GAME THREAD: NHL: BOSTON (5-2) at MONTREAL (3-4)

NHL: BOSTON at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">-----------------------------------------
BOSTON 0 0 1 --1
MONTREAL 1 2 3 --6
-----------------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Montreal, Chris Higgins 3 (Mike Komisarek,
Saku Koivu), 12:14. Penalties: S Koivu, Mon (holding), 12:53; M
Savard, Bos (holding stick), 13:27; C Kobasew, Bos (interference),
19:44.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Montreal, Alexei Kovalev 4 (Tomas
Plekanec), 6:28. 3, Montreal, Steve Begin 1 (Tom Kostopoulos, Roman
Hamrlik), 17:48. Penalties: M Sturm, Bos (cross checking), 0:50; F
Bouillon, Mon (holding), 11:58; Z Chara, Bos (cross checking), 19:48.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 4, Montreal, Patrice Brisebois 1 (power play)
(Tomas Plekanec, Alexei Kovalev), 1:45. 5, Boston, Dennis Wideman 1
(power play) (Peter Schaefer, Marc Savard), 6:41. 6, Montreal, Mikhail
Grabovski 1 (Bryan Smolinski, Mathieu Dandenault), 9:34. 7, Montreal,
Andrei Markov 3 (power play) (Saku Koivu, Mark Streit), 12:39.
Penalties: M Streit, Mon (holding), 5:18; C Kobasew, Bos (holding),
11:04; A Ference, Bos (roughing), 13:55; M Savard, Bos (roughing),
13:55; F Bouillon, Mon (roughing), 13:55; M Savard, Bos (slashing),
19:03.

Shots on goal:
----------------------------------------
BOSTON 9 13 10 --32
MONTREAL 8 6 6 --20
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Power-play Conversions: BOS - 1 of 3, MON - 2 of 7. Goalies : Boston,
Manny Fernandez (20 shots, 14 saves; record: 2-2-0). Montreal,
Cristobal Huet (32 shots, 31 saves; record: 3-1-2). A: 21,273.
Referees: Dave Jackson, Steve Kozari. Linesmen: Jean Morin, Lonnie
Cameron.

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS

BOSTON MONTREAL
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
P Axelsson 0 0 even 1 S Koivu 0 2 +1 1
C Kobasew 0 0 -1 3 T Plekanec 0 2 +1 2
G Metropolit 0 0 even 1 B Smolinski 0 1 +1 0
M Sturm 0 0 even 2 C Higgins 1 0 +1 2
A Ference 0 0 -1 4 S Begin 1 0 +1 1
S Thornton 0 0 even 1 M Dandenault 0 1 +1 1
G Murray 0 0 -1 3 A Kovalev 1 1 +1 1
Z Chara 0 0 -3 2 K Chipchura 0 0 +1 0
P Bergeron 0 0 even 3 M Streit 0 1 +2 1
A Alberts 0 0 -1 1 R Hamrlik 0 1 +1 0
A Ward 0 0 -3 1 F Bouillon 0 0 +3 0
M Stuart 0 0 even 0 M Grabovski 1 0 +1 1
D Krejci 0 0 -1 1 T Kostopoulos 0 1 +1 0
D Wideman 1 0 even 3 P Brisebois 1 0 even 2
M Lucic 0 0 -1 0 M Ryder 0 0 +1 1
P Schaefer 0 1 -3 0 A Markov 1 0 +1 4
P Kessel 0 0 -2 3 M Komisarek 0 1 +1 2
M Savard 0 1 -3 3 G Latendresse 0 0 +1 1
B Allen HEALTHY G Murray ANKLE INJURY
J Reich HEALTHY J Gorges HEALTHY
B Bochenski HEALTHY A Kastitsyn HEALTHY</div>

 

NHL: BOSTON at MONTREAL

<div class="pre">** CONFIRMED **
NHL
BOSTON 1
MONTREAL 6</div>

 

By Mark Lidbetter
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


MONTREAL (Ticker) -- Success in the faceoff circle helped theMontreal Canadiens to post a second consecutive win on home iceas they handed the hot Boston Bruins a 6-1 loss Monday night.

Alexei Kovalev tallied a goal and an assist and Bryan Smolinskinotched an assist in his 1,000th career game for the Canadiens,who snapped Boston's winning streak at four games.

Montreal centers won draws in the first and second period to setthe table for the team's first two tallies of the night.

Captain Saku Koivu pulled the puck back toward blue-liner MikeKomisarek, who stepped into the puck and drove his shot intoBruin goalie Manny Fernandez. Chris Higgins pounced on therebound at the top of the crease and buried the return insidethe left post for a 1-0 advantage at the 12:14 mark.

"We played smart, we didn't have a ton of chances but wecapitalized on most of them," Koivu said. "I think tonight thatwas the difference. If you compare this to our previous fivegames we had a lot of chances but we didn't score. Tonight theywere going in for us."


In the second period, second-year center Tomas Plekaneccontrolled a draw in the left faceoff to Kovalev, who one-timedit from just outside the faceoff circle. The bang-bang playgave Montreal a 2-0 advantage 6:28 into the period.

Steve Begin made it a three-goal cushion with his first tally ofthe year with 2:12 remaining in the middle session. DefensemanTom Kostopoulos rushed the puck from the Canadiens zone andpassed to Begin, who knocked the puck home at the left post.

Boston had several quality chances but were continuallyfrustrated by the acrobatics of Montreal netminder CristobalHuet, who turned aside 31 of 32 shots.


"He (Huet) made some good saves tonight, but at the same time wehave to be there for the second shot and setup for therebound," Bruins center Patrice Bergeron said. "Maybe we got offthe gameplan a little bit in the first period. We knew theywere pretty good on draws, we just need to be more focused.It's not one guy, there's five guys on the ice and sometimesthere's a clean faceoff but it's everyone on the ice that has ajob to do."


The Bruins had a golden opportunity in the first to open thescoring when a Montreal turnover produced a 2-on-1 break. GlenMetropolit gathered in the loose puck and raced down the leftside with Glen Murray following along the left boards.

Metropolit elected to shoot, snapping off a crisp wrist shotfrom 30 feet out, and Huet deflected the puck right to theonrushing Murray. The veteran right wing's quick release wassmothered by a diving Huet, snuffing out that chance.

With the Bruins on the power play in the second period, Huetshut the door not once but twice in succession on rookie DavidKrejci.


"Tonight was huge for us," Huet said. "They (Boston) were on agood roll and have been playing well. We need to play 60minutes and have everybody contribute, if they do we will be atough team."


After Montreal made it 4-0 on Patrice Brisebois' power playwrister from the left point, Boston finally got on the board6:41 into the third period.


Canadiens defenseman Mark Streit was called for a holdingpenalty and Bruins defenseman Dennis Wideman took advantage,knocking a power-play wrister from the point past Huet to cutthe deficit to 4-1.


But Montreal was not finished. Veteran center Smolinski, whowas playing in his 1,000th career NHL contest, took advantage ofa delayed penalty by starting a 2-on-1 break with rookieMikhail Grabovski.


As he had done 361 times previously in his career, Smolinski setup his teammate and Grabovski put a wrister past Fernandez forhis first career goal 9:34 into the third.


"It was just fun to be in this game," Smolinski said. "I came inwith Glen (Murray)and he'll reach his mark soon. I also remember my first goal,so to be part of that milestone for Grabovski was special."

The Canadiens added another tally three minutes later on thepower play, with Andrei Markov converting an unassisted chancefor his third goal of the young season.


"They did score some nice goals but we gave a lot of 2-on-1'stonight," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "I think we gave moretonight than in all seven games combined. To summarize thegame it was a good start, we had some chances and theirgoaltender made some very good saves and then those faceoffscost us the first two goals, so it kind of changed the momentumof the game and we were back pedalling. If anything I think welost our composure."


Fernandez made just 14 saves on 20 shots.