And then there were two — Newfoundland natives skating in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs that is.

With losses by the San Jose Sharks (Ryan Clowe) and Calgary Flames (Adam Pardy), Boston Bruins winger Michael Ryder and Detroit Red Wings forward Daniel Cleary are the only two Newfoundlanders still alive in pursuit of the Cup. Last year, Cleary captured the most coveted trophy in the sport and brought it back to his homeland. Ryder, however, wasn’t around.

“I heard there was a lot of people there though,” Ryder told TheBruinsBlog.net this week after one of the team’s many practices at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington, Mass., in preparation for the second round.

When asked if he holds it against Cleary that he got to be the first ever Newfoundlander to return home with the Cup, Ryder quickly dispelled that notion.

“No, not at all. It’s good him; I’m happy for him,” said Ryder. “All the things that he’s been through and he’s having a great career now. For him to win the Cup and bring it home was good to see.” (more…)

Ryder

With the Montreal Canadiens back home after dropping the first two games of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Bruins at Boston, there was potential for the Habs to find new life and make it a series.

But winger Michael Ryder, who just last summer defected from Montreal to Boston as a free agent, wouldn’t let the Habs get up for air. Ryder totaled three goals, one assist and a plus-4 rating in Games 3 and 4 to earn my Bruin of the Week award.

Ryder scored the game-winning goal in Game 3 with just 2:39 left in the second period of a game the Bruins went on to win 4-2 to take a commanding 3-o series lead. Then with his club down 1-0 late in the first period, Ryder scored an unassisted goal and set up David Krejci for the goal that put Boston ahead for good en route to the four-game sweep. Ryder truly made the Habs pay for their mistake of letting him walk without compensation.

Other candidates last week were Krejci (1-2-3, plus-5), defenseman Dennis Wideman (0-3-3, plus-2) and goaltender Tim Thomas (2-0, 49 saves on 52 shots).

Ryder

MONTREAL — In pro sports, what goes around tends to come around. So you weren’t expecting Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien and winger Michael Ryder to publicly gloat after the Black and Gold finished off their old team the Montreal Canadiens with a 4-1 win in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at Bell Centre.

One reporter even tried to convince Julien that Montreal head coach/general manager Bob Gainey, the man who once fired Julien, didn’t make eye contact in the postgame handshake. Julien was quick to shoot down that theory and any ideas the media had about Julien feeling extra satisfaction that Gainey was on the opposite bench for the Bruins’ triumph.

“The one thing I can tell you right now, everybody would like me to say what would make them happy, I guess, as far as revenge is concerned,” said Julien after his team completed a four-game sweep. “But Bob Gainey did not enjoy firing me. Neither did Lou Lamoriello (in New Jersey), if we want to talk about that stuff. Nobody enjoys doing that job. …You’ve got to be able to separate business from personal things. … There’s no reason for me to be sitting here and saying I’m bitter.”

Ryder scored twice in the game and assisted on the game-winner by linemate David Krejci with just 34.4 seconds left in the first period. All series long he held firm to the notion that playing against the team he bitterly left last summer as a free agent wasn’t any sweeter. But after the victory, he at least revealed a little bit of his spiteful side. (more…)

MONTREAL — And so here they stand.

The Boston Bruins are one win away from advancing for to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 10 years. Even juicier, they can complete a sweep of the hated Montreal Canadiens with a win tonight in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series in front of the Habs’ fans.

Should the Bruins get the job done, the silence is sure to be deafening.

In order to finish things off, Boston will need the same type of complete game they displayed in Game 2 back home. A scrambling first period tonight like the one in Game 3 could prove costly. Getting Milan Lucic back from his one-game suspension should help. The second-year winger should have some extra incentive to get the job done. If he can channel his pent up energy promptly, I guarantee he’ll have a big game — both with his body and his offensive ability.

Most of Montreal’s players already have their eyes on the exit. Ten will be unrestricted free agents barring signing extensions before July 1. They’re bruised and battered and almost beaten. Now the Bruins just have to put them out of their misery.

Series note: Montreal center Tomas Plekanec has only skated in two of the three games, but he’s still a minus-4.

What they’re writing: Canadiens captain Saku Koivu hasn’t given up.

Player to watch: Other than Lucic, the other guy with something to prove tonight will be fellow Bruins winger Michael Ryder. With two huge goals in this series, including the winner in Game 3, he’s proven a lot. But helping to stick the final fork in the Habs on their home ice would be complete redemption for the forward that was given up for dead by Montreal last summer.

Ryder

MONTREAL — The Boston Bruins took a seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Montreal Canadiens by winning Game 3, 4-2, tonight at Bell Centre.

For the complete recap you can log on to Yahoo!

Former Montreal forward Michael Ryder, who signed with Boston as a free agent last summer, buried the game-winner with just 2:39 remaining in the second period. A year ago, Ryder was with the Habs as they knocked off the Bruins in seven games in the first round and then lost in the second round. But he spent part of the postseason in the press box, and when he was in uniform he was used sparingly.

Despite his bitter departure, Ryder claimed after the game tonight the opponent in front of him didn’t make the goal any sweeter.

“It’s just a game now and we’re trying to win. Even though it’s my old team, it’s behind me now …” said Ryder, who also scored a big goal in the Bruins’ 5-1 win in Game 2. “It’s a good feeling to get the win and just happens to be we’re playing against Montreal now. Being on the other side was a little different at first, but I’m here now and I’m a Bruin and it’s good to be here.” (more…)

Ryder

Last year at this time, fresh off a regular season that featured him dropping from 30 goals to 14, winger Michael Ryder was well ensconced in Montreal head coach Guy Carbonneau’s dog house.

Ryder appeared in just four of the seven games the Canadiens played against the Boston Bruins in the first round of last spring’s Stanley Cup playoffs. And he averaged just a little more than 10 minutes per contest. Ryder then found himself in the press box for the entirety of the Habs’ second-round series, which they lost to Philadelphia. That put Ryder’s value into question when he became an unrestricted free agent.

That is, Ryder was looked upon as a player in decline by most teams other than the Bruins. On July 1 the Bruins locked up Ryder for a reunion with his former coach at three different levels Claude Julien, who said he knew all the right buttons to push. Ryder rewarded the Bruins’ faith with a 27-goal regular season, and now he’s ready to be a key cog in the upcoming playoff series against his former team — which starts Thursday night at TD Banknorth Garden.

“I think the only one season that I had that people were questioning me was last year and it was a lot of situations that come into effect there,” said Ryder after the Bruins’ first postseason practice today at Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington, Mass. “But I had Claude one year in Montreal there and I had him in the minors, and he knows what type of player I am. Last year was a year that people started to doubt me. And I just wanted to make sure that I proved people wrong.” (more…)

Ryder

A triumphant return helped our honoree earn this recognition last week.

Boston Bruins winger Michael Ryder got back into the line-up just two weeks after facial surgery to insert some metal plates and repair three fractures between his nose and eye. He hit the ice and picked up right where he left off — with three goals and two assists in three games to earn my Bruin of the Week honor.

In his premier game after his absence, Ryder registered a goal and an assist in a rout of Florida. Then he chipped in twice, plus added a helper, in the Bruins’ second romp of the week against Anaheim. For the week, he posted a plus-2 rating.

Other nominees this week included center Marc Savard (0-5-5, plus-2), defenseman Dennis Wideman (0-2-2, plus-4) and forward Byron Bitz (3-0-3, plus-3).

Ryder

BOSTON — The clear, full shield over his face was the only thing different about Boston Bruins winger Michael Ryder tonight,  as he scored a power-play goal  and assisted on another score in a 6-1 win over Florida at TD Banknorth Garden.

After a seven-game absence due to facial surgery to repair a fracture, Ryder was spry and energetic during his 13:34 of ice time.

“I think when you’re out for so long and come back, you obviously get a little more pumped for your first game,” he said after the win, during which he skated back on a line with David Krejci and Blake Wheeler and also received time on the first power-play unit. “And I think skating a lot last week helped a lot. I think at first it was just my timing a little bit, but after a couple shifts, I felt good out there.”

As for the full shield, which he wore for the first time today after wearing a cage during practices, Ryder adapted fine.

“Probably the first few shifts, you notice it’s there. But then as the game moves on, you kind of forget about it,” said Ryder. “The only thing was breathing, you feel hot. But other than that it was pretty easy to get used to.”

Chiarelli

Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli was part of a series of NHL conference calls today to talk about the March 4 trade deadline.

Along the way, he revealed something that had nothing to do with wheeling and dealing. When asked if he received good news about winger Michael Ryder, Chiarelli responded: “My guess is that – and it’s a guess right now, but it’s an educated guess – is that he’ll be in the line-up for tomorrow.”

Ryder has been out since he was high sticked Feb. 5 and then had facial surgery Feb. 9. He’s been skating with the team for more than a week.

Chiarelli also fielding the expected questions about his approach to the trade deadline. With the conference-leading Bruins enduring their worst stretch of the season with losses in six of their last seven games, one might think the urgency to make a deal has intensified. But Chiarelli is taking a calm approach.

“Well, it hasn’t changed our approach (to deal),” he said. “We’re at some point going to struggle, and we were prepared for it. Part of it is the young guys hitting a bit of a wall. They look like they’re coming out of it a bit. It’s part of a long year.

“Our approach and strategy hasn’t changed with respect to the deadline. It just goes … the players of interest to us are still of interest to us, and we’re still pursuing those players.” (more…)

Ryder

WILMINGTON, Mass. — Considering it was just a fracture to his frontal sinus bone, Boston Bruins winger Michael Ryder feels fortunate.

After he practiced with the club today at Ristuccia Arena wearing a red “no-contact” jersey and then was bag skated on his first day back,  Ryder explained how he feared for the worst after he was high sticked by Ottawa’s Antoine Vermette Feb. 5.

“The last thing I expected, actually, was it to be a fracture after it was over. But I was just lucky it wasn’t my eye,” said Ryder after he caught his breath and had some water. “That was a major concern. I’ve seen a lot of guys get hit there and some guys get really bad damage. For me it was fortunate to just be a fracture and it can heal.” (more…)

BOSTON — As you probably know by now, Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli announced today at TD Banknorth Garden that winger Michael Ryder underwent successful surgery last night to repair three small fractures in his frontal sinus.

Ryder is out of the hospital and recovering, and he’s expected to miss two to three weeks of action. He should be back to riding a bike by the end of this week.

All in all, it was positive news for Chiarelli and the Bruins.

“I just thought, based on when you hear fracture and in that area, you just figure he’d miss more,” Chiarelli said.

Ryder

WILMINGTON, Mass. — Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien revealed just minutes ago that veteran winger Michael Ryder is scheduled to have facial surgery today for the fracture he suffered last Thursday night in Ottawa.

Ryder was hit by a high stick from the Senators’ Antoine Vermette. There might be an update on Ryder later today. Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli is scheduled to update Ryder’s condition tomorrow morning.

Today in practice at Ristuccia Arena, Petteri Nokelainen filled Ryder’s spot on the line with David Krejci and Blake Wheeler. But Saturday against Philadelphia, Shawn Thornton filled that role for a stretch. We won’t  know who Julien will put in that spot against San Jose tomorrow night until game time.

“It’s always a big loss when you lose players that, obviously, are scoring goals for you and are an offensive threat but also play a big role on your team,” Julien said. “He’s just one of them. We’ve always tried to eliminate the excuses and avoid those and we’ve had guys that have stepped in since the beginning of the year and have done the job. So I don’t see why that can’t continue to happen.”

Ryder

BOSTON — Boston Bruins winger Michael Ryder, victim of a high stick by Antoine Vermette Thursday night in Ottawa, will be sidelined indefinitely due to a fracture somewhere between his eye and his nose, according to Bruins head coach Claude Julien.

“We got some bad news on his situation — it’s a small fracture. So he’s out indefinitely,” Julien told a small media assemblage just moments ago and one hour before his team takes on Philadelphia at TD Banknorth Garden. “He’s going to be looked at again on Monday and it’ll be determined … it depends whether he needs a shield or how deeply it needs to be looked into.”

Julien wouldn’t rule out anything in terms of Ryder’s future, including possible surgery.

In addition to the Ryder news, Julien said that Aaron Ward (flu-like symptoms) will sit out and Manny Fernandez will start in goal. Matt Hunwick will get the nod on the back line.

Check back after the game for complete coverage. And check out my live  blog at NESN.com during the game.

Ryder

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The Boston Bruins’ clash with the New York Islanders tonight at Nassau Coliseum marks a bit of an anniversary.

The last time the Bruins and Isles met — a TD Banknorth Garden matinee Nov. 28 won by the Bruins 7-2 — Bruins head coach Claude Julien placed Michael Ryder on the right wing of a line featuring David Krejci and Blake Wheeler on the other side for the first time in game action. That afternoon, Ryder responded with two goals (he’d scored only three on the season up to that point) and the Bruins’ second line started its ascension toward challenging for first-line status.

When asked after the Bruins’ morning skate if that was the turning point of his season, Ryder downplayed the situation.

“For me, I think early in the year I was getting chances and I wasn’t scoring. I guess Claude changed his lines around and he tried me with (Krejci) and Wheels and we just seemed to have a chemistry there and things were going well,” said Ryder, who’s tied for second on the team with Krejci with 17 goals. “From there, probably our confidence was up a little more and the puck’s been finding the back of the net.” (more…)

Fernandez

WILMINGTON, Mass. — Boston Bruins goatlender Manny Fernandez did not partake in any hockey activity today, and according to head coach Claude Julien, Fernandez remains sidelined with a “minor issue” that the coach clarified is an injury.

“It’s a minor issue that we thought would be resolved by today; might be resolved by tomorrow,”  Julien said. “He’s definitely not a scratch right now for tomorrow.”

In  Fernandez’s place, Kevin Regan made his way from Providence (AHL) on an emergency basis for his first regular-season NHL practice. (more…)