GAA and .928 save percentage after a 26-save performance in the 5-3 Game 2 loss. He was 41-18-8 this season. He was second to Rask in GAA (2.22) and save percentage (.929) and, just like Rask, Miller had five shutouts.

Patrick Lalime is 0-0. He was 4-8-2 with a 2.81 GAA and .907 save percentage this regular season. He made 31 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Bruins April 8.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Milan Lucic/Daniel Paille–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Marco Sturm–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille/Milan Lucic–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton

Note: It is not known if Milan Lucic will be back with Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi. He was dropped to the fourth line in Game 2 and switched spots with Daniel Paille.

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Adam McQuaid

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Sabres
Forwards
Tyler Ennis–Tim Connolly–Jason Pominville
Tim Kennedy–Derek Roy–Thomas Vanek*
Adam Mair–Paul Gaustad–Mike Grier
Raffi Torres–Matt Ellis–Patrick Kaleta

Note: Thomas Vanek is doubtful with a lower-body injury and it is not known who will replace him.

Defensemen
Tyler Myers–Henrik Tallinder
Craig Rivet–Steve Montador
Toni Lydman–Chris Butler

Goaltenders
Ryan Miller
Patrick Lalime

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Zdeno Chara scored the game-winner in Game 2 and added another goal for the 5-3 win. He now has two goals and an assist in the series.
• Michael Ryder scored two goals in Game 2 and now has four goals in his last three games, including a two-goal performance in the season finale, a 4-3 shootout win at Washington on April 11.
• Mark Recchi sealed the deal with an empty-netter in Game 2 and now has two goals in the series after scoring the Bruins’ lone goal in Game 1.

Sabres

• Thomas Vanek has a goal and an assist in the series but is doubtful for Game 3.
• Tyler Myers scored the Sabres’ first goal in Game 2. It was the first career playoff goal for the Calder Trophy candidate.
• The Sabres’ power play is 0-for-9 in the series.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• Mark Stuart is out for at least the first round following surgery for cellulitis on his right pinky finger.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for six more weeks.
• Marc Savard is out indefinitely with a Grade 2 concussion.

Sabres

• Thomas Vanek is doubtful with a lower-body injury.
• Jochen Hecht is a game-time decision with an upper-body injury.
• Drew Stafford is doubtful with a concussion.

OUTLOOK

The Bruins were successful in rattling the normally calm Ryan Miller in Game 2 by driving to the net and shooting whenever they could. They must continue that if they hope to win Game 3.

However, they must also be careful not to rest on their laurels of Game 2 and follow up one big win with another, something they rarely accomplished this season.

As expected, Game 1 was a tightly contested game with stellar goaltending on both ends and suffocating defense that made it difficult to get any real scoring chances. The Bruins will do their best to change that and avoid falling into a 2-0 series hole.

WHEN AND WHERE

Boston Bruins (39-30-13) vs. Buffalo Sabres (45-27-10)
Game 2 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
April 17, 1 p.m. (NBC)
HSBC Arena Buffalo, N.Y.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Sabres lead the series 1-0. The Bruins were 4-2-0 against the Sabres in the regular season. Games 3 and 4 will be in Boston at the TD Garden on Monday and Wednesday.

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 0-1-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .938 save percentage after making 30 saves in the 2-1 Game 1 loss. He was 22-12-5 this season with an NHL-leading 1.97 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts. Rask had a 4-1 record with a 1.43 GAA and .954 save percentage against Buffalo this season. He made 33 saves in the 4-2 win over Carolina last Saturday and has not lost in regulation since a 1-0 loss to Florida on April 1. He was 4-1-1 in his final six regular-season starts.

Tim Thomas is 0-0-0 in the postseason. He was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season. In his only appearance against Buffalo this season, Thomas was pulled after 26 minutes, allowing three goals in a 3-2 Bruins loss.

Sabres
Ryan Miller is 1-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .974 save percentage after making 38 saves in Game 1. He was 41-18-8 this season, second to Rask in GAA (2.22) and save percentage (.929) and, just like Rask, Miller had five shutouts. He was 2-0-2 against the Bruins this season.

Patrick Lalime is 0-0-0. He was 4-8-2 with a 2.81 GAA and .907 save percentage this regular season. He made 31 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Bruins April 8.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Milan Lucic–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Marco Sturm–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Adam McQuaid

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Sabres
Forwards
Tyler Ennis–Connolly–Jason Pominville
Tim Kennedy–Derek Roy–Thomas Vanek
Adam Mair–Paul Gaustad–Mike Grier
Raffi Torres–Matt Ellis–Patrick Kaleta

Defenseman
Tyler Myers–Henrik Tallinder
Craig Rivet–Steve Montador
Toni Lydman–Chris Butler

Goaltenders
Ryan Miller
Patrick Lalime

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Mark Recchi scored his 51st career playoff goal in Game 1. It was his 124th career playoff point.
• Zdeno Chara had a helper on the Recchi goal, and counting the regular season, he now has an assist in each of his last five games.
• The Bruins' power play, an Achilles' heel all season, went 1-for-2 in Game 1.

Sabres

• Thomas Vanek scored the first Sabres goal in Game 1, and counting the regular season, he has now scored six goals in his last three games.
• Derek Roy assisted on Vanek’s goal, and counting the regular season, he now has a five-game point streak going with seven points during that span.
• Craig Rivet scored the game-winner in Game 1. The Sabres' captain had only one goal during the regular season and hadn’t registered a point since March 27.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• Mark Stuart is out for at least the first round of the playoffs following surgery for cellulitis on his right pinkie finger.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for eight weeks.
• Marc Savard is out indefinitely with a Grade 2 concussion.

Sabres

• Jochen Hecht is a game-time decision with an upper-body injury.
• Drew Stafford is doubtful with a concussion.

OUTLOOK

Game 1 was a game of inches, and Game 2 promises to be the same. That’s why, regardless of how many shots the Bruins unload, they must make them count and create traffic in front of Ryan Miller. Look for the Bruins' forwards to follow the lead of the only Bruin to score, Mark Recchi, and crash the net like "The Recching Ball" does every game.

“We all play for this time of year and now we need to get it done,” veteran forward Mark Recchi said.

The Bruins have had their way with Buffalo this season and now it’s time for them to carry it over when it counts most. Let the real season begin!

WHEN AND WHERE

Boston Bruins (39-30-13) vs. Buffalo Sabres (45-27-10)
Game 1 Eastern Conference quarterfinals
April 15, 7 p.m. (NESN)
HSBC Arena Buffalo, NY

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins were 4-2-0 against the Sabres this season. The Bruins have outscored the Sabres 14-11 this season.

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 22-12-5 with a league-leading 1.97 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts. Rask had a 4-1 record with a 1.43 GAA and .954 save percentage against Buffalo this season. Rask made 33 saves in the 4-2 win over Carolina last Saturday and has not lost in regulation since a 1-0 loss to Florida on April 1. He was 4-1-1 in his final six starts.

Tim Thomas was 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts this season. In his only appearance against Buffalo this season, Thomas was pulled after allowing three first period goals in a 3-2 Bruins loss.

Sabres
Ryan Miller was 41-18-8 this season. He was second to Rask in GAA (2.22) and save-percentage (.929) and just like Rask, Miller had five shutouts. He was 2-0-2 against the Bruins this season.

Patrick Lalime was 4-8-2 with a 2.81 GAA and .907 save percentage this season. He made 31 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Bruins April 8.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Milan Lucic–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Marco Sturm–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference–Adam McQuaid

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Sabres
Forwards
Tyler Ennis–Tim Connolly–Jason Pominville
Tim Kennedy–Derek Roy–Thomas Vanek
Adam Mair–Paul Gaustad–Mike Grier
Raffi Torres–Matt Ellis–Patrick Kaleta

Defensemen
Tyler Myers–Henrik Tallinder
Craig Rivet–Steve Montador
Toni Lydman–Chris Butler

Goaltenders
Ryan Miller
Patrick Lalime

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Patrice Bergeron has been an amazing two-way player for the Bruins this season and was tied for the team lead in points with 59.
• David Krejci had 22 points in 20 games since the Olympic break and tied Bergeron for the team lead.
• Michael Ryder scored two goals in the season finale Sunday, notching his first lamplighters in 12 games.

Sabres

• Thomas Vanek returned from a lower body injury last Saturday and scored five goals in the Sabres last two games. He led the team with 28 lamplighters.
• Derek Roy had three goals and three assists to finish the season with a four-game point streak. Roy led the team in points with 69.
• If not for being out with a foot injury since March 26, Tim Connolly most likely would have led the Sabres in points, but he finished second to Roy with 65. Connolly will play.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• Andrew Ference has a hernia and groin injury and is a game-time decision.
• Mark Stuart is out for at least another week following surgery for cellulitis on his right pinky finger.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for eight weeks.
• Marc Savard is out indefinitely with a Grade 2 concussion.

Sabres

• Jochen Hecht is a game time decision with an upper body injury.
• Drew Stafford is questionable with a concussion.

OUTLOOK

The Bruins know they match up well with the Sabres and now they must go out and show why. This promises to be a series revolving around goaltending and defense, so there will be little margin for error. The Bruins must keep it simple but they also need to take their chances if they see a clear path to the net. If they can have such a balanced approach, they should be able to find the success they had in the regular-season series with Buffalo in the playoffs.

The Caps are the top seed in the East, and with their 4-2 win over Carolina and the Canadiens losing 4-3 in overtime to the Maple Leafs, the Bruins are locked into the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff seeding.  

This game is simply a tune up and a chance at revenge for the Bruins against a team that stole a win from them in overtime almost a week ago. The only playoff question left is who the Bruins will play in the first round? The current third-seed Buffalo Sabres, or the currently second-seeded New Jersey Devils? Ironically, the two play each other at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday. If the Devils win and hold on for to second place, the Bruins play Buffalo and if the Sabres win, it’s off to Newark to play the Devils.

WHEN AND WHERE

Boston Bruins (38-30-13) vs. Washington Capitals (54-15-12)
Sunday, April 11, Noon (NBC)
Verizon Center, Washington DC

HEAD TO HEAD

The Bruins played well enough to win in their last game against the Caps on April 5, but lost 3-2 on a Capitals power-play goal 44 seconds into overtime. Boston is 0-2-1 against Washington and has been out-scored 11-3 in their first three meetings.

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 22-12-5 with a League-leading 1.97 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go with five shutouts. Rask made 33 saves in the 4-2 win over Carolina Saturday and has not lost in regulation since a 1-0 loss to Florida April 1.

Tim Thomas is 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts. He has not started since March 29 when he was pulled after the first period of a 3-2 loss to Buffalo.

Capitals
Jose Theodore is 30-7-7 with a 2.81 GAA and .911 save percentage. He has one shutout.

Seymon Varlamov is 15-4-5 with a 2.54 GAA and .909 save percentage. He has two shutouts.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Milan Lucic–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Marco Sturm–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton

*The Bruins called up 2007 first-round draft pick Zach Hamill, who will play his first NHL game Sunday.

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Bodnarchuk–Adam McQuaid

*The Bruins recalled defenseman Jeff Penner.

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Capitals
Forwards
Alex Ovechkin–Nicklas Backstrom–Alexander Semin
Brooks Laich–Brendan Morrison–Eric Fehr
Jason Chimera–Eric Belanger–Tomas Fleischmann
Quintin Laing–Boyd Gordon–Scott Walker

Defenseman
Tyler Sloan–Shaone Morrisonn
Jeff Schultz–Joe Corvo
John Carlson–Mike Green

Goaltenders
Jose Theodore
Semyon Varlamov

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Things are starting to turn around for Dennis Wideman as the embattled defenseman had a helper Saturday and now has a four-game point streak going with two assists and two goals during that span.
• Captain Zdeno Chara had an assist Saturday and now has one in each of his last four games.
• The Bruins got three shorthanded goals in a record-breaking 1:04 to open the second period Saturday. Daniel Paille, Blake Wheeler and Steve Begin had the short-handers, propelling Boston to a 3-0 lead and eventual 4-2 win. The Bruins now have allowed only 37 power play goals on 270 power plays faced and have an 86.3 percent success rate.

Capitals

• For the third straight season Alexander Ovechkin has 50 goals and is a candidate to win his third straight Hart Trophy. Ovechkin has four goals and five points in his last two games and 109 points this season.
• With two goals and an assist on Friday, Nicklas Backstrom cracked the century mark in points for the first time in his career. The Swedish center is on a three-game point streak with three goals and six assists. He had a goal and two assists in the Caps’ 3-2 win over the B’s April 5.
• Alexander Semin has a four-game point-streak going with two goals and five assists in that stretch. He is third on the team in scoring with 83 points.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins

• Zdeno Chara is playing with a broken nose.
• Andrew Ference is out until at least next week with a hernia and groin injury.
• Mark Stuart is out for two weeks following surgery for cellulitis on his right pinky finger.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for eight weeks.
• Marc Savard is out indefinitely with a Grade 2 concussion.

Capitals

• Former Bruins defenseman Milan Jurcina is out 2-4 weeks with a hernia. 

OUTLOOK

The Bruins could easily mail it in Sunday since they are locked into the sixth seed of the Eastern Conference playoffs, but the way this season has gone, they could benefit from winning against the NHL’s best team, the Capitals and carry a three-game win streak into the playoffs.

This team has had plenty of problems maintaining momentum all season and a win against the an elite team they may face at some point if they get past the second round, could do wonders for confidence.

If the Rangers lost to the Flyers on Friday night, the Bruins would’ve clinched a playoff berth. But New York lived to see another day in the playoff race with its 4-3 win over the Flyers. If the Bruins lose their two remaining games and the Rangers win their last, the B’s will be booking their tee times because their season will be over.

But the Bruins still control their own destiny still and can secure a spot in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs by recording one point today, either via a win or a loss in overtime or the shootout. The Bruins could clinch sixth place with a win over the Hurricanes and if Montreal loses to Toronto. because they hold a game in hand on the Rangers, Habs and Flyers. This is the Bruins’ last regular-season home game, and despite struggling mightily on home ice, they have chance to finish over .500 at the TD Garden.

WHEN AND WHERE

HEAD TO HEAD

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Hurricanes
Cam Ward is 18-22-5 with a 2.69 GAA and a .919 save percentage. Ward is expected to start on Saturday.

Manny Legace is 10-7-5 with a 2.81 GAA and a .907 save percentage. He has one shutout.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Hurricanes
Forwards
Jussi Jokinen–Eric Staal–Chad LaRose
Ray Whitney–Brandon Sutter–Erik Cole
Sergei Samsonov–Rod Brind’Amour–Tom Kostopoulos
Zach Boychuk–Patrick Dwyer–Jerome Samson/Drayson Bowman

Defensemen
Jay Harrison–Brian Pothier
Bryan Rodney–Brett Carson
Casey Borer–Jamie McBain

Goaltenders
Cam Ward
Manny Legace

STAT SHEET

• Miroslav Satan scored on Thursday and has three goals in his last three games.
• Dennis Wideman turned boos into cheers with the game-winning goal 1:59 into the third period on Thursday. Wideman has a three-game points streak going, with two lamp-lighters and a helper during that span.
• Marco Sturm may lead the Bruins with 21 goals, but he needs to light the lamp soon and get hot. He has not scored in 14 games.
  

Hurricanes

• Eric Staal has five goals and four assists in his last two games and leads the ‘Canes with 70 points.
• Defenseman Jamie McBain has three assists in his last two games.
• Jussi Jokinen has a goal and two assists in his last two games.
  

BLACK AND BLUE

• Zdeno Chara is playing with a broken nose.
• Andrew Ference is out until at least next week with a hernia and groin injury.
• Mark Stuart is out for two weeks following surgery for cellulitis on his right pinkie finger.
• Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for eight weeks.
• Marc Savard is out indefinitely with a Grade 2 concussion.

Hurricanes

• Defenseman Joni Pitkanen (lower body) will not play.
• Tuomo Ruutu had shoulder surgery and is out for the season.
• Tim Gleason is out with a foot injury.
• Alexandre Picard is out with an upper body injury

OUTLOOK

The Bruins know exactly what they have to do to accomplish their goal of making the playoffs — and they proved it with their resilience in their 3-1 comeback win on Thursday. The B’s will need to adhere to the old cliché of one game at a time and must try to not get ahead of themselves. They need to focus on the Carolina Hurricanes and just stay within their game.

If they can do that and earn two points, they will have the chance to do that again in the best tournament in North American pro sports, the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Sabres were here just 10 days ago when they beat the Bruins 3-2, but now there is even more on the line for the Black and Gold as the race for the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference are even tighter.

The Bruins (85 points) lead the Rangers (84 Points) by a point for the final playoff spot and trail the Flyers (86 points) by a point for the seventh spot and Canadiens (87 points) for the sixth slot.

WHEN AND WHERE

Boston Bruins (36-30-13) vs. Buffalo Sabres (44-25-10)
Thursday, April 8, 7 p.m. (NESN)
TD Garden, Boston, MA

HEAD TO HEAD

This is the last regular-season game of the season between these Northeast Division rivals, with the Bruins 3-2-0 against the Sabres thus far. In their last matchup on March 29, the Bruins lost 3-2 to Buffalo.

GOALTENDING MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 20-12-5 with a league-leading 1.99 goals-against average and .930 save percentage to go with five shutouts.

Tim Thomas is 16-18-8 with a 2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage and five shutouts.

Sabres
Ryan Miller is 40-18-8 with a 2.23 GAA and .928 save percentage. The Vezina and Hart Trophy candidate has five shutouts.

Patrick Lalime is 4-6-2 with a 2.86 GAA and .904 save percentage.

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Milan Lucic–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Marco Sturm–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Brad Marchand

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Dennis Wideman
Matt Hunwick–Johnny Boychuk
Andrew Bodnarchuk–Adam McQuaid

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Sabres
Forwards
Tyler Ennis–Jochen Hecht–Jason Pominville
Tim Kennedy–Derek Roy–Drew Stafford
Nathan Gerbe–Paul Gaustad–Mike Grier
Raffi Torres–Matt Ellis–Adam Mair
 
Defenseman
Tyler Myers–Henrik Tallinder
Andrej Sekera–Steve Montador
Toni Lydman–Chris Butler

Goaltenders
Ryan Miller
Patrick Lalime

STAT SHEET

Bruins

• Patrice Bergeron had a goal and an assist Monday and is leading the Bruins with 52 points.
• Dennis Wideman is having a nightmare season but has been better in the last two games with a goal and two assists.
• Mark Recchi had an assist Monday and is third on the team with 42 points. On Wednesday, Recchi was nominated for the Masterton Trophy by the Boston Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Sabres

• Jason Pominville has four points in his last four games and 62 points this season.
• Ryan Miller made 30 saves Tuesday and is second in the NHL in save percentage (.928) and third in GAA (2.23).
• Recent call-up Tyler Ennis set a career high with three points Tuesday. He had a goal and two assists, giving him three goals and five helpers in seven games.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins
Andrew Ference is out until at least next week with a hernia and groin injury.

Mark Stuart is out for two weeks following surgery for cellulitis on his right pinky finger.

Dennis Seidenberg had surgery for a lacerated flexor carpi radialis tendon in his left forearm and is out for eight weeks.

Marc Savard is out indefinitely with a Grade 2 concussion.

Shawn Thornton has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day.

Sabres
Craig Rivet has the flu and is day-to-day.

Thomas Vanek suffered a lower-body injury March 27 and is day-to-day.

Tim Connolly has a foot injury and is out indefinitely.

Patrick Kaleta had surgery on his right thumb and is out until at least the playoffs.

OUTLOOK

With a depleted lineup, specifically on defense and a struggling offense, the Bruins have no margin for error. Just as they did for the majority of their 3-2 overtime loss to the Capitals, they must keep it simple and stick within their game plan. Discipline and focus are of the utmost importance. They've proven they can beat the Sabres already, and with a crucial two points on the line, they must prove that again.

The Bruins doused the Flames 5-0 on Saturday and now will have to deal with their division rivals, who clinched a playoff spot with a 7-1 rout over the Lightning on Saturday.

This is the first game of a back-to-back for the Bruins, as they head to New Jersey Tuesday to play another team that is headed for the postseason in the Devils.

This could also be a matchup of two of the best goalies in the NHL right now, should Tuukka Rask and Ryan Miller start. Both Miller and Rask have hovered atop the NHL in goals-against average and save percentage this season.

WHEN AND WHERE

March 29, 7 p.m. (Versus)
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.

RECORDS

Bruins (33-28-12, 80 points, fourth place in Northeast Division, eighth place in Eastern Conference)
Sabres (41-23-10, 93 points, first place in Northeast Division, third place in Eastern Conference)

HEAD TO HEAD

This is the penultimate game of the season between these Northeast Division rivals, with the Bruins 3-1-0 against the Sabres thus far. In their last meeting on Feb. 9, the Bruins won 3-2 in a shootout at Buffalo. The teams will close the season series at the TD Garden on April 8.

SKINNY

After going 0-for-22 on the power play and not scoring on the man advantage since the second period of the March 7 game in which Marc Savard suffered his concussion, the Bruins — ironically with Savard speaking before the game — exploded with three power-play goals (3-for-4) en route to a 5-0 over the Flames on Saturday.

"Our power play was really clicking," captain Zdeno Chara said. "We were able to make plays. We were not looking for fancy plays. We were just keeping it simple, and it scored huge goals for us."

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Marco Sturm–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Blake Wheeler–David Krejci–Michael Ryder
Milan Lucic–Vladimir Sobotka–Miroslav Satan
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Dennis Seidenberg
Mark Stuart–Dennis Wideman
Matt Hunwick–Johnny Boychuk

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Sabres
Forwards
Tim Kennedy–Derek Roy–Thomas Vanek
Tyler Ennis–Jochen Hecht–Jason Pominville
Drew Stafford–Paul Gaustad–Mike Grier
Adam Mair–Matt Ellis–Steve Montador

Defensemen
Tyler Myers–Henrik Tallinder
Craig Rivet–Andrej Sekera
Toni Lydman–Chris Butler

Goaltenders
Ryan Miller
Patrick Lalime

Note: Thomas Vanek was injured Saturday. On Sunday, the team recalled forwards Nathan Gerbe
and Mark
Mancari from the Portland Pirates of the AHL.

GOALTENDER MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 18-11-4 with a 2.11 GAA, a .927 save percentage and four shutouts. Rask had an off night last Thursday, allowing five goals on 18 shots.

Tim Thomas is 16-17-8 with a 2.50 GAA and a .916 save percentage. In his first start since March 15, Thomas made 31 saves in the 5-0 win over Calgary on Saturday and now has five shutouts. It was Thomas’ first win since March 6, when he made 37 saves in a 2-1 win over the Islanders.

Sabres
Ryan Miller is 37-16-8 with a 2.21 GAA and .929 save percentage. Miller has five shutouts. He made 27 saves in a 4-2 loss to Ottawa in his last start Friday. Miller is 7-2-1 since returning from his silver-medal run at the Olympics last month.

Patrick Lalime is 4-6-2 with a 2.86 GAA and .904 save percentage. The seldom-used backup made 22 saves in the Sabres’ 7-1 win over Tampa Bay Saturday. With the win, Lalime became the 66th goaltender in NHL history to reach 200 wins

STAT SHEET

Bruins
Patrice Bergeron had a goal and an assist Saturday and now has four points (one goal, three assists) in his last three games. He leads the team with 49 points and is tied for the team lead in assists with Chara (32).

Marco Sturm broke a seven-game pointless streak with an assist Saturday. He leads the team with 21 goals but hasn’t scored in eight games.

David Krejci had a goal and assist Saturday and now has six points (two goals, four assists) in his last three games and 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in the 14 games since the Olympic break. Krejci is second on the team with 46 points.

Mark Recchi scored his 17th goal of the season on Saturday and added an assist. Recchi now has scored in two straight games and has three points in two games. He is third on the team in points with 40.

Chara had a goal and an assist Saturday and has scored in two straight games. He also has a three-game point streak going with four points (two goals, two assists) during that stretch. He leads the defense in points with 39.

Dennis Seidenberg scored a goal Saturday and now has a three-game point streak going with a goal and two assists. He has eight points in 12 games with the Bruins since being acquired at the trade deadline. Seidenberg has 28 helpers and 31 points this season.

Dennis Wideman had two helpers Saturday and now has three in his last two games. Wideman has 21 assists and four goals this season.

The Bruins' penalty kill took care of all three Calgary power plays Saturday including a five-minute man advantage for the Flames in the third period. The unit has surrendered only 36 goals on 254 power plays faced, with an 85.8 percent success rate — second-best in the NHL behind St. Louis.

Sabres
Tim Connolly is first on the team in assists with 48 and points with 68. He has three points (two goals, assist) in his last three games.

Derek Roy recorded the fourth hat trick of his career Saturday. Roy has three goals and three assists in the past four games. He is second on the team in assists with 38 and points with 60.

Jason Pominville had a goal and two assists Saturday and now has a four-game point streak going with six points (two goals, four assists) during that span. Pominville is third on the team in points with 58.

Tyler Myers had an assist Saturday and now has five assists in his last five games. The rookie rear guard leads the Sabres' blue line with 33 assists and 43 points.

The Sabres' power play was 3-for-4 on Saturday. Buffalo is 51-for-292 on the power play this season with a 17.5 percent success rate.

The Sabres killed off both Lightning power plays Saturday. They’ve allowed only 36 goals on 251 power plays faced with an 85.7 percent success rate.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins
Marc Savard is out indefinitely with a grade 2 concussion.

Andrew Ference (groin) has not skated for the last three days and is questionable.

Sabres
Tim Connolly is questionable with a foot injury

Raffi Torres has an upper-body injury and is day-to-day.

Thomas Vanek suffered a lower-body injury Saturday and is day-to-day. He is not expected to play.

Patrick Kaleta has an "upper-body, outer-extremity" injury and is out indefinitely.

THIS DATE IN BRUINS HISTORY

On March 29, 1986, 19-year-old rookie Bill Ranford plays in his first NHL game, a 2-1 win over Buffalo. Ranford had just been recalled from his junior team, the New Westminster Bruins.

OVERHEARD

“I think we try to be physical every game. I mean getting on top of guys, pressuring them and not allowing them any time to make plays. We didn’t give [the Flames] enough time [Saturday] to make plays. We kind of smothered them whenever they had the puck.”
–Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg, on the Bruins’ physical game

PRESS BOX

Bruins
Andrew Ference missed practice again and it appears that Johnny Boychuk will avoid suspension for his elbow on Flames forward Rene Bourque.

Patrice Bergeron can sympathize with what Marc Savard is going through right now

Tim Thomas was ready Saturday in his first start since March 15.

Sabres
The Sabres clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2006-07 with their 7-1 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Does Ryan Miller deserve the Hart Trophy?

Rookie Tyler Ennis answered a late-night call to come to Buffalo and filled in nicely.

NHL
Will it be Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for the 2011 Winter Classic?

The Flyers, who the Bruins are battling for a playoff spot, are having some dressing room issues.

The new rule against blindside hits and head shots isn’t going to change the culture of the NHL overnight.

OUTLOOK

The Bruins have shown recently that they can put forth a complete 60-minute effort and stick within their game plan. Now, with the possible re-emergence of their power play, they could be in good shape for the final eight games. The key will be, once again, finding consistency. They control their own destiny and have proven they can be a playoff team if they want it.

The question remains: how bad do they want it? It's time to show themselves and their frustrated fans that they want it bad. They have played the Sabres well this season, and if they can have a solid start again, they should be in good shape.

The problem for the Bruins on this particular day is that while they certainly can’t afford any mental or strategic breakdowns like they had in their 5-3 loss to the Lightning on Thursday, the Flames are even more desperate. They face an even slimmer margin for error as they try to chase down the Red Wings for the final spot in the Western Conference.

With that in mind, it will be a do-or-die type of game for both squads.

WHEN AND WHERE

March 27, 1 p.m. (NESN)
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.

RECORDS

Bruins (32-28-12, 78 points, fourth place in Northeast Division, eighth place in Eastern Conference)
Flames (37-28-9, 83 points, third place in Northwest Division, ninth place in Western Conference)

HEAD TO HEAD

This is the only meeting of the season between the two teams. The Flames beat the Bruins 3-2 in their last encounter on Oct. 30, 2008.

SKINNY

The Bruins and Flames have both suffered from inconsistency and have failed to find a way to follow up one 60-minute effort with another. As a result, they are both fighting for their playoff lives. The Flames are trailing the Red Wings by six points for the eighth spot in the Western Conference, and the Bruins are clinging onto the eight slot in the Eastern Conference, leading the Thrashers by two points. 

"We’re in the same boat as Calgary because we’re both trying to get in the playoffs or stay in and need these two points," said Bruins and former Flames forward Steve Begin. "It’s going to be a hard game again, and they will all be hard from now on. We need to bring our best game and intense game."

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Marco Sturm–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Blake Wheeler–David Krejci–Michael Ryder
Milan Lucic–Vladimir Sobotka/Trent Whitfield–Miroslav Satan
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Dennis Seidenberg
Mark Stuart–Dennis Wideman
Matt Hunwick/Johnny Boychuk–Andrew Ference

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Flames
Forwards
Niklas Hagman–Matt Stajan–Jarome Ignila
Rene Bourque–Craig Conroy–Ales Kotalik
Nigel Dawes–Mikael Backlund–David Moss
Brett Sutter–Eric Nystrom–Jamal Mayers

Defensemen
Robyn Regehr–Ian White
Jay Bouwmeester–Steve Staios
Mark Giordano–Cory Sarich

Goaltenders
Miikka Kiprusoff
Vesa Toskala

GOALTENDER MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 18-11-4 with a 2.11 goals against average, a .927 save percentage and four shutouts. Rask had an off night on Thursday, allowing five goals on 18 shots. Heading into NHL action Friday night, he ranked first in GAA and first in save percentage in the NHL.

Tim Thomas is 15-17-8 with a 2.57 GAA and a .914 save percentage. He has four shutouts. Thomas has not started since March 15 in New Jersey, when he was pulled after allowing three first-period goals in a 3-2 loss.

Flames
Miikka Kiprusoff is 32-24-9 with a 2.22 GAA and a .922 save percentage. He has four shutouts this season. Kiprusoff made 19 saves in a 3-2 loss to the Islanders on Thursday.

Vesa Toskala is 9-12-3 with a 3.50 GAA and a .879 save percentage. He has one shutout. Toskala was pulled from his last start on March 21 after allowing three goals on 12 shots.

STAT SHEET

Bruins
Patrice Bergeron (16 goals, 31 assists) had an assist on Thursday to tie Zdeno Chara for the team lead in assists. He now leads the team with 47 points.

Marco Sturm leads the team with 21 goals but hasn’t scored in seven games.

David Krejci had two helpers on Thursday and now has 13 points in the 13 games since the Olympic break. Krejci is second on the team with 44 points.

Mark Recchi scored his 16th goal of the season on Thursday, but more importantly, it was his 561st goal of his career, moving him into sole possession of 22nd all-time in goals scored.

Michael Ryder got his second assist in as many games on Thursday and now has 15 helpers and 31 points this season.

Chara scored his sixth goal on Thursday. He leads the team with 31 assists and leads the defense in points with 37.

Dennis Seidenberg had an assist on Thursday and now has seven points in 11 games with the Bruins since being acquired at the trade deadline. Seidenberg has 28 helpers and 30 points this season.

The Bruins went 0-for-3 on the power play on Thursday and are now 40-for-236 with a 17.0 percent success rate. The Bruins have not scored a power-play goal since the second period of their 2-1 loss at Pittsburgh on March 7.

The Bruins penalty kill had a rare bad night on Thursday, allowing the Lightning to go 2-for-3 on the power play. They have surrendered only 36 goals on 251 power plays faced. Heading into NHL action on Friday night, the Bruins’ penalty kill was ranked third in the NHL with an 85.7 percent success rate.

Flames
Captain Jarome Iginla leads the team in goals with 32 and in assists with 36. He has four points in his last four games but has just one goal in his last eight.

Forward Matt Stajan, who was acquired from the Maple Leafs in the blockbuster deal that sent Dion Phaneuf to Toronto, is second on the team in points with 53 and in assists with 34.

Eric Nystrom (11 goals, eight assists) had a goal and an assist on Thursday and has now scored four goals in his last five games.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins
Marc Savard is out indefinitely with a Grade 2 concussion.

Vladimir Sobotka is probable with a sore neck.

Flames
Chris Higgins is questionable for Saturday’s game with a foot injury.

Curtis Glencross is questionable for Saturday’s game with a knee injury.

Daymond Langkow is out indefinitely with a neck injury.

THIS DATE IN BRUINS HISTORY

On March 27, 1997, Ray Bourque picks up his 1,000th career NHL assist in the Bruins' 6-3 loss to the Islanders. Bourque becomes the fifth player to get 1,000 assists, and the first to do so after spending his entire career with one team.

OVERHEARD

“We made some mental mistakes but the effort was there. Our confidence hasn’t flown south and we’re just getting ready for [Saturday's] game instead of dwelling on [Thursday's].”
–Bruins forward Shawn Thornton, on moving on from disappointing losses

PRESS BOX

Bruins
Marc Savard will address the media on Saturday for the first time since suffering a concussion on March 7, and you can catch the presser live on NESN at noon.

Unlike the 2008-09 Habs, who went from first to eighth in the East, former Canadien Steve Begin believes the character of this Bruins team can help it prevail.

The Bruins need to figure out how to win at home, where they’re just 15-15-6.

Flames
Are the Flames done after another blown opportunity on Long Island on Thursday in a 3-2 loss?

The Flames players are still holding out hope for the playoffs.

The pressure is mounting on the Flames.

NHL
Former Bruin Derek Morris is doing just fine in the desert.

Former Bruins head coach Pat Burns is nearing the end of a long battle with cancer.

Puck Daddy has the “death watch” going for teams on the bubble.

OUTLOOK

The Flames and the Bruins both pride themselves on physical games and both teams probably want to get that aspect back in their games. With both teams trying to make the playoffs, there is no better time than now to re-establish physicality, so expect a hard-fought battle on Saturday.

The Bruins will need to rediscover the intensity they showed in last week’s wins over New York and Atlanta. They can’t afford those physical and mental lapses they showed against the Lightning now that they're facing a desperate team that, with a loss, is almost guaranteed to miss the playoffs.

The Lightning are coming off a 2-1 overtime win over Carolina on Tuesday, but they are all but done as far as making the playoffs go. That could prove to make them more dangerous for the Bruins, as the Bolts have nothing to lose and aren’t under the pressure that the Bruins are as the B's jockey for playoff position.

WHEN AND WHERE

March 25, 7 p.m. (NESN)
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.

RECORDS

Bruins (32-27-12, 78 points, fourth place in Northeast Division, eighth place in Eastern Conference)
Lightning (29-32-12, 70 points, fourth in Southeast Division, 12th in Eastern Conference)

HEAD TO HEAD

This is the final meeting of the season between the Bruins and Lightning. The Bruins held on for a 5-4 win after taking a 5-0 lead in their last game with the Lightning at Tampa Bay on Feb. 11.

SKINNY

With a win and a Montreal loss on Thursday, the Bruins could leapfrog the Flyers and tie the Habs for sixth in the Eastern Conference. They still could conceivably finish fifth if they were to catch Ottawa. Last week, they were worried about teams below them, and now the Bruins are looking up and hopefully past teams ahead of them.

"We can pass these teams if we play the way we're playing the last two games," Mark Recchi told NESN.com. "We're getting it together at the perfect time."

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Bruins
Forwards
Marco Sturm–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Blake Wheeler–David Krejci–Michael Ryder
Milan Lucic–Brad Marchand–Miroslav Satan
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton

Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Dennis Seidenberg
Mark Stuart–Dennis Wideman
Matt Hunwick/Johnny Boychuk–Andrew Ference

Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas

Lightning
Forwards
Steve Downie–Steven Stamkos–Alex Tanguay

Marty St. Louis–Vinny Lecavalier–Teddy Purcell

Brandon Bochenski–Nate Thompson–Stephane Veilleux

Paul Szczechura–Zenon Konopka–Todd Fedoruk

Defensemen
Mike Lundin–Andrej Meszaros

Victor Hedman–Matt Walker

Kurtis Foster–Matt Smaby

Goaltenders
Antero Niittymaki
Mike Smith

GOALTENDER MATCHUP

Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 18-10-4 with a 2.02 goals against average, a .930 save percentage and four shutouts. Rask made 28 saves in the 4-0 win over the Thrashers Tuesday. He ranks first in GAA and first in save percentage in the NHL.

Tim Thomas is 15-17-8 with a 2.57 GAA and a .914 save percentage. He has four shutouts. Thomas has not started since March 15 in New Jersey, when he was pulled after allowing three first-period goals in a 3-2 loss.

Lightning
Antero Niittymaki is 19-16-5 with a 2.72 GAA and .912 save percentage. He has one shutout. Niittymaki made 27 saves in the 3-2 overtime win over the Hurricanes on Tuesday.

Mike Smith is 10-16-7 with a 3.12 GAA and .900 save percentage. He has one shutout.

STAT SHEET

Bruins
Patrice Bergeron (16 goals, 29 assists) had an assist Tuesday and leads the team with 46 points.

Marco Sturm leads the team with 21 goals.

David Krejci had a goal and an assist Tuesday and now has 11 points in the 12 games since the Olympic break. The Bruins are also 9-2-2 this season when Krejci scores a goal. Krejci is second on the team with 42 points.

Milan Lucic had a goal and an assist Tuesday and now has three points in his last two games. Lucic now has eight goals and seven assists this season.

Miroslav Satan scored for the second straight game Tuesday and now has three points in his last four games. Satan has six goals and five assists this season.

Steve Begin scored his first goal in 28 games on Tuesday and now has four lamplighters and 13 points this season.

Zdeno Chara had an assist Tuesday and leads the team with 31 assists and leads the defense in points with 36.

Dennis Seidenberg had an assist Tuesday and now has six points in 11 games with the Bruins since being acquired at the trade deadline. Seidenberg has 27 helpers and 29 points.

The Bruins went 0-for-2 on the power play Tuesday and are now 40-for-233 with a 17.2 percent success rate. The Bruins are 1-for-21 on the power play since Marc Savard was injured in Pittsburgh on March 7.
 
The Bruins killed off both Thrashers power plays Tuesday. They have surrendered only 34 goals on 248 power plays faced. The Bruins’ penalty kill is ranked first in the NHL with an 86.3 percent success rate.

Lightning
Martin St. Louis leads the team in assists with 59 and points with 85. St. Louis snapped a seven-game goal-scoring drought with a pair of goals, one of them being the OT winner against Carolina on Tuesday.

Steve Stamkos is having a monster sophomore season, as he is ranked third in the NHL with 43 goals and sixth with 84 points. Stamkos has four points in his last four games.

Vincent Lecavalier had an assist Tuesday and now has four points (2 goals, 2 assists) in four straight games. Lecavalier has been on fire since the Olympic break with seven goals and 10 points in 12 games. Lecavalier now has 65 points this season.

Steve Downie scored his seventh power-play goal of the season Tuesday, becoming the first player since Theo Fluery in 2001-02 to score 20 goals and have 200 penalty minutes in the same season. Downie is only the fifth player since 1992-93 to do this. Downie has 43 points this season and three goals in his last four games.

BLACK AND BLUE

Bruins
Marc Savard is out indefinitely with a concussion.

Vladimir Sobotka is doubtful with a sore neck.

Lightning
Paul Ranger is out indefinitely on personal leave.

Mattias Ohlund is out indefinitely with a sprained left ankle.

Ryan Malone is out 1-2 weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery last week.

THIS DATE IN BRUINS HISTORY

On March 25, 1982, Barry Pederson becomes the fifth rookie in NHL history to score 40 goals.

OVERHEARD

"We’ve got to make sure these next games — even though we don’t play teams that are around us in the standings — we’ve got to make sure we play them the same way."
–Zdeno Chara, on he and the Bruins not taking any teams lightly and treating every game with equal importance

PRESS BOX

Bruins
Does the Andrew Ference contract extension limit the Bruins?

Vladimir Sobotka is doubtful for this game.

Lightning
Steve Downie is walking the fine line of being a goon and being a rough and tough sniper

Mattias Ohlund wants to play again this season.

NHL
Kathryn Tappen wonders why there's such a delay in instituting the new head-shot rule.

The Rangers and Islanders game Wednesday night was broadcast in 3D.

OUTLOOK

As Chara pointed out, this game has all the makings of a trap game for the Bruins. With the Lightning out of the playoff picture and struggling, they will be easy to overlook, and this is the first time since March 16 at Carolina that the Bruins aren’t playing a possible playoff team — or as in the last two games, one that is chasing them for the final spot in the playoffs.

The Bruins need to bring that up-tempo game they have had the past two games with a good forechecking game and physical play at both ends of the ice. Every game is a playoff game now and it doesn’t matter who the Bruins are playing.