Boston Bruins Shutout Montreal Canadiens 7-0 at Home –NHL Update
It was the sixth and final meeting between the two rivals, Boston and Montreal. Bruins finished off the series in a strong way, shutting down Canadiens by 7-0 on Thursday at the sold-out TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
Leading NHL goalie, Tim Thomas, made 24 spectacular saves to make this his 25th career shutout and an all time high for him, eighth of the season.
Carey Price opened up the match for Montreal, nearing the playoffs he seems to be slowing down more and more.
He is 2-5 in his last seven games and was replaced by Alex Auld with a little over 15 minutes left in the game.
Price allowed five goals on 33 shot attempts while Auld stopped six of eight.
Both teams seemed to hold a grudge against each other because the last time they met on March 8, it wasn’t all fun and games.
Boston’s captain, Zdeno Chara, made a hit on Max Pacioretty which sent him to the hospital with a neck fracture and severe concussion.
The NHL didn’t charge him in any way as he wasn’t a repeat offender, but Canadiens and their fans had different feelings for Chara.
Pacioretty hasn’t returned since he took the hit and is recovering at the moment, but is expected to play in the playoffs.
"I don't know if there were any scores to be settled," Boston forward Shawn Thornton said. "We came to play. All the other stuff didn't matter. We did a good job all week staying away from all the bull."
Johnny Boychuk, Gregory Campbell and Nathan Horton scored three consecutive goals during the first period, the first two assisted by Zdeno Chara.
The second period might have remained scoreless for both teams but it certainly wasn’t boring.
Both, Bruins and Canadiens, roughed each other real good, giving over 20 penalty minutes combined.
"Typical Montreal and Boston,” said TD Garden General Manager Hugh Lombardi, who made sure that security was especially tight during their match. "We like to make sure we're on our toes."
Nathan Horton scored his second of the night and helped David Krejci pick up his third assist.
Adam McQuaid gave Chara and Milan Lucic their third assists of the night when he extended the lead to 5-0, adding another one 26 seconds after Horton’s.
Tomas Kaberle got his first goal as a Bruin, 11:27 into the third, while Gregory Campbell added the final and his second of the match, shorthanded by a 3-on-5 disadvantage.
Montreal still has a long way to go before they can reach Bruins’ playoff position in the East.
They sit in sixth place with 87 points and if both teams remain in the same places they are in right now, then they’ll face each other in the first round of the playoffs, which will be a very exciting series to watch.
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