Boston Bruins

Earlier this month, many of Torey Krug’s friends graduated from Michigan State.The rookie defenseman would’ve been a college senior this year, but last spring he left East Lansing, Mich., to sign with the Bruins. He said it was strange to hear about his friend’s graduation, but he couldn’t be happier with his decision.While his classmates may have just left school to pursue their hopes and dreams, Krug already has been living his.

Bruins president Cam Neely was sitting alone in the Madison Square Garden stands late Thursday morning watching his team’s morning skate in advance of what would be a sloppy, gift-wrapped 4-3 overtime loss to the Rangers that night.The B’s have three more chances to win the first-round series and very much hope they’ll require only one: today’s Game 5 at the Garden.Neely was talking about the B’s season-long inconsistency, and about how the club, in defiance of NHL accepted wisdom, has been able in the postseason to “flip the switch” and start playing the right way.

Bruins president Cam Neely was sitting alone in the Madison Square Garden stands late Thursday morning watching his team’s morning skate in advance of what would be a sloppy, gift-wrapped 4-3 overtime loss to the Rangers that night.The B’s have three more chances to win the first-round series and very much hope they’ll require only one: today’s Game 5 at the Garden.Neely was talking about the B’s season-long inconsistency, and about how the club, in defiance of NHL accepted wisdom, has been able in the postseason to “flip the switch” and start playing the right way.

New York Rangers coach John Tortorella wanted a new look for his fourth line for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bruins Thursday night.So he risked public ridicule by scratching his second-highest paid player, Brad Richards, along with grinder Arron Asham and inserted Kris Newbury and Micheal Haley to join Derek Dorsett.

The Bruins peppered Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist with 40 shots, cashed in on 2-of-4 power plays and were one sudden-death goal away from ending the Eastern Conference semifinal series in four games on Thursday.That they were so close before falling in overtime was of little consolation yesterday.“I don’t know. I think that loss sucked,” defenseman Matt Bartkowski said after a 30-minute practice at TD Garden.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The Rangers promised they wouldn’t go down without a fight in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They backed up their words in Game 4 on Thursday, overcoming a two-goal deficit to beat the Bruins, 4-3, in overtime.The victory gave the Rangers life, but they remain in critical condition. They enter today’s Game 5 at the Garden in a 3-1 hole and must play better to get the best-of-seven series back to New York.

The Bruins have added a little insurance between the pipes, recalling Swedish goaltender Niklas Svedberg from the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Providence. Svedberg compiled a 37-8-2 record in his first season with the P-Bruins, ranking fifth in the AHL in goals against average (2.17) and third in save percentage (.925). The 23-year-old started in net for the Eastern Conference in the AHL All-Star Game and was the No. 1 goalie throughout Providence’s playoff run, which ended with a 5-0 loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday. Prior to signing with the Bruins last May, Svedberg spent four seasons in the Swedish Elite League, backstopping his team to the league championship in 2011-12. Though he impressed in his first year in the minors — winning the Baz Bastien Award as the AHL’s most outstanding goalie — it is highly unlikely Svedberg will see any time during the Stanley Cup playoffs. He will act as an emergency third goalie, a role current backup Anton Khudobin filled during the Cup run of 2011.

Anytime someone complains about Jack Edwards being the biggest homer this side of the Mississippi we'll just send them a picture of Stan Fischler. Not even sure what this dude's deal is but we're pretty sure if he vomited we'd see a bunch of dildos with Rangers logos all over it. He wrote a post today about the "Five Reason to Dislike Boston." We're not going to link to it because it's not worth the read but here's his five reasons: 1. They are from Beantown; isn’t that reason enough? 2. Bostonians talk funny, almost incomprehensibly. After all, since when is a Garden called a Ghahdin? Plus, as my pal, Gus Vic, reminds me, “Boston fans are more provincial than any in sports. Their collective universe rarely extends beyond the city limits.” 3. They have an annoying team called the Red Sox. (Not that the Mets are any bargain.) 4. Their subway has trolley cars running in it. (That automatically makes Boston a village, not a city.) 5. As a hockey team, the Bruins have been reprehensible over the years, especially to Rangers fans. Yikes. @justindoy He's still mad that Charles Adams broke his daughter's heart at the turn of the century. — Brad Patterson (@bpatty59) May 24, 2013

If Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg knows whether he is going to be back in the lineup for Saturday?s Game 5 against the New York Rangers, he didn?t give it away to reporters following Saturday afternoon?s optional team skate.

Debby Wong – USA TODAY Sports I have to admit that there’s still a sour taste in my mouth from that 4-3 overtime loss the Boston Bruins put up last night. Instead of being able to fully sweep the New York Rangers–and do so on their home ice, no less–the Bruins gave the Rangers a couple of gift-wrapped goals that they joyfully opened, drew momentum from and that helped get them all the way to their overtime goal, elongating the series. Losses are tough, but especially tough in the playoffs, and doubly so when the Bruins had something really good going–a two-goal lead! Tyler Seguin finally, finally finding the back of the net! Two power play goals in the same game!–and their fans dared to dream. But alas. Now the team is back home, having practiced on TD Garden ice today, though the good news on the blue line is getting even better. Dennis Seidenberg and his loud T-blade skates were in practice, but so was Wade Redden, getting closer to normal. Considering how Dougie Hamilton is starting to feel like quite the liability in the defensive zone, the idea that someone could be ready to come back in tomorrow night is hopeful. Seidenberg even said he felt comfortable, but the final yes or no decision does not lie with him. As for that cringe-worthy fumble from Tuukka Rask that led to the first gift for New York, no one is faulting him too much for it and they’re balancing it out with the rest of his body of work. Claude Julien pointed out that he’s made innumerable saves. Rask himself put it down to a choice of two responses, as he often does: in this case, he could cry about it or laugh about it. That being said, Henrik Lundqvist acknowledged that not only was it and ugly goal, it gave his team a boost of confidence that they desperately needed. Of course, this is the same goalie who said that the Bruins were up 3-0 due to naught but lucky bounces, so take what he says with the appropriate weight. But still, mistakes of that magnitude absolutely must not be made again. The Rangers will milk them for all they are worth. Let’s laugh about it, Tuukka, and make sure it doesn’t happen anymore! That way it will be even more fun to laugh at, right? The Bruins have to be sharp as–well, sharp as skate blades tomorrow night, moving on from their mistakes. They’re back home and that might help them too. Remember: tomorrow night’s game begins at the thoroughly unusual time of 5:30 p.m. It will be on NBC Sports Network. Previous chapters: One, Two and Three