Rangers Coach John Tortorella Has Concord Roots

The fiery New York coach and CCHS Hall of Famer will lead his team against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Game 1 is tonight, May 16, at the TD Garden.

  He’s told the Caps to stop whining and admonished reporters over their questions, and now John Tortorella’s postseason ride brings his New York Rangers to Boston, to take on the Bruins in the NHL’s Eastern Conference semifinals. It’s the first time the two Original Six squads have faced each other in the postseason since Bobby Orr was in black-and-gold, but there’s a definite familiarity between the two sides. And it runs deeper than their being Eastern Conference rivals. Tonight’s game—the puck drops at 7:30 p.m. at the TD Garden—will be a homecoming of sorts for Tortorella, the fiery Rangers coach, who attended Concord-Carlisle High. His team topped the B’s twice in three games this season, and Tortorella told the Globe he sees no …

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Call of Duty

Concord dispatcher Terry Gardner thought he’d spend his off-day watching Bruins practice at Ristuccia Arena, but he ended up helping save a man’s life.

The way it normally works, another sentence would have been said before Terry Gardner got involved. But this wasn’t a normal workday. In fact, it wasn’t a workday at all. So when the Concord Police dispatcher heard “Somebody call 911,” he forgot about the action on the ice and immediately ran to the back of the bleachers to see what he could do.   “When you’re called and have to respond there’s kind of that second to collect your thoughts; it’s kind of different to be on the spot like that,” Gardner said. “I’m pleasantly surprised I didn’t freeze. Once you’re in there, the training takes over and you kind of zone out.” It was Thursday, Jan. 17. Gardner and a few friends were Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington to watch the Boston Bruins tuning …

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'Seconds Really Count' as Man Saved Inside Ristuccia

An off duty member of the Concord Police Department joined Wilmington police and firefighters in saving a man's life at Bruins practice on Thursday.

Terry Gardner was at Ristuccia Arena with a few of his friends to watch the Boston Bruins take the ice for practice. But he was hard at work before long. Gardner was among the group of on and off duty emergency personnel who saved the life of a man who had a cardiac episode in the stands on Thursday morning. Bruins players, who had just taken the ice in Wilmington, took a knee along the boards in front of the benches and watch as several professionally trained first responders rushed into the stands and used a defibrillator to shock the man back to consciousness. Gardner, who said he works for the Concord Police and Littleton Fire departments, thought he was off duty when he came to Ristuccia to take in the practice session. He was sitting…

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Are You Excited For The NHL to Come Back?

There's going to be NHL hockey this season after all. Are you excited to watch some games or could you care less?

The National Hockey League lockout tentatively came to an end over the weekend, which means that before long we'll be seeing Boston Bruins action and beyond that, Stanley Cup playoffs. In the past 21 years, the NHL has seen four strikes or lockouts that disrupted all or parts of a season. Some may say that at least in the case of this particular league, it feels like there's been even more of them. Two years ago, Boston fans were anticipating their first Stanley Cup season in over three decades. More recently, the idled team has been something of an afterthought in a city that also has the Patriots, Red Sox and Celtics. Yes, many of us love the Bruins. We take pride in their Original Six status and the heroes of seasons past. But the NHL? …

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PatchCast

PatchCast: Remembering 9/11, a New School and the Stanley Cup Comes to Town

A video roundup of the area's latest developments for Thursday, Sept. 8

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PatchCast

PatchCast: Bruins Camp, a Book Deal and Harry Potter Mania

A video roundup of the area's latest developments for Wednesday, July 13.

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PatchCast

PatchCast: New Officers, No Cell Tower and a Cup Campaign

A video roundup of the area's latest developments for Friday, June 17.

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Question of the Day: Will You Attend Saturday's Bruins Parade?

A victory parade will be celebrated in Boston on Saturday.

We're asking Concord Patch readers a different question every weekday. Questions could range from local decisions made by officials, to state issues, to national politics and entertainment. Whatever it is, we want to know what CONCORD thinks! To answer, use our comments section below. Today's questions relates to last night's historic Stanley Cup victory by the Boston Bruins. We ask you, Patch reader, will you attend Saturday's championship parade in Boston? Let us know your answer in the comment section below.

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Patch Picks

Question of the Day: Where are You Watching the Bruins Tonight?

Ideas for prime seating for the series, in and around Concord.

Hockey fans in Concord have plenty to cheer about with the Bruins playing in the Stanley Cup, especially in Game 7! But where does one go to watch the big game? If you plan to be in front of a television for the drop of the puck, below is our list of Patch Picks, so far. Feel free to leave your own destination in the comment section below.

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