Bruins vs Rangers

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien confirmed Sunday morning that defensemen Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden would not be available for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Rangers at TD Garden.

The Bruins lead the series 1-0, and won Game 1 without Redden, Seidenberg or Andrew Ference in the lineup. Julien said that Redden and Seidenberg skated on their own. Ference has not skated since he was injured in Game 5 of the Bruins' first-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Redden practiced with the Bruins on Saturday, but was limited in what he could do. Seidenberg skated on his own Saturday.

BOSTON -- Even as they take a 1-0 series lead into Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Rangers on Sunday (3 p.m., NBC, TSN, RDS), the Boston Bruins are still searching for secondary scoring.

And if it's up to Shawn Thornton, the Bruins' energy line will be supplementing the offense a bit more as this series unfolds.

"I'm still waiting for us to try and chip in," Thornton said prior to Game 2 at TD Garden. "We've talked about it. And we've been close; we've had a ton of chances we're not putting in right now. It would be nice to maybe take some of the pressure off some of the big boys with a couple of goals from our line."

BOSTON -- In addition to being entertaining during a press conference Saturday at TD Garden, New York Rangers coach John Tortorella was mysterious when it came to discussing potential adjustments heading into Game 2 in their Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Bruins, to be played Sunday at TD Garden (3 p.m. ET, NBC, RDS, TSN).

Tortorella first described himself as not being a "big adjustment guy" before saying his team was looking at "some small things after Game 1."

However, the kicker of his statement was the most mysterious part, and one he did not want to elaborate on.

BOSTON -- The New York Rangers power play is a daily story for its continuous struggles, and Saturday the focus turned to Carl Hagelin, the speedy, skilled left wing who doesn't even play on the power play.

Now we know why, courtesy of coach John Tortorella.

"Because he stinks on the power play," Tortorella said during an entertaining press conference following practice Saturday at TD Garden. "He stinks. I don't know why. I wish I could put him on the power play, but every time I put him on, he stinks."

BOSTON -- At 35 years old, Wade Redden knows his body.

He also knows if he's not careful and gets back into the Boston Bruins lineup too soon, he could leave his team shorthanded at the most important time of the year.

"You've got to be honest with yourself, and it comes down to that," Redden said Saturday after practicing with the Bruins at TD Garden. "Everyone wants to be out there, but it's got to be the right way and you could go out there and you're not able to do what you need to do, you're only hurting the team. So you've got to be able to get it done. Obviously guys play through a lot of stuff. There's a line there."

Bruins coach Claude Julien said Redden, who sat out the past two games with an undisclosed injury, will be a game-time decision for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Rangers on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBC, TSN, RDS). Redden missed Games 5 and 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before sitting out Game 1 against the Rangers on Thursday.

Redden said he was limited during practice Saturday and wasn't able to do everything in the drills.

BOSTON – The Boston Bruins’ three injured veteran defensemen are at different stages of recovery from their undisclosed injuries on their way to returning to the lineup.

Wade Redden, who hasn’t played since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series with the Toronto Maple Leafs, practiced with the team Saturday, although he said he wasn’t able to do everything in drills. He said he doesn’t feel well enough to play in a game yet, but coach Claude Julien is hoping that might change by Sunday.

The Bruins play host to the New York Rangers on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, NBC, RDS, TSN) in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at TD Garden.

BOSTON -- If Game 2 at TD Garden also goes to overtime, the New York Rangers insist they will be mentally strong enough to handle it.

"We've got a good, confident group here," Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello said. "What we have to do is just be ready for next game and win."

The problem is the Rangers have rarely shown the physical capacity to win an overtime game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs dating to before John Tortorella arrived as coach in 2009.

BOSTON -- With two days off between the Game 1 win against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and Game 2 on Sunday, the Boston Bruins are hopeful at least one of their injured veteran defensemen will be able to heal up in time to get back in the lineup.

"A little early to say," Bruins coach Claude Julien said Friday. "Again, it is two days, and two days in the playoffs makes a big difference as far as getting guys back. There's a possibility, that much I can say. Whether they will or not is too early to say right now."

Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference and Wade Redden missed Game 1 with undisclosed injuries. The Bruins did not practice Friday. They're scheduled for an on-ice session Saturday morning to prep for Game 2.

BOSTON -- As the son of former New York Rangers coach Colin Campbell, facing that franchise in the Eastern Conference Semifinals brings back memories for Boston Bruins center Gregory Campbell.

"I don't know if I'd call it nostalgia, but I spent a lot of time in New York. It was eight years of my life and my family was there, my sisters graduated high school there, and it was an area that we called home," Campbell said Friday, less than 24 hours removed from the Bruins' 3-2, Game 1 overtime win.

"I've moved around a lot in my life, and New York is a good place to grow up, and I got to see the Rangers win the Stanley Cup in '94. So amazingly enough there are still some people there that were there when my dad was there. So, of course, there will always be a soft spot for me for that team and that city. It's a city much like Boston, they're very passionate as you know, and it's a good place to play hockey."

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton has a theory about how Zdeno Chara is able to play 38 minutes in an overtime game, the way he did Thursday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

"He maybe plugs himself in at night," Hamilton said. "It's pretty incredible."

The plug-himself-in theory goes along with Hamilton's nickname for his defense partner.

"I keep calling him a machine because of how good he is on the ice for the minutes he plays," Hamilton said.

Chara played 38:02 in Game 1 against the New York Rangers, including more than half of the overtime session, which lasted 15:40 until Brad Marchand scored the winner to give the Bruins a 3-2 victory.