Final, Canadiens 3-1: The game is over. The Bruins’ season is over. The Canadiens got out to an early lead, they built that lead and they held onto that lead. They win the game 3-1, and they will move on to face the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference finals.
Third period, 19:41, Canadiens 3-1: A whole lot of nothing for the Bruins’ power play, which is operating at 6-on-4 with Tuukka Rask pulled.
Third period, 17:59, Canadiens 3-1: The Bruins are going on the power play. Andrei Markov picked up the interference penalty as he cut off David Krejci while Krejci was trying to chase down a loose puck bouncing into the Montreal zone.
Third period, 17:07, Canadiens 3-1: That one might do it. The Bruins looked like they had a shorthanded rush going, but the Canadiens blocked the shot and started it back the other way. Daniel Briere’s breakaway ended with him putting a shot off of Zdeno Chara’s skate, and the puck got by Tuukka Rask for the insurance goal.
Third period, 15:29, Canadiens 2-1: That’s not going to help the Bruins’ comeback efforts.
Michael Bournival was playing the puck through the neutral zone when he put the puck along the boards into the Boston zone. That’s where Johnny Boychuk stood him up with a big hit. That big hit was called for interference, and Boston will have to kill off the penalty while trying to come back as it’s getting late.
Third period, 11:26, Canadiens 2-1: The Bruins just got a hellacious shift out of the David Krejci line, arguably that line’s best shift of the entire series. They were not able to find the back of the net, but they’re starting to put it all together. The question is, though, do they have enough time to get one by Carey Price?
Boston is outshooting Montreal 6-2 here in the third.
Third period, 7:33, Canadiens 2-1: Carey Price deserves credit for how he’s played so far. The Bruins’ first line just got some speed through the neutral zone, and the puck was left for Jarome Iginla in the slot. His shot was gloved by Price.
Third period, 6:39, Canadiens 2-1: The third period has been played pretty much entirely in the Montreal end so far. The Bruins have had plenty of push back, but that’s going to be all for nothing if they don’t bury one of these chances. They need more traffic in front of Carey Price.
Third period, 5:03, Canadiens 2-1: The Bruins are pushing, and they’re pushing hard, but the inability to bury the chances continues to haunt them. David Krejci took a shot from the slot that Carey Price stopped. Jarome Iginla was there for the rebound, but his backhand attempt hit the side of the net.
Third period, 1:15, Canadiens 2-1: The Bruins have killed off the penalty, and they’re back to even strength. Let’s see if they can build off of that kill.
Third period, 0:01, Canadiens 2-1: The third period is underway, and the Bruins still have 1:15 of Montreal power-play time to kill off to begin the period.
End second period, Canadiens 2-1: The second period is over, and the Bruins will have to come from behind in the third period if they want to extend their season. They’ll have to do so while killing 75 seconds of power-play time to begin the third.
Second period, 19:15, Canadiens 2-1: The Bruins haven’t been able to sustain any momentum out of the goal, and they’ll end the period on the penalty kill. David Krejci was just called for holding deep in the Boston end.
Second period, 17:58, Canadiens 2-1: The Bruins are on the board.
Torey Krug just walked the puck down the right wing, and put a shot at the net, which is where Jarome Iginla was parked in front of Carey Price. Iginla deflected the puck, and the puck hit Price in the stomach before finding the back of the net.
Second period, 16:55, Canadiens 2-0: Huge power play for the Bruins on the way. Max Pacioretty was called for holding, and the Bruins need to get something going here.
Second peiod, 14:20, Canadiens 2-0: The Bruins’ power play comes and goes without any real chances. Not only that, they didn’t do much to turn the tide of momentum, and Bruins fans were booing by the end of the power play. Nothing going right so far for the Bruins, and they’re not doing much to make you think that will change any time soon.
Second period, 11:48, Canadiens 2-0: The Bruins will get a chance to get back into this game on the power play.
Lars Eller was just called for interference, and Boston gets its first crack on the man-advantage.
Second period, 10:22, Canadiens 2-0: The Bruins are in trouble.
Boston couldn’t clear the zone, and that allowed David Desharnais to set up Max Pacioretty on the left wing. Desharnais made a pass across the slot in front of a falling Torey Krug, and Pacioretty blasted it from the right circle past Tuukka Rask for the second goal.
Second period, 9:00, Canadiens 1-0: The Bruins have started to even the ice and find their game, but Tuukka Rask has still had to come up big. He just made two big saves, the second one a really nice stop on a point-blank chance from Brian Gionta. Rask has been fine so far, as there wasn’t much the Boston goalie could do on that play.
Second period, 4:49, Canadiens 1-0: Carey Price just made his best save of the night. Patrice Bergeron entered the zone with speed and got to the net, but Price made a save right in close to keep the Bruins off the board.
Second period, 2:07, Canadiens 1-0: The Bruins have killed off the Brad Marchand penalty with a really good kill. They were in the shooting lanes, and they cleared the puck when they had the chance. They also seem to have a little jump in their step now.
Second period, 0:07, Canadiens 1-0: We may have just seen the worst call of the year. Brad Marchand was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after he gave Carey Price a snow shower after the play. That’s a pretty miserable call.
Second period, 0:01, Canadiens 1-0: The second period is underway.
End first period, Canadiens 1-0: The first period has come to a close, but the Bruins started to find their game a little bit in the final minutes. Patrice Bergeron made a heckuva play to win a puck in front of the net, and that left Brad Marchand with a wide-open chance. Marchand, all alone in front, somehow put the puck over the net. Shortly after that, Dougie Hamilton took a shot from the point, and Carl Soderberg got a stick on it and redirected it as he came through the slot. Carey Price made the pad save, though.
The B’s are actually outshooting the Habs 9-6 after one.
First period, 16:20, Canadiens 1-0: The Bruins are starting to find it a little bit, and they just killed off the Zdeno Chara penalty. That was a much better PK, as the Bruins wer eable to clear the puck on multiple occasions.
First period, 14:13, Canadiens 1-0: The Canadiens are going back on the power play. Zdeno Chara was just called for holding behind the Bruins’ net, and the Habs will look to push the lead to two.
First period, 11:55, Canadiens 1-0: The matching penalties are over, and the two teams are back to even strength. The Bruins still look pretty bad, though. They are up to four shots on goal.
First period, 9:27, Canadiens 1-0: There’s going to be 4-on-4 play for the next two minutes. Zdeno Chara and Max Pacioretty got in a wrestling match in the corner, and they were giving holding penalties.
First period, 8:49, Canadiens 1-0: The Bruins have killed the penalty, but it was not easy. Zdeno Chara had two really bad turnovers, but he was bailed out by Tuukka Rask and the rest of his teammates. That includes Patrice Bergeron, who was great on the PK once again.
First period, 6:18, Canadiens 1-0: The horrible start for the Bruins continues. The B’s have yet to put a shot on goal, and now the Canadiens are going on the power play. Andrei Markov pushed Brad Marchand, and Marchand went spilling into Carey Price. It’s Marchand who got the penalty, as he was called for goaltender interference.
First period, 2:18, Canadiens 1-0: If the Bruins are going to win this game, they’re going to have to break a pattern in this series, because the Canadiens have the game’s first goal.
Dale Weise scored on a gorgeous centering pass from Daniel Briere to give Montreal the early lead. Weise was left all alone with the Bruins puck watching, and Weise jammed home the puck from inside the crease to put Montreal ahead. The team that’s scored first has won all ix games in this series.
First period, 0:01, 0-0: Let’s rock and roll. Game 7 is underway.
7 p.m.: The Game 7 honorary banner captain? None other than Montreal native Raymond Bourque.
6:45 p.m.: The warmups have concluded, and it looks as though neither team will be making any changes to their lineups. With that in mind, here are the projected lines and defensive pairings for both clubs in Game 7.
Bruins
Milan Lucic — David Krejci — Jarome Iginla
Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — Reilly Smith
Matt Fraser — Carl Soderberg — Loui Eriksson
Daniel Paille — Gregory Campbell — Shawn Thornton
Zdeno Chara — Dougie Hamilton
Matt Bartkowski — Johnny Boychuk
Torey Krug — Kevan Miller
Canadiens
Max Pacioretty — David Desharnais — Thomas Vanek
Michael Bournival — Tomas Plekanec — Brendan Gallagher
Rene Bourque — Lars Eller — Brian Gionta
Traivs Moen — Danny Briere — Dale Weise
Josh Gorges — P.K. Subban
Andrei Markov — Alexei Emelin
Nathan Beaulieu — Mike Weaver
6:30 p.m.: Pregame warmups are underway at the Garden. Dennis Seidenberg is not on the ice. So much for that idea.
6:18 p.m.: Good evening, and welcome (back) to TD Garden where Game 7 is about an hour away from being played.
As mentioned earlier, this is the ninth time the Bruins and Canadiens have met in a Game 7. The Canadiens have won five of those eight previous meetings, but the Bruins got the better of Montreal in their most recent Game 7 meeting. That came in 2011, when Nathan Horton’s overtime game-winner gave Boston the win in the season they went on to win the Stanley Cup.
The Canadiens haven’t played a Game 7 since that night.
12:30 p.m.: It’s half past noon in Boston (and Montreal), so here’s a some lunchtime reading material for the working man and woman out there who’s counting down the hours until puck drop.
Three keys to the Bruins winning Game 7
Three keys to the Canadiens winning Game 7
The five most pivotal players in Game 7
From Tuesday, the Bruins aren’t going to be getting in a war of words before the deciding game
Also from Tuesday, the Bruins have the advantage when it comes to Game 7 experience
12:15 p.m.: Game 7’s are a big deal. Both teams’ seasons are on the line, and a bounce of the puck can decide the ultimate fate of your season. It would seem pretty stressful, no? In some ways, of course, but these are also the moments professional athletes live for, and there’s no shortage of excitement for Wednesday’s tilt.
“It’s why you play the game,” Bruins center Patrice Bergeron said a short while ago. “It’s why you want to be in those situations. You want to enjoy it, you want to relish the moment. It’s about going out there and leaving everything on the line and having no regrets after.”
The excitement is there for the young guys, too. Just about a week ago, Matt Fraser was eating Chipotle and frozen yogurt, living the dream as an AHL player. Now he’s with the big club getting ready for a Game 7 against the Montreal Canadiens. He’s enthusiastic, to say the least.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Fraser said after morning skate. “I’ve said it before. You kind of grow up watching these games, and now to be a part of it, it’s pretty exciting. Once you get out there, you’ve got to find a way to calm yourselves. I’m sure when I’m laying down for a nap today, I’ll be pretty excited. But at the same time, this is our job, this is what we play for, and it will be exciting.”
Even Bruins head coach Claude Julien is all jacked and pumped.
“I was ready to play last night, and I was excited watching the other games on TV,” he said. “I wish it was an afternoon game versus a night game. The excitement of wanting to play those — you know, it depends on how you approach it. I’m excited about it.”
12:05 p.m.: Media availability on both sides is pretty much a wrap at this point, although Montreal head coach Michel Therrien will talk momentarily.
As you might imagine, both dressing rooms were filled with cliches. One thing is clear: Game 7 will be a battle over who can “play their game” the best. Both teams talked about playing “our game,” which obviously means different things for both clubs. For the Bruins, it means tough, responsible hockey. On offense, it means getting pucks deep and forechecking and letting that lead to puck possession in the Montreal end. It means getting out in front and playing tight to preserve the lead.
“It’s pretty simple. We have to go out there and play our game,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “Not just our best game, but the way we play. If you followed our team all year, you’ll know what that is. It’s what I told the players so I am not saying anything different here today.”
Montreal’s game is the speed game. They want to get out in space and take advantage of any and all Boston miscues. We saw how well that works in the Canadiens’ blowout win in Game 6 where even when the Bruins were carrying the play, Montreal made the B’s pay fof turnovers and blocked shots.
11:20 a.m.: Claude Julien is pretty sure Dennis Seidenberg will not play in Game 7. However, the head coach didn’t 100-percent rule it out.
Julien was asked if there was any chance Seidenberg would be back for the winner-take-all matchup.
“Um, I don’t know,” Julien said. “I’d be very surprised.”
So there you have it. Not a yes. Not a no. We’ll see.
10:33 a.m.: Good morning and welcome to TD Garden where Game 7 is, oh, about 8 1/2 hours away. Not like anyone is counting.
The Bruins are currently on the ice for their morning skate, and it appears to be optional. A few B’s including Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron and even head coach Claude Julien seem to have taken their option. Both Bergeron and Lucic skated Tuesday at an optional practice.
Both goalies are on the ice, and Tuukka Rask is currently facing shots from the point from the Boston defensemen.
8 a.m.: The Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens in a Game 7. It doesn’t get much better than this.
The Bruins and Canadiens will settle their latest score Wednesday night when they do battle one more time in Game 7 at TD Garden. A trip to the Eastern Conference finals is at stake in this chapter of the longstanding bitter rivalry between Original Six foes. This will be the ninth time the B’s and Habs have met in a Game 7, which is the most between two teams in all sports.
Boston will be looking to feed off its home crowd after a very disappointing showing in Montreal on Monday in Game 6. The Habs wasted little time getting on the board, and the raucous Bell Centre crowd took it from there. The Canadiens ended up running the Bruins out of the building on the way to a 4-0 win. It doesn’t take a hockey expert to acknowledge the fact that the Bruins must be much, much better on Wednesday if they’d like to extend their season.
“We’ve been here before,” B’s winger Shawn Thornton said Tuesday. “We wanted to do it (Monday), but we didn’t, so we come back home, and that’s what we worked all year long for, to have home-ice advantage in case this situation arose. We’re going to embrace it, and we’re going to come out and put in the best effort of the year.”
Once again, the emphasis will be on getting out to a fast start. The team that has scored first has won every game in this series. If the Bruins are able to get on the board first, that will certainly put the pressure on Montreal and will get the Garden crowd even more excited. More importantly, it will help the Bruins play the game they want to play. That was the case in Game 5 where the Bruins dominated much of the game, especially in 5-on-5 play.
Puck drop from the Garden is scheduled for just after 7 p.m., but we’ll have updates throughout the day, so be sure to check back often with the Bruins live blog presented by Berkshire Bank.
