CANADIENS
Montreal

BRUINS
Boston

Game Notes:

Howe.  With Dale Weise not being in the lineup for the first meeting with the Bruins this year, the spotlight was on him on Thursday night given the threatening comments by Milan Lucic after the Canadiens ousted the Bruins from the playoffs last Spring. Before the three minute mark in the game, Gregory Campbell challenged Weise after being on the receiving end of a solid hit. In short order, Weise dropped Campbell. Early in the second period, Dennis Seidenberg dragged down Weise on a breakaway. He beat goalie Niklas Svedberg five-hole for a penalty shot goal to tie the game. Weise added an assist setting up a Max Pacioretty‘s one-timer. In just two periods of play and approximately four minutes of icetime, Weise had completed the Gordie Howe hat trick.

The new guy. It was a good first game in a Montreal jersey by Sergei Gonchar. Used on the third defensive pairing with Tom Gilbert at regular strength, the 40-year old played a surprising 20:08. To some degree, they were protected minutes with more about 90 per cent of his shifts being offensive zone starts. But Gonchar played a smart game, doled out three hits and took three shots.

Power play strikes. Reading the box score, one might be pleasantly surprised to see a goal for the struggling power-play. And Sergei Gonchar was in the lineup. Coincidence? Mostly. The man advantage finally looked liked a power-play when Tomas Plekanec‘s line was sent out on the first wave.  They controlled the zone and got several great chances. The power-play goal came from Lars Eller‘s line when the trio got a rare shift with the man advantage in the third period as a reward for their strong play. It remains clear that the so-called first line is not creating scoring opportunities despite getting abundant first wave time.

Clutch.  Lars Eller has five goals this season tying him with Alex Galchenyuk for third place on the team; only Tomas Plekanec (6) and Max Pacioretty (8) have more. Of the five goals for Eller, four have been game-winners. No other Habs player has more than one.

Don’t forget Price. The Canadiens deserve full credit for controlling the neutral zone beginning in the second period and for creating chances via Bruins turnovers. But there wouldn’t have been an opportunity to turn things around if not for a solid first period by Carey Price. Boston outshot Montreal 11-6 with eight of those shots being quality scoring chances by the Bruins. Price turned them all away with the exception of a power-play marker. In three starts against Minnesota, Winnipeg and Boston, Price has given up just two goals.

Plus / Minus

▲   Carey Price, Lars Eller, Jiri Sekac, Alexei Emelin, Tomas Plekanec, Mike Weaver, Alex Galchenyuk, Dale Weise, Max Pacioretty

▼   David Desharnais

1.  Dale Weise  MTL 
2.  Max Pacioretty  MTL
3.  Jiri Sekac  MTL

• “The power play was really good. We could’ve scored more goals, but this is what we’re looking for from our power play. We want them to give us some momentum, make the right decisions, move the puck, and put pucks at the net at the right time. This is what we did.”
• “It was a very nice team win. The guys were really into it. We were tough and demanding to play against. We used our speed to push the Bruins and provoke things. Our forecheck was good. Our transition game was good, and we were able to attack the neutral zone because of it.”

Lars Eller

• “I think this game was all about the whole team, from Pricer down to the last forward. It’s as simple as that. The first couple of weeks of the season, we were playing well at times, but we just couldn’t buy a goal. Right now, things are starting to turn around.  I knew those things would even out during the season. As long as we were creating chances, the goals were going to come at some point. When you get rewarded for your hard work and for competing, it’s a satisfying feeling.”

Max Pacioretty

• “That’s how we have to play. We have to find a way to show our best against every team, not just Boston. We’ve been relying too much on Carey (Price) the last few games. It feels really good to put some in for him and take the pressure off of him for once. We know we have to play that way for 60 minutes to have success in this league.”
• “We were definitely great on the power play. [Tomas Plekanec‘s] line had a two-minute shift where they were snapping it around, they had tons of chances.”

Sergei Gonchar

• “It’s probably one of the most recognized franchises in all of sports, so you’re playing for such a team, it’s always special. I walked in and I saw all the names on the wall and here is so much history, and it’s something special and I’m glad to be part of it.”

Bruins coach Claude Julien

• “We played the way we wanted to play and got the results we wanted after one period. But to make a long story short, we weren’t able to sustain it.”