The Boston Globe from Boston, Massachusetts • C6

C6 The Boston Globe TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011 Whistles while they work not the goal here C-! HMKmm A task force is ready By Fluto Shinzawa GLOBE STAFF Of the threats the Canadiens pose Carey Price's stout goaltending, the snapshooting abilities of Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri perhaps the most significant concerns arise when the penalty boxes are filled. BRUINS NOTEBOOK PAUL J. BERESWILLASSOCIATED PRESS The arrival of Nathan Horton (right) this season, to go with David Krejci (left) and Milan Lucie, created a fine No. 1 line. Jersey or he could have remained with Providence for a third game.

Kampfer then would have been brought back to the big club to serve as the No. 8 defenseman. Now, if injuries strike the back end, Shane Hni-dy will be first in line to suit up. Chiarelli said other fill-in candidates would be Matt Bartkowski, Andrew Bodnarchuk, and Colby Cohen. No worries for Chara When the Bruins and Canadiens play Game 3 next Monday, it will be the first time Chara skates at the Bell Centre since he drove Max Pacioretty into a stanchion on March 8.

The Montreal police opened an investigation into the incident. But Chiarelli has been informed that Chara will not face questioning, detainment, or any other such encounter with the authorities. "I think this guy should be a strong Norris candidate," Chiarelli said of Chara's bid to be named the NHL's best all-around defenseman. "I think he's been very good this year. This incident may overshadow the fact that he's deserving of the candidacy for the Norris.

I think he had a real strong year. His game is not sexy. But his game is really, really effective. He showed this year that he can play at that level and continue to play at that level. I'm really impressed with the way he finished off after that incident." Pacioretty, who suffered a concussion and a cracked vertebra, has been skating but has not practiced yet.

Khudobin to join team Anton Khudobin will serve as the No. 3 goalie behind Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask. The Bruins acquired Khudobin from Minnesota at the trade deadline for Jeff Penner and the rights to Mikko Lehtonen. Upon his arrival, Khudobin made 16 appearances for Providence. He went 9-4-1 with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.

Had the 24-year-old been in Providence earlier, the farm club could have made a stronger push for the playoffs. Minnesota selected Khudobin in the seventh round of the 2004 draft. One round later, Nashville tabbed Pekka Rinne, perhaps Thomas's nearest challenger for the Vezina Trophy. Drawing tonight The 201 1 draft drawing will take place tonight. As part of the Phil Kessel trade, the Bruins own the Maple Leafs' pick.

Toronto finished with the ninth-worst record. The Bruins have a 2.7 percent chance of being selected first in the drawing. However, according to NHL rules, no team can advance more than four spots. At best, the Bruins would pick fifth, although the odds are not in their favor NESN reported a 41 percent increase in ratings this season over last year. The network will air every first-round game Chiarelli said approximately 10 P-Bruins will remain in Providence during the first round for depth.

BRUINS Continued from Page CI year to be able to respond and be able to build from that. The obvious answer is to get past the second round. But it's more than that. It's about how we play, how we compete. There are a lot of variables that go into a playoff run.

I expect us to have a successful run." The playoffs begin Thursday night at the Garden against the Canadiens, and nobody knows the mental impact of last year's demise. But to counter any ill effects, management and the coaching staff have built a club that is better equipped to handle the playoff grind. Two goalies are better than one. Last year, after March 15, Thomas appeared in only three of the Bruins' 14 regular-season games. One was on March 29, when Thomas was pulled after allowing three goals in a 3-2 home loss to Buffalo.

Another was the regular-season finale against Washington. Thomas didn't play at all in the playoffs. Thomas didn't merit more ice time than he was given, as he had been fighting a torn labrum in his left hip. Meanwhile, Tuukka Rask was proving to be a go-to goalie. Rask was sharp in the first round against Buffalo.

But he slipped in the second round because of the physical and mental burden he had to assume. This season, Thomas is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy for the second time in three years. But Thomas hasn't had to assume a significant workload. While he appeared in 57 games, Rask was a solid understudy in 29 appearances. In theory, Thomas should enter the first round fresh.

If he falters or suffers an injury, Rask will be ready for action. "I feel really confident with our goaltending," coach Claude Julien said. "It's certainly not going to be an issue. Tim's had an unbelievable year. Tuukka's played extremely well here in the second half of the season.

We're back to having two really good, dependable goaltenders. So I feel During the regular season, Montreal scored on 19.7 percent of its power-play opportunities. It was the NHL's seventh-best mark. Of Cammalleri's 47 points, 21 (seven goals, 14 assists) came on the power play. Montreal's man-up prowess was even more pronounced in the six meetings with the Bruins.

The Canadiens went on 28 power plays and converted on nine (32. 1 percent). The Bruins finished the year with an 82.6 percent efficiency rate on the penalty kill, 16th in the league. Although they averaged 13.6 penalty minutes per game (eighth-most in the NHL), the Bruins were shorthanded only 265 times (fourth-fewest). Coach Claude Julien and his staff will be sure to emphasize discipline.

But when they are whistled for penalties, the Bruins will have to keep their PK shifts short and active. At the end of the regular season, Julien settled on three forward pairs: Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell, Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley, and Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. The Bruins will rotate five defensemen on the PK: Zdeno Chara, Johnny Boychuk, Dennis Seidenberg, Andrew Ference, and Adam McQuaid. The more pressing issue is the power play. The Bruins concluded the regular season with the league's 20th-ranked PP (16.2 percent).

The Canadiens killed off 84.4 percent of their penalties, the league's seventh-best clip. Chara and Tomas Kaberle will man the blue line on the first unit. The first line of David Krejci, Milan Lucie, and Nathan Horton will join them. The staff is still working out the second unit. It most likely will feature Bergeron and Seidenberg at the points.

Peverley, Marchand, Mark Recchi, and Michael Ryder are down-low candidates. "I've seen better entries the last few games," general manager Peter Chiarelli said during a conference call yesterday. "I see better chances with some traffic. I don't just see us loading up and shooting from the point. I see our forwards more involved in moving the box around.

That's stuff the staff has been working on and the players have been working on the last few games." Kampfer: Knee injury Steven Kampfer will not be available as a depth player in the first round. The defenseman suffered a knee injury on Saturday during Providence's 3-2 win over Springfield. According to Chiarelli, Kampfer will miss at least two weeks. He was assigned to Providence last Wednesday. Kampfer hadn't played with the big club since March 3 1 The Bruins' original plan was for Kampfer to play for Providence in at least two games.

He could have been recalled for Sunday's game against New nate to escape injuries. By Game 7 last year, Krejci, Seidenberg, and Marco Sturm were unavailable. Because of those injuries, too many Bruins were playing out of position. Daniel Paille, a career fourth-liner, was on the second line with Bergeron and Recchi. Vladimir Sobotka, playing through a shoulder injury that would require offseason surgery, was the No.

3 center. Steve Begin and Trent Whitfield were skating on the fourth line. This time, the fourth line might be the hottest threesome heading into Game 1. Paille, once a regular healthy scratch, scored three goals and had two assists in the last seven games. Gregory Campbell has been the most consistent fourth-line center under Julien's watch.

Shawn Thornton has performed his usual dirty work as the No. 4 right wing. It's not all roses for the Bruins. So far, Tomas Kaberle has been a downgrade from Wideman. The power play is a weakness.

Injuries are almost sure to strike. The stink from last season's meltdown remains. "It's more of a motivational thing than anything else," Thornton said of last year's humiliation. "It's probably in the back of the mind. It's not up front, that's for sure." really comfortable with that." A go-to No.

1 line. Just three shifts into his Game 3 workload against Philadelphia, Krejci was smoked by Mike Richards. He suffered a dislocated right wrist, ending his season. Krejci's loss helped to torpedo the playoff run. But the Bruins' top line wasn't at full strength before Krejci's injury.

Lucie was limited to 50 games (9-1120) because of a broken finger and a sprained ankle. In the second-to-last regular-season game, he aggravated his ankle sprain. Lucie logged only two assists in the first round. He was stronger against the Flyers, when he scored five goals and had two assists. By Game 7, however, Lucie was skating alongside Savard and Miroslav Satan.

Savard wasn't up to playoff speed. Game 7 would be Satan's final NHL appearance. This season, Lucie, Krejci, and Nathan Horton have emerged as the club's most dangerous offensive line. Lucie and Krejci led the Bruins with 62 points each. Lucie became only the 10th NHL player since 2004-05 to record 30 goals, 30 assists, and 100 penalty minutes.

Horton is the wild card. Game 1 will be the first time Horton appears in an NHL playoff game. Good health. The Bruins remain without Savard, their best playmaker. But other than Savard, the team has been fortu Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawaglobe.com.

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawaglobe.com. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 NHL playoffs Richards fired as Wild's coach FIRST ROUND (best of seven) ASSOCIATED PRESS The Wild fired Todd Richards after the team missed the playoffs in each of his two seasons and for a third straight season over all. The team's playoff fate, and perhaps that NHL NOTEBOOK WESTERN CONFERENCE VANCOUVER vs. CHICAGO April 13 at Vancouver 10 (Versus) April 15 at Vancouver 10 (Versus) April 17 at Chicago 8 (Versus) April 19 at Chicago 8 (Versus) (if necessary) April 21 at Vancouver 10 (Versus) April 24 at Chicago 8 April 26 at Vancouver TBA SAN JOSE vs. LOS ANGELES April 14 at San Jose 10 (Versus) April 16 at San Jose 10 (Versus) April 19 at Los (Versus) April 2 1 at Los Angeles 10:30 (if necessary) April 23 at San Jose 10:30 (Versus) April 25 at Los Angeles TBA April 27 at San Jose TBA DETROIT vs.

PHOENIX April 13 at Detroit 7 (Versus) April 16 at Detroit 1 (Ch. 7) April 18 at Phoenix 10:30 (Versus) April 20 at Phoenix 10:30 (Versus) (if necessary) April 22 at Detroit 7 (Versus) April 24 at Phoenix TBA April 27 at Detroit TBA ANAHEIM vs. NASHVILLE April 13 at Anaheim 10:30 April 15 at Anaheim 10:30 April 17 at Nashville TBA April 20 at Nashville TBA (if necessary) April 22 at Anaheim 10 April 24 at Nashville TBA Apri 1 26 at Anahei TBA EASTERN CONFERENCE BOSTON vs. MONTREAL April 14 at BOSTON ..7 (Versus, NESN) Sat, April 16 at BOSTON ...7 (Versus, NESN) April 18 at Montreal 7:30 (NESN) April 21 at Mont 7 (Versus, NESN) (if necessary) Sat, April 23 at BOSTON ...7 (Versus, NESN) April 26 at (Versus, NESN) April 27 at BOS (Versus, NESN) WASHINGTON vs. N.Y.

RANGERS April 13 at Wash 7:30 (Versus) April 15 at Washington 7:30 (Versus) April 17 at New York 3 (Ch. 7) April 20 at New York 7 (Versus) (if necessary) Sat, April 23 at Washington 3 (Ch. 7) April 25 at New York TBA April 27 at Washington TBA PHILADELPHIA vs. BUFFALO April 14 at Philadelphia .7:30 (Versus) Sat, April 16 at Philadelphia 5 April 18 at Buffalo 7 (Versus) April 20 at Buffalo 7:30 (Versus) (if necessary) April 22 at Philadelphia ....7:30 (Versus) April 24 at Buffalo April 26 at Philadelphia TBA PITTSBURGH vs. TAMPA BAY April 13 at Pittsburgh 7 April 15 at Pittsburgh 7 April 18 at Tampa Bay ...7:30 (Versus) April 20 at Tarn pa Bay 7:30 (if necessary) Sat, April 23 at Pittsburgh TBA (Versus) April 25 at Tampa Bay TBA April 27 at Pittsburgh TBA our best." Considering he still hasn't been cleared for contact, it would seem unlikely that Crosby will play.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma has reiterated, countless times, the length of the recovery process, and that Crosby is still some steps away. "His interaction is with the doctors, not with the coaching staff or training staff," Bylsma said. Knuble extended The Capitals announced a one-year, $2 million contract extension for 38-year-old Mike Knuble, who finished the season with 24 goals and 16 assists and missed only three games. "He's like fine wine. He keeps getting better," coach Bruce Boudreau said.

"The last half of the year he's been arguably our best player." Blackhawks coach Joel Quenne-ville said both center Dave Bolland (concussion) and right wing Troy Brouwer (shoulder) made the trip to Vancouver for the first-round series and he was optimistic they might play Former NHL coach Ken Hitchcock will be coaching Canada's team at this month's hockey world championships in Slovakia. Ryane Clowe took the ice for the first time since being sidelined a week ago with a lower-body injury. Clowe played only briefly April 4 against the Kings and then missed the final three games with an injury whose origin was a mystery even to him. Clowe said the time off helped him heal and that he was encouraged by how good he felt at practice. Clowe is one of the Sharks' top all-around talents with 24 goals, 38 assists, and 100 penalty minutes this season.

"I'm not trying to be a hero and rush it or anything. I just want to try to keep getting better every day," he said. "This was the first time I skated in about a week. But the legs felt pretty good." Lightning prepared Sidney Crosby has missed 41 games with a concussion, but the Lightning are preparing for the Penguins superstar in Game 1 tomorrow. "To me, he's playing, period," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said.

"But we can't say, if he's not playing they don't have a great team. They're a great team. With him, they're an amazing team. We're playing against a great or amazing team, so we have to be at of Richards, was sealed by an eight-game losing streak in March. General manager Chuck Fletcher picked Richards as a first-time NHL head coach he had been an assistant in the league for only one year prior over several more seasoned candidates.

Fletcher refused to second-guess his first major decision on the job or blame Richards for the 1 2th-place finish in the Western Conference. The Wild finished 39-35-8, 1 1 points out of the playoffs. The 44-year-old Richards went 77-71-16 in his two seasons. Fletcher said he's been assured by team owner Craig Leipold that he'll be back and insisted the decision to fire Richards was his alone, not a mandate from the boss. Clowe practices The Sharks began their playoff preparation with some positive news when forward Dougherty helps BC High trip Maiden Catholic ing a two-run home run in the sixth inning that broke a 7-7 tie for the Warriors.

Middleborough 4, Hanover 2 Sen in i' pitcher Sean Newcomb picked up the win with 15 strikeouts and senior Nick Radcliffe hit a solo homer and had two RBIs for the Sachems (3-0). Carver 4, Pope John Senior Billy Sullivan improved to 2-0 after pitching seven shutout innings while striking out seven. Billerica 11, Madison Park 1 Junior catcher Patrick Bradanese hit a grand slam for the Indians (3-0). Holliston 12, Westwood 6 Senior reliever Ben Levine came into a tie game and tossed four scoreless innings to pick up the win for the Panthers. By Anthony Gulizia GLOBE CORRESPONDENT As the sun began to set on Ma- plewood Field yesterday, Catholic Conference baseball rivals Mal- den Catholic and SCHOOL BC High were ROUNDUP deadlocked in the seventh inning.

Sophomore center fielder Dan Dougherty dug into the batter's box with one out and a man on second with a chance to give the 1 Oth-ranked Eagles the lead. Behind in the count, 0-and-2, Dougherty shortened his stride and laced a single up the middle, knocking in the go-ahead run as BC High (1-1) held off the fifth-ranked Lancers, 5-3. "Walker O'Connor just third. Maiden Catholic elected to intentionally walk junior catcher Bobby Melley, who homered in the fourth, loading the bases for senior designated hitter Bob Sa-batino. Sabatino knocked in Dougherty, providing an insurance run for the Eagles.

Senior righthander Donny Murray pitched six innings to earn the victory, giving up four hits and striking out 12. Baseball Lincoln-Sudbury 14, Nashoba 5 Senior catcher Michael Barry went 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs for the Warriors. Foxborough 10, Canton 7 Senior Steve Fitzmaurice went 3 for 4 and had three RBIs, includ threw me a good pitch," Dougherty said. "He threw it right down the middle. Pretty much every time you're going to hit that right up the middle.

I'm feeling a lot of pressure but I just try to relax out there." After Maiden Catholic (0-1) scored two runs in the sixth to tie the score at 3-3, junior second baseman Chuck Connors hit a double into the gap to lead off the seventh. Senior first baseman Chris Casey executed a sacrifice bunt, setting up the go-ahead scenario for Dougherty. After BC High took the one-run lead, sophomore shortstop Ryan Tufts singled to right and advanced to second on the throw as Dougherty slid safely into four-hitter with five strikeouts for the Green Wave. Hopkinton 6, Norton 2 Junior Nicole Mellor had 11 strikeouts to lead the Hillers. Plymouth North 18, Nauset Sophomore Sally Bramhall pitched a one-hitter for the Eagles (2-1).

North Shore 2, Minuteman Junior Amanda Lucey tossed her second career no-hitter, giving up three walks and striking out six. Lynn Classical 8, Salem Junior Mackenzie Coppinger tossed the first no-hitter in over 15 years for the Rams, striking out five and yielding only two walks. Winthrop 13, Cambridge 7 ioi pitcher Alex Ferri went the distance for the Vikings, striking out 16. St. Mary's 29, Cardinal Spell-man 11 Junior Joe Kasper went 2 for 4 with a pair of triples and four RBIs as the Spartans improved to 3-0.

Ipswich 2, Mystic Valley 1 Junior Jon Fierro and senior Will Corkum combined to pitch a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts for the Eagles (2-0). Wellesley 7, Framingham Senior Dan Dymecki struck out 15 in eight innings and also hit a solo home run for the Raiders. Softball Arlington Catholic 2, Austin Prep 1 Junior pitcher Jamie Ricciardi went 2 for 3 and fanned four for the Cougars. Abington 2, East Bridgewater 1 Junior Kelly Norton pitched a.