|
 But that is the regular season.
"I don't doubt that if we want to get to our ultimate goal that
we'll see them again," Montreal goaltender Carey Price said.
The Original Six franchises have met 34 times in the playoffs, most
recently last season, when the Canadiens beat the Bruins in seven
games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"Who knows what's going to happen?" said Montreal coach Michel
Therrien. "We don't know. It definitely brings some confidence, but
honestly there's still a lot of hockey to be played and we're still
a long way to the playoffs."
First-line wingers Dale Weise and Max Pacioretty both scored a goal
and set up another, and Price, who made 34 saves in the game, lost a
shutout with 4:31 left in the game on rookie right winger David
Pastrnak's fifth goal of the season.
Montreal outscored Boston 16-6 in the season series with the Bruins
scoring only two goals in the last three games.
"You can't beat a team when you aren't going to win your battles,"
said Bruins coach Claude Julien. "I don't think we made Carey
Price's night real hard."
Wiese deflected a Pacioretty shot off the post and then tapped in
his own rebound 38 seconds into the second period for his third goal
in two nights and ninth of the season.
Then, at the start of the third, Wiese, on his knees, got the puck
ahead to a wide-open Pacioretty, who beat Boston goalie Tuukka Rask
on a breakaway for his 24th goal of the season, his fourth against
the Bruins.
Wiese, who did score two goals against the Bruins in last year's
playoffs, came into this season with 19 goals in 230 career
regular-season games.
"He's such a character guy," said Price, who tied Bill Durnan for
fourth place on Montreal's all-time wins list. "He's always got his
nose in everybody's business out there. He works hard, grinds it
out, earns all the bounces that he gets. I'm really happy to see him
start getting rewarded."
Price, 21-8-3 lifetime against the Bruins, was originally credited
with another save on Pastrnak's goal. The score initially was waved
off, but a review clearly showed the puck over the line goal line
for the rookie's first in nine games.
[to top of second column] |
The Bruins then pressed for the tying goal but didn't really come
close. Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov's long, empty-net goal
sealed it with 30.5 seconds remaining.
"We understand that was a huge challenge for us tonight," said
Therrien. "The Bruins are playing really solid hockey lately and
both teams played last night.
"We find ways to win. I thought we were really solid, we were
pursuing the puck well and we put pucks on the net. We didn't try to
be fancy and that's our game.
Rask made 31 saves, but fell to 3-13-3 lifetime against the
Canadiens in the regular season.
"It was an easy game for them and it's disappointing we let it be
that way," said Boston defenseman Torey Krug. "We're sitting in
eighth place right now. We haven't been playing well the last three
games (1-2 with five goals scored)."
The Canadiens, 6-2 home winners over the New Jersey Devils on
Saturday night, moved to 7-4-1 on the back end of back-to-backs. The
Bruins, who edged the New York Islanders 2-1 Saturday night, fell to
2-6-2 in the same category, with all four of the losses to the
Canadiens coming on the second night of two in a row. Sunday marked
the first time this season the Habs had to face the Bruins on the
second half of a back-to-back.
NOTES: Bruins G Tuukka Rask got his 11th straight start. Boston
rookie G Malcolm Subban missed the chance to face his brother,
Canadiens D P.K. Subban, in what would have been Malcolm's NHL
debut. The brothers met in the hallway outside the Montreal dressing
room after the game. P.K. Subban, who had three power play assists
Saturday, played his usual strong game. ... Another snowstorm hit
the Boston area and made getting to the game difficult, but TD
Garden was almost full at game time. ... The Canadiens didn't have
to kill a penalty and have been short-handed just twice in the last
three games. ... The Canadiens host the Philadelphia Flyers on
Monday night, while the Bruins end their three-games-in-four-nights
homestand against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday before a five-game
trip west.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
