NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2010

The Boston Bruins received a boost this morning when concussed centre Marc Savard skated for about 30 minutes without any problems, offering hope that he could return at some point in the playoffs. He has been sidelined since March 7 after getting knocked out by a nasty, blindside hit from Penguins winger Matt Cooke.
 
Savard worried that his season was over before waking up without any concussion-related symptoms 10 days ago. He since has made steady progress and was able to get back on skates before the Bruins came out for their morning workout in preparation for Game 3 Monday night against the Sabres.
 
"Two weeks ago, I was writing [the season] off," Savard said. "I wasn't getting any better and had a lot of negative thoughts. It's just good to feel normal. I feel like myself again."
 
Savard passed an exertion test Sunday and has a neurological-psychological examination scheduled for Tuesday. If he passes the neuro-psych test, he would be cleared to play. He would need to get back into shape before playing in games. He has had very little exercise and isn't fully prepared for the post-season.
 
"If you asked me, I would like to play tonight, but you have to be realistic," Savard said. "I haven't done anything in six weeks other than play with the remote control on the couch. It's going to take some time."
 
Cooke's hit on Savard was the final straw before the league cracked down on hits to the head. The NHL and its players' association already had been inching toward an agreement that would outlaw such hits. Savard's concussion became Exhibit A for pushing the process along.
 
Savard played only 41 games in an injury-riddled season, missing the final 18 games after getting knocked out by a hit he never saw coming. He has not had any ill effects from the concussion for more than a week and felt fine while going through skating, shooting and puck-handling drills before the Bruins came out on the ice.
 
"I felt really good handing the puck and shooting," he said. "That part hasn't left me, thank God. Hopefully, it will keep getting better."
 
Cutting Connolly's ice
 
Sabres centre Tim Connolly did not play well in the first two games of the series, which left coach Lindy Ruff to determine the less of Connolly could mean more for the team. Connolly averaged about 18 and a half minutes of ice time, but Ruff was considering cutting his ice time tonight.
 
"His minutes have to go down, so he's not thinking, 'I'm playing 19 minutes, I have to conserve,'" Ruff said. "On the other side of it, I've got to get more within that shift."
 
Connolly, who led the Sabres in scoring with 65 points before suffering a foot injury late in the season, had no points and was minus-2 in the first two games and made critical errors on the tying and winning goals in Boston's 5-3 win in the second game.
 
Ruff suggested the centre's conditioning tailed off while he recovered from the foot injury, which might have contributed to his problems. The bigger issue has been poor decisions and his failure to get around the net. Connolly had not scored a goal in 19-straight playoff games going into Game 3.
 
"I need to play better," Connolly said. "I think I need to skate better (and) simplify the game. Get on the ice and get off the ice as quick as possible. If that means being out there for a limited period of time, that's what I'm going to do until I get out there and really play to my capabilities."
 
The Sabres were looking for more help from its top forwards after winger Thomas Vanek suffered what appeared to be a sprained ankle. Vanek will not play tonight.
 
No injury sympathy
 
Bruins coach Claude Julien was trying to guard against his players getting too confident after regaining home-ice advantage and the Sabres missing Vanek, who had a team-high 28 goals during the regular season.
 
Julien also wasn't offering much sympathy, not with the Bruins missing Savard and two key defencemen, Dennis Seidenberg and Mark Stuart.
 
"I certainly don't want to be speculating here and putting all my eggs in one basket that [Vanek] is not going to play the next game," he said. "If he plays, they'll have a pretty good player back in their lineup. If they don't, they'll be missing a good player out of their lineup. But that's their problem, not ours."
 
Notes:
 
Drew Stafford (concussion) will play for Vanek, but he's not likely to fill the hole. Stafford had only 14 goals during the regular season. He has appeared in only 10 career playoff games, none since 2006-07. ... Sabres goalie Ryan Miller was among the finalists for the Vezina Trophy. The others are Phoenix's Ilya Bryzgalov and New Jersey's Martin Brodeur. ... It's a busy sports day in Beantown today with the Boston Marathon being held this morning along with the Red Sox-Rays game and the Game 3 tonight.