Some funny bounces and a fight have the Bruins leading the Avalanche, 2-1, after one in Denver on Saturday.

The Avalanche jumped out to an early lead on a flukey Paul Stastny goal that bounced off Dennis Seidenberg before going in.

Brad Marchand tied the game at 9:20. A Mark Recchi pass deflected off an Avalanche player before making its way to the front of the net, where Marchand was trying to outmuscle Ryan O’Byrne. The puck appeared to hit O’ Byrne’s skate before Marchand sent it past Craig Anderson for his 11th goal of the season.

O’Byrne did further damage to the Avalanche’s case Saturday when he sent the puck over the glass in his own zone, landing him a costly delay of game penalty. With the B’s on the power play, David Krejci fired a shot off the end boards that bounced in front. Anderson was unable to control it, and Milan Lucic flew in to send it past the Avalanche netminder for his career-high 18th goal of the season. Recchi got the secondary assist, giving him a pair of helpers in the period.

O’Byrne would take another penalty when he went off at 15:51 for roughing Gregory Campbell. The B’s went 1-for-2 on the power play. They were not shorthanded in the first period.

The lone fight of the period was between Campbell and Cody McLeod following Stastny’s goal. The bout itself was non-eventful, though it accomplished Campbell’s objective of shifting the momentum in the Bruins’ favor. The B’s controlled the tempo of the period from there, scoring both their goals and rattling off a 12-0 shots on goal stretch.

One interesting but ultimately not too surprising bit is that Mark Stuart is a healthy scratch, allowing Adam McQuaid into the lineup. While such a scenario would seem suspicious earlier in the year, Claude Julien is simply giving all seven defensemen — who have played well — an opportunity to get ice time without missing long stretches.

Mike Milbury

NESN and NBC Sports NHL analyst Mike Milbury made his weekly appearance on the Dale & Holley show Wednesday to talk about the Bruins. To hear the interview, go to the Dale & Holley audio on demand page.

Milbury said this is the best he’s seen Patrice Bergeron play. “[He's] seeing the ice, quick to the puck, totally unafraid, does all the little things right, good on the draws, goes to the front of the net, sees the ice well — there’s nothing to not like about his game,” Milbury said.

The lack of production from the first line is a concern to Milbury. “[Nathan] Horton, [Marc] Savard and [Milan] Lucic have got to find a way to put points on the board,” he said. “They’ve been winning a whole bunch of games without a lot of support from those three guys. Listen, there’s no getting around, it’s their top line. And if your top line isn’t producing the way you expect it to, you’re going to run into problems sooner or later.

“The flip side of that is, because of the balance that they now have, they’re able to do it while the first line finds their rhythm.”

Of Horton, Milbury said. “He’s yet to get fully engaged in the game on a regular basis. By that I mean hustle to loose pucks, work really hard to get there. I’ve seen him fight and he can really go, so I know he’s not afraid. But the point is — and this is the common catchword — there’s got to be more urgency to his game. He’s got to want it more. He’s got to fight for loose pucks a little bit more. He’s got to be a little bit more reckless in his game. Until he gets that, his progress is going to be checked, in my opinion.”

Meanwhile, Milbury likes what he’s seeing from the fourth line. “The Bruins have as good a fourth line as there is in the game right now with [Brad] Marchand, [Gregory] Campbell and Shawn Thornton,” Milbury said. “[Campbell] plays hard every night. He’s a coach’s dream, because you know what you’re going to get shift after shift.”

As for Marchand, Milbury said: ”He uses his assets, which are his feet, and a little bit of grit to get where he needs to go. … We talk about Horton and engaging and getting the most out of what you’ve got. Well, this kid is getting all of what he can give and then some.”

Looking at the Eastern Conference, Milbury said, “I still think Pittsburgh is the team to beat, and Philly second.”

As for the Bruins, “It’s still a team that I think has yet to hit its full stride,” Milbury said. “But things have changed now for the Bruins. [Tuukka] Rask is back in the picture, [Tim] Thomas is still playing incredibly well, the defense is starting to act like it can jump into the offense or produce when it comes to getting shots on goal, and you’ve got three lines, at least right now, that are playing I think well enough to win on most nights — and they are winning on most nights. If they can ever get that first line humming, they’ve got to be be a strong candidate to come out of the Eastern Conference.”

The Bruins beat the Hurricanes, 3-2, Tuesday night to grab their second win over Carolina in as many days.

Milan Lucic took a pass from Mark Recchi on the power play at 11:49 of the third period with the game tied at two and sent a wrist-shot past Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward to secure the game-winning goal. The Bruins also got goals from Johnny Boychuk and Brad Marchand in the first and third periods, respectively.

Tim Thomas made a season-high 43 saves as the Hurricanes put 45 shots on goal. Carolina got goals from Jussi Jokinen and Tuomo Ruutu.

The Bruins went 2-for-5 on the power play while killing off four of their five penalties. They will return to the Garden to face the Sabres on Thursday.

WHAT WENT RIGHT FOR THE BRUINS

- Thomas carried the Bruins throughout the night, but the second period stood out for the Vezina favorite. The Hurricanes outshot the B’s, 19-9 in the second, and on the night, Thomas made a season-high 43 saves. Thirty-seven were made in the first two periods.

- After initially being credited, having the goal taken away, and being credited once again, Boychuk finally has his first goal of the season in his 36th game. Boychuk had five in 51 games for the B’s last season.

- Lucic scored his first goal in the last 13 games when he put the B’s up, 3-2, on the power play. He continues to lead the Bruins with 17 goals.

- The members of the Wheeler-Campbell-Thornton were strong for the B’s, as Wheeler drew an elbowing penalty from Tuomo Ruutu and the line’s pressure late in the second period forced the Hurricanes to flip it over the glass in their own zone for a delay of game penalty.

- The Bruins weren’t handed too many opportunities in the second period, so they took advantage when handed one in the third. Following an icing by the Hurricanes, Mark Recchi won the face-off and Zdeno Chara threw a shot on Ward from the point, with Marchand scoring on the rebound.

WHAT WENT WRONG FOR THE BRUINS

- Despite Marchand scoring and drawing a gift penalty from Eric Staal, he had a regrettable hooking penalty in the first period. With the B’s leading, 1-0, Marchand whiffed on a puck from right around the hashmarks, and as the play went the other way, he hooked Ian White to put the Hurricanes on the man advantage. It was on his power play that Jokinen tied it up at one.

- Nathan Horton still has just one goal over his last 16 games, as he was robbed in the second period when Ward picked his wrist-shot from the slot.

Horton, who has struggled to consistently get pucks on net, tied for the Bruins’ lead with four shots on goal on Tuesday. He had just one on Monday.

The Bruins and Hurricanes find themselves knotted at one after Marc Savard and Jussi Jokinen scored in the first period Monday night at RBC Center.

Though Jokinen did the damage against the B’s, he also helped their case when he tripped Zdeno Chara just 17 seconds into the game to set up Boston’s first power play.

Johnny Boychuk thought he had his first goal of the season when, with Jokinen in the box, Boychuk sent a shot from the point past Cam Ward. The goal was later changed to Savard’s, who appeared to have tipped it.

With less than 20 seconds left in a hooking penalty to Brad Marchand, Blake Wheeler tried skating the puck out of the zone but had it stolen near the blueline. That cost the Bruins after Jokinen sent a rebound off an Eric Staal shot past Tim Thomas.

Each team took two penalties in the period, with the Bruins potentially taking a third, as it appeared Thomas was called for roughing at the end of the period. They’ll begin the second period down a man.

The B’s are being outshot, 19-11. Thomas looked good ast the Hurricanes picked it up in the second half of the period, and over the course of the first made a couple of big kick saves on Sergei Samsonov and Erik Cole.

It was only fitting that Patrice Bergeron had to record his first career hat trick twice.

After all, when you’ve waited seven years and 418 games, what’s another 10 minutes and 57 seconds? When the puck deflected off Sergei Gonchar‘s skate and past Brian Elliot at 14:07 of the second period, everyone assumed it was Bergeron who tipped it home. It was actually Brad Marchand who took the centering shot and it hit off Gonchar’s skate, never reaching Bergeron before it slid past Elliot.

“To be honest, I know we were both battling in front and it hit something, for sure, a skate, and Marchy told me it hit my skate so I thought I had it, but to be honest I didn’t know. I wasn’t sure.”

Still, it was announced in the building as Bergeron and the hats came raining down. Then, as fans were making their way out of their seats at the end of the second period, it was announced that the goal was changed to Marchand, meaning Bergy stood at two goals on the evening.

“It was funny, because, after the second, everyone was congratulating me about the hat trick, then it came back and, you know, ‘Hey it’s not yours, it’s Marchy’s’, and everyone was saying that ‘It’s only your first one?’, since I’ve played, so, I guess I wanted to get the last goal,” Bergeron said with a smile.

So, as the Bruins were cruising to a 6-0 romp over the Senators, Marchand made good on a promise to find him in the third period to make good and finally get Bergeron his first three-goal game in the NHL and his first since Juniors.

“It was disappointing that they took that goal away from him,” Marchand said. “I think there was a 2-on-1 there I tried to get it to him also. It is great he finally got there with a beautiful shot.”

Marchand came down the left wing and found Bergeron in the corner. Bergeron came out to the bottom of the circle and fired a shot that beat back-up goalie Mike Brodeur – in his second NHL appearance – and Bergeron finally had his hat trick.

“Everyone’s leaving the building with no hats on, so yeah, I guess I wanted to get it, because I guess everyone threw their hats on the ice. To be honest, I never really thought about it. You know, I don’t really stop and think about those kind of individual goals, but it’s always nice to have it out of the way.

Bergeron is one of the hottest players in the NHL, with five goals in his last three games and 17 points in his last 13 games.

“Our forecheck has been a lot better, we’re in sync as a line a little but more,” Bergeron said. “You know, I thought we were doing good things, also, before, but it’s just I think the puck wasn’t going in and now it is, so you know, obviously, you’ve got to take it, and go with it.

“But obviously, I’m trying to bring as much as I can for our team to win, you know, and if we get some success as a team, so, now we have a stretch here before the All-Star break, you know, and we obviously want to get some points.”

The Bruins opened up a 5-0 goal lead in the second period with some scoring, some fighting, and hundreds of hats thrown prematurely.

Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and Tyler Seguin all scored in the period. Bergeron’s second goal of the game came when he banged one past Brian Elliot point-blank at 2:50. He was believed to have recorded the third goal of his perceived hat trick at 14:07, but after fans showered the ice with hats and the play was reviewed, it was determined that the puck went off Sergei Gonchar’s skate and it was credited to Marchand. Seguin picked up his seventh goal of the season just over a minute later.

The period also featured a couple of fights. Nathan Horton dropped the gloves with Jesse Winchester and the two seemed to still have words from each others’ respective penalty box. Shawn Thornton went with Matt Carnker at 10:26.

Andrew Ference has the only minor penalty of the period, and through two periods, the Bruins have not had a power play. The Bruins are outshooting Ottawa, 27-22. The shutout remains intact for Tim Thomas.

Canadiens defenseman James Wisniewski has five points in four games since being acquired from the Islanders. (AP)

First place in the Northeast division is on the line as the Bruins (21-12-6) take on the Canadiens (22-16-3) at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. The Habs have taken both of the contests between the rival teams thus far this season, with Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas taking losses on Nov. 11 and Dec. 16, respectively.

The Bruins are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Wild at the Garden on Thursday. It was their first regulation loss since being blanked by the Ducks on Dec. 20.

WHERE IT’S AT

- The Canadiens are 13-5-3 at the Bell Centre, and their 29 home points are second only to the Capitals’ 33 in the Eastern conference. Following their Dec. 16 4-3 win over the B’s, they spent seven games on the road and have returned to Montreal with an overtime loss to the Thrashers on Sunday and a shootout win over the Penguins on Thursday.

- While this game features one of the league’s best home teams, it also features one of the best road teams in the Bruins. The B’s 12-5-3 road mark is among the best in the conference, as only the Flyers and Rangers have more points (29 apiece) on the road this season.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

- New Habs defenseman James Wisniewski has five points — two goals and three assists — in four games since joining the Canadiens. He was a minus-18 with the Islanders this season, but playing for a winning team has changed that a bit. Wisniewski hasn’t posted a negative rating in any of his games with Montreal since being acquired from New York for second and fifth-round picks.

- Who would have thought that Steven Kampfer would be the hottest Bruins scorer over the last five games? The rookie defenseman has scored the first three goals of his career over the span, including a second-period tally against the Wild in which he sent a rebound from a Patrice Bergeron shot past Jose Theodore.

STORYLINES GOING IN

- There’s no bigger story than what this game means in the standings. The B’s have been in first place since beating the Panthers back on Dec. 27. Since then, they have opened a three-point lead in the Northeast and seen it shrink to one point. The the Bruins have played have played multiple games less than most of the other teams in the Eastern conference, the fact that their division-leading 48 points is worse than those of six other teams in the conference should be eye-opening enough to illustrate how important winning the division is to being in a good spot when the playoffs roll around.

- Will Nathan Horton play? Claude Julien called the winger day-to-day after he left Friday’s practice early with what the coach would only describe as “discomfort.”

[UPDATE: Horton is not expected to play, as Julien told reporters Saturday that he is "very unlikely" to go.]

If Horton plays, it seems he will do so on a new line. Julien flip-flopped Horton and Michael Ryder, meaning Horton is with Blake Wheeler and David Krejci, while Ryder will play with Milan Lucic on a line centered by Marc Savard.

- Though he has battled his way in and out of the lineup as a healthy scratch this season, Habs rookie defenseman P.K. Subban has been a pain in the Bruins’ you-know-what. The 21-year-old Toronto native scored his first career goal back on Nov. 11 at the Garden and most recently laid a crushing hit on Brad Marchand that led to the winger leaving the following game vs. Washington and then missing the next three.

(You can brush up on your French with the feed.)

- This is a bear of a stretch for the B’s, as their four games following Saturday includes two games against the Penguins and one against the Flyers. It’s one their schedule’s toughest stretches of the season (they’ve got another one coming up in February that includes games against the Stars, Sharks, Habs, and Red Wings) and a good test of how far this team has come since snapping out of its mid-December funk.