The Bruins Better Hope That They Don't See the Canadiens In the Playoffs This Season

There will always be teams and players that you struggle against consistently but the way that the Canadiens have owned the Bruins this season is some next level stuff. Montreal (34-14-3) swept Boston (28-18-7) in the four-game season series capped off by an easy 3-1 win tonight at TD Garden vs. the Bruins. It seems like no matter what the B's throw at the Canadiens, they always have the answer. Conversely, no team shatters Boston's confidence faster than Montreal, it's like clockwork every time that they play.

It has gotten so one-sided that some Bruins fans actually wanted them to start rookie goaltender Malcolm Subban (in his NHL debut) vs. his brother P.K. Yeah, because that makes sense. As usual vs. Montreal, Tuukka Rask (31 saves) wasn't the main issue. Still, there is no hiding from the depressing reality that he fell to 3-13-3 against them all-time.

After a scoreless first period, where Boston killed two penalties, the Canadiens struck first 38 seconds into the second. Dale Weise was stationed on the right post for a laser pass by Max Pacioretty. All Milan Lucic's buddy had to do was stuff it in for his ninth goal of the season, David Desharnais had the second assist.

Carey Price (34 saves) is having a spectacular year, he has to be the front-runner for the Vezina trophy since Pekka Rinne has missed so much time. You can't say the Bruins really challenged him though despite the gaudy save total. Similar to their first goal, Montreal once again found Boston to be flat-footed to open a period and like only they can, made them pay for it immediately. Two Boston defensemen collided in the offensive zone leaving Pacioretty to leak out for a breakaway. He shot the puck by Rask 56 seconds in for his team-leading 24th goal of the season and wouldn't you know that Weise had the lone assist.

The only instance of the Bruins showing any pride at all is when rookie David Pastrnak got just enough of the puck for it to go in at 15:29 of the third. The mad scramble in front of Price was reviewed and correctly called Pastrnak's fifth goal of the season. Lucic and Dougie Hamilton had the assists on the rookie's first tally since January 13.

That brief excitement finally generated for the B's lasted exactly four minutes as that's how long it took Montreal to clinch the two points with an empty-netter by Andrei Markov. His seventh goal of the season was unassisted. It's bad enough that Boston has drawn the fewest penalties in the NHL (122) but the next closest team isn't in the same area code (New Jersey, 147). That inability to get the man advantage always hurts the most when they play the Canadiens who want nothing more than to make it a special teams game (where they excel vs. big, dumb, slow Boston).

Boston hosts Dallas on Tuesday (7, NESN), their final home game before a five-game road trip to the West Coast/Canada. The Stars are not particularly good and the Bruins already beat them in Dallas (24-21-8) so might as well do it again.

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No Other Way To Say It: The Canadiens Currently Own the Bruins & Rask

This is really far away but at this rate, the Bruins have to hope that they don't see the Canadiens again in the playoffs this spring because I think we all now how that will turn out, again. Montreal (16-5-1) is currently the best team in the Eastern Conference and they also have the most points in the NHL so you could make a logical argument that they are the top team period. The Canadiens improved to 3-0 vs. the Bruins this season with a nip and tuck 2-0 shutout by Carey Price (33 saves) tonight at TD Garden that clinched the season series. Their only other meeting is February 8 back in Boston.

Montreal snapped a six-game home win streak for Boston and they've outscored the Bruins by an aggregate score of 13-5 this season. This was one of those wins that felt way more dominant than the final score and shots on goal total (33-23 in favor of the B's) would indicate. The Bruins could have played for 180 minutes against Price without scoring a single goal, it was that pathetic. Of course, David Krejci, Brad Marchand and Zdeno Chara being out doesn't help but injuries happen so there is no point dwelling on them for too long.

The scary thing is that Tuukka Rask (21 saves) played about as well as he ever does against Montreal but he still fell short. In his career, he fell to 3-12-3 vs. the Canadiens which is baffling. This loss clearly wasn't his fault since the Bruins should be able to muster a couple goals at home, even in a back-to-back.

Montreal came in with the No. 27 power play in the league which is shocking, especially after Andrei Markov's seeing-eye shot from the point went through countless bodies in front and by Rask at 11:37 of the first period. It was the seventh time in the last nine games that Boston had allowed the first goal, not a trend that you want to see continue. Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Plekanec had the assists on Markov's second goal of the season.

The Canadiens doubled their lead midway through the second period at 8:59 when Plekanec was on the doorstep to sweep in a rebound. Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk had the assists. Boston tried to get some energy by fighting (Gregory Campbell vs. Dale Weise in the first period and Torey Krug vs. Galchenyuk in the third), something that even they rarely do anymore but that did nothing to noticeably spark them.

Chris Kelly was a late scratch for the B's as well with an injury picked up last night in Columbus which meant that Matthew Lindblad was forced to make his NHL debut. Boston wants to get all these young guys experience in the NHL but not at the same time while they're trying to stay afloat.

The Bruins have one final game before their Thanksgiving break: they host Pittsburgh (13-4-2) on Monday (7, NESN). The Penguins are off to their usual superb start but unlike the Habs, Boston typically has their number. We'll see if that holds true this time with so many important players out for Boston. That will be the first time that they meet this season.

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Canadiens Outlast Bruins 6-5 In Wild Shootout Victory At TD Garden

A game like tonight, as entertaining as it was, is further proof of why I hope the Bruins don't meet the Canadiens in the playoffs this spring. Boston gets sucked into Montreal's weasel game and it takes them out of their normal style (physical, defensive, rolling four lines). The Canadiens won 6-5 in a shootout at TD Garden to take control of the Northeast Division (the teams both had 45 points before the game).

Boston (21-7-4) fell behind 2-0 before rallying for a 4-2 lead in the second period but Montreal (21-7-5) outscored them 3-1 in the third period, survived overtime and Brendan Gallagher netted the only goal in six rounds of the shootout. The B's finished 6-2-0 at home in March, the catch is that both losses were to the Canadiens.

Michael Ryder scored on a one-timer in the first period to give the Habs a 1-0 lead then P.K. Subban added one of his patented lasers that Tuukka Rask (23 saves) had no chance to stop early in the second period. Dougie Hamilton scored his fourth goal of the season, 32 seconds after Subban's tally. Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron had the assists. Brad Marchand (14th goal of season) tied it at two after great hustle, he followed his own rebound with Bergeron and Seguin providing the assists at 7:23. You knew the B's were rolling when Bergeron made it 4-2 thanks to a power-play goal at 17:01 from Rich Peverley and Torey Krug (called up today).

Ryder struck again, early in the third period, on another one-timer but Seguin appeared to wrap it up with a beautiful backhander at 11:50 from Marchand and Bergeron. Gallagher got the lucky bounces started for Montreal as he scored after no joke he shot it off Dennis Seidenberg's face then swept the rebound past Rask who was out of position. The Canadiens took advantage of a silly rule that needs to be changed as Andrei Markov was credited with a power play when there was only 8.2 seconds left in regulation. Aaron Johnson had mistakenly deflected the puck into the crowd in his own end. That was bad enough but the goal was deflected off Chara's stick past Rask.

Boston dominated in most facets: shots on goal (41-28), hits (33-21) and faceoff wins (44-26) but they couldn't find the game-winner in overtime and then all six shooters were stopped by Peter Budaj (14 saves). Carey Price (22 saves) started but got pulled after the second period, Budaj earned the win by only allowing one goal with nothing in overtime or even the shootout.

These teams meet one more time, on Saturday, April 6 in Montreal, before the playoffs begin. As it stands, Montreal leads the season series 2-1. For the first time in over a month, the exhausted B's get two days in a row without a game. Next, we'll see them in Philadelphia on Saturday (1:00 p.m., NESN) taking on the Flyers (13-17-2, 5th in Atlantic Division) who have been one of the NHL's biggest disappointments.

UPDATE 3/29: Torey Krug was sent back to Providence which means that Johnny Boychuk should be back in the lineup tomorrow against the Flyers.

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