For those of you who were expecting a close and physical game from both teams tonight were wittnesses to exactly that....well, half of that at least. The Boston Bruins faced that team from Montreal tonight. Maybe you have heard of them? The Montreal Canadiens? Does that sound familiar? Anyone?
Yes, it was the final regular season meeting between the two teams this season. The Bruins only have one win against Montreal coming into this game. They also held a three point lead in the Northeast Division heading into the night. This was a huge game for Boston in the sense that they can put winning the division behind them and focus on winning the conference. This game was significant due to the fact that it was the first time these two teams met since the "Chara Hit" up in Montreal on Max Pacioretty of the Canadiens. That black and gold crest on Zdeno Chara's chest might as well have been painted red tonight.
The Bruins needed to come out firing and that is what they did. 61 seconds into the game, Johnny Boychuk (BOS) scored on a slap shot to put the B's on top 1-0. They never looked back. Gregory Campbell and Nathan Horton each added a goal in the first period to give Boston a 3-0 lead after one period. Zdeno Chara and David Krejci had two assists each on goals that were scored.
In the second and third periods, the Bruins defense stepped up on both sides of the ice. Dennis Seidenberg and Andrew Ference were solid all night along the boards and the blue line. Adam McQuaid and Tomas Kaberle contributed on the offensive end when they each scored a goal. When Kaberle scored, that was his first goal in a Bruins uniform. Goaltender Tim Thomas stopped all 24 shots that came his way. Every Boston player contributed in a huge way to the game tonight. Boston won the game 7-0. See you in the playoffs Montreal!
Gold Star: Zdeno Chara...he racked up three assists and finished with a +3 rating. But with all of the controversy surrounding this game, he played strong and did not let anything distract him from his game. That is exactly how a captain should act.
Black Star: Michael Ryder...at one point this season he was on the first line. Now he is being alternated between the third line, the fourth line, and the press box (healthy scratches). Speculation prior to this season was that Ryder would begin the season in Providence. We may not see Ryder in a Bruins uniform next season.
On a side note, today was play-by-play commentator Jack Edwards' birthday today. Happy 54th birthday Jack and what a gift the Bruins gave to you tonight.
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