NHL Hockey Sports Fan Blog

Too many men on the ice — a painful reminder of franchise futility for a generation of Bruins and their fans — is finally a reason to celebrate in Boston.

Miroslav Satan scored a power-play goal after Buffalo was called for having too many men on the ice in the second extra period, and the Bruins beat the Sabres 3-2 at 27:41 of overtime on Wednesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series.

“Finally, it’s over,” said an exhausted Satan, who was stopped by Olympic MVP Ryan Miller in the first overtime on what seemed like such a sure goal that the scoreboard operator even sounded the horn. “We have a 3-1 lead, so it’s a little more breathing space, but the whole series has been good hockey from both sides and great goaltending, and we know that’s not going to change.”

The Bruins rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period to force overtime, and it was still 2-2 when in the second OT when Drew Stafford was caught on the ice as a sixth skater and was unable to scramble back to the bench in time to avoid a penalty. There were just 9 seconds left in the power play when Satan got a pass from Michael Ryder in front of the net and put it past Miller.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

Marc Savard is one step closer to returning to the Bruins’ lineup.

Tthe Bruins forward passed his neuro-psyche test Tuesday afternoon and has been cleared to rejoin the team. He has skated on his own the last two days and now he’ll be able to continue his conditioning with the rest of his team. It is still unclear when he’ll be able to return to game action. It’s likely the Bruins will be cautious in deciding a timetable for his comeback.

“I have to be realistic here, and when I’m 100 percent condition-wise and mentally positive I can do this, I’ll be ready to go,” Savard said.

During his twirl on the ice Tuesday morning, Savard was able to work on stops and starts and said he felt pretty good.

The neurological test was done on a computer and consisted of choosing the right numbers and colors when asked, according to Savard.

Click here to read the full article – By Joe McDonald of ESPNBoston.com

Boston Bruins assistant coach Craig Ramsay is expected to rejoin the team for practice on Friday, a day after being taken to a Buffalo hospital, where he was diagnosed with the flu.

“He’s doing better,” coach Claude Julien said Thursday, after Ramsay missed the Bruins’ playoff opener, a 2-1 loss to the Sabres. “There’s probably a good chance we’ll see him back here tomorrow.”

Bruins spokesman Matt Chmura said Ramsay was feeling ill about an hour before the game. Escorted by a Bruins trainer, Ramsay walked under his own power to the ambulance and was driven to Buffalo General Hospital, Chmura said.

Assistant Doug Houda, who regularly watches games from the press box, filled Ramsay’s role behind the bench.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPNBoston.com

Coach Claude Julien made it clear after the morning skate that fans should not expect any costly retribution Thursday night when the Bruins face the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It will be the first meeting between the teams since March 7, when Matt Cooke laid a blindside hit on Marc Savard, which resulted in a Grade 2 concussion that likely ended Savard’s season.

NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell is scheduled to be at the game, as are Penguins owner Mario Lemieux and team president David Morehouse.

Julien discussed the possible repercussions of retaliating, pointing out the lawsuit that stemmed from the infamous Todd Bertuzzi-Steve Moore incident in 2004, when Bertuzzi sucker-punched Moore from behind and drove him head-first to the ice. Moore has not played hockey since.

Click here to read the full article – By Joe McDonald of ESPN.com