Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli has done well in his five seasons, making the playoffs four times but never advancing past the second round. There also was last season's historic seven-game loss to the Flyers, and a nail-biting seven-game first-round series against the Canadiens.

Coach Claude Julien also has done well in his four seasons, guiding the team to the playoffs each season, and finished atop the Eastern Conference in 2008-09. However, the Bruins had lost two straight Game 7s going into Wednesday's game against the Canadiens.

There were many in the media who believed that if the Bruins had lost Game 7, either Julien, Chiarelli or both could have lost their jobs.

Chiarelli said he heard and saw all the reports, but none of it fazed him.

"I'm certainly supportive of Claude. I think he's a terrific coach," said Chiarelli. "I read everything and what everyone says, or I try to, just to keep abreast of things. And that's what I see, so I mean, I'm comfortable where I am. We want to win, we went out and got pieces to win, and I will try and do things to continue to win. So whatever, wherever the chips fall, they fall. But it hasn't really dawned on me. I read it, but you just get used to reading that stuff."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

In case you missed it, the Philadelphia Flyers and their fans are singing a new tune within the Wells Fargo Center these days.

Thing is, to those Major League soccer fans throughout the city, the song is an all-too familiar chant each time the Philadelphia Union pops home a goal at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. Now, the Flyers have added the DOOP song to their menu of musical overtures each time they light the lamp at Wells Fargo Center.

And, yes, it's become a hit.

Basically, all it consists of is: "DOOP DOOP DOOP da da DOOP DOOP DOOP da DOOP DOOP DOOP da da DOOP DOOP DOOP."

Not of lot of words, just one syllable throughout the entire chorus. But the switch has received positive feedback for the Flyers.

Flyers forward Danny Briere gave it his thumbs up -- and that's a good thing since Briere leads the Flyers with 6 playoff goals this spring.

"I thought it was great, and it really fired up the crowd in the last game," Briere said. "We played it a few times and the guys liked it. All I asked (Flyers president) Mr. (Peter) Luukko was that it had been four years since I came over to Philly and we had played the same song after a goal. There had to be something else out there to get the crowd fired up … a few guys noticed it and so far it's been very positive."

Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale

It was the right call, but a clipping penalty to Canucks defenseman Keith Ballard at 16:35 of the second period had the 18,860 in attendance at Rogers Arena Thursday night up in arms.

Ballard, who is known for his well-timed hip checks, caught Nashville forward Jordin Tootoo just inside the Canucks' blue line. The gritty Predator went up and over, much to the delight of Canucks fans – but the cheers quickly turned to boos when Ballard was assessed a minor penalty.

"I guess I went too low, I know it's a rule, I've got the penalty before," Ballard said. "I just can't hit the guy too low. I don't know if I did or not."

The clipping call, if you're wondering, Rule 44.1 in the NHL Rule book. It states, "Clipping is the act of throwing the body, from any direction, across or below the knees of an opponent."

For his part, Tootoo didn't have a problem with the hit.

"It's part of the game," he said. "If you're going to dish it out, you got to be able to receive it, so it's no big deal to me."

Ballard wasn't protesting the call.

"I hit him at the knees, he called the penalty and that's the way it goes, the guys did a great job killing it," he said. "It's not my call, they have a hard job to do and they do a pretty good job."

Video review confirmed that the shot by Vancouver's Chris Higgins at 7:48 of the second period hit the inside white bar at the back of the net. Good Goal.

Before dealing with the unorthodox but extremely effective Tim Thomas in goal for the Boston Bruins, the Philadelphia Flyers know 6-foot-9, 255-pound defenseman Zdeno Chara will be waiting.

It's a challenge in itself for those quick and aggressive Flyers' forwards. In his team's seven-game series triumph over the Montreal Canadiens, Chara notched just one assist, but he also delivered 19 hits and blocked eight shots.

"He is six feet and nine inches and is extremely strong," Flyers captain Mike Richards said. "He makes it tough to go around the corners and has a big shot. He has a great hockey sense and makes it tough to play against him. He finishes his checks and plays strong."

And in order to have success, Richards admits "we're going to have to lay the puck in behind him and make him move a little bit, make his life back there a little difficult."

Danny Briere, who was tied for the League-lead in goals (6) through one round of the playoffs, admits the Flyers must force the big Bruin to skate and chase in his own end.

"It was kind of the same way with (Tyler) Myers with Buffalo," Briere said. "You have to find ways to make him work. It's not going to be easy and we know that. I have had the chance to face (Chara) a few times in the playoffs. He's going to make it tough on us, but we are not going to back down. That's the only way to approach it, and you have to be willing to compete against him."

Briere feels forcing Chara to move as often as possible might be the secret to generating chances when he's on the ice -- which is quite often as he's averaged a League-leading 28:48 of ice time in these playoffs.

"You have to go around him and make him work," Briere said. "When you're as big as him, it uses a lot of energy to try to chase you. I guess that's the idea with a guy like Chara."

Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli met the media Thursday and talked about a number of topics. You can listen to the press conference here, or you can read this little bit about the Bruins' roster makeover since last year's series with the Flyers ended here.

One of the topics that came up was the Bruins' power play, which was perfect in the first round against the Canadiens -- 21 chances, 21 missed opportunities.

The Bruins were the first team in NHL history to win a playoff series without scoring a power-play goal.

The only surprise to Chiarelli was that it took 13 questions into Thursday's press conference before anyone brought up the power play.

"Trust me, this is a topic that we have addressed all year, every day," said Chiarelli. "I see a group of guys that … beaten down is the wrong word. We've been on them so much to succeed and have different looks. And you reach a point where you are diminishing returns as far as trying to make changes, so it's been a frustrating exercise."

The acquisition of Tomas Kaberle at the trade deadline was supposed to fix any deficiencies in the Bruins' extra-man attack, which finished 20th in the League at 16.2 percent. However, the Bruins now are 7-for-87 (8.0 percent) in 31 regular-season and playoff games with Kaberle, compared to 36-for-199 (18.1 percent) without him.

However, Chiarelli wasn't ready to pin the blame on the defenseman.

"I know Tomas has been under some heat, too, and it's not his fault," said Chiarelli. "He's in the mix with everybody and we're trying to figure it out. Part of it I think is nerves. Part of it is maybe, this is an extension of nerves -- they are squeezing their sticks too much. It's not fluid and these players have, if you go player to player, they have some fluidity to their game as far as making plays. So we have to figure it out. It's going to be an important component again in this next series."

Chiarelli said one reason for the power play's lack of success has been the absence of Marc Savard, whose season ended Jan. 22 due to a concussion.

"That's a huge point," said Chiarelli. "He's got the eyes and the sense. And you're right, he makes those plays. He's, and I'm not saying that the guys who filled his spot aren't worthy of that, but that's Savvy's bread and butter. So definitely we miss him."

Whatever the problem, Chiarelli said finding the power for their power play is at the top of the organizational to-do list.

"It’s frustrating for me to watch," he said. "I know these guys want to succeed at it, I know the coaching staff, that's been at the top of their list. … And we’re going to figure it out."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

Barry Trotz has been in this game for a long time and has been the coach of the Nashville Predators since they were born in 1997. But, this week, for the first time in his NHL career, he had to refocus his team on the next opponent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Trotz found out that it isn't so easy to do, especially when you finish a series early and wind up waiting to find out who you're going to play next.

"Our first practice back after taking a day off we didn't know who we were going to play and I didn't like our practice, I didn't like our focus because we had no focus, we had no opponent," he said Thursday morning. "Our mentality changed once we found out who we were playing. We found out it was Vancouver and our mentality as a team changed right away.

"So, I learned something the other day on a little bit about the playoffs. You need an opponent to be focused, and we didn't have that. Once we did we were a changed team. Now we're looking forward to the challenge."

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl

Nashville Predators defenseman Shane O'Brien was a treat to have, from a media perspective, during his two years in Vancouver. He never met a microphone he didn't like, got himself in hot water with coaches and management from time to time, and his off-ice antics were well documented.


To no ones surprise O'Brien was the center of attention in the Predators room Thursday morning as Nashville and Vancouver prepare for their first ever playoff match-up, which gets going tonight at Rogers Arena.


Current Canuck defenseman Kevin Bieksa spent time paired with O'Brien during the 27-year-old's first season in Vancouver and has already been warned by Alain Vigneault not to get in a war of words with O'Brien through the media.


"I haven't talked to him at all," Bieksa said. "I was told not to make this series a spectacle like last one with me and John Scott. I'll let him throw the first dagger."


Apparently the conversation between Bieksa and Vigneault was not to be talked about either.


"I had a conversation with Kevin about that? Is that what he said," questioned Vigneault during his morning presser. "I won't get into the specifics of that. That's a private conversation."


It's clear the gag order won't be on for two long between the two former teammates.


"As soon as Shane O'Brien says his first quote that rubs us the wrong way -- then it's on," Bieksa added.


For his part O'Brien took a quick jab and then turned his answer back to the real focus -- the series between the Canucks and Predators.


"Yeah Juice (Bieksa) – that guy was on TV more than I was when I played here now," O'Brien said laughing. "But I'm a Nashville Predator now and it's been a good year, I've learned a lot. I'd be lying if I said I'm not excited to play my former team and have an opportunity here to knock them out of the playoffs."


O'Brien tried to tell the media that he hadn't had any discussions with coach Barry Trotz regarding his former teammates.


"I think I let the coaches do that mostly," he said, attempting to turn away from the question. "There might be some tidbits here or there, but I'm not going to share my secrets with you guys. I know I give you a lot, but I'm not going to give you that much."


All joking aside, Trotz has seen a steady growth in the guy his teammates call 'OB'.

"I've heard all the things about Shane, his time in Vancouver. He's matured a lot," said Trotz. I think there is a young man who is growing on the ice and off the ice.

"Our game matures at different rates. I tell our young players the Andrew Brunette story. You're not going to make it to the NHL and always have your game in order when you're 19 or 20-years-old, but when you're 25 or 26, 27, your life and your game comes into some order. A lot of people wrote Andrew Brunette off for a long time, but 15-years later he's still playing"

With four Game 7s in a 30-hour span, the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs went out with a bang, and given the win-or-go-home nature of each of those games, the chances that postseason brackets in office pools across North America would stay intact were tenuous at best. Having an opening round record of 7 correct picks would be pretty impressive. Even getting just 5 series right, as the writer of this very story did, isn't terrible.

Of course, going 8-for-8 isn't bad either.

The wizards at EA SPORTS did just that with their EA SPORTS NHL '11 simulation engine, which accurately tabbed such upsets as Tampa Bay's win over Pittsburgh and Nashville's first-ever postseason series victory. Rather than walk off into the sunset, however, EA SPORTS is back at it for round two of the postseason, and this time those predictions are a little gutsier than usual.

Taking three of four lower seeds to advance to the 2011 conference finals would make another perfect projection a pretty remarkable example of clairvoyance, but that's just what EA SPORTS is banking on, as its latest round of predictions has Vancouver as the lone higher seed advancing. For the Canucks to do so after a draining seven-game win over Chicago could be difficult, but EA SPORTS' simulations expect it -- and in just five games. If all goes according to plan, the Canucks will be facing Detroit, which is predicted to topple San Jose in overtime in a decisive seventh game.

In the East, Tampa Bay is picked to complete what would be the upset of the playoffs thus far, as EA SPORTS has the Bolts eliminating the No. 1-seeded Capitals in seven games, while the Bruins get a measure of revenge for last year's historic ouster at the hands of the Flyers with a six-game win over Philadelphia.

EA SPORTS will continue to run simulations after each round of the playoffs, but in addition fans are invited to make their own predictions in the EA SPORTS NHL 2011 Playoff Bracket Contest at www.facebook.com/EASPORTSNHL. Participating fans can accrue points for correct predictions with the ultimate prize at the end of Stanley Cup Final of two tickets to the 2012 NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa on the line.

Second Round fan voting opens today at http://www.facebook.com/EASPORTSNHL, when fans can make predictions for the postseason's opening round. Start dates for subsequent rounds will be announced at the conclusion of each series.

EA SPORTS NHL 11 Round Two Predictions: Conference Semifinals

Western Conference

(1) Vancouver vs. Nashville (5)
 
Game 1: Nashville 3 @ Vancouver 1

Game 2: Nashville 2 @ Vancouver 5

Game 3: Vancouver 2 @ Nashville 1

Game 4: Vancouver 4 @ Nashville 2

Game 5: Nashville 0 @ Vancouver 2

Vancouver wins series 4-1

 
(2) San Jose vs. Detroit (3)

Game 1: Detroit 3 @ San Jose 2

Game 2: Detroit 2 @ San Jose 4

Game 3: San Jose 3 @ Detroit 4

Game 4: San Jose 5 @ Detroit 4 [OT]

Game 5: Detroit 2 @ San Jose 3

Game 6: San Jose 2 @ Detroit 5

Game 7: Detroit 4 @ San Jose 3 [OT]

Detroit wins series 4-3

 

Eastern Conference:

(1) Washington vs. Tampa Bay (5)

Game 1: Tampa Bay 1 @ Washington 3

Game 2: Tampa Bay 4 @ Washington 6

Game 3: Washington 3 @ Tampa Bay 4

Game 4: Washington 2 @ Tampa Bay 3 [OT]

Game 5: Tampa Bay 2 @ Washington 5

Game 6: Washington 0 @ Tampa Bay 2

Game 7: Tampa Bay 3 @ Washington 1

Tampa Bay wins series 4-3


(2) Philadelphia vs. Boston (3)

Game 1: Boston 4 @ Philadelphia 2

Game 2: Boston 2 @ Philadelphia 3

Game 3: Philadelphia 1 @ Boston 2[OT]

Game 4: Philadelphia 1 @ Boston 4

Game 5: Boston 1 @ Philadelphia 4

Game 6: Philadelphia 2 @ Boston 3

Boston wins series 4-2

With four Game 7s in a 30-hour span, the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs went out with a bang, and given the win-or-go-home nature of each of those games, the chances that postseason brackets in office pools across North America would stay intact were tenuous at best. Having an opening round record of 7 correct picks would be pretty impressive. Even getting just 5 series right, as the writer of this very story did, isn't terrible.

Of course, going 8-for-8 isn't bad either.

The wizards at EA SPORTS did just that with their EA SPORTS NHL '11 simulation engine, which accurately tabbed such upsets as Tampa Bay's win over Pittsburgh and Nashville's first-ever postseason series victory. Rather than walk off into the sunset, however, EA SPORTS is back at it for round two of the postseason, and this time those predictions are a little gutsier than usual.

Taking three of four lower seeds to advance to the 2011 conference finals would make another perfect projection a pretty remarkable example of clairvoyance, but that's just what EA SPORTS is banking on, as its latest round of predictions has Vancouver as the lone higher seed advancing. For the Canucks to do so after a draining seven-game win over Chicago could be difficult, but EA SPORTS' simulations expect it -- and in just five games. If all goes according to plan, the Canucks will be facing Detroit, which is predicted to topple San Jose in overtime in a decisive seventh game.

In the East, Tampa Bay is picked to complete what would be the upset of the playoffs thus far, as EA SPORTS has the Bolts eliminating the No. 1-seeded Capitals in seven games, while the Bruins get a measure of revenge for last year's historic ouster at the hands of the Flyers with a six-game win over Philadelphia.

EA SPORTS will continue to run simulations after each round of the playoffs, but in addition fans are invited to make their own predictions in the EA SPORTS NHL 2011 Playoff Bracket Contest at www.facebook.com/EASPORTSNHL. Participating fans can accrue points for correct predictions with the ultimate prize at the end of Stanley Cup Final of two tickets to the 2012 NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa on the line.

Second Round fan voting opens today at http://www.facebook.com/EASPORTSNHL, when fans can make predictions for the postseason's opening round. Start dates for subsequent rounds will be announced at the conclusion of each series.

EA SPORTS NHL 11 Round Two Predictions: Conference Semifinals

Western Conference

(1) Vancouver vs. Nashville (5)
 
Game 1: Nashville 3 @ Vancouver 1

Game 2: Nashville 2 @ Vancouver 5

Game 3: Vancouver 2 @ Nashville 1

Game 4: Vancouver 4 @ Nashville 2

Game 5: Nashville 0 @ Vancouver 2

Vancouver wins series 4-1

 
(2) San Jose vs. Detroit (3)

Game 1: Detroit 3 @ San Jose 2

Game 2: Detroit 2 @ San Jose 4

Game 3: San Jose 3 @ Detroit 4

Game 4: San Jose 5 @ Detroit 4 [OT]

Game 5: Detroit 2 @ San Jose 3

Game 6: San Jose 2 @ Detroit 5

Game 7: Detroit 4 @ San Jose 3 [OT]

Detroit wins series 4-3

 

Eastern Conference:

(1) Washington vs. Tampa Bay (5)

Game 1: Tampa Bay 1 @ Washington 3

Game 2: Tampa Bay 4 @ Washington 6

Game 3: Washington 3 @ Tampa Bay 4

Game 4: Washington 2 @ Tampa Bay 3 [OT]

Game 5: Tampa Bay 2 @ Washington 5

Game 6: Washington 0 @ Tampa Bay 2

Game 7: Tampa Bay 3 @ Washington 1

Tampa Bay wins series 4-3


(2) Philadelphia vs. Boston (3)

Game 1: Boston 4 @ Philadelphia 2

Game 2: Boston 2 @ Philadelphia 3

Game 3: Philadelphia 1 @ Boston 2[OT]

Game 4: Philadelphia 1 @ Boston 4

Game 5: Boston 1 @ Philadelphia 4

Game 6: Philadelphia 2 @ Boston 3

Boston wins series 4-2