With an eye toward alleviating some of the attention associated with playing the Canadiens in Montreal, the Boston Bruins have come up with a unique solution.
With two days off between Monday's Game 3 and Thursday's Game 4, it seemed natural that Boston might head back to Boston for two days of practice before returning to Montreal on Wednesday night. Instead, the Bruins cut the distance they will have to travel by setting up two days of practice in Lake Placid, N.Y.
The team will practice at the Team USA rink at the Olympic training facility, the same rink that hosted the 1980 Olympics and the thrilling gold-medal triumph by the Americans.
The Bruins don't have many Americans on their roster, but that shouldn't dilute the specialness of this side trip. It will be especially fulfilling for goalie Tim Thomas, the only full-time American on the roster. Thomas grew up as a big fan of the Miracle on Ice team.