Montreal Canadiens edge past Boston Bruins, 2-1: NHL Play-off Recap
Michael Cammalleri scored a goal and added an assist, as the Montreal Canadiens held on for a 2-1 victory against the Boston Bruins in Game 7 in their Eastern Conference quarter-final
series, at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night.
Brian Gionta also hit the net for Montreal, which has won 24 play-offs out of 33 against Boston. Carey Price was solid between the pipes, making 31 saves in the winning effort.
"We were just battling to keep it out of our net in the third," said Price. "When it came down to it, we had a bunch of guys blocking shots tonight. We did everything we had to do to win
the game. We are going to carry what we had into the next one."
Dennis Seidenberg found the back of the net while Tim Thomas turned away 25 shots for Boston, which had won three consecutive in the series after losing Games 1 and 2 at home and has never
won a best-of-seven series after falling behind 2-0.
"Our power play is struggling lately," said the Bruins' forward, Patrice Bergeron. "They won the game tonight because of their power play. We have to make sure we find a way and bear down.
It all comes down to one game so you have to make sure you're ready and play desperate."
The Canadiens got on the board first on the first power-play of the game. It happened so when Cammalleri sent the puck toward the Bruins’ bench and Boston received a bench minor for too
many men on the ice about nine minutes into the game. Just six seconds later, Seidenberg gave Montreal an extended 5-on-3 advantage.
P.K. Subban then brought the puck around the perimeter and swept it from the left circle to the top of the right, where Cammalleri ripped a one-timer past Thomas’ glove and inside the
near post.
Price stopped 10 shots in the opening period to keep the Boston off the board.
Seidenberg drew the Bruins even 1-1 just 48 seconds into the second period, when he held control of the puck behind the Canadiens' net, came out and used a wrap-around from the right side
to knock it inside the left post.
Milan Lucic was given a game misconduct for his hit on Jaroslav Spacek at 4:37 into the middle period and then just 16 seconds later; Montreal had its second lengthy 5-on-3 play of the
game, when Bergeron was penalised for throwing the puck over the glass.
Brad Marchand got an opportunity to tie the game for the Bruins for the second time late in the middle session, but he shot the puck at a wide open-side during frenzied play.
Gionta accounted for the final scoring of the game, 2-1, just five minutes later. The goal was set up by Cammalleri, who controlled the puck at the right circle and fired a shot on net
that was blocked. Scott Gomez deflected it to Gionta, who successfully stuffed it in from the left side.
The Canadiens played carefully to keep from giving Bruins any further edges, as Boston still had just one full power-play and a very short-man advantage in the middle session and none
in the third.
Price finished the game with 11 saves in the final period to preserve the advantage.
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