Despite a game in hand and a six-point cushion on the New York Rangers, the Boston Bruins know what they’re getting when the Blueshirts arrive to the TD Garden for the season series finale between these Eastern Conference foes. Skating in ten contests since the start of the 2010-11 season, the clashes between the B’s and Rangers have resulted in seven one-goal games, with the Rangers winning all but two of them, and Boston coach Claude Julien is expecting more of the same tight-checking, defensive struggles that have become commonplace in the hockey version of the Boston versus New York feud.

“This is a team that when you play then – and there are certain teams in our conference that really test your character, as far as both teams are pretty big teams, both teams like to work along the walls, like the gritty game,” Julien said of the Rangers’ style. “It’s about competing hard, it certainly makes you a better team by the end of the night if you’re ready to take that challenge the proper way.”

While competing hard hasn’t been a problem for a Bruins team that’s seized 17 of a possible 20 points to begin the year, the best start in the team’s 89-year existence, Julien knows that his squad is capable of even greater results. “We’re a better goal scoring team than what we’ve shown so far. I think we’ve shown that we’re capable of creating the chances, but right now the finish isn’t there,” Julien, now in his seventh year behind the Boston bench, said. “There’s certainly room for improvement, but I like where we are at this stage of the season and how we’ve handled those type games, those types of situations.”

Entering play with a modest 2.70 goals per game as a club, the building block of the Bruins’ success will return to the crease tonight after a one-game breather. Taking a rare seat on the bench in the Black-and-Gold’s 3-1 victory over Buffalo on Sunday night, the 25-year-old Tuukka Rask gets the nod in net for Boston, and for all the right reasons.

On top of dominating the crease since his career-worst seven-goal showing against the Sabres on Jan. 31, stopping 40-of-41 shots in the two games that have followed, Rask’s success against a Rangers club that typically owns Boston, with three wins and a .932 save-percentage in eight games against New York.

The Rangers, as you would expect, will counter with Henrik Lundqvist. Despite his non-Lundqvist numbers on the year -- coming into tonight’s contest with a 2.44 goals-against-average and .911 save-percentage -- the Swede is absolutely deadly on Garden ice, with eight wins and a .957 save-percentage in 14 career contests in Boston.

On a roster note, the Black-and-Gold did sign Jay Pandolfo to a one-year contract earlier today, and placed him on waivers. Pandolfo, a veteran of 881 NHL contests, will be assigned to Providence if he clears, and will make $300,000 at the American Hockey League level, and $650,000 if called up to Boston.
Forward Lane MacDermid and defensemen Aaron Johnson will make up the healthy scratches for the Bruins. Steve Eminger, Stu Bickel, and Massachusetts’ own Brian Boyle will be scratches for the Rangers.

First Period

19:50 - Real early into this one and Rick Nash nearly scores on a Zdeno Chara miscue. Rask shuts the door. Weird fact: In five career games here, Rick Nash has zero goals and just one point.

16:57 - B’s going on the power-play. Newly acquired forward Darrell Powe goes to the box for a puck over the glass penalty. The Bruins snapped an 0-for-17 man-advantage drought on their last power-play, coming back on Sunday.

16:15 - And just like that, the power-play is killed, this time by a Tyler Seguin hook. The Bruins worsen to 0-for-20 on the man-advantage at home this year. That’s not good.

11:45 - Adam McQuaid just hit the Rangers' Powe with a hit along the boards that was so thunderous that it broke No. 8 in red-and-white's stick. My God.

10:00 - The biggest difference between this year's and last year's Ranger club? They really haven't been the shot-blocking monsters they were in 2012. Easy access and looks for the B's, who are on pace for a 48-shot night.

9:23 - Rangers strike first! On a delayed call, a tripping Nash dishes it off to Carl Hagelin who buries it by Rask. Giving the Rangers an early 1-0 lead, that was just plain terrible defense from the B's pairing of McQuaid and Andrew Ference. Yikes. That tally is also Hagelin's third in two games. Nice little hot streak for the speedy Ranger.

9:00 - Definition of a tough break for the Bruins: That last Rangers shot, their first goal of the game, was their first shot in over nine minutes of play. Not a good look.

5:13 - Some extra stuff after the whistle and the Bruins will end up shorthanded here. McQuaid to the box. Roughing. New York's 0-for-1 on the advantage tonight.

3:50 - Great individual effort from Rich Peverley on the penalty-kill brings this Garden crowd to their feet. Unreal possession of the puck right there, with four Rangers breathing down his neck, too. Peverley Hills, baby.

3:12 - B's kill it off.

Thoughts after one...

Looks like the Lundqvist of old has returned to crush the Bruins. Uh oh.

Also, from the New York side of things, no one's been better than the Hagelin-Stepan-Nash line. They're constantly generating positive momentum and energy on each rush. Nice chances, too.

Second Period

15:50 - New York has about six guys out there for a long time. I swear, I can hear John Tortella yelling from here. He's six levels below me. The dude is simply irate. B's going on the power-play. Rookie J.T. Miller will sit.

13:00 - Lots of energy from the Bruins right now. Getting a goal, however, is proving to be the toughest part of the equation. Death. Taxes. Lundqvist.

11:43 - Derek Stepan. 2-0, Rangers. That one just took all the energy right outta this building. An unassisted goal by Stepan, good for his second of the season. That one begins and ends with tired legs, capped by Dougie Hamilton's missed pokecheck.

11:29 - Boston's going back on the power-play. They're 0-for-2 tonight, 0-for-21 at home this year. You shouldn't even watch right now. It's that bad. Either way, it'll be the Rangers' Marc Staal that sits for two. Interference.

9:15 - Make it 0-for-3. My goodness, they're beyond terrible. 4-for-42 on the year.

5:00 - Rich Peverley was skating with the Bergeron line on that last shift. No Seguin. Promotion? Demotion? I don't even know anymore.

3:51 - A Johnny Boychuk blast goes off the post and into the netting. Not the net the Bruins want. Just under four minutes to go. Shots favor the Bruins, 22-15, but goals are still (heavily when you take Lundqvist's play into account) favoring the Blueshirts.

57.6 - Milan Lucic to the box for a clear high-sticking. He apparently thinks that Ryan McDonagh is diving and/or faking, but he's clearly not. Lucic will sit for two.

14.6 - Bergeron gets denied on a shorthanded breakaway, and Marchand takes a two-minute minor for crosschecking. That one, however, is not a very good call at all. Rangers will get 14 seconds of a 5-on-3 and then begin the third with 1:03 of 5-on-3 action.

Thoughts after two...

The Boston Bruins' power-play is now 4-for-42 on the year. Oh, and one of those power-play goals actually came with an empty net, so it's really 3-for-41. That's so embarrassingly bad, and it's just the worst. I really don't know how else to say it.

Oh, and Lundqvist's back. Yup. No doubts about it.

Third Period

17:53 - Anton Stralman with the softest goal you'll see this year. Somehow trickles through Rask and into the back of the net. Ugly.

13:45 - Silence and boos. That's all you'll hear right now.

13:17 - And Boston will go back on the power-play. Rick Nash to the box. Penalty aside, he's had a ridiculously strong game.

11:16 - Krejci on the doorstep as the power-play expires, and the B's now trail by two with some time to work some magic. Lamborghini Krejci, Lundqvist looks so thirsty.

3:55 - Tick tock. B's running low on time against one of the game's best. Not lookin' good.

1:31 - Horton. Bruins within one.

42.3 - Tie game! Marchand! Seven goals in ten games. The kid's a beast.

0.0 - Overtime on the way.

Overtime

3:45 - This place. Man, this place is very loud.

:20 - Gaborik almost burns 'em, but can't get it by.

0.0 - Shootout on the way

Shootout

Boston's first shooter: Tyler Seguin -- Couple of dekes, but he's denied by Hank.
New York's first shooter: Marian Gaborik -- Denied on the five-hold bid.

Boston's second shooter: Patrice Bergeron -- Back-and-forth a bunch, but denied.
New York's second shooter: Rick Nash -- Insane move, goal. B's must score.

Boston's third shooter: Brad Marchand -- Scores.
New York's third shooter: Brad Richards -- Denied. B's still alive.

Boston's fourth shooter: David Krejci -- Can't get a handle on it, denied.
New York's fourth shooter: Ryan Callahan -- He scores, Rangers survive late collapse.

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