BOSTON - Claude Julien decided not to give his goalie a pep talk after a pratfall in the crease handed the Rangers a goal that had the potential to turn the series around.

Instead, the Bruins coach waited until after Tuukka Rask responded with 28 saves to help Boston beat New York 3-1 in Game 5 on Saturday and advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

BOSTON - Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask saw the replay of his Game 4 gaffe over and over on television.

"I saw it in my head, too," he said Friday, a day after he fell in the crease and allowed a goal that helped the New York Rangers stay alive in the Eastern Conference semifinals. "You can either cry about it or laugh about it. I choose to have a sense of humour."

DENVER - Masai Ujiri has done a masterful job of reshaping the Nuggets into a Western Conference contender ever since Carmelo Anthony forced his way out of Denver.

With nary an All-Star this season, the Nuggets won a franchise record 57 games and went an NBA-best 38-3 at home, helping Ujiri garner the NBA's Executive of the Year honour to go with George Karl's Coach of the Year award.

Now, the Nuggets reportedly might lose Ujiri.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Jonathan Quick saved his best save for the final minute, sliding deftly across his crease and snagging Joe Pavelski's shot from point-blank range to the grateful gasps of the Los Angeles Kings' sellout crowd.

Quick's imposing post-season presence only appears to be growing, and the San Jose Sharks are running out of time to figure him out.

DETROIT - Jimmy Howard kept Jonathan Toews in his misery, making three saves against the struggling star to help the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 on Thursday night in Game 4 of the second round series to put the NHL's best team during the regular season on the brink of elimination.

When Howard wasn't using his glove or pads to deny Toews, Detroit's skaters were rattling him and his teammates with a physical presence that is clearly making them uncomfortable.

DENVER - The Colorado Avalanche are rounding up the old crew to restore the downtrodden franchise.

First, Joe Sakic was given more responsibility in the front office.

And now Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy is rejoining the Avs as head coach.

Colorado reached an agreement in principle Thursday with Roy to lead the team and also serve as vice-president of hockey operations.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Chris Kreider proudly wore the Broadway Hat in the victorious New York Rangers dressing room as he tried to describe the feeling of saving his team's season.

Kreider deftly steered in a pass from Rick Nash 7:03 into overtime, and the Rangers stayed alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

OTTAWA - Daniel Alfredsson has no doubt that he and the Ottawa Senators will bring their best game to Pittsburgh and doesn’t care if anyone thinks otherwise.

Down 3-1 to the Penguins, the Senators face the prospect of elimination when their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal resume Friday night.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Daniel Paille snapped a tie with 3:31 left in the third period, and the Boston Bruins put the New York Rangers on the brink of elimination with a 2-1 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night.

Boston leads the best-of-seven series 3-0 and can advance to the conference finals as early as Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Only three teams in NHL history have rallied from an 0-3 hole to advance.

NEW YORK, N.Y. - It took 40 years for Original Six rivals Boston and New York to face off again in the playoffs.

Beantown's Bruins seem intent on wrapping up the long-awaited get-together in a hurry.