Projo Bruins Blog

By GREG SMITH
Journal Staff Writer

BOSTON -- At about 10:15 a.m. -- as a MBTA train that originated in Providence was unloading Boston Bruins revelers at Back Bay Station -- an up escalator malfunctioned and rapidly ran in reverse.

Smoke whafted up from the escalator. People screamed and were momentarily panicked. Some staggered and fell as they were sent backward.

Some people suffered minor cuts, bruises and bumps and were treated by MBTA personnel. One man who had fallen had the mark of the corregated escalator stairs tatooed to his back.

The train -- 1804 -- left Providence at 8:35 a.m., standing room only. Many travelers were dressed in Bruins regalia, occassionally chanting "Go Bruins." As the packed train sped to Boston, it passed stops in Attleboro and Sharon, leaving scores of tavelers stranded on the platforms.

In Copley Square at about 11 a.m., where the "rolling rally" to celebrate the Bruins' Stanley Cup champsionship will end, the mood was very festive. A man paraded with a homemade Stanley Cup wrapped in aluminium foil, telling passersby to "Touch the Cup. Touch the Cup."

Many did with mock reverence.

Contrary to numerous reports, Vancouver's Daniel Sedin told reporters on Wednesday at Rogers Arena that he never guaranteed a Canucks victory in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup finals against the Boston Bruins.

"I didn't do that," he said. "I said if we bring our best game, I like our chances. You can never guarantee anything in life, but I can guarantee you that we're going to bring the best tonight. That's been good enough in 99 percent of the games this year, and I hope it's going to be enough tonight."

"Well, what did you expect him to say? We're in this to win. Daniel is one of our leaders on our group and believes in the group. He expressed it. I think it's a normal thing to do at this time," head coach Alain Vigneault said.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Canucks forward Mason Raymond will be out three to four months with a fractured vertebrae after he was checked into the boards during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals.

He sustained a "vertebrae compression fracture" Monday night, the team said Tuesday. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk rode him into the boards 20 seconds into Boston's 5-2 victory that forced a decisive Game 7 Wednesday night in Vancouver.

Raymond lay on the ice for several minutes before being helped off and taken to the hospital on a stretcher. No penalty was called on the play.

On the first shift of the game, Raymond became entangled with Boychuk in the corner after the puck went by both of them. He was spun backward with the defender's stick between his legs. Raymond ended up with his head down between Boychuk's legs as the defenseman finished his check by delivering Raymond backward into the boards, leaving him face down on the ice.

Vancouver yielded four goals during a 4:14 span shortly after Raymond's injury and trailed 4-0 after the first period.

Raymond has struggled on Vancouver's second line in the postseason, managing just two goals and six assists.

The Canucks already are playing without injured defenseman Dan Hamhuis, who got hurt in Game 1, and forward Mikael Samuelsson. Second-line center Ryan Kesler and defenseman Christian Ehrhoff also are playing through undisclosed injuries.

Raymond will miss Game Seven on Wednesday and will reportedly be out of action for 4-6 months.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Alex Burrows circled the net and scored a stunning goal 11 seconds into overtime, and the Vancouver Canucks took a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup finals with a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.

Right after the opening faceoff, Burrows received a pass from Daniel Sedin and streaked down the boards, eluding Boston captain Zdeno Chara behind the net before extending his stick for a wraparound goal to beat Boston goalie Tim Thomas for his second goal of the game.

Daniel Sedin tied it with 10:23 left in the third period for the Canucks, who are halfway to the franchise's first championship. Burrows, who avoided suspension for this game after apparently biting Boston's Patrice Bergeron, also up Sedin's tying goal with a sharp pass from the slot.

Game 3 is Monday in Boston.

Tampa Bay head coach Guy Boucher announced on Tuesday that Dwayne Roloson will be the starting goaltender for the Lightning in Game Six on Wednesday night.

Roloson, 41, was pulled in Game Four after he allowed three first period goals. Mike Smith entered the game and held the Bruins scoreless the rest of the way as Tampa Bay rallied for a 5-3 win.

Smith started Game Five and only faced 19 shots but Tampa Bay lost to Boston, 3-1.

Roloson entered the Boston series as one of the top goaltenders in the playoffs. He led the postseason with a 2.01 goals against average and a .941 save percentage. In this series, Roloson is 0-2 in his past three games with a 5.64 GAA and an .820 save percentage.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Tim Thomas made 31 saves for his first playoff shutout this season and second overall, rookie Tyler Seguin scored his fourth goal in the last three games and the Boston Bruins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals Thursday night.

Thomas, the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy as the top regular-season goalie, gave up nine goals in the first two games of the series that the Bruins lead 2-1.

Seguin made it 2-0 from in-close at 8:12 of the third as the puck trickled between the legs of Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson and into the net. After sitting out the Bruins' first two playoff rounds, the 19-year-old Seguin was inserted into the lineup to replace an injured Patrice Bergeron in Game 1 and has seven points overall. David Krejci also scored for the Bruins.

Game 4 is Saturday in Tampa.

Bergeron was back in the lineup after missing two games because of a concussion sustained when he was hit by Philadelphia's Claude Giroux in the final game of the second round.

Krejci was alone in the low slot and opened the scoring on a backhander just 1:09 into the first. Boston is 7-0 during the postseason when scoring the first goal of the game.
Krejci was briefly shaken up late in the first when he was hit in the neutral zone by Tampa Bay defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron, who received a minor penalty for elbowing.

Both teams were looking to play tighter defense after combining for 18 goals in the first two games.

Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos said before the game that the Lightning wanted to avoid "run and gun hockey." Boston center Brad Marchand added that both teams hoped to "buckle down" on defense.

Stamkos had three shot as the Lightning outshot Boston 10-8 during the first. Bruins captain Zdeno Chara made a nice defensive play during the period to break up a Tampa Bay 2-on-1.

Thomas made a strong save in the first on Martin St. Louis' shot from the low right circle. The goalie stopped 15 shots in the third.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron was in the lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals after missing two games because of a concussion. Shawn Thornton was a healthy scratch.

The team re-evaluated Bergeron's status for the game against Tampa Bay on Thursday night following the pregame skate, in which the alternate captain took part.

Bruins coach Claude Julien said Bergeron is "feeling pretty good." Bergeron had been sidelined since getting injured in the finale of the second-round series against Philadelphia when he was hit by Claude Giroux.

Bergeron had two goals and 10 assists in 11 playoff games this season before getting hurt.

"He brings a lot to the table, offensively and defensively," Boston captain Zdeno Chara said.

Also, Lightning defenseman Pavel Kubina was scratched for Game 3. Kubina, out since the first game of the conference semifinals against Washington, when his head went into the glass on a hit, has not resumed practicing.