Peverley Continues Stanley Cup Quest With Bruins

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Photos from Yahoo Sports

Jacques Martin (left) and Rich Peverley (49) were on opposite benches in round one.

May 10: St. Lawrence graduate Rich Peverley continues in his quest to help the Boston Bruins bring home a Stanley Cup as the Bruins will open the third round of playoffs against Tampa Bay on May 14.

The Saints had a strong presence in the first round as the Montreal Canadiens and Bruins squared off with the Bruins eventually advancing. Canadiens chairman of the board and team owner Geoff Molson is a 1992 graduate of St. Lawrence and played junior varsity hockey while a student in Canton, Canadiens coach Jacques Martin was a goaltender for the Saints, graduating in 1975 and on the Bruins side, 2004 graduate and captain Peverley, a three-time scoring leader for the Saints during his undergraduate career.

Martin began his coaching career with the Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey League and served a brief stint as head coach of the St. Louis Blues in the NHL. He was an assistant coach for the Quebec Nordique before becoming head coach of the Ottawa Senators, winning the Northeast Division three times and the President's Trophy once. He was the Jack Adams Award winner as top NHL coach in 1999. He coached the Florida Panthers from 2004-2008 and was named head coach of the Canadiens in June of 2009.

Martin and the Canadiens won the first two games of the series with Boston and Peverley, but Boston came back  to win the series and Peverley scored his first career playoff goal in the second period of a 4-2 game three win. He assisted on the game tying goal in game four and set up the game-winner 1:59 into overtime as Boston evened the series with a 5-4 win.The Bruins went to to beat Philadelphia in the second round and Peverley will take a playoff total of a goal and five assists in 11 games into the Tampa Bay series.

Peverley began his professional career in the East Coast Hockey League and led the Milwaukee Admirals (American Hockey League) in points before being signed to a NHL contract by the Nashville Predators. He was claimed off waiver by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009 and was traded in February to the Bruins. Heading into the playoffs he has played 276 career NHL games with 60 goals and 91 assists for 151 points.

Other former Saints involved in the NHL playoffs included Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero, whose team lost to Tampa Bay and broadcasters Dan Rousanowsky ‘83 and Jamie Baker '89, captain of the 1989 team, who are calling the San Jose Sharks' Stanley Cup run.