First blood goes to the Bruins.

Brad Marchand scored his first goal of the playoffs at the 15:40 mark of overtime to give the Bruins a 3-2 win over the Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series Thursday night at the TD Garden. Boston leads the best-of-seven series, 1-0. Game 2 is Sunday afternoon in Boston.

Marchand finished a counterattack with centerman Patrice Bergeron by tapping a feed under Henrik Lundqvist (45 saves).

The series opener between the Original Six franchises was not the mosh pit most expect the series to become. Instead, the two teams engaged in a feeling-out process.

Zdeno Chara opened the scoring in the series at the 12:23 mark of the second period with a slap shot Lundqvist never could quite control and inadvertently knocked into the goal. The goal ended Lundqvist’s playoff shutout streak at 152:23.

Ryan McDonagh tied the game with 1.3 seconds left in the period. The defenseman finished a sequence which began with a Rick Nash wraparound with his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal.

After the initial shot, Nash broke up a Tyler Seguin clearing attempt, and the puck landed on McDonagh’s stick.

The Rangers took a 2-1 lead 14 seconds into the third period on Derek Stepan’s third of the playoffs. Patrice Bergeron won the faceoff against Stepan to start the period but Marchand was unable to get the puck into the Rangers’ end. The Rangers’ top line counterattacked, finishing with Stepan one-timing Carl Hagelin’s feed past Tuukka Rask (33 saves).

The lead didn’t last long.

Torey Krug, one of three rookie defensemen in the lineup for the Bruins alongside Dougie Hamilton and Matt Bartkowski due to injuries, tied the game 2:41 after Stepan’s goal with his first playoff goal in his first NHL game.

Interestingly, head coach John Tortorella split up his normal top defense pair of McDonagh and Dan Girardi. Girardi started the game paired with Michael Del Zotto, while McDonagh played with Anton Stralman.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Dan Girardi summed up the impending Rangers-Bruins Eastern Conference semifinal series with one word: physical.

“It’s definitely going to be physical for sure,” Dan Girardi said following a spirited practice at the Rangers’ training facility in Greenburgh, N.Y. Wednesday in preparation for the best-of-seven series which begins Thursday night at the T.D. Garden in Boston.

This will be the 10th time the Original Six brethren have met in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Rangers have lost six of the nine series, but won the last meeting, a five-game elimination of the Bruins way back in the 1973 quarterfinals.

The Rangers won two of the three regular season matchups between the long time rivals, including a 4-3 shootout win in Boston on Feb. 12, the last time the teams met. Both teams finished with nine goals scored in the three games.

“[We played] them three times in the first couple weeks and that’s pretty much it,” Girardi said.

At first glance, the Bruins and Rangers appear to be mirror images of each other. The Bruins ended the regular season with one more goal than the Rangers (127-126). The Rangers finished the regular season ranked third in the NHL in hits (1,413) and sixth in blocked shots (773), while Boston was 10th (1,200) and 22nd (650) in those categories.

“I think the teams are pretty similar,” Girardi said. “Both teams want to get on the forecheck, create some momentum that way.”

When the Bruins are at their best, Boston’s top line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton is able to use their size to wear down their opponents in the offensive zone. The trio totaled 29 points in the seven-game Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Maple Leafs.

“It’s going to be a pretty good challenge for us,” Girardi said. “I think they’re going to do their best to get in front of [Henrik Lundqvist] and bring pucks to the net. We just have to be strong down the walls, make sure they can’t get to the front and just be strong. [We] can’t let them push us around in front of the net. We have to make sure [it's clear] for Hankie in front – let him [see] shots.”

Like the Bruins, the Rangers also have size. Since the trade deadline acquisitions of Ryane Clowe from San Jose and the triumvirate of Derick Brassard, Derek Dorsett and John Moore from Columbus, the Rangers are 13-7.

“We’re able to play the way we want to play more consistently because I think we have a deeper lineup,” head coach John Tortorella said. “I think we played our best game of the seven game series in Game 7. I’m hoping that transfers over to the start of the [Bruins] series, where I can use the whole bench.”

One of the themes in the series win over Washington was the Rangers’ secondary scoring. While the Capitals kept the Rangers’ stars in check, the Southeast Division champions did not have an answer for the Blueshirts’ depth.

Brassard totaled nine points in the seven games. Mats Zuccarello and Carl Hagelin finished with five points (one goal and four assists) and four points (two goals and two assists), respectively. Linemates Brian Boyle and Taylor Pyatt recorded three points (two goals and an assist) each.

“For a team, it helps when your second [and] third line guys contribute, as our team did, but for the top end guys, that’s why they are where they are [as] top players because they want that,” Tortorella said. “So I don’t think it takes any pressure off them. I think they want to be the person to make a difference.”

One such player is Rick Nash. Nash only had two assists against the Capitals, but he did lead the team with 22 shots in the seven games. Tortorella believes the left wing is due to break out.

“He played really well in Game 7, and really didn’t have many bad games in the series. In Washington he didn’t finish,” Tortorella said. “He certainly wasn’t totally on but he’s very close. I thought he played very well in Game 7. He’s playing and I think he’s going to be a really big part of this as we enter into Boston.”

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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The Rangers and Bruins are meeting in the postseason for the first time since 1973. New York won this year’s regular season series, 2-1. A look at when and where the two teams will clash in the NHL Stanley Cup semi-finals:

• Game 1: at Boston, Thursday, May 16 (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

• Game 2: at Boston, Sunday, May 19 (3 p.m., NBC)

• Game 3: at New York, Tuesday, May 21 (7:30 p.m., NBCSN)

• Game 4: at New York, Thursday, May 23 (7 p.m., CNBC)

• Game 5: at Boston, Saturday, May 25 (To be determined)

• Game 6: at New York, Monday, May 27 (To be determined)

• Game 7: at Boston, Wednesday, May 29 (To be determined)

The post Bruins – Rangers series schedule appeared first on Metro.us.

Events throughout the Boston area were postponed or cancelled as law enforcement officers searched for a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings.

“Tonight’s Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park has been postponed to support the efforts of law enforcement officers,” a team statement said Friday afternoon. The Red Sox were scheduled to begin at three-game series with the Kansas City Royals Friday night. A new date wasn’t immediately announced.

The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins tentatively rescheduled their Friday night game to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, a Bruins statement said. A final decision will be made Saturday morning by the Bruins, Penguins, and NHL.

“Tickets for the originally scheduled game between the Bruins and Penguins will be honored for [the] rescheduled game,” the Bruins said.

The Big Apple Circus, performing at Boston’s City Hall Plaza, cancelled its shows Friday afternoon and evening. Ticketholders were told they could request exchanges or refunds on the circus’s website. No decision had been made about Saturday’s performances.

The organizers of Boston Comic Con, scheduled for this weekend at Hynes Convention Center, was also being postponed.

“Please, we ask for your patience, understanding, and cooperation,” a press statement from the event’s organizers said. “Unfortunately, this situation is beyond our control. We stand with all Bostonians and hope that current events are resolved quickly and a degree of normalcy can be returned to our city.”

All MBTA service was suspended until further notice Friday. All taxi service was suspended for a time, but that order was later lifted.

Logan Airport was open Friday, with heightened security. Amtrak trains in and out of Boston were cancelled.

Most local colleges, universities, and other schools cancelled all classes and events Friday.

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1) Chicago Blackhawks (27-5-3, previous No. 2) – The Blackhawks regain the top spot since they’ve won two games in a row and most importantly, they have less injuries to key players than the Penguins. Patrick Sharp could return this week, which will only help Chicago’s NHL-best goal-differential of plus-43.

2) Pittsburgh Penguins (28-9-0, previous No. 2) – Pittsburgh’s 15-game winning streak ended on Tuesday against Buffalo but more importantly, Sidney Crosby (who would be the NHL MVP right now) is out indefinitely after breaking his jaw on Saturday. We’ll have to see how the Penguins play with newcomer Jarome Iginla in the lineup, but no Crosby.

3) Montreal Canadiens (23-7-5, previous No. 4) – The Habs didn’t make any real moves at the trade deadline which signifies confidence in their current group. They’ve won their last three games and they are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Montreal is 2-1 against Boston this season and they have a chance to wrap up the season series on Saturday at the Bell Centre vs. the Bruins.

4) Anaheim Ducks (24-7-5, previous No. 3) – The Ducks haven’t been themselves lately (4-4-2 in their last 10 games), or perhaps they are finally regressing to the mean after an incredible start. The Ducks begin a five-game homestand tonight (tied for their longest of the season) which is bizarre since they played Dallas on Monday then they play them Wednesday and Friday (three games in a row).

5) Boston Bruins (23-8-4, previous No. 5) – Other than Iginla and Marion Gaborik, the B’s made probably the biggest acquisition of the trade deadline by getting Jaromir Jagr. After playing listlessly for a few weeks, they’ve won their last two games thanks to backup goaltender Anton Khudobin, who earned back-to-back starts (allowing two combined goals). Their concern is Patrice Bergeron’s health after the do-everything center left Tuesday’s game with a possible concussion.

6) Minnesota Wild (21-12-2, previous No. 6) – The Wild are in a dogfight for home ice with Vancouver but they made a nice move by trading for Buffalo captain Jason Pominville (10 goals, 15 assists) before the deadline. He should help create more balance between their lines that are very top heavy.

7) Vancouver Canucks (19-11-6, previous No. 7) – The Canucks were another winner from the trade deadline since they got Derek Roy (18 assists) from the Stars for a prospect and second-round draft pick. Vancouver tried to flip Roberto Luongo to Toronto but his albatross of a contract held them back from getting it done.

8) Los Angeles Kings (20-13-3, previous No. 10) – The Kings obtained defenseman Robin Regehr from the Sabres but other than that, the defending Stanley Cup champs are healthy and still loaded with talent. Thanks to Jeff Carter (20 goals, 4th in NHL), the Kings have scored more goals (104) than expected.

9) Toronto Maple Leafs (20-12-4, previous No. 12) – Toronto has won its last three games but it is weird that they didn’t make any moves at the trade deadline since their situation in goal is still muddled at best. It looks like they’ll make the playoffs which is a big deal for them, but advancing is another story.

10) San Jose Sharks (18-11-6, previously No. 14) – The Sharks are the hottest team in the NHL with five straight wins. It has taken them this long, but they have finally started to live up to their abilities – although it is interesting that they traded one of their emotional leaders, Ryane Clowe, to the Rangers for draft picks.

11) Ottawa Senators (18-11-6, previous No. 8) – If the Senators make the playoffs, they have to hope they don’t play the Bruins. Boston has won all four games against Ottawa this season (they meet once more) and making that more painful, they have all been by one goal. Craig Anderson is close to returning which is why they flipped backup goaltender Ben Bishop to Buffalo for rookie winger Cory Conacher.

12) Detroit Red Wings (18-13-5, previous No. 9) – The Red Wings didn’t make a single trade around the deadline which is interesting since this underachieving team hasn’t played nearly well enough to earn that respect. They are the only team currently in the top eight in the West without a positive goal-differential (zero).

13) New York Islanders (18-13-6, previous No. 19) – Nobody could have imagined this, and we’re still four weeks away from the playoffs, but at this moment the Islanders are the best team in the New York area (Islanders, Rangers, Devils and Sabres). Their next three games are against teams outside the top eight in the East: Washington, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia so they need to rack up the points there.

14) St. Louis Blues (18-14-2, previous No. 13) – Now that the Sharks have gained their skating legs, the Blues have to be called the most underachieving team in the West. Still, they are hanging on to the eighth spot so they haven’t been a complete train wreck. Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who they obtained from Calgary, should help them right away.

15) Edmonton Oilers (15-13-7, previously not ranked) – People have been waiting for years and it looks like the Oilers have finally put together enough good players to get to the playoffs. They have their work cut out for them since the West is better than the East but they’ve won their last four games and are playing well when it counts.

16) New Jersey Devils (15-12-9, previous No. 16) – The Islanders, Devils and Rangers are likely battling for the last two spots in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Of those, I like the New York teams better since New Jersey is treading water (3-3-4 in last 10 games) and their goal-differential is minus-11.

17) Nashville Predators (15-14-8, previously No. 17) – Pekka Rinne isn’t himself, although it’s not all his fault since the Predators are one of the lowest scoring teams in the West with 92 goals. Getting a goal-scorer seemed obvious at the deadline but apparently the front office felt otherwise.

18) Columbus Blue Jackets (15-14-7, previous No. 20) – The race for the eighth seed in the West is going to be one of the NHL’s best heading into the postseason and the Blue Jackets honestly have a decent chance to make it. The lowest scoring team (87 goals) in the West should receive a huge boost from Marion Gaborik (9 goals, 10 assists) who was having a poor season with the Rangers but he scored 41 goals last season and 40-plus two other times in the NHL.

19) New York Rangers (17-15-3, previous No. 15) – I have no idea why the Rangers traded their best goal-scorer when they have scored the fewest goals in the NHL (82) … and if they miss the playoffs, that will be the main reason why. Forwards Derick Brassard (7 goals) and Derek Dorsett (3 goals) along with defenseman John Moore (zero goals) better fit their trapping defensive style, but none of them can put the puck in the net.

20) Winnipeg Jets (18-18-2, previous No. 2) – The Jets are free-falling and they are only two points ahead of the Capitals for first place in the Southeast Division after losing four straight games. They are 3-7-0 with a goal-differential of minus-22 … not the resume of a playoff team in anybody’s eyes.

Follow Metro sports writer Richard Slate on Twitter: @RichSlate

The post NHL Power Rankings: Crazy trade deadline shuffles the lineup appeared first on Metro.us.

Records through March 27

1) Pittsburgh Penguins (26-8-0, previous No. 3) – It’s hard to have a much better week than the Penguins. They are riding a 13-game win streak and they’ve acquired Brendan Morrow, Jarome Iginla and Douglas Murray. The only things to worry about for them is the health of Marc-Andre Fleury (who left Tuesday’s game) and Kris Letang who went back on IR after returning for a game.

2) Chicago Blackhawks (25-4-3, previous No. 1) – No longer on their epic win streak, the focus and pressure has been taken off the Blackhawks. Chicago has an NHL-best goal-differential of plus-37 while they have the best home record (12-2-1) and road record (13-2-2).

3) Anaheim Ducks (22-7-4, previous No. 2) – There is bad news in Disneyland as the Ducks have lost four games in a row, twice to Detroit and twice to San Jose. The surprising part is that the first three were at the Honda Center where the Ducks were 13-1-0. Anaheim scored one goal in each game against the Red Wings and were blanked by the Sharks on Wednesday, shocking for a team that has scored the second most goals in the Western Conference (104).

4) Montreal Canadiens (21-7-5, previous No. 4) – The Canadiens proved their resiliency by rallying twice in the third period  in Boston on Wednesday. This was after pulled Carey Price after the second period plus lost 1-0 in Pittsburgh the night before. Montreal and Boston will have a great battle for first place in the Northeast Division.

5) Boston Bruins (21-7-4, previous No. 5) – The B’s are understandably reeling after a brutal loss to the Canadiens on Wednesday followed by them losing out on the Jarome Iginla sweepstakes when it looked to be a done deal that he’d joined the spoked ‘B.’ Boston gets two days without a game for the first time in over a month which should do wonders for the banged up team that’s currently missing three regulars (Chris Kelly, Adam McQuaid and Johnny Boychuk).

6) Minnesota Wild (20-10-2, previous No. 7) – The Penguins understandably are getting most of the publicity but the Wild are the hottest team in the Western Conference, having won their last seven games in a row. Minnesota is 9-1-0 in their last 10 games and 12-3-1 at the Xcel Energy Center. The crazy part is that a team that is so reliant on its top lines has scored 90 goals.

7) Vancouver Canucks (18-9-6, previous No. 12) – Similar to the Wild, the Canucks have really found their game in the last few weeks. They’ve won five straight games to tie Minnesota atop the Northwest Division. Vancouver is 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and 9-4-3 on the road which are both good trends

8) Ottawa Senators (18-9-6, previous No. 8) – Head coach Paul MacLean and his comical moustache is close to wrapping up the NHL coach of the year award with this remarkable run his team has turned in. They might not do anything in the playoffs but with 15 games left in the regular season, they look like a lock to make it (barring a major collapse) which for them is still very impressive.

9) Detroit Red Wings (17-11-5, previous No. 11) – The Red Wings began their four-game road trip with two excellent wins in Anaheim then they won in Phoenix last night. If they can grab two points in San Jose tonight, you’ll know that the Red Wings are truly back after a uncharacteristically slow start to the season. The ironic part was that Detroit was under .500 (5-6-2) on the road before the trip.

10) Los Angeles Kings (18-12-2, previously No. 6) – It was a strange week for the Kings who lost two in a row at home, where they are great (12-4-1) but then won 5-4 at Chicago on Monday. They are 6-8-1 on the road this season but that victory against the NHL’s best team could go a long way to giving them confidence during the stretch run.

11) Winnipeg Jets (18-14-2, previous No. 13) – Up six points now on Carolina and seven ahead of Washington, the surprising Jets are in good shape for the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and 10-6-2 on the road this season which are good signs, unlike their goal-differential of -11 which is the worst mark of any team in the top eight of either conference.

12) Toronto Maple Leafs (18-12-4, previous No. 15) – The Leafs are treading water (3-3-4 in their last 10 games) but they are still in good shape to make the playoffs for the first time in nine years which in Canada is magnified tenfold. Toronto has identical 9-6-2 records at Air Canada Centre and on the road but they are 0-4 in shootouts. Good news for them is that if they make the postseason, they won’t face a shootout.

13) St. Louis Blues (17-13-2, previous No. 9) – The Blues have lost their last two games to drop into seventh place in the Western Conference. Anything can happen in the NHL playoffs as we see every spring but St. Louis really doesn’t want to face Chicago or Anaheim in the first round of the playoffs. Their next three games are really tough: vs. Kings, at Wild and at Blackhawks.

14) San Jose Sharks (14-12-2, previous No. 17) – The Sharks are hanging on for dear life to the eighth seed in the Western Conference but they are coming off their best two wins of the season: sweeping a home-and-home series with Anaheim. It’ll be interesting to see what they do at the trade deadline (April 3), they’ve already shipped defenseman Douglas Murray to Pittsburgh.

15) New York Rangers (16-13-3, previous No. 14) – If they make the playoffs, the Rangers are still a team that nobody in the Eastern Conference wants to face since their games always tend to be such physical grinds. New York’s margin for error is so small since they’ve scored a conference-low 78 goals. Up next, they play the three Eastern Conference Canadian teams (Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg) who would all be in the postseason if it started today.

16) New Jersey Devils (15-11-7, previous No. 16) – Ilya Kovalchuk is out with a shoulder injury for 2-4 weeks which means the Devils could drop out of the playoff picture if they’re not careful. This team hasn’t had any luck this season since Kovalchuk’s injury followed quickly in the footsteps of Martin Brodeur’s injury. Getting back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight year seems highly unlikely.

17) Nashville Predators (14-13-6, previously No. 13) – The Predators haven’t been themselves for most of the season but they are turning it on (3 consecutive wins) when it matters most. Nashville needs to a find a way to win more on the road (5-11-2) since they are fine at home (9-2-4), otherwise they could miss the playoffs.

18) New York Islanders (15-15-3, previous No. 19) – One of the sneaky storylines in the NHL is that the Islanders have a decent chance to make the playoffs which would be a huge accomplishment for them. They’ve won their last two games and they are excellent on the road (9-4-1). Now they have to win at dumpy Nassau Coliseum (6-11-2).

19) Dallas Stars (15-14-3, previously not ranked) – You can certainly question Dallas’ desire to make the playoffs this season as they traded winger Brendan Morrow to Pittsburgh but they are only three points out of the eighth seed so like it or not, they will be a factor in who makes it. PS why is that franchise still there?

20) Columbus Blue Jackets (13-13-7, previous No. 20) – The Blue Jackets lost a heartbreaker, 1-0 in a shootout at Vancouver, on Tuesday but one of the worst road teams in the NHL (3-9-2) has a good chance to bounce back. They are in Edmonton on Thursday and Calgary on Friday, two of the worst teams in the Western Conference that aren’t going anywhere this season. If Columbus is serious about make the playoffs, they need more points on this trip.

Follow Metro sports writer Richard Slate on Twitter @RichSlate

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Records through March 18:

1. Chicago Blackhawks (24-2-3, previous No. 1) – There was actually the thought of dropping the Blackhawks to No. 2 for the first time this season but they are still five points ahead of the Ducks. The Blackhawks travel to Anaheim Wednesday for their second meeting of the season. The Ducks won, 3-2, in a shootout in Chicago on Feb. 12.

2. Anaheim Ducks (21-3-4, previous No. 2) – Anaheim hasn’t lost in regulation in its last 11 games (8-0-3) and the Ducks have won their last 12 games at the Honda Center. There is no question that they are the hottest team in the Western Conference. Wednesday’s game is a possible Western Conference Finals preview, so be sure to check it out on the NHL Network.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins (22-8-0, previous No. 5) – Having won nine games in a row, the Penguins are the hottest team in the NHL. They beat the Bruins twice last week (highly impressive) and have scored an NHL-high 108 goals. A wrist injury to their best defenseman, Kris Letang, could be a serious issue.

4. Montreal Canadiens (19-5-4, previous No. 4) – It’s time to stop pretending that Montreal’s great start this season was a fluke. The Habs are legitimately one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and NHL. They’ve won five consecutive games and they are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. Most impressive, they have been great on the road (10-2-2) as well as at the Bell Centre (9-3-2).

5. Boston Bruins (19-5-3, previous No. 3) – The Bruins came up short in both showdowns in Pittsburgh last week but they seem to be getting better at putting away inferior opponents. They dodged a major bullet as top line center David Krejci’s knee injury doesn’t appear all that serious. Still, injuries are an issue with third line center Chris Kelly out.

6. Los Angeles Kings (16-10-2, previous No. 6) – Their slow start has been pretty much forgotten as the Kings have owned games at the Staples Center (11-2-1). Similar to their playoff run last season, they are getting goals from many different lines and players along with solid goaltending (even though Jonathan Quick isn’t fully up to speed just yet).

7. Minnesota Wild (16-10-2, previous No. 8) – Minnesota has leaped over Vancouver for the lead in the Northwest Division. The Wild have won three games in a row and they are 7-3-0 in their last 10. It’s hard to see them getting higher than this but they have to be satisfied with where they sit at the moment.

8. Ottawa Senators (15-8-6, previous No. 10) – The Senators are still hanging around despite all their major injuries. Having the best record at home (10-1-3) in the Eastern Conference has helped them stay afloat through the tough times. They are 4-2-4 in their last 10 games, showing how either way it usually comes down to the wire for them.

9. St. Louis Blues (16-10-2, previous No. 15) – Called up from the minors, goaltender Jake Allen (8-1-0, 2.18 GAA, .920 save percentage) has been a revelation while Chris Stewart (14 goals, 14 assists) was the NHL’s No. 1 star last week after five goals (two game-winners) and two assists. The Blues aren’t going to catch the Blackhawks but they have a good chance to finish second in the Central Division.

10. Carolina Hurricanes (15-11-2, previous No. 7) – It looks like the Hurricanes are in for a competitive race with the Jets in the Southeast Division but Carolina has been doing enough lately (6-3-1 in their last 10 games) to be ranked ahead of Winnipeg. Carolina only has two games left this week, both at home, against the Panthers and Devils so they should continue to earn points.

11. Detroit Red Wings (14-10-5, previous No. 11) – Coming off possibly its best win of the season, a 5-2 victory at Vancouver on Saturday, Detroit has the toughest week of anyone in the NHL. They host Minnesota Wednesday, then go to Anaheim for two games (Friday and Sunday). Needless to say, they have to get a positive result against the Wild because the Ducks are nearly impossible to beat at home.

12. Vancouver Canucks (13-9-6, previous No. 14) – Don’t let this ranking fool you, the Canucks are struggling. They’ve lost their last two games and they are 3-5-2 in their last 10 games. Most troubling, it’s hard to figure out how a roster loaded with talent has a goal-differential of minus-2. If only the Sedin twins had any sort of leadership skills, then maybe Vancouver wouldn’t be in this situation.

13. Winnipeg Jets (15-12-2, previous No. 20) – The Jets have been one of the hotter teams in the Eastern Conference (6-3-1 in their last 10 games). They are a .500 team at home (6-6-0) but they have a chance to improve on that mark this week with four straight games at home. That includes back-to-back nights against the Capitals on Thursday and Friday.

14. New York Rangers (14-12-2, previous No. 12) – You still can’t trust the Rangers. They look great one night, then hopeless the next. They are 10-5-1 at Madison Square Garden and if they can win on the road (4-7-1), they will really be onto something. The Rangers need to find a way to score more goals since they have an Eastern Conference low, 67.

15. Toronto Maple Leafs (15-12-2, previous No. 9) – The Leafs have been treading water lately (4-4-2) which is still good enough to put them in front of some of the train wrecks in the Eastern Conference (looking at you Florida and Buffalo). A home-and-home with the Bruins on Saturday and Monday, a team that has absolutely owned them, will tell us whether to take Toronto seriously moving forward this season.

16. New Jersey Devils (13-10-6, previous No. 16) – Martin Brodeur has returned to practice, but not games for the Devils … about the best thing I can say about them. They are falling apart, hanging on to the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a terrible goal-differential of minus-9. It would be nice if Ilya Kovalchuk (10 goals, 15 assists) could carry them a bit more through the tough times but this is who he has become.

17. San Jose Sharks (12-10-6, previous No. 13) – You could argue that the Sharks have been the biggest underachievers in the NHL (Flyers fans rejoice!) and I wouldn’t disagree. Perhaps it’s time to break up this current cast that has been together for too long without ever really doing anything notable when it matters. It’s shocking that they have only scored 67 goals this season with all those great forwards.

18. Phoenix Coyotes (13-12-4, previous No. 17) – Being one of the worst road teams in the Western Conference (3-7-3) is holding the Coyotes back from being a better team. They have the pieces to be a playoff team but if they started today, they’d be on the outside (ninth place). Something is up with Mike Smith (11-9-3, 2.86 GAA, .900 save percentage) and they won’t go anywhere with their franchise goaltender playing like that.

19. New York Islanders (13-12-3, previous not ranked) – One of the biggest jokes in the NHL the last decade, the Isles are finally starting to turn it around thanks to John Tavares (17 goals, 14 assists) and a great record on the road (8-4-1). They have been playing well (5-3-2), winners of two in a row, but it’s hard to see that continuing when they’ve allowed so many goals (91).

20. Columbus Blue Jackets (11-12-6, previous not ranked) – This is not a misprint, the Blue Jackets haven’t lost in regulation (6-0-4) in their last 10 games. They have gone to overtime in nine of their last 10 games, which is insane. Not surprisingly, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (9-6-5, 2.00 GAA, .932 save percentage) was the NHL’s third star last week since he’s been on fire.

Follow Metro sports writer Richard Slate on Twitter: @RichSlate

The post NHL Power Rankings: Ducks and Penguins are red hot appeared first on Metro.us.

Records through March 11

1. Chicago Blackhawks (21-2-3, previous No. 1) – Somewhere the ’72 Miami Dolphins popped champagne when the Blackhawks went down 6-2 to the Avalanche on Friday, snapping their unbeaten in regulation streak at 24 games (half the regular season). Oh wait, wrong sport. Seriously though, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chicago come back to Earth somewhat as they also lost 6-5 to the Oilers on Sunday.

2. Anaheim Ducks (18-3-3, previous No. 2) – Don’t look now but the Ducks are only six points (three wins) behind the Blackhawks. Given Chicago’s injuries at the moment, I might even like Anaheim’s chances against them in the playoffs. However, we’re still a month and a half away from that so no need to make rash judgments.

3. Boston Bruins (17-3-3, previous No. 4) – The B’s and Canadiens are in a virtual dead heat. They have even split their first two games (with both winning on the road). The only thing that separates them is that Boston has played three games less than Montreal and the Habs only have one more point. It feels like they’re building to another epic playoff series this spring. Wouldn’t that be great?

4. Montreal Canadiens (17-5-4, previous No. 3) The Canadiens have won three games in a row and they are 6-1-3 in their last 10 games. Their goal-differential is plus-18 and they are 9-2-2 on the road. The Bruins might jump them this week since they have five games and the Canadiens only play twice. Winger Michael Ryder (two goals, seven assists) has been solid in his seven games back in a Montreal uniform.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins (18-8-0, previous No. 5) – The Penguins are the hottest team in the Eastern Conference – they have won five games in a row entering Tuesday night’s showdown with Boston in Pittsburgh. It’s a huge week for the Penguins since they play four current playoff teams: Toronto, Rangers and Bruins (twice). We’ll see what kind of shape Pittsburgh is in next week after that gauntlet.

6. Los Angeles Kings (14-8-2, previous No. 9) – The defending Stanley Cup champs are the hottest team in the Western Conference: they are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games and 9-2-1 at the Staples Center. Their formula of great goaltending from Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier, plus plenty of goals from Jeff Carter (17 goals, second in the NHL) has been working wonders.

7. Carolina Hurricanes (14-9-1, previous No. 10) – One team was added to the higher rung this week (Kings) but just like last week, after the top teams the drop-off to the mid-level teams is enormous. The Hurricanes have stayed afloat thanks to Alexander Semin’s 19 assists (sixth best in the NHL). They can put some more distance between themselves, Tampa Bay and Washington this week since they play the Capitals twice and the Lightning once.

8. Minnesota Wild (13-9-2, previous No. 14) – The Wild have played well lately (7-3-0) and they’ve been great at home all season (9-2-1). Their goal-differential of minus-1 and road record (4-7-1) say that they are frauds, but they also reside in the Western Conference’s worst division: Northwest. Minnesota has taken advantage of Vancouver’s inconsistent start.

9. Toronto Maple Leafs (15-10-1, previous No. 7) – The Leafs have receded to their more fitting level as they’ve hit a tougher portion of their schedule. They are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games but they play the Jets twice this week, sandwiched around a game with the Penguins, so they need to get points against Winnipeg. The Maple Leafs are 9-5-0 on the road, where they’ve played two more games than at home so far.

10. Ottawa Senators (13-8-5, previously No. 11) – If there was an award for playing hard, the Senators would be a runaway favorite. Unfortunately, this isn’t Little League. Ottawa is getting the most out of its limited roster at the moment but the Sens have trouble when facing the more talented teams that can wear them down. Blowing a 2-0 lead at home to the Bruins on Monday couldn’t have made them feel too good about themselves either.

11. Detroit Red Wings (12-9-5, previous No. 19) – Honestly, the Red Wings didn’t do anything specifically to make this big of a jump from last week. But then again, they are playing a tad better than the rest of the teams are at their same level. Detroit is 5-3-2 in their last 10 games and as always, they excel at home: 9-4-3. Figuring out how to win on the road (3-5-2) is the next step for them to take.

12. New York Rangers (13-9-2, previous No. 17) – The Rangers have clawed back into contention, playing their unique style of ugly, defensive hockey. Rick Nash (five goals, four assists) has been on fire in his last five games and has proven to be ready for the bright lights of New York City after toiling for years in Columbus. The Rangers can fatten up on the Sabres and Jets before facing the Penguins on Saturday in Pittsburgh.

13. San Jose Sharks (11-7-6, previous No. 12) – The Sharks have lost an NHL-high (tied with Vancouver) six games in overtime and they are 4-3 in shootouts this season. That seems like a risky proposition that is bound to catch up to them if they keep playing so many extra sessions. They are one of the more mercurial teams in the NHL since they are 7-1-4 at home but 4-6-2 on the road, plus they’ve lost their last two games (both in overtime).

14. Vancouver Canucks (11-7-6, previous No. 6) – Another team that is spinning its wheels and should be playing much better than they currently are. The Canucks are 3-4-3 in their last 10 games and are 2-5 in shootouts. It might be time for them to shake things up with a roster that has been basically the same for years.

15. St. Louis Blues (13-10-2, previous No. 13) – Speaking of underachievers, the Blues are a squad that look better on paper than they do on the ice. They are 8-5-1 on the road ,which is promising, and have played three less games at home, but they are 5-5-1 there so that has to improve if they want to get anywhere.

16. New Jersey Devils (12-9-5, previous No. 15) – The Devils would have dropped more, if only there were fewer middling teams just like them. They are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games but they are still in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, mostly because the teams on the outside-looking-in are hopeless. Martin Brodeur can’t return soon enough since Johan Hedberg (4-7-2) has been terrible since taking over as the starter.

17. Phoenix Coyotes (12-10-3, previously No. 8) – It’s not that they have struggled that much lately or that I overrated them, it’s more that their division (Pacific) is the toughest in the NHL with four points between the second-place and fifth-place teams. It will probably be that way for the rest of the season since only Los Angeles (first in Pacific) is a notch above the rest.

18. Dallas Stars (12-10-2, previous No. 18) – The Stars continue to hang around which is probably the best-case scenario for them this season. Their goal-differential is 0 and they are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games – it doesn’t get much more average than that.

19. Nashville Predators (10-9-6, previous No. 20) – The Predators put their two most talented forwards on IR Monday in Colin Wilson and Patric Hornqvist, which certainly doesn’t help a team that has still scored the fewest goals in the NHL (54, 31 less than Chicago and Anaheim). Pekka Rinne’s (9-8-5, 4 shutouts-best in the NHL) margin for error is smaller than any other goaltender in the NHL.

20. Winnipeg Jets (12-11-2, previously not ranked) – By virtue of being the only other team in the NHL over .500, the Jets make these rankings pretty much based solely on that. They are 8-5-2 on the road (they must be excited to get out of Winnipeg) and 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. Still, their goal-differential of minus-11 leaves something to be desired.

Follow Metro sports writer Richard Slate on Twitter: @RichSlate

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Records through March 4

1. Chicago Blackhawks (19-0-3, previous No. 1) – At some point, the Blackhawks are going to lose in regulation, right? This streak is turning into one of the great marks in regular season sports history and true to form, they are winning in a number of ways. Chicago is only two games away from the halfway point of the regular season. So how long until they clinch a playoff spot?

2. Anaheim Ducks (15-3-3, previous No. 3) – I doubt they have many nationally broadcast games this season, since nobody thought they’d be this good, but if you have NHL Center Ice then you already know about the Ducks. They have scored a Western Conference-best 75 goals and they are 8-1-0 at home.

3. Montreal Canadiens (14-4-4, previous No. 5) – You can argue that the Bruins could be here since the Canadiens have played three more games then them, but we’ll go with Montreal since they won 4-3 in Boston on Sunday night. Plus, the Canadiens (7-0-3) are unbeaten in regulation in their last 10 games and they topped the B’s with backup goaltender Peter Budaj in net.

4. Boston Bruins (14-3-2, previous No. 2) – Boston had its six-game win streak snapped on Sunday night vs. Montreal but they have been playing great hockey on the whole. The Northeast Division doesn’t appear to be the walkover it has been the last few seasons with Montreal and Toronto much improved. Tyler Seguin is heating up, while linemates Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron are on fire too.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins (15-8-0, previous No. 4) – The Penguins have 30 points, just like the Bruins, but they have played four more games. Pittsburgh leads the NHL with 81 goals, they’ve gone 7-3-0 in their last 10 and they are 9-4-0 on the road. Evgeni Malkin returned from a concussion Monday and scored a highlight reel goal. Be scared of this team.

6. Vancouver Canucks (11-6-4, previous No. 7) – There is a seismic drop from Pittsburgh to Vancouver. The Canucks haven’t played well in their last 10 games (4-4-2) but you have to respect the assorted talent they throw on the ice every night. Ryan Kesler returned from a shoulder injury for seven games before breaking his foot last week. Vancouver will miss his leadership on a team that lacks many standup guys.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs (14-9-0, previous No. 11) – It is still hard to take the Leafs too seriously but they are treading water while many teams around them fall back due to major injuries or terrible play. Toronto is 9-4-0 on the road and it’s a big week for them with a home game against the Senators on Wednesday, at the Bruins on Thursday and at the Penguins on Saturday. Those three games should give us more of a clue as to whether Toronto is a contender or not.

8. Phoenix Coyotes (11-8-3, previous No. 15) – The Coyotes are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games which means something in the Western Conference (the superior conference). One of the best in the NHL, goaltender Mike Smith is healthy and back on the ice for Phoenix. Nobody has noticed but they have built a nice team in the desert.

9. Los Angeles Kings (11-7-2, previous No. 16) – Outside of the Blackhawks, there is no hotter team in the NHL right now than the defending Stanley Cup champions. They are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games and they have been great at the Staples Center (6-1-1). Jeff Carter had a natural hat trick on Monday night as the Kings’ previously dormant offense has begun to wake up.

11. Ottawa Senators (12-7-4, previous No. 6) – It might have taken a little longer than we expected but colossal injuries to the Senators are wearing them down. They are 9-1-2 at home but they’ve already played in five shootouts (3-2), most in the Eastern Conference. It’s hard to see them staying ahead of Montreal, Boston and even Toronto with this AHL-infused roster.

12. San Jose Sharks (10-6-4, previous No. 13) – The Sharks have struggled in their last 10 games (3-4-3) but it’s hard to see them continuing to play at that mediocre level. Don’t ask how a team with Logan Couture, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau is tied with Nashville with the least goals (47) in the NHL. San Jose has played fine at home (7-1-3) but they haven’t gotten enough results on the road (3-5-1).

13. St. Louis Blues (11-8-2, previous No. 10) – Did you know six teams in the Western Conference all have 24 points? It’s absurd. The Blues are one of those squads but they aren’t trending upward since their goaltenders (Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott) haven’t been themselves. The Blues are 6-3-1 on the road which shows you that they can be a quality team when they put their minds to it.

14. Minnesota Wild (11-8-2, previous No. 17) – They still don’t score goals (49) but the Wild have won on their home ice (8-2-1) and have played well in their last 10 games (6-3-1). Mikko Koivu (13 assists) is one of the best passers in the NHL and one of the best defensemen – Ryan Suter (14 assists) – has adjusted quickly to his new team.

15. New Jersey Devils (10-7-5, previous No. 8) – No team has slid farther than the Devils in the last few weeks. That’s what happens when you lose a Hall of Fame goaltender like Martin Brodeur to IR. New Jersey is 2-6-2 in its last 10 games while their division foes, the Flyers and Rangers, have finally awoken. That’s bad news in the Garden State for the Devils who are 0-3 in shootouts.

16. Philadelphia Flyers (11-11-1, previous No. 20) – The Flyers won their only two games last week but they face a much tougher stretch this week: at Rangers (Tues.), vs. Penguins, at Bruins and vs. Sabres. You can’t expect them to be consistent with Ilya Bryzgalov between the pipes but they are tough and can score with anybody so they’ve got that going for them.

17. New York Rangers (10-8-2, previously unranked) – The sons of crazy John Tortorella have started to play their favored style. Fittingly, their goal differential is 0 since they’ve scored the same amount of goals (51) as they’ve allowed. The big news for them is that Rick Nash has returned although Brad Richards is banged up after a dirty hit by Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta (suspended five games) on Sunday.

18. Dallas Stars (11-9-2, previous No. 12) – If the playoffs started today, the Stars would be left out of the Western Conference playoff picture despite having the same amount of points as LA, San Jose, St. Louis and Minnesota. It’s hard to see them really jumping any of those teams but there is always a random team or two that manages to sneak into the postseason.

19. Detroit Red Wings (10-8-4, previous No. 14) – Not sure if the alarms have sounded yet in Hockeytown but the Red Wings have been arguably the NHL’s biggest disappointment so far this season. They had a great chance to knock off Chicago on Sunday but after grabbing a 1-0 lead in the third period, they took two straight delay of game penalties which led to Patrick Kane’s tying goal. After a scoreless overtime, Chicago won in a shootout. That’s how it’s been for Detroit.

20. Nashville Predators (9-9-5, previous No. 9) – They fell more than anyone in this week’s rankings but unlike the Devils, they don’t have a built-in excuse with a major injury. The Predators have just been playing poorly as they are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games and they’ve lost three games in a row. That minus-12 goal differential sticks out like a sore thumb. They have to find a way to manufacture more goals.

Follow Metro sports writer Richard Slate on Twitter: @RichSlate

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Records through Feb. 26

1) Chicago Blackhawks (16-0-3) – Off to the best start in NHL history qualifies Chicago for the coveted top spot in the inaugural power rankings of the season. The Blackhawks also lead the NHL with a ridiculous plus-24 goal differential and even backup goaltender Ray Emery (8-0-0) has played out of his mind while starter Corey Crawford has been out with an injury.

2) Boston Bruins (12-2-2) – It’s hard to argue that the B’s aren’t the Eastern Conference’s best team at the moment. They’ve won four in a row (all on the road) and are 8-1-1 away from TD Garden. Head coach Claude Julien couldn’t have dreamed of a better start for the Black and Gold.

3) Anaheim Ducks (13-3-1) – The surprise of the NHL so far has been the team formerly known as the Mighty Ducks. Unknown rookie goaltender Viktor Fasth (8-1-0) has propelled Anaheim while ageless wonder Teemu Selanne (5 goals, 11 assists) is still getting it done at 42.

4) Pittsburgh Penguins (13-7-0) – Few teams can match the Penguins’ top-end talent (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Chris Kunitz and James Neal) but they also have two major issues: Malkin is out with a concussion and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (10-4, 2.27 GAA) was a puddle in last season’s playoffs.

5) Montreal Canadiens (12-4-3) – They actually lead the Eastern Conference in points but the Bruins get the nod over since Boston has played three less games. They don’t score a ton which is why they traded for former Bruins winger Michael Ryder, who previously played in Montreal as well. The good Carey Price (10-3-2, 1.90 GAA) has so far made an appearance this season for the Habs.

6) Ottawa Senators (12-6-2) – Nobody deserves the amount of major injuries suffered already by the Senators to their best players: defenseman Erik Karlsson (out for the season), center Jason Spezza (out indefinitely) and goaltender Craig Anderson (day-to-day). Ottawa might be put together with duct tape but they’re making the best of it thus far, they’ve won five games in a row.

7) Vancouver Canucks (10-5-4) –The team that everyone loves to hate is off to its usual solid start. For some reason, they haven’t traded lame-duck goaltender Roberto Luongo (5-1-3) and he’s actually performed better than the projected starter Cory Schneider (5-4-1) … awkward!

8) New Jersey Devils (10-5-4) – This is misleading since the Devils are freefalling a bit with goaltender Martin Brodeur placed on IR earlier this week. Their games are not easy to watch but they usually get the job done. They are the defending Eastern Conference champions for a reason.

9) Nashville Predators (9-5-4) – The Predators still can’t score goals but goaltender Pekka Rinne (8-5-4, 1.90 GAA, 3 shutouts) is one of the NHL’s best and they’ve built the team around him. BU product Colin Wilson (5 goals, 10 assists) seems to be on the verge of a breakout season, in his fourth year in the league.

10) St. Louis Blues (10-6-2) – After a great start, the team that most resembles the Bruins in the Western Conference have come back to Earth (4-4-2 in their last 10). There is plenty of reason to believe in their deep and talented roster and they look to be built for the long run.

11) Toronto Maple Leafs (12-8-0) – It’s hard to trust a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in nearly a decade (2003-04) and sports the longest Stanley Cup drought in the NHL (45 years). Still, the Leafs are playing decently despite shaky goaltending (as always). Former Bruins whipping boy Phil Kessel (4 goals, 12 assists) hasn’t been finding the net at his usual clip.

12) Dallas Stars (10-8-2) – The Ryder trade, which netted Erik Cole in return. was about building cap space for the future. The Stars also sent a third round draft pick to Montreal. That won’t sell more tickets in an awful market. It’s hard to see this group staying at this level.

13) San Jose Sharks (9-6-3) – For the first few weeks, the Sharks were right there with the Blackhawks. Then they went 2-6-2 and started to fold faster than they normally do. Joe Thornton (4 goals, 15 assists) is still one of the top passers in the NHL but no team is under more pressure to do something in the playoffs than them.

14) Detroit Red Wings (9-7-3) – These aren’t your father’s Red Wings that steamrolled over everyone. With Nicklas Lidstrom’s retirement, Detroit has suddenly taken a major step back in the West. Henrik Zetterberg (6 goals, 19 assists) and Pavel Datsyuk (8 goals, 14 assists) are still must-see TV.

15) Phoenix Coyotes (9-7-3) – Nobody really knows how or why this team is still stuck in the desert, the NHL’s worst decision now that Atlanta doesn’t have a team anymore, but they are not bad at all. The lack of a crowd doesn’t seem to affect them either considering they are 6-3-1 at home and 3-4-2 on the road.

16) Los Angles Kings (9-6-2) – The Stanley Cup champions have gotten off to a bumpy start but that shouldn’t be a shock since they snuck into the playoffs last spring as the No. 8 seed before their unforgettable run. They are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and have won four straight so they appear to be getting things in order.

17) Minnesota Wild (9-7-2) – Zach Parise (8 goals, 5 assists), the biggest free agent splash of last summer, predictably hasn’t lived up to his absurd price tag while the front office hasn’t surrounded him with much talent. They have scored an NHL-low 39 goals so it’s hard to see them making the playoffs without trading for another sniper.

18) Tampa Bay Lightning (9-9-1) – On the other end of the spectrum, the Lightning can score with the best of them (NHL-high 70 goals) but they still lack a true No. 1 goaltender. Steven Stamkos (14 goals, 16 assists) is basically unstoppable and should be the odds-on favorite to be the NHL MVP (Hart Trophy) this season.

19) Winnipeg Jets (9-9-1) – You won’t find a more boring team than the Jets. They don’t have any stars and they don’t do anything particularly well. Perhaps that’s fitting for such a non-descript outpost. Bruins fans have to laugh at Blake Wheeler (6 goals, 10 assists) being one of their top scorers.

20) Philadelphia Flyers (9-11-1) – I can’t really say the Flyers deserve to be ranked even this high but take a look at the other awful teams below them. Philly is here by default. They are 4-8-0 on the road and still haven’t solved their goaltending issue of the past 10 years or so.

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Tim Thomas is a New York Islander. When he plays is anybody’s guess.

The Islanders acquired Thomas from the Boston Bruins late Thursday afternoon in exchange for a conditional second-round draft pick in 2014 or 2015. He has a career 196-121-45 record with a 2.48 goals against average and .921 save percentage in 378 regular season games.

“We traded for an asset and it gives us some flexibility moving forward,” Islanders general manager Garth Snow said prior to last night’s game against the Rangers at the Garden. “Tim is obviously a world-class goaltender with a great resume.”

Snow added that the trade was something that he and Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli “talked about at length.”

He also won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie in 2008-09.

However, the goaltender is currently on the suspended list after informing Chiarelli last summer that he wished to spend the 2012-13 season with his family. Thomas received criticism last year when he did not join his teammates at the White House ceremony to honor the Bruins’ Stanley Cup championship. Thomas pointed to his political beliefs as the reason why he would attend the ceremony.

“He was a character here. He was a terrific goalie. He had a great story and he had some interesting side stories that became distractions at times. But I can’t stray from the fact that this guy won two Vezina Trophies a Conn Smythe and was terrific when we won the Cup,” Chiarelli told Boston reporters in a conference call last night. “You guys will write what you want to write, and it will be accurate. But I was thinking this morning about the run we had with Tim and he was outstanding.”

Thomas and Snow spoke after the trade was completed according to the Islanders GM. Snow would not divulge the nature of the talks with Thomas. When asked directly by Metro if he expected Thomas to play this season, Snow said he was “not going to comment on any conversation.”

Thomas is slated to earn $5 million this season. His salary pushes the Islanders’ payroll to $53.042 million. By shedding themselves of Thomas’ salary, Boston is now $7 million under the cap ceiling. That money could be used to sign goaltender Tuukka Rask to a long-term extension or allow Chiarelli to be active on the trade market.

“I’m more worried about the New York Islanders,” Snow said.  “For us, [the trade] makes sense.”

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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The blood had not dried from the cut on McDonagh’s right cheek, a reminder of the five-on-five gang fight immediately after the Rangers defeated the Bruins, 4-3. The win was the Rangers’ third straight over the Bruins and fifth-straight dating back to last season.

“Just emotions run high. It’s good stuff,” McDonagh said of the clash. McDonagh and Milan Lucic exchanged gloved punches after Boston’s left wing had hit the Rangers defenseman high and from behind to spark the scrum.

“I was trying to get the puck and he punched me. I punched him back,” Lucic said matter-of-factly. “And that generally leads to a scrum.”

That both teams exchanged right crosses and cross words at the conclusion of the 60-minute litmus test was not surprising. Nor will it surprise if these two teams find themselves embroiled in a playoff series in May.

What remains to be determined is whether brawn or ability reigns supreme.

While both teams got after one another physically, it was skill that decided this game. All four of the Rangers’ goals showcased elements of that, whether it be Ruslan Fedotenko’s deft deflection at 5:05 to open the scoring or Carl Hagelin flying up the left wing boards before curling behind Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas and banking a shot off of Greg Zanon 1:10 later.     
 
Marian Gaborik broke a 2-2 tie 3:14 into the third with his 32nd of the year on a play that began with an odd-man rush and ended with Michael Del Zotto, Brad Richards and the sniper creating chances around Thomas. Derek Stepan whipped the game-winning goal past  Thomas 9:07 after Gaborik’s goal. Benoit Pouliot, Jordan Caron and David Krejci scored for Boston.

“We have confidence in this room. We didn’t panic after the second period when they took over,” Marian Gaborik said. “We found a way to score one [more] goal than them.”

Yet for the skill exhibited by both teams it is easy to imagine that the first period of Sunday’s nationally televised matinee brought tears of joy to Don Cherry’s eyes. Not solely due to the face that the Bruins dressed seven Ontarians, while six donned the Rangers’ Heritage sweater. That was a pleasant addendum for CBC’s often erroneous lecturer of all things hockey.
 
Rather, the overriding themes of the initial 20 minutes were how compelling and bizarre it was. There had been an equal amount of goals scored and fights — three — when both teams retired to their respective dressing rooms with 2:53 remaining to allow maintenance workers to repair a broken pane of glass behind the Seventh Avenue goal.  
 
The first of the bouts was a wild, throw-bombs-from-the-hip draw between Mike Rupp and AHL call-up Lane MacDermid 2:30 into the match. That fight was promptly followed by Lucic’s decision of Brandon Prust, then Stu Bickel’s battering of Gregory Campbell.
 
“I have a lot of respect for Prustie. He’s a team guy, he’ll try to do something to try to get his team going. It seemed like the right time of the game to go,” Lucic said.
 
Even though Rangers general manager Glen Sather did not mention the Bruins by name when he met with the media Monday night to discuss the acquisition of John Scott from Chicago, they were among the teams the general manager was thinking about when he explained that his team has “games this month against some pretty rugged teams. He’s a real good factor to stop any of that kind of fooling around that happens in this time of year. If a situation gets to where someone gets hurt, [we] have another asset.”
 
Scott dressed in place of Ryan Callahan, who has missed three straight games due to a bruised foot suffered in last Monday’s 1-0 win over the Devils, and played 8:02.
 
Still, in the final moments, it was not brute force that John Tortorella had defending a one-goal lead. Instead the coach decided on the sextet of Hagelin, Richards, Gaborik, McDonagh, Dan Girardi and Henrik Lundqvist (30 saves) to be on the ice.
 
Skill, not muscle, was the choice.

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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“It wasn’t our prettiest game, but at the end of the day it’s two points against a good team,” Ryan Callahan said. “For us, it’s good, but we have to continue to improve.”
 
Much like the Bruins were in their Cup run last spring, the truth about the Rangers is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. But their most indispensible player is their goaltender.
 
Lundqvist is authoring a season that could see him win the Hart and Vezina trophies. Should he earn both awards, the second period last night could be key, as Lundqvist turned away all 14 Boston shots. He made a handful of deflection saves and was at his most spectacular when he stood firm against in-close attempts by Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara.

“I just went down and covered the ice,” Lundqvist said. “I thought I had it. Then I turned around and saw the puck.”
 
He also benefitted from some good fortune as a shot off the stick of Bruins defenseman Dennis Seidenberg was lodged in the mesh outside of the goal. The majority of the sellout crowd reacted to seeing the mesh shake and believed the Bruins scored. A brief review showed Seidenberg’s shot was wide and the goal was disallowed.

“There were times [I] had luck. You need it in a game like this,” Lundqvist said. “You need the bounces.”
 
The Rangers led 2-0 after the first period on the strength of Callahan’s power play marker 10:09 into the game and Ryan McDonagh’s unassisted even strength goal at 19:48. Callahan’s goal was his sixth in the Rangers’ last four games — a stretch in which the Rangers are 4-0-0.

“It’s really big,” Callahan said of the Rangers’ start. “For us to get that quick one on the [power play] and score another one late in the period, that’s really important, especially on the road.” 
 
Anisimov’s deciding goal came at 2:53 of the third on an end-to-end rush with Michael Del Zotto. Anisimov angled his body in such a way that Tim Thomas (17 saves) and Seidenberg thought he would attempt a cross-crease pass to Del Zotto.
 
Instead, the third-year Russian center snapped the puck past Thomas’ stick for his 100th NHL point.
 

“Artie’s goal is a huge goal. It puts [us up] three goals [so] where they score one, it’s still a two-goal cushion,” Callahan said. “That’s a really big goal for us.” 

Impressively, the Rangers kept their poise against an opponent that was attempting to force them to commit retaliatory penalties. Bruins agitator Brad Marchand knocked down Brad Richards in the offensive zone and cross-checked the Rangers center, face first, into the ice in the first period.

“They were probably frustrated,” Brian Boyle said. “They started getting frustrated.”

Follow Rangers beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.

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We’ve teamed up with our friends at Metro Vancouver to offer both sides of the debate over the finals.

The question’s simple: Who will raise Lord Stanley’s cup? And what will lift them to victory?

For the good guys, Metro Boston’s Mike Naughton says Tim Thomas will carry the Bruins once again.
But on the West Coast, Metro Vancouver’s Matt Kieltkya says the Canucks simply outclass the B’s.

Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Tell us in the comments below.

MICHAEL NAUGHTON
Metro Boston

Tim Thomas.

That’s why the Bruins will win their first Stanley Cup in 39 years.

This series will be tough; I’m not going to try and kid anyone. Vancouver has the incredible offensive prowess of brothers Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who racked up a combined 198 points during the regular season and have more points this postseason (37) than the Bruins’ top scorers, Nathan Horton and David Krejci (34).

The Bruins’ nearly nonexistent power play (5-for-61 this playoffs) is another slight advantage for the Canucks.

But as the Bruins shut down Tampa Bay in Game 7, the team showed it could perfectly execute Coach Claude Julien’s defense-first system. If the B’s are able to keep that up, they may just be able to contain the Canucks.

That system, along with Zdeno Chara’s freakish, born-to-poke-check wingspan and Dennis Seidenberg’s defensive skill, will negate at least some of Vancouver’s offensive prowess.

That’s why this series will come down to goaltending.

Just typing Roberto Luongo’s name makes me cringe in fear. There’s no denying he’s Thomas’ equal.
But there’s one big difference: Luongo has been pulled this postseason, while Thomas has been the backbone of the Bruins.

Thomas has waited a long time for this opportunity. Now there’s just one more milestone: Engraving his name – and the names of his teammates – on the Stanley Cup.

He’s not going to let this pass unfulfilled.

MATT KIELTKYA
Metro Vancouver

Styles make fights.

The expression is one of the absolute truths in the boxing world.

If you match up two opponents with just the right characteristics, there will be fireworks.

But even the slightest mismatch can render one of the fighters completely powerless and ineffective. Unfortunately for the Boston Bruins, they’re playing the worst team possible for the system they use.

If both goalies are at the top of their games, that category is a wash. The depth on both teams is comparable. The defensive lines are solid from the top down.

It will all come down to matchups and styles.

That’s where Vancouver simply outclasses the Bruins. As the rightful favorites heading into the series, the Western Conference and President’s Trophy champs are the most balanced team in the league.

The offensive punch of both Sedins and Ryan Kesler is backed up by tenacious checkers, reliable defensemen, stellar goaltending and solid special team.

It’s a combination the Bruins have yet to face.

Boston’s tendency to collapse in their own zone and give up weak goals has already nearly cost them against Montreal and Tampa Bay – two very one-dimensional teams.

It will be their undoing against the Canucks, who are every bit their match five-on-five but excel at virtually every other category.

Chara will, no doubt, be a thorn in the Sedins’ side all series, but the Canucks showed against Nashville they’re able to overcome an elite shutdown defenseman and a hot goalie with secondary scoring.

It’s not that the Bruins are a bad team.

It’s just that they’re stepping into the ring against a prime Vancouver team boasting a more evolved skillset and an insatiable thirst for glory.

The Bruins will come out swinging, but look for Vancouver to deliver the KO in the sixth game.

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