Zdeno Chara was super grumpy post-game. It ended with him and Bickell fighting but it began with him losing an edge pre-game.

Rask would say this is shitty ice... or maybe bad skate blade.

Taylor Hall is not impressed, though.

I disagree “@FriedgeHNIC: Healy says Chara needed stitches in back of head after pre-game collision with Lucic. Most dangerous warmup ever.”

— Taylor Hall (@hallsy04) June 18, 2013

And lastly we leave you with this, Dear Internet.

So apparently Chris Bourque signed a contract to play in the KHL. From ProHockeyTalk: 

KHL club AK Bars Kazan has agreed to terms with NHL forwards Chris Bourque and Tomas Vincour,according to Russian news outlet R-Sport.

You will be missed Cheris Bourque. 

By NESN. 

And that's about it. 

Tuukka Rask is doing something special in these NHL playoffs. Here we have an action shot from Rask's shutout performance last night: 

He's on a Tim Thomas-esque playoff run right now and I never thought I would say those words again. Don't get me wrong, I've been a pretty big Rask fan since about 2010 and I've always thought he would be better than Thomas, but what Timmy did in 2011 was just unreal...and Tuukka is probably going to surpass the lore that is Tim Thomas. 

I think if the Bruins go on to win the Stanley Cup, last night could be looked at as the straw that broke the camel's back. Chicago looks like a defeated team. Bruce Arthur said it best on Twitter: 

Tuukka Rask may have climbed inside some Blackhawk heads and started redecorating.

— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) June 18, 2013

But this isn't over. Not by a long shot. Boston still has to win 2 more games to be named the Stanley Cup Champions, but let's enjoy last night's win shall we? 

This is still pretty surreal and pretty fucking awesome, especially with the series now being tied and coming back to Boston. There was nothing better than hearing the city of Shhhhicago shutting the fuck up when Dan Paille scored that goal. I mean, you can say Boston stole that game, if you think dominating every period that is played after period 1 is stealing a game. 

Boston was dialed in after the verbal tongue lashing that Claude gave them during the first and second period. No idea what was said, but I'm pretty sure he dropped the term "I'll eat your children" a few dozen times. 

Can you blame him? 

Then it happened. Then they came out like animals. Even Niklas Hjalmarsson was scared of Lucic: 

I can't say I blame him. For all the shit I've given Lucic, he's been a straight up animal this postseason. I'm used to eating humble pie, especially with this Bruins team, and it tastes delicious every single time. 

So I think we see more of what we saw on Saturday with this Bruins team. Having last change will be a huge advantage for them and it's something Claude handles very well. For all the dumping people give him, he's a pretty good tactician. He'll utilize that last change to create some match-ups. 

Can someone answer a question for me? How does Mike Milbury have a national TV job? He is absolutely atrocious at what he does and having hima nd JR in the same studio, at the same time, is like audible waterboarding. I just had to throw the question out there while I was writing this. 

It popped in my head like it's the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and I'm Ray Stantz. 

I feel another win tonight. Usually I'm Mr. Negative, but I think the Bruins are feeling it. The series may be tied, but it easily could have been 2-0 coming back to Boston if Daugavins learns how to put a puck on net and not just dangle it away. 

That could be a little cocky of me, but I'm confident in these guys. After weathering that first period storm - it was all Bruins. That's not to say that if Chicago puts 19 shots on Tuukka Rask tonight he's going to stop 95% of them. Boston can't allow Chicago to come out tonight like they did in Game 2. It can't happen. 

Nothing good will come of it. 

Like a Pierre McGuire interview.

After the jump, we finish Game 3 preview....

(Purrgeron note: We're seeing Jon get killed for this on Twitter. You can ask his wife how inarticulate he is at home. Basic point: We wonder if Crosby had too much pressure too young and now it's all catching up to him. Now continue to abuse Jon. It's HILARIOUS)

I have been a long time Crosby defender. I've argued viciously against Crosby being a whiner or a diver. I argued that the reputation was gained from Crosby's early years and had stuck with him. 

Think about it for a minute. Crosby was an 18-year old kid who was openly expected to save a franchise. He shouldered the fate and hopes of an entire city. Then the league shoved him down our throats while openly calling him a savior. That is a TON of pressure for a kid that young. 

What were you doing when you were 18? Getting drunk every night? Crying because your boyfriend/girlfriend broke up with you and you'll never find another one like him/her?!? Getting high and playing Mario Brothers? Skinny dipping in Robb's pool on a dare?

Whatever it is you were doing, I'd bet you didn't even have a fraction of the pressure Crosby had.

So maybe it can be expected that a kid that young would whine to the refs or dive to buy a call. He hadn't matured. He hadn't had time to learn from the veterans yet.

And that is what I would argue. That when he was young and immature he cried a lot and that he built a reputation and got saddled with a label even as he matured and his game evolved. Labels like whiner or diver are hard to shake.

But what the 2012 Flyers series and especially the 2013 Bruins series have shown me is that while Crosby has certainly evolved his game to ridiculous heights, he is anything but mature and certainly not a fit leader.

What a game. Again. The Bruins should've won Game 1 but blew it. They played like crap for the vast majority of Game 2 but Rask bailed them out. If the Bruins played all game like they did in OT there would not have been an OT. Rask literally stole a game. The Paille made us all explode. 

We're too pumped to finish this intro. This series is killing us and we love it.

This is great. HNIC asking players who their fav players were growing up. Obvioulsy Krejci said Jaromir Jagr. Apparently Jagr's favorite player growing up was also Jarmoir Jagr.

Can't even say we're surprised by this.

S/T to Scott Lasa for the video link.

I'm not sure if people are ready to jump off the Tobin after the Blackhawks winning Game 1 in Triple OT, but if you are step back a little. Just a little. Get your toes away from the ledge. The Bruins will be fine. 

I know, I'm the voice of reason right now. That should scare the piss out of you because it scares me a little too.

But seriously, go back and watch the game again. It took a Johnny Oduya puck going off of Andrew Ference's skate to tie the game up. When you hit multiple overtimes, it's basically a coin flip. Boston had tons and tons of chances in each overtime and couldn't bury them. 

Oh well. 

Shit happens. 

I went on Facebook and said that everything will be fine with the Bruins and people were losing their shit. Look, I get it, they lost a 3OT game. If they win on Saturday night - it doesn't matter. All a road team needs to do is split. I said that when Boston won Game 1 in the Pittsburgh series. 

We were all worried going Game 1 that Boston wouldn't be able to skate with Chicago and it looked like they were able to hang in there. They were able, at times, to lock down the neutral zone and make Chicago work for entry. 

Tangent inbound: 

So I wasn't really on Twitter this week because I was on vacation. I kind of unplugged from everytihng but my xbox and just enjoyed some peace and quiet. In doing so, I missed some fantastic trolling opportunities when those cunt bags at Cubby Tee's showed this bad boy: 

They've since pulled the shirts and issues some backhanded, craptastic apology about how it's satire and everyone needs to sack up. 

Firsst off, fuck off Cubby Tees. Your apology should have been an actual apology. What you should have said was: 

"Hey, we're sorry that some dickbag who works for us had this idea actually creep into their head and we're dumb enough to run prints of this shirt."

It's time to make a distinction because "Boston Strong" and "Boston sports" because the two are not hand in hand unless we're talking about a fucking marathon. Yes, it's completely bullshit that the Boston Bruins sell a "Boston Strong" t-shirt, but at least they go to One Fund. 

It's just like Chowdaheadz trying to trademark Boston Strong so they can sell t-shirts. 

It's all horseshit. 

Leave that phrase alone. Leave it off of the ice. Leave it off of sports enblazoned t-shirts. 

Jesus fucking Christ. Use your heads. 

TANGENT COMPLETE

Sorry. Actually you know what? I'm not sorry. Fuck you Cubby Tees. 

So yeah about Game 2. Well Nathan Horton practiced today with Krejci and Lucic. Seguin also split time with him and Carl Soderberg centered a third line of Peverley and Paille. 

Basically the lines are a fucking mess, but it's good to see Horton actually practicing. Gut feeling says he plays on Saturday. There were reports that throughout the playoffs, Horton has been getting injected with pain killers for his shoulder and I bet it was just to late for them to do that. 

It's probably not good to be shot up multiple times in a day with that shit right? Right? 

But a lot of things could change from now until then. We should just be happy that Horton isn't adam McQuaid or he'd lose a fight with his desk in the hotel room and be out for months with a concussion. Love ya Adam, but you'll never live that one down. 

After the jump, lines and stuff....

Bruins fans can all agree losing in Triple OT sucked, but one silver lining out of the whole debacle is this happened.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.... Drink until the awkward goes away...

Outcome and team loyalties aside, that's a funny ass clip. Dude's literally a Bruins island amongst a sea of Blackhawks fans. We salute you sir and the camera man who worked that cinematic magic.

S/T to The Score & Tumblr.

Losing last night sucked but what could be a huge blow is the potential loss to Nathan Horton. During a PP Horton was jostling with Niklas Hjalmarsson and apparently reaggravated his shoulder injury he sustained while fighting Jarome Iginla near the end of the season.

Coach just said Nathan Horton is day to day ^CS

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 13, 2013

Julien's keeping his figners crossed that Horton will be ready for Game 2. So are fans. If Horton can't go we'd suspect Seguin would get bumped up to Looch and Krejci. Seguin-Krejci had some good chemistry for their short time together during the regular season.  It gives that line a different dynamic. Losing a grinder for a dangler changes things up a lot.

Fluto thinks Caron would get the tap over Soderberg as a replacement:

If Horton can’t play in Game 2 Saturday, Jordan Caron would be the most likely candidate to enter the lineup. Caron is one of three available forwards, along with Jay Pandolfo and Carl Soderberg. Caron is a right wing who can battle along the walls and jam in front of the net when he’s playing well.