Third Period, 18:09, Bruins 4-0: More nasty stuff as Thomas and Burrows exchange slashes and try to go in the Boston crease before everyone piles in. Kesler takes a swing at Chara, inciting the captain, but he's held off by the linesmen.
Third Period, 17:33, Bruins 4-0: Things get nasty late as Brad Marchand gives Christian Ehrhoff a tug in the corner going around him. Daniel Sedin tries to take a run at Marchand, who sets himself and upends Sedin. That Brings in Keith Ballard with the gloves off. He wrestles with Marchand. Ehrhoff tries to get in as well and Adam McQuaid pulls him off, and Ehrhoff quickly turtles before that can develop.
The Canucks end up with a four-minute power play as Marchand gets a triple minor for holding, tripping and roughing, Ballard just gets a rough and McQuaid a misconduct.
Third Period, 16:35, Bruins 4-0: The Bruins fail to convert again on the power play. The man advantage is about the only thing not going well for teh Bruins on this night.
Third Period, 14:35, Bruins 4-0: The Bruins get another power-play chance as Maxim Lapierre is sent to the box for slashing.
Third Period, 12:25, Bruins 4-0: The Bruins can't convert their brief power play, but the fans don't seem to mind as chants of "Nathan Horton! Nathan Horton!" go up in the Garden.
Third Period, 10:25, Bruins 4-0: That undeserved power play ends quickly as Ryan Kesler is called for slashing. The sides with play 4 on 4 for 49 seconds, then the Bruins will get a power play.
Third Period, 9:14, Bruins 4-0: The Bruins will be shorthanded again as Mark Recchi is called for high-sticking Kevin Bieksa, even though the replay showed that Recchi's stick did not contact Bieksa's face, but the Vancouver defenseman threw his head back to draw the call.
Third Period, 7:00, Bruins 4-0: Thomas comes up with a big stop with Maxim Lapierre in his face at the top of the crease to maintain the shutout, then covers the puck for the faceoff as the Canucks scramble for the rebound.
Third Period, 3:39, Bruins 4-0: The Bruins add another goal and chase Roberto Luongo from the game.
Milan Lucic drove down the right wing, faked around Kevin Bieksa and centered it to Rich Peverley. Luongo appeared to bat at it as it went by and hit off Rich Peverley and in. After a review, the goal stands and Cory Schneider is now in goal.
Third Period, 2:52, Bruins 3-0: The Bruins looked rather sloppy on that power play. Patrice Bergeron had a couple of chances, but the Canucks also threatened shorthanded, with only a greta backcheck by Micahel Ryder spoiling a bid by Mason Raymond.
Third Period, 0:52, Bruins 3-0: The Bruins kill off that penalty and then go on a power play of their own as Henrik Sedin is called for slashing.
Third Period, 0:00, Bruins 3-0: The final frame is under way here at the Garden, where the Bruins are looking to close out this win and pull even in the series. But first they'll have to kill off the remaining 49 seconds of Johnny Boychuk's delay of game penalty and hold off what is sure to be a strong charge by the Canucks in the last 20 minutes.
Second Intermission Notes: The Bruins continue to dominate the second period, as they've now scored eight goals in the middle frame of the last three games after Michael Ryder and Brad Marchand padded Boston's lead with second-period strikes in this one.
Roberto Luongo looked shaky on those goals, especially Ryder's long-range snipe. The Bruins need to continue pressuring him ashe's now allowed 11 goals over the last five periods. The Bruins did do a better job of getting shots through in the second, with 12 in that frame after just six in the first, though they still trail 25-18 overall. Tim Thomas has turned aside all 25 of those shots though in another strong outing so far.
The Bruins have gotten contributions from all over the lineup, which they need with Nathan Horton out. Each of the top three lines has produced a goal, while the fourth line has created plenty of pressure and some quality chances in its limited shifts. Tyler Seguin picked up an assist for his first point in eight games and even had a hit in 6:05, while Dennis Seidenberg continues his strong all-around play with four hits, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in 16:28. Milan Lucic has four hits and three shots as he continues his strong play without usual running mate Horton.
End Second Period, Bruins 3-0: The Bruins turn in an even stronger second period, adding two more goals to take a 3-0 lead into the third period, though they still have 49 second of Boychuk's penalty left to kill at the start of the period.
Second Period, 18:49, Bruins 3-0: The Bruins will be shorthanded again as Johnny Boychuk is called for delay of game for clearing the puck over the glass. This is a big kill to maintain momentum heading into the third period.
Second Period, 17:23, Bruins 3-0: The Bruins continue to create pressure, with the fourth line supplying the most recent chances with some nice hustle by Thornton, Paille and Campbell.
Second Period, 13:29, Bruins 3-0: The Bruins strike on the 4 on 4 as Brad Marchand adds another goal for Boston.
Patrice Bergeron forced the turnover behind the net and Marchand banged it home with a backhander upstairs on Luongo. Vancouver uses its timeout to try to regroup.
Second Period, 12:05, Bruins 2-0: There will be a little extra space on the ice as the sides skate 4 on 4 for the next two minutes with Rich Peverley sent off for cross-checking and Andrew Alberts for slashing.
Second Period, 11:11, Bruins 2-0: The Bruins double the lead, with Michael Ryder supplying the goal this time.
He fired in a long shot from the left wing just at the edge of the faceoff circle that got by Luongo on the glove side inside the far post. Tyler Seguin and Chris Kelly get the assists. That's Seguin's first point since his four-point night in Game 2 against Tampa.
Second Period, 9:41, Bruins 1-0: The Bruins can't convert that chance and the sides are back at even strength. The Canucks have a 21-10 edge in shots, but the Bruins maintain their one-goal lead.
Second Period, 7:41, Bruins 1-0: The Bruins get their first power-play chance of the night as Mason Raymond is sent off for high-sticking Andrew Ference.
Second Period, 6:38, Bruins 1-0: Very fast-paced period so far with lots of up and down action and few whistles. The Bruins are generating good possession time in the zone, but struggling to get shots through to Luongo.
Second Period, 3:59, Bruins 1-0: Lots of pressure from the Bergeron line there, but no shots on goal. That followed a strong shift by the fourth line, but the Bruins still haven't tested Luongo yet this period.
Second Period, 0:00, Bruins 1-0: The middle frame is under way here at the Garden, where the Bruins are looking to build upon their one-goal lead from the first.
First Intermission Notes: The Bruins got the crucial first goal, but they still have plenty of work to do in trying to pull even in this series.
They were outshot 12-6 in the first, but the play wasn't nearly as lopsided as that as the Bruins had some good possession time. They do need to put more shots on Roberto Luongo though, as he could still be shaky after allowing eight goals on Monday.
They also have to stay out of the box, though the penalty kill came through with two strong efforts to keep the Canucks power play quiet. Boston has to improve in the faceoff dot as well after going 8-13 (38 percent) in the first.
That's the bad news. The good news is the Bruins got the only goal of the period, and it came from Rich Peverley, who is filling in for Nathan Horton on the top line. His speed played nicely with David Krejci in creating the chance for that goal. Peverley had one shot and one hit in 5:00 in the first. Milan Lucic looks like he's picking up his game with Horton out, collecting three hits and two shots in the period. Tyler Seguin, back in the lineup after sitting out Game 3, didn't have a shot, but did show some flashes of his speed in five shifts lasting 3:03. And Tim Thomas continues to shine, stopping all 12 shots he faced in the frame, with several more spectacular saves.
End First Period, Bruins 1-0: The opening 20 minutes are in the books and the Bruins were outshot 12-6, but they come away with the only goal as Rich Peverley strikes early and Tim Thomas continues to shine.
First Period, 18:10, Bruins 1-0: The Bruins with another impressive penalty kill, as the Canucks don't get any real quality chances and Boston finally gets its first shot since the goal just after Marchand gets out of the box.
First Period, 16:10, Bruins 1-0: The Bruins will be shorthanded again as Brad Marchand is sent off on a debatable cross-checking call as Kevin Bieksa went down awfully easy. The Bruins have been outshot 5-0 since scoring the game's lone goal.
First Period, 11:59, Bruins 1-0: The Bruins strike first, and it's new top-line right wing Rich Peverley supplying the goal.
Chara fed the puck up to Krejci and center ice, and Krejci sent it ahead to Peverley, who got behind the defense and broke in alone, beating Luongo with a forehand 5-hole.
First Period, 11:15, 0-0: The Canucks counter a Bruins rush with a 3-on-2 break of their own, with the trailer Christian Ehrhoff firing in the shot from the high slot, but THomas turns aside the rising bid.
First Period, 8:58, 0-0: The Bruins with a solid penalty kill there. The Canucks had some possession time in the zone, but the Bruins prevented them from getting any real strong chances.
First Period, 6:58, 0-0: The Bruins get the first penalty of the game as Michael Ryder is called for tripping. Important early kill for Boston here.
First Period, 6:21, 0-0: Brad Marchand with a great series of moves to weave through the defense, but his backhander goes just wide at the left post trying to finish off the rush.
First Period, 5:23, 0-0: The Canucks counter with some pressure of their own, including a shot from the top of teh crease by Henrik Sedin that goes just wide before he's cleared out by an aggressive check by Zdeno Chara.
First Period, 4:36, 0-0: The Bruins put their first testing shot on Luongo as Michael Ryder takes a drop pass from Chris Kelly and fires in a bid from the high slot, but Luongo turns it aside with the blocker.
First Period, 0:30, 0-0: Rich Peverley does indeed open up the game on the top line alongside David Krejci and Milan Lucic.
First Period, 0:00, 0-0: After Bobby Orr gets the Garden rocking as No. 4 starts the Bruins banner around the stands before Game 4, this game is under way with the Bruins looking to pull even in the Stanley Cup Final and the Canucks out to avenge Monday's 8-1 humiliation and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
8:05 p.m.: The Bruins will open with their usual starting line of Patrice Bergeron between Brad Marchand and Mark Recchi, with Andrew Ference and Johnny Boychuk on defense and Tim Thomas in goal.
The Canucks counter with Chris Higgins, Ryan Kesler and Mason Raymond up front, Keith Ballard and Kevin Bieksa on the blue line and Roberto Luongo in net.
8 p.m.: Tyler Seguin is back in the Bruins lineup as expected with Nathan Horton out. No other changes as Jordan Caron, Steven Kampfer and Shane Hnidy join the Black Aces as scratches.
The Canucks have made a pair of changes, with Keith Ballard in on defense for the suspended Aaron Rome and Tanner Glass replacing Jeff Tambellini on the fourth line. Chris Tanev, Alexandre Bolduc, Aaron Vopatti, Cody Hodgson and Sergei Shirokov remain scratches and Dan Hamhuis is again out with the undisclosed injury suffered in Game 1.
7:45 p.m.: Rich Peverley got the nod to fill in for Nathan Horton on the top line in the warm-up, so it looks like that's how the Bruins will start this one.
Here are the full line combinations from the warm-up:
Lucic-Krejci-Peverley
Marchand-Bergeron-Recchi
Ryder-Kelly-Seguin
Paille-Campbell-Thornton
Defense pairs:
Chara-Seidenberg
Ference-Boychuk
Kaberle-McQuaid
7:30 p.m.: The Bruins and Canucks have taken the ice for warm-ups. As usual, Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo led the clubs out and that will be the goaltending matchup once again.
Jordan Caron has joined the Bruins for this warm-up, taking Tyler Seguin's place as the extra skater as Seguin is back in the lineup. Caron will get the chance to soak up the playoff atmosphere and see how his veteran teammates prepare for game in the Stanley Cup Final.
6 p.m.: There's no shortage of activity in and around the Garden on Wednesday, as fans gather in the heat outside and the Bruins make their final preparations for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final inside.
The Bruins are coming off a dominating 8-1 win in Game 3 on Monday, but still trail the series 2-1 despite outscoring the Canucks 10-5 in the three games and leading for 57:51, compared to Vancouver's 17:07.
The Bruins will play their first game without Nathan Horton this postseason, as the star winger will miss the rest of the playoffs with a concussion suffered on a late hit by Aaron Rome in Game 3. Rome will also not play again this series after being suspended for four games for the hit.
Tyler Seguin will return to the lineup with Horton out, but it will be either Michael Ryder or Rich Peverley playing on the top line alongside David Krejci and Milan Lucic. Keith Ballard will play o defense for Vancouver in Rome's spot.
8 a.m: The Bruins got back into the Stanley Cup Final in a big way with a dominating 8-1 win in Game 3 on Monday.
But that victory came with a price. Top-line forward Nathan Horton was lost for the rest of the series after suffering a severe concussion on a late hit by Vancouver defenseman Aaron Rome. Rome was suspended for four games and will not play against in the this series either, but the loss of a depth defenseman for the Canucks doesn't come close to the void left in Boston's offense by the absence of Horton.
Still, the Bruins did strike for eight goals without him on Monday, and they'll look for another balanced effort on Wednesday to pull even in the series in Game 4 at the Garden.
The Bruins should have some renewed confidence after beating Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo eight times on Monday, but they don't expect an easy game just because they pounded the Canucks once.
"You know, it's only one game," Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron said. "We feel good about the way we played [Monday] night. That's how we've got to play.
"That's the approach we've had all playoffs," Bergeron added. "Win, put it behind you. If you lose, put it behind you. It's the same thing. It's all about the next game in the playoff series. You got to win four games. It's never over."
The Canucks are taking a similar approach, putting Monday's embarrassing loss behind them and focusing on a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
"It doesn't really matter," Luongo said. "A 2-1 loss in overtime would hurt just as much as an 8-1 loss. Loss is a loss, they all sting in the playoffs no matter how they get done. It actually might even be easier to bounce back from a game like [Monday] night, realizing we didn't have our best game and we just need to bring it to perform."
The Bruins know they can't afford a letup as they try to even the series before returning to Vancouver for Game 5.
"We're focused on Game 4 now," Thornton said. "All this other stuff, we turned the page on it. We have to have at least the same effort, if not better, for Game 4 because we know they're going to be better. We'd like to go up there 2-2 instead of [down] 3-1, that's for sure."
The puck drops at 8 p.m., so check back here throughout the day for updates on all the action from the Garden.
