NHL playoffs 2013: Bruins spoil Toronto’s return, Sharks edge Canucks

BOSTON -- I got to TD Garden a little bit late on Wednesday night. I forgot to pack the right belt on this trip to see some playoff hockey between the Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, so an unexpected pregame stop to buy one delayed me a bit. And then I saw a Wendy’s across the street, and since chicken nuggets are good, I wound up getting in to the building about five minutes after the start of Game 1.

When you step into a building for the first game of a playoff series, you expect the crowd to be a bit more amped up than usual. This isn’t a February game against the Colorado Avalanche here. It’s Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and unlike the other team that calls the Garden home, the Bruins have a legitimate chance at winning the Eastern Conference and even the Cup again this year.

Ference sticks out his elbow and makes contact with Grabovski’s head. No penalty was called on the play.

Grabovski was able to play for the remainder of the game, recording a total of nine shifts through the first period (his highest total of the three periods played). He finished the contest with a total of 15:25 played, with his highest total coming in the third period (5:30).

It didn’t happen, though, as everything that could go wrong for an Islanders club playing its first playoff game since 2007, did.

So, where does the loss render the Islanders’ hopes of recording an upset in a rematch of the 1993 series that saw David Volek stun the Penguins in overtime of Game 7 in one of the NHL’s biggest upsets in recent memory?

After an opening night with two overtime games, Wednesday night was expected to be a little less exciting. But we didn’t expect two huge blowouts.

We started out in Pittsburgh, where the Islanders were doomed just minutes into the game.

Roberto Luongo left the net in the final minute for an extra attacker for the Canucks, but Antti Niemi put on a stunning display, holding on to the lead and stopping 29 of 30 Canucks shots on the night.

Let’s look at the questions we were trying to find answers to in this game:

The teams head into the final period tied at one, with the shots 22-21 in favor of Vancouver.

THIS is how you do competitive playoff hockey, Eastern conference. Take note.

Martin Havlat, one of San Jose’s main offensive weapons, left the game in the first and his return is questionable, according to the team. He missed San Jose’s final game of the regular season due to a non-specific injury.

More in the NHL:

The Boston Bruins struggled down the stretch at the end of the regular season, but I guess that’s why the smart hockey analysts say it doesn’t matter who is “hot” going into the playoffs. The Bruins are playing their best game in weeks, now that it actually counts. Toronto’s in trouble.

• Complete Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage

Yikes. The Islanders go into the first intermission having been completely outplayed by their rivals, and you have to wonder if they have what it takes to keep up with Pittsburgh. We shall see. The Penguins own a 2-0 lead and start the second period on the power play.

• Complete Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage

So this sequence of events is not comforting for Isles fans.

First, Iginla banked a shot off of Nabby’s noggin:

Boston outshot Toronto 15-7 in the period.

• Complete Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage

Luongo has yet to face San Jose this season, with Schneider making all three starts (0-2-1, 2.94 GAA, .902 save percentage).

Schneider was not made available to media after practice on Wednesday. It remains unclear who will act as backup.

“It’s really important.” Bozak said. “We’ve come a long way as a team the last couple of years and especially this year.

“We’ve played pretty good hockey together as a group and it would be tough to sit back and watch the most important time of the year.”

During their four-game season series, Boston recorded two regulation victories in addition to a shootout win. The Bruins outscored the Maple Leafs 10-7, but Toronto killed off all seven of their opponent’s power play opportunitieswhile converting on one of their 11 chances.

1. Will Tyler Bozak be able to take face-offs?