It’s Montreal at Boston, the 28-16-7 Canadiens in the red “official” uniform and the 29-20-2 Bruins in their 1970-71 through 2002-03 white, as Commissioner Bettman has encouraged/endorsed reverse-sweater and color-vs.-color nights (when there is effective contrast).
Sam Montembeault in net for Montreal and Jeremy Swayman for Boston. Jakub Dobes on the bench for the Canadiens with former Boston College star Jacob Fowler back in Laval (AHL).
FIRST PERIOD
Even the in-between stuff is fun and nervous in a game like this – it has a playoff feel.
Cole Caulfield gets Montreal on the board first. sliding behind the Bruins defense, which was caught watching a bouncing puck, and beating Swayman at 6:36 of the first.
The Bruins are struggling to make the second pass (the one through the middle of the rink). The Canadiens are doing an excellent job thus far reading and covering those routes. Their positioning and quickness have caused some clean turnovers but more often a general disruption. The Bruins have no rhythm. In that sense, it feels a lot like a playoff game.
Andrew Peeke is tripped by Zachary Bolduc, who earlier caught Mark Kastelic in an awkward collision. Kastelic did not show discomfort, but he did move slowly to the Boston bench.
Bruins to the powerplay at 9:28 of the first period, the first penalty of the game.
Elias Lindholm has Morgan Geekie alone in front with an open side, but Geekie flubs the attempt to one-time the puck. Geekie had shown signs over the past week that his slump is over and it’s just a matter of opportunity to begin scoring with regularity once again, but that play looked like a player struggling with his confidence. It could be a byproduct of the general tension in this matchup. Montreal looks more ready to play this game than the Bruins do, and that includes all the hockey played before Caulfield scored.
Montreal gets the kill. The teams come together behind the Boston net for some unpleasantries but only briefly (first signs that this could get nasty). Right now, the focus is on the two points.
The only play on Boston’s side that showed some ferocity was Jonathan Aspirot’s check on Oliver Kapanen that almost put the Montreal centerman in the Bruins’ bench.
One highlight from an otherwise-nervous-looking powerplay was Charlie McAvoy’s dart across from the right point to the left halfwall to contest a loose puck that leveraged a rushed clearing attempt that the Bruins were able to keep in the attacking zone. Great play by McAvoy.
Kirby Dach tries to bully Jonathan Aspirot in the slot, Aspirot engages, they fight, Dach on ends on top, both to their dressing rooms.
Bolduc and Jake Evans are around the right post with Swayman down and stretched to the max – the puck stays out with 1:05 left in the first period.
The Canadiens have a 6-2 shots advantage with 37.8 seconds left in the opening period. They are playing well and making the Bruins work to get through the middle of the ice.
In the final seconds, David Pastrnak has a chance from the slot, the crowd screams, the horn blows, but the officials’ arms are extended to signal no-goal. Pastrnak’s shot rang the right post.
That would have been a steal after a period of hockey dominated by Montreal. The Bruins are fortunate to be down just one.
SECOND PERIOD
Noah Dobson to the penalty box 25 seconds into the second, and Pastrnak rings the left post (the crossbar is on notice).
Second unit ties the score with 41 seconds left on Dobson’s minor, as Viktor Arvidsson scores at 1″45 and it’s a 1-1 game.
Josh Anderson thought he had a breakaway with Aspirot caught planted near the blue line, but the play was whistled offside.
Pavel Zacha to the box for tripping Juraj Slafkovsky at 6:30 of the second. Montreal goes to the powerplay. Shame, but the line probably stayed out too long. Casey Mittelstadt had an excellent shift, hustling back to intercept a breakout play after his own chance had gone by the boards.
Prior to, important hit by Alex Steeves on Lane Hutson.
Caulfield converts, this time from a sharp angle. The Bruins had tried to make a similar play to Pastrnak on their recent powerplay, but Caulfield is $$$ tonight, and it’s 2-1 Montreal at 8:37 of the second period.
Kaiden Guhle goes to the box for high-sticking Sean Kuraly. Bruins to the powerplay at 9:02.
Mike Matheson jumps to take off with a puck Montreal was contesting with McAvoy at the right point. Swayman makes the save on Matheson, and McAvoy fires a long pass to Pastrnak at the blue line. He skips a pass to himself across the middle and feeds back across – Geekie has an open net. It’s a weird but spectacular, powerplay goal at 9:46 of the second period, and the score is 2-2.
We’re halfway through this one, and while it still feels like it’s been Montreal’s game all the way, shots are only 12-9 now, and the Bruins are very much in it and yet to find their own rhythm at 5v5. It certainly hasn’t been there shift to shift.
The Bruins miss out on two giant chances: McAvoy makes a beautiful rush and feeds Zacha, but Montembeault reads it and gets his pad on Zacha’s ice-bound attempt; Aspirot then has daylight and forward momentum in the slot and goes for a deep pass to the corner.
Jake Evans will probably be fined for embellishment in a couple of days, but Pastrnak takes the interference penalty at 12:09 and Montreal has a powerplay opportunity.
Caulfield is on fire and scores again from a tough angle, as the Canadiens retake the lead, 3-2, at 13:29 of the second period. Swayman had made two good saves, including a tricky one in tight, prior to the goal.
Lost in the shuffle was Andrew Peeke’s strong elimination of Ivan Demidov behind the Boston net. Plays like that one are what the Bruins need to be formidable at even strength.
Nikita Zadorov was injured (right leg) when he tried to fight through a Bolduc hit and landed awkwardly and heavily on his right-skate toe as that leg was caught underneath his weight late in the second period.
Arber Xhekaj caught Tanner Jeannot with a big hit. Jeannot threw him off but avoided crossing the line, then threw his own hard hit on Kapanen behind the Montreal net.
The Bruins pick it up, McAvoy especially, and some close calls at the Montreal net.
Other end: Swayman stop with 27.3 seconds left in the period as Montreal tries to create breathing room on the scoreboard.
Second period comes to an end with the Canadiens ahead, 3-2, but this game’s outcome suddenly pales in comparison to the potential ramifications of Zadorov’s injury.
Henri Jokiharju, who had returned to the team following a short, personal leave of absence, was once again a healthy scratch, but it’s now likely the Finnish right shot will return to the lineup Monday night in New York against the Rangers.
Shots through two periods: 16-13 Habs
THIRD PERIOD
Zadorov is back.
Offense is hard to come by for both teams, but Fraser Minten made a pretty maneuver to keep the puck in the Montreal zone, avoid offsides, weave his way from the left halfwall out to the right point and threaten an offensive play, deking Josh Anderson en route. The young centerman continues to impress with his … cliche alert… hockey IQ.
McAvoy with a nice defensive read. Bruins get the kill.
TD Garden chanting for a comeback. One-goal game, still got 8:15 on the game clock.
Peeke narrowly escapes another minor the moment he steps over the boards, as the puck was coming and he wasn’t yet eligible to participate. He backed up but wound up joining the fray without a call.
Minten ties the game on the backhand from the slot, 3-3, with 6:05 left. Kastelic drove the net, may have screened Montembeault, may have impaired the goalie’s vision with his spray of ice on the hard stop in front.
Eight seconds later, it’s Alexandre Carrier to the box for holding. Bruins to the powerplay with 5:57 remaining, and the complexion of this game has completely changed.
Elias Lindholm draws the faceoff back to McAvoy, who slides it across to Geekie for a one-time rocket that disappears from sight. The Bruins point to the puck under the apron, the Bruins celebrate, the fans celebrate. It’s a PPG, so two Boston goals in 15 seconds, and the Bruins now lead the game 4-3 with 5:53 left.
Bolduc just tried to push Lohrei into Swayman as he tied up the puck after making a save. Bolduc lost his stick, so after the whistle Lohrei tried to pry it off the ice back to his assailant. Lohrei has a lot to learn about this rivalry, and the NHL has been no help with its balanced schedule. Playoff matchups are the only thing standing in the way of extinction.
Martin St. Louis takes his one and only with 2:36 remaining in regulation.
Montembeault to the bench for a sixth attacker. The Bruins ice it. Despite taking an unwise icing in the final minute from center ice, the Bruins hang on. Hugh victory tonight for the B’s, who will take their momentum to Madison Square Garden for Monday night’s tilt against the tanking Rangers.
Key defensive effort by Mittelstadt against the talent Matheson at the right point.
Drive safely, stay warm, bread and milk, you know the drill.
Rink Rap with Mick Colageo 