Although the World Junior Tournament won't be played until December, this week highlights an important one in the development of these young players - individual countries' Evaluation Camps. Although it was expected that Jared Knight (USA) and 2011 first-round pick Dougie Hamilton (Canada) would be the highlights of this year's tournament for Boston fans, the unexpected late addition of Brian Ferlin to team USA to replace Blackhawks prospect Brandon Saad could be an interesting factor for the United States come December. Other potential wild cards for the U-20 tournament are goaltender Lars Volden of Norway and potentially Alexander Khokhlachev, who could play for Russia.

Brian Ferlin, #80, skates against Dougie Hamilton at Bruins' development camp last month.

Canada's evaluation camp kicked off at Rexall Place in Edmonton last Wednesday with a number of practices and culminated in the highly-touted Red/White games, which often draw a crowd of thousands. Hamilton's White Team, which includes 11 2001 1st-round picks (including first-overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) managed to squeeze out a 5-4 win on Saturday, but fell 8-2 to a dominant Red squad on Sunday lead by Jonathan Huberdeau and backstopped by the talented Louie Domingue. Hamilton did not contribute on the scoresheet but did manage a double minor for high sticking/roughing on Sunday.

At the same time, in Lake Placid, the USA's Blue and White squads have taken on each other twice over the past week, as well as the Swedish and Finnish national teams. After three games, Ferlin is sitting on 1-2=3 totals, and Knight has no points. The two of them are playing together on USA Team White, which also notably includes Rocco Grimaldi, Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle. After the final round of cuts today, both Ferlin and Knight remain on the roster, as the team was pared down from 44 to 29 players. The newly condensed team kicks off their final three games of camp tomorrow with a tilt against Sweden; they play Finland on Thursday, and wrap up camp with a game against Sweden on Saturday, August 13.

Mike Hutchinson started his fourth Bruins development camp off with a bump - literally.

About fifteen minutes before camp ended for the day, Jared Knight, the fearless second round draft pick from 2010, plowed straight into Hutchinson, knocking his new mask off and his head back into the crossbar.

He didn't seem any worse for the wear, though, joking that it was "obviously the hardest I've been hit in a while," and mentioning that the training staff "felt it was best I take the rest of practice off, since there was only a few minutes left."

The mask, luckily, is fine as well. Hutchinson, who wore an all-white mask in his first professional season last year, finally got his first Bruins paintjob done a few days ago.

Hutchinson stands tall in nets against Worcester at the end of the 2010-2011 season.

"I never really had enough time off [during the season] to get it painted, it's pretty time consuming," Hutchinson said of why he stuck with the white mask last year. "This is the mask I got right at the end of the season, so as soon as the summer came along I sent it off to get painted...I had a couple little ideas, really minor ideas. I gave the artist the creative freedom to create something, I just told him to make it look cool. I didn't really know what to expect until I got it back a few days ago, it turned out really nice."

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The year was 1972 and i remember it like it was yesterday. I remember clearly Bobby Orr's game winning goal. I remember how he recieved a 10 minute misconduct for complaining to the referee. I remember the Gerry Cheevers shut out. I remember Bill Hewitt on hockey Night In Canada counting it down. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, Orr has the puck, 4, 3, 2, 1, The Boston Bruins have won the Stanley Cup. But the most vivid moment of that series was was Brad Park going in on a break away with a chance to pull the Rangers back into the game. He had Cheevers beat but wrang it off the crossbar. I jumped up out of my chair and did my fist pump with the usual roar. At the same time the Bruins emptied their bench to congratulate Cheevers on a play that he didnt even have to touch the puck. I remember going to church on the Sunday after the Cup win and the priest saying "just like Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito and the Boston Bruins are super stars, so was Jesus Christ."

I witnessed the 2 Cups in three years. The record smashing season in 71. The superb season in 73 that both ended in dissappointment. I remember the Cup Final in 74 against the Flyers. Gilles Gilbert vs Bernie Parent in game six. An epic goaltending battle. I remember the Orr penalty with 3 minutes remaining. The Phil Esposito broken Skate with under a minute to go. But once again I was heartbroken. What could have been a dynasty with 4 or 5 cups in a row turned into a powerhouse team that could only manage 2 Cups and fell to some bad luck, untimely injuries and hot goaltending. When I hear Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley sing My way and I hear the line "we've won, we've laughed and cried, we've had our fill, our share of losing" I immediately think back to the early 70's.

Fast forward to 2011 and game 6 between the Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks. Time and some rather tragic times have mellowed me a bit. Sitting in my chair having a cold one, nerves were in check, anxiety was in check, and I knew our Boston Bruins had given it all they had. My son, laying on the couch, I could tell was very nervous. When Brad Marchand scored he jumped up that couch and jumped up and down screaming yes, yes, Marchand, yes !!

Immediately, it brought me back to the day when Brad Park would miss that breakaway that could have turned the game and the series around. I didn't get excited for myself, or for the Bruins for that matter. I realized at that moment that there was a whole generation out there that didn't have the chance to experience this moment like I had. And to experience it 3 more times in just over 4 minutes brought more joy to me than the fact the Bruins had built up a commanding 4-0 lead.

For this reason alone I want the Bruins to prevail in game 7. Not for me, not for the players, but for those fans who have never had the chance to experience. Because we never know when opportunity will come knocking at the door again.

It's the afternoon before puck drop outside TD Garden, and from the looks of things, you'd never be able to tell that it's a workday.

From the tour buses and duck boats honking at hockey fans as they pass, snippets of Bruins history floating audibly from their loudspeakers, to the Canucks and Bruins fans mingling in front of the NHL Network's outdoor set, to the multitude of fans from both sides of the continent posing with the Bobby Orr statue - it was a picturesque afternoon. The weather was perfect for all the hundreds of jerseyed spectators outside TD Garden. When I got there, it was too early for the Bruins' sponsored fanfest, yet people milled around as if it were an hour to gametime. Usually there's some commuter traffic due to the Garden being located above North Station, but never to this extent.

There were Vancouver fans aplenty, in all manner of jerseys, from the terrible old orange V to the blue and green hockey-stick logo, and contrary to popular belief - all was civil. Passersby asked a pair of Canucks fans if they could take a photo of the Vancouverites' flag they were toting around, and several Canucks fans expressed delight at having gotten to go on different Boston city tours. Aside from lighthearted razzing along Canal Street, and maybe a few feisty "Let's Go Bruins!" chants in the vicinity of those guys dressed in blue and green, thre was no animosity.

After all, when all is said and done, why should there be? The Bruins and Canucks are playing hockey in June. It's a beautiful day outside, with perfect weather. The NHL playoffs have run longer than either the NBA playoffs or last year's Stanley Cup run. Deep down, don't we all sort of want this to go on forever? 

And why, really, should we get angry at Vancouver fans in our house, especially if game 6 goes in the Bruins' favor? They're not exactly guaranteed to see their team win here. And at the same time, it's a greater win for the city at large - they boost our economy, eat in our restaurants, visit our historic landmarks. Why wouldn't we want to bounce them back to the West Coast with a sour flavor in their mouths from the game - but a great memory of our city?

It's a beautiful day for hockey. Welcome to Boston, 'Nucks fans.....let's go B's.

For the past few seasons, we in the USA have been able to catch the occasional CBC broadcast of playoff games, primarily on NHL Network or through other means. One of the things CBC's telecasts have become known for are their amazing pre-game montages, typically set to really solid music - and more than often incredibly moving in their presentation. Above is the montage for game 4 - set to the Black Keys' "Howlin' For You."

It's become a habit of mine this playoffs - especially as the Bruins' run has gone deeper and deeper - to go looking for these montages the morning after games. You can find most of them on this youtube page. Watching the above video, however, got me thinking yesterday, back to the first of these montages I ever saw, and each subsequently more amazing one.

With 2 in the books the Bruins have extended their first period lead to 3-0 through strong physical play and working the front of the net.  Goals by Michael Ryder and Brad Marchand have given the Bruins a comfortable lead but even with the added goals, the B's still press on.

The period started with the fast pace seen in the 1st and earlier than this writer expected, the Bruins began pushing the puck in order to catch the Canucks on line changes or stuck on the ice for extended shifts.  The efforts, while unsuccessful in the goal department, did lead to a wearing down of the Canucks backend which could be seen as the period progressed.  As it stands, this may become an important factor going into the third- if the Bruins can take advantage of a fatigued back end they could potentially keep the Canucks pressed in their own end and prevent quality chances on Tim Thomas.

Thomas to this point has continued to be incredible.  Through 2 the Boston netminder has faced 25 shots and while a number of them were less than quality chances (as the Canucks were often forced to dump), he has been forced to battle, work through screens and has been at the center of a number of physical plays.  The Canucks did not slow their attack on Thomas through the second and likely won't in the third.  Boston will need to continue to clear the front, take away rebound chances and work to quickly turn the game the other way.

At the other end of the ice Roberto Luongo's numbers continue to sink as the Bruins have now struck for 3 on 18 shots.  The number of shots on net has been relatively low for the Bruins in comparison to offensive zone possession and chances.  A number of shots have missed the net slightly and the Vancouver defense has worked hard to get into shooting lanes and tip chances.

Going into the third there are a few things the Bruins do need to do better- starting right in the faceoff circle.  The Bruins as a team are averaging 40% in the circle tonight with both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci below that number.  On power play chances the Canucks have often had the opportunity to start in the offensive zone due to these wins which has proven much easier to get things going against than the Bruins neutral zone coverage on the penalty kill (a nightmare for Vancouver).

Additionally, while the Seguin-Kelly-Ryder line hasn't played poorly, they have had issues in their own end.  Their last shift of the second found Seguin covering the center position after Kelly was tossed from the circle.  The resulting running around lead to a rushed play by Boychuk and a delay of game penalty as the puck was shot out of play.  This line needs to play stronger and more composed like they have at the other end of the ice while the rest of the team needs to keep their level of play up.

The first period of game 4 is in the books and the Bruins have headed off the ice to a fan pleasing 1-0 lead.  While the first period was much cleaner- the shenanigans missing from both sides, the physical play was ever present.  This one started off hard and fast with both teams looking to set the tone early.  While the effort was certainly there to maintain the play from Vancouver, the style of play was lead by the Bruins.

The first of this one also showed fans what the B's top line will now look like with the missed Nathan Horton sidelined.  Deadline acquisition Rich Peverley has stepped up and has played admirably, tallying the games first goal with a 5 hole shot on a break away.  Peverley has been key this playoff season and will go down as one of Peter Chiarelli's smarter moves.  With his versatility to play wing or center, 4th line or 1st, Peverley is one of the important pieces that has lifted the Bruins over the hurdles that have tripped them in the past.

Back on the ice tonight is rookie Tyler Seguin after his one game stint in the box.  Seguin has come back out looking to contribute and with a bit of the fire back in his game.  His early shifts showed him looking to get involved, moving his feet and creating scoring chances (2 so far, 1 on a tip in front and a second on a pull up and pass through the crease that was almost deflected by Luongo).  The third line has had troubles at time in this one with a few extended stints in the defensive zone but they've been able to rebound and push play down ice rather than rely on icings or cover ups.

What has carried the Bruins so far in this game and the home stand is the match ups on the top two lines.  With the last change, Claude Julien has been able to make sure he has the correct match ups and it has shown in the level of frustration exhibited by the Canucks.  Adding to that frustration has been the physical play of Milan Lucic and the pesty play of Brad Marchand.  Lucic tonight has appeared to be much more motivated and has connected on a number of hits at both ends of the ice resulting in pucks won on the boards.  Marchand has also been involved physically looking for the big hits and getting under the skin of both Sedins at every opportunity.  A late scrum in front of the net found him on top of Daniel looking to face wash and lead to Daniel jumping up in anger.  Give credit to him and everyone else so far- the teams have done well to control their emotions and stay away from giving the opposition any odd man opportunities because of it.

That doesn't mean that the power play hasn't shown itself though- for the Canucks.  Two calls in the first landed the Bruins in the box (first Michael Ryder and then Brad Marchand).  The Bruins penalty kill remained resilient though killing both extremely well.  What has been interesting is how they've picked up the Canuck's approach on each attempt and given different looks mostly in the neutral zone.  The key common component though has been their aggressiveness- forcing the Canucks to commit 2 men to the puck often and making the power play be a battle on the boards rather than a display of the open ice cycling game.

To counter their short comings on the power play, the Canucks have attempted to change up their offense slightly by going directly at Tim Thomas as often as possible.  With the level of chatter over Timmy's aggressive play, the Canucks seem to believe the best approach is to go right at him, make contact and look for dirty goals in front.  This has lead to a number of scary moments for Boston, but their commitment to cleaning out the front has kept the Canucks off the board.

Going into the second expect to see both teams continue the physical game and push to tie/pull away.  Traffic in front of both nets will be key.  While the first did display attempts by both sides to stretch the ice, we may not see this as much to start the 2nd.  If either team starts to tire though and one can catch the other on a bad change, these attempts will come up.

This second period looks to be a critical one.  Will the Bruins be able to keep the momentum, pull away in this game and edge closer to going back to Vancouver tied, or will Vancouver get the equalizer and make this truly a dog fight?

Image courtesy of Ace Ticket.

By now, most hockey fans are familiar with the antics of these two Canucks fans. Dubbed 'Force' and 'Sully', these characters parade around in full-body spandex suits, an 'original' gimmick ripped directly from the popular television show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Somehow, they accrued enough faux stardom to warrant a paid trip to Boston for games 3 and 4. 

One particular Boston-based ticket seller, however, would have none of their shenanigans this week. In any other regular season game? Any other playoff game? I'm certain Ace Ticket would have no problem selling to opposing fans. But this is the Stanley Cup Final, these are the most obnoxious of opposing fans, and our fanbase should be proud of what Ace Ticket did when the 'Green Men' walked in to buy tickets on Monday.

In an email from Ace Ticket account coordinator Tom Taylor on Tuesday morning, the situation was laid out.

Ace Ticket, one of Boston’s top ticketing agencies, is certainly doing their best the keep the Garden full of Bruins fans… even if it comes down to declining a sale.

Early, Monday afternoon, two men dressed fully in green body suits, decided to take their chances in buying game-3 Stanley Cup tickets from Boston’s top ticketing agency, Ace Ticket.  For some odd reason, The Green Men, who have mocked, pranked, and played annoyance to every team that their Canucks have faced, thought that Ace Ticket, an official sponsor of the Boston Bruins, would help them get any closer to the ice.  Not on Jim Holzman’s watch.

As the CEO of Ace Ticket, Holzman has heard it all when it comes to scoring tickets to big games.  From a free year of landscaping, to a weekend in Nantucket, Holzman has dealt with every scenario – all of which he has had to turn down.  Though, not often is it that he takes the liberty to REFUSE to sell.

Growing up in Boston, Holzman’s ties lay close to our fellow Boston sports scene.  It’s not everyday that a ticket broker – whose main concern is sales – decides to decline a customer, but it as of right now, this only seems fitting.

It's great to see Ace Ticket trying to keep the local fanbase in the local seats, for sure - on a stage this big, Bruins fans deserve to watch their own team in their own building. That being said, I feel absolutely no pity for those Canucks fans who shelled out the dough to see the 8-1 shellacking last night at the Garden. Props to Ace Ticket - whom you can find on twitter at @aceticket - and go Bruins.

While an 8 - 1 win can typically make any player on a winning team look good, the efforts of Daniel Paille in Game 3 should not be overlooked. The Bruin's fourth liner and penalty kill specialist came into the first game at home having seen limited ice time in the two prior efforts. While it looked to be the same to start tonight, the injury to Nathan Horton along with the number of penalties the Bruins were forced to kill off made him take stage front and center.

"I Just try to keep mentally prepared and ready for every shift" the winger said after the game, "and at the end there I tried not to get too tired."

While joking, Paille's comments have been right on with what he's been doing and the amount he worked tonight. Along with Gregory Campbell, the two were able to continuously hamper the Vancouver power play, keeping it from entering the zone on many attempts and forcing play back to their defensive end- many of times with chances of their own.

The momentum that the two brought in the early penalty kills of the second gave the Bruin's a spark and rookie winger Brad Marchand would ignite it with his short handed goal. The specialty team efforts wouldn't stop there though as Paille made sure to even it up with a short handed goal of his own half way through the third. His efforts would also lead to the Bruin's seventh goal late in the 3rd as he picked up the puck behind the net and attacked the net with it, giving a rebound for Chris Kelly to put home.

In the end, Paille would be a second shy of 15 minutes of ice time- the most he's played in quite some time. While he may not be looked to do similarly in the coming match ups (especially since Julien will look to not require him to kill 5 and a half minutes of power play time), his presence shows a mind set of the Bruins to be prepared, to work hard and for everyone up and down the line up to contribute when they get the chance. With this series looking like it might go the distance, it will take efforts from guys up and down the line up- like Paille's tonight, to bring Stanley home.

"I don't know how to fight".  The words of the German defenseman Dennis Seidenberg after Game 3 where the Bruins rock on the back end went for a tumble with Vancouver's Ryan Kesler.  While the fight wasn't much to write home about, the tenacity the Bruins showed in this one is exactly what fans hope to see from the team the rest of the series. 

"They have beaten them and tonight, they have beaten them up" is one of Jack Edward's more famous quotes and while tonight, the Bruins did not break out the fisticuffs like they have earlier in the season (see Dallas), the team as a whole showed the desire to battle, to work and to stand up for each other. 

With teammate Nathan Horton in the hospital, the Bruins came out of the locker room after the first period with many wondering how they would respond.  But as Brad Marchand put it, "We were nervous about Horton but we were focused."  "We had to realize there was a bigger prize, it's tough to see guys go that way but we wanted to win it for him" said Daniel Paille as well and went after it they did.  The Bruins would take the second period and put up 4 goals before storming out in the 3rd to put up 4 more.

With the building lead, the game became chippy with Vancouver's physical leaders attempting to get under the skin of Boston.  In Game 2 we saw similar moves- big hits from Kesler, chippy play from Burrows and taunting by Max LaPierre as he put his fingers in Bergeron's face.  Tonight at home though Boston would not let themselves get pushed around.  Shawn Thornton let that be known to Ryan Kesler before he was ejected.  Milan Lucic brought it right into Burrows' face as he presented his fingers daring him to eat it.

"We're not the type of team to do things like that" Lucic would say after the game "and I'm not the type of player to do things like that".  But in the heat of the moment the Bruins did- for better or worse.  And while many may wonder the level of classiness both teams have shown, the results have been apparent on the scoreboard and on the faces of the opposition afterwards.

With 3 games down in this best of 7 series, the Bruins are showing a level of emotional play that has made them a danger in the regular season.  Going into game 4 they'll look to carry this emotion in a harnessed fashion- they'll look to out work, out hit and out battle the Canucks and bring the series back to Vancouver as a best of 3.  And with a potential suspension coming along with the injury to Hamhuis, a best of 3 might swing in the Bruin's favor.