News: Brenden Morrow (arm) will be a game-time decision for Friday's Game 5 against the Senators, Sportsnet East's Ian Mendes reports.
Analysis: Brenden Morrow missed Wednesday's Game 4 against the Senators, but he was able to take part in Friday's gameday skate and said he felt good afterwards. His chances of playing Friday look good, but check back closer to faceoff to confirm his status.
News: Tyler Seguin notched his first goal of the playoffs and picked up an assist in Thursday's overtime loss to the Rangers.
Analysis: It took 11 games for Tyler Seguin to hit the back of the net, but it's not like he wasn't getting his chances. His 45 shots on goal are second among postseason skaters to date. With Jaromir Jagr now skating with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, Seguin has being working with Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly on the Bruins' speedy third line.
News: Dougie Hamilton picked up an assist in 14:23 worth of ice time in Thursday's overtime loss to the Rangers.
Analysis: Dougie Hamilton now has three assists in the first four games of the team's series against the Rangers, but with Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden nearing a return, the Bruins will have a tough call to make with regards to their blue line composition, with Hamilton, Torey Krug and Matt Bartkowski having filled in well thus far. Hamilton wasn't pleased with the way he played Chris Kreider on Thursday's game-winning goal, but overall the youngster's postseason play has been solid. The same can be said of Bartkowski's play, while Krug has emerged as a sparkplug on the team's back line.
News: Torey Krug scored a goal in 15:55 worth of ice time in Thursday's overtime loss to the Rangers.
Analysis: Torey Krug, who now has three goals and an assist in four playoff games, continues to add a spark to the Bruins' blue line with his mobility and creative play. Though Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden appear to be nearing a return to action, it's hard to imagine the Bruins removing Krug from the lineup as long as he continues to handle his defensive duties responsibly.
News: Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Brendan Gaunce will "be given every opportunity" to make the team's roster next season, the Vancouver Province reports.
Analysis: One of Gillis' focuses this offseason is to make his team younger, which puts Brendan Gaunce, Frank Corrado, Nicklas Jensen, Jordan Schroeder and others on the Canucks' radar for the 2013-14 campaign. Gaunce, 19, showed promise at the junior level this season, totaling 82 points in 77 regular and postseason games with Belleville of the OHL. He could be the answer to the Canucks' constant problems at finding a third-line center. Put Gaunce on your radar as a late-round flier if he does nab a roster spot.
News: Antti Niemi gave up a pair of goals on 28 shots in a losing effort Thursday against the Kings.
Analysis: With the Kings now up 3-2 in the series, Antti Niemi will be tasked with stepping up his play even further in Game 6 when the series returns to San Jose. Overall, he's played well through the first five games, giving up just 10 goals in that span.
News: Jonathan Quick stopped all 24 shots in faced in a 3-0 win over the Sharks on Thursday.
Analysis: Jonathan Quick may have started off slowly this postseason but he' clearly back on track and flashing the form he showed in the 2012 playoffs that netted him the Conn Smythe.
News: Corey Crawford gave up just one goal on 26 shots in the Hawks' 2-0 Game 4 loss to Detroit on Thursday.
Analysis: Considering that he limited the Wings to one goal prior to the empty-netter in the final minute of the third period, Corey Crawford likely erased any talk of a change in goal for the Hawks when the series goes back to Chicago for Game 5 on Saturday.
News: Jakub Kindl scored his first career playoff goal, which stood as the eventual game-winner in Thursday's victory over Chicago.
Analysis: For a player who struggled at times to stay in the regular blue-line rotation last season, Jakub Kindl's emergence over the course of the year has been a huge boost to the Wings as they had to adjust to life without Nicklas Lidstrom heading up their blue-line corps this season. Although his offensive contributions are not elite, Kindl's expanded role put him on pace for a 26-point season if projected over a typical 82-game slate.
News: Jimmy Howard stopped all 28 shots he faced Thursday against Chicago in a winning effort.
Analysis: Corey Crawford played well at the other end, but the Wings were able to find the back of the net in the second period for the eventual game-winning tally before Daniel Cleary found an empty net in the final minute of the third period. Although the Wings have a 3-1 lead in the series, Jimmy Howard needs to stay sharp with the return to Chicago for Game 5 on Saturday.
