Ottawa

WILMINGTON - With two games left in the regular season and the Bruins locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, coach Claude Julien must decide whether he wants his team to tiptoe to the finish line by resting some top players or sprint full-speed ahead with a playoff-ready roster. He might do both. "At this stage, we've got to look at it day by day," Julien said Wednesday after practice at Ristuccia Arena. The Bruins traveled to Ottawa for Thursday's penultimate game of the season against the Senators, the team likely to be their first-round playoff opponent, leaving...

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli is negotiating with Chris Kelly to re-sign the alternate captain. Kelly is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. "He's a good, versatile player who had a career year," Chiarelli said. "He's a veteran who won a Cup. That's hard to replace. He's told me he wants to stay. " Kelly is coming off a four-year, $8.5 million contract. The 31-year-old would require a raise to re-sign with the Bruins.

The Ottawa Senators overcame one hurdle by finally beating the Boston Bruins behind young goaltender Robin Lehner. And now the confident goalie thinks they can pass the defending Stanley Cup champions in the standings, too. Lehner stopped 32 shots for his first career shutout and Erik Karlsson scored the lone goal, lifting surging Ottawa to a 1-0 win over Boston on Tuesday night. It was the Senators' first victory in five games against the Bruins this season. With the win, the Senators moved one point behind the Northeast Division-leading Bruins, who have played four fewer...

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli is negotiating with Chris Kelly to re-sign the alternate captain. Kelly is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. "He's a good, versatile player who had a career year," Chiarelli said. "He's a veteran who won a Cup. That's hard to replace. He's told me he wants to stay. " Kelly is coming off a four-year, $8.5 million contract. The 31-year-old would require a raise to re-sign with the Bruins. If Kelly reaches the open market, Ottawa might be interested in bringing back the former Senator.

OTTAWA - When Zdeno Chara spent part of yesterday reliving Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Bruins captain recalled coach Claude Julien's near serenity in the most pressure-crammed situation. "You saw we had three rounds going into Game 7," Chara said. "Usually you kind of sense or notice the coach is kind of nervous, too. You really didn't see that in him. He was really strong that way. Sometimes you're looking to the biggest leader we have. Obviously, that's him. He's the head coach.

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli is negotiating with Chris Kelly to re-sign the alternate captain. Kelly is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. "He's a good, versatile player who had a career year," Chiarelli said. "He's a veteran who won a Cup. That's hard to replace. He's told me he wants to stay. " Kelly is coming off a four-year, $8.5 million contract. The 31-year-old would require a raise to re-sign with the Bruins.

Boston 1 1 1—3 Ottawa 0 1 0—1 First Period—1, Boston, Pouliot 16 (Rolston, Caron), 10:36. Penalties—Rolston, Bos (slashing), 14:25. Second Period—2, Boston, Zanon 3, 3:51. 3, Ottawa, Spezza 34 (Karlsson, Kuba), 13:56. Penalties—Krejci, Bos (holding), 11:04 Turris, Ott (holding), 14:14. Third Period—4, Boston, Lucic 26 (Krejci, Krug), 15:27. Penalties—Thornton, Bos (delay of game), 6:40 Turris, Ott (high-sticking), 11:11 Ference, Bos (roughing), 16:23 Carkner, Ott (roughing)

David Perron scored twice and Brian Elliott made 28 saves in his regular-season return to Ottawa and the St. Louis Blues handed the Senators their seventh straight loss, 3-1 Tuesday night. Elliott was traded to the Colorado Avalanche prior to last season's trade deadline for Senators' No. 1 goalie Craig Anderson. Elliott then moved on to the Blues in the offseason. Anderson, meanwhile, didn't last four minutes Tuesday for the Senators. Chris Porter also scored for the Blues, who won for just the second time in their past five games.

For the third straight series, the New York Rangers are basking in the glow of a 1-0 lead earned in the confines of "The World's Most Famous Arena. " The Eastern Conference's top-seeded team has failed in its first two attempts to double that edge at Madison Square Garden. Given a third shot against the New Jersey Devils, the Rangers are determined to make the most of home-ice advantage in Game 2 of the East finals on Wednesday night. The Rangers held an optional practice Tuesday at their home rink, the site of a 3-0 win in Game 1 on Monday.

Radim Vrbata scored early in the third period and the Phoenix Coyotes withstood Ottawa's quick answer to beat the Senators 3-2 on Tuesday night. Phoenix took a two-goal lead on Vrbata's team-leading 23rd goal 1:30 into the third period, but Ottawa's Chris Neil responded with his ninth just 16 seconds later. Mike Smith kept the Senators from scoring again, making 12 of his 32 saves in the final period to help Phoenix end a three-game losing streak. Shane Doan and Gilbert Brule also scored for the Coyotes.

For the third straight series, the New York Rangers are basking in the glow of a 1-0 lead earned in the confines of "The World's Most Famous Arena. " The Eastern Conference's top-seeded team has failed in its first two attempts to double that edge at Madison Square Garden. Given a third shot against the New Jersey Devils, the Rangers are determined to make the most of home-ice advantage in Game 2 of the East finals on Wednesday night. The Rangers held an optional practice Tuesday at their home rink, the site of a 3-0 win in Game 1 on Monday.

Chris Kreider is six games into his NHL career and days shy of his 21st birthday. And yet the Stanley Cup playoffs are anything but overwhelming for the newest New York Rangers forward who has quickly become a hit on Broadway. Kreider scored the go-ahead goal and then set up Brad Richards' insurance tally 90 seconds later in the third period to lift New York to a 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Game 7 at the Garden. It's not necessarily what the top-seeded Rangers were hoping for when their first-round Eastern Conference series against Ottawa started, but they're thrilled about it now. Brad Richards scored the go-ahead goal and Derek Stepan had a goal and two assists as New York staved off elimination with a 3-2 victory against the Senators Monday night at Ottawa. The series heads back to New York Thursday night for the first Game 7 in any sport at Madison Square Garden in 17 years.

Game 7 at the Garden. It's not necessarily what the top-seeded Rangers were hoping for when their first-round Eastern Conference series against Ottawa started, but they're thrilled about it now. Brad Richards scored the go-ahead goal and Derek Stepan had a goal and two assists as New York staved off elimination with a 3-2 victory against the Senators on Monday night. "We showed some desperation tonight," Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said. The series heads back to New York for Game 7 on Thursday night.

Craig Anderson stopped 41 shots to make Jason Spezza's first-period goal stand up, and the Ottawa Senators pushed the top-seeded Rangers to the brink of elimination with a 2-0 victory Saturday night in Game 5 in New York. The Senators, the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, have won two straight and will have a chance to knock out the Rangers Monday night in Ottawa. If New York can stay alive, the deciding Game 7 would be back at Madison Square Garden Thursday night. Spezza added insurance by scoring an empty-net goal with 55.3 seconds remaining, and Anderson was perfect in...

The Senators need someone to rise to the moment. Ottawa likely will be without captain Daniel Alfredsson on Wednesday when it hosts the New York Rangers in Game 4 of their first-round series. Alfredsson didn't practice Tuesday because of a concussion and his status is day to day. "Nothing's changed," said Senators coach Paul MacLean, the day after his team lost 1-0 to fall behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Game 5 is Saturday in New York. "We are going to evaluate it in the morning.

Hockey, especially the NHL version, is a brutal sport. Bruins fans didn't need a reminder of that, but they received yet another one last Saturday night when Chris Neil lined up a vulnerable Johnny Boychuk in Ottawa and sent him directly to No. 55 Silly Street. Boychuk had his head down, the ultimate boo-boo, and Neil crushed him with a running hit to the chest, a targeted blow delivered with such force that Neil knocked the wind out of himself. One of those rare predatory hits when even the perpetrator paid a price.

Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek each had three points last night and the Senators defeated the Washington Capitals, 5-2, at Ottawa. John Carlson and Mathieu Perreault scored for the Capitals, who have lost three straight. Alex Ovechkin missed the game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day to day. Karlsson finished with a goal and two assists to set a franchise record for assists by a defenseman in a season with 47. The 21-year-old has seven points in his last two games.

Henrik Lundqvist made 39 saves for his fourth NHL playoff shutout, and Brian Boyle scored for the third straight game to break a third-period tie as the New York Rangers beat the Senators, 1-0, Monday night at Ottawa. The Rangers, who lost Game 2 at home in overtime, lead the best-of-seven, first-round series, 2-1. Game 4 is Wednesday night in Ottawa before the series returns to New York. Lundqvist's biggest save came in the last minute when he robbed Kyle Turris on the doorstep with a quick pad stop.

Hockey Daniel Alfredsson confirmed Monday he sustained a concussion in Game 2 of Ottawa's playoff series with New York when Rangers forward Carl Hagelin elbowed him in the head. The Senators captain participated in the morning skate and was to be a game-time decision for Game 3, but sat out the contest. On Sunday, Hagelin was suspended three games by NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan. Alfredsson said he accepted Hagelin's apology . . . Pittsburgh Penguins forward Craig Adams was suspended by the NHL for Game 4 of their playoff series against Philadelphia for instigating a fight.