Boston Bruins Beat Canadiens 6-1

By Margaret DeJesus (MargaretDeJesus88@gmail.com)

BOSTON-(Nov.14, 2008)—The Bruins may have been sleepy but they were hungry for a win and it showed when they clobbered the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 last night at TD Banknorth Garden.

The team exploded for three unanswered goals in the first period despite returning to Boston from Chicago early this morning after defeating the Blackhawks in a shootout the previous night.

With the big win, the Bruins finally snapped a 12-game regular season losing streak against their division rival.

“Maybe they felt tired but they really wanted this game and it showed… They’ve gone a lot of games against us without a win. We just weren’t ready for whatever reason,” said Montreal’s captain Saku Koivu after the game.

Koivu scored his team’s lone goal in the second period on a wrap around shot after Bruins goaltender Manny Fernandez lost control of the puck.


BOSTON-(Nov. 13, 2008)--Montreal Canadiens' Captain Saku Koivu reflects on his team's 6-1 loss in the away team locker room at TD Banknorth Garden.

Gritty fourth line forward Shawn Thornton scored the first goal of the night and his first of the season for the Bruins on a backhand shot just two minutes into the game after poke checking the puck away from the Canadiens in their own zone.

Thornton’s line, with Chuck Kobasew and Stephane Yelle had seven points in the game.
Fernandez, who made 27 saves, got lucky in the first period as a shot ripped past him only to clink off the goal post which could have shifted the momentum back to Montreal.

After the Canadiens failed to convert on the first powerplay of the game, the Bruins took off and never looked back.

Yelle fired a wrist shot past Canadiens’ goalie Carey Price to make the score 2-0 after being denied on his first shot attempt on the play and Marco Sturm made it 3-0 after scoring on the power play.

Yelle got his second goal of the game late in the third period making it 6-1 to add salt to the wound of the Canadiens. Montreal’s goalie was taunted throughout the game as fans sang “Carey” louder and louder each time a goal was allowed.

“I think us being on a roll previous to this game helped us with our confidence tonight,” said rookie forward and breakout star Milan Lucic, who had a goal in the game.

The Bruins had won four games in a row and seven of their last eight.

When Lucic dropped the gloves and fought Canadien defenseman Mike Komisarek at 7:25 of the third period, the crowd of 16,816 erupted in cheers. After winning the fight, the forward roared along with them the whole way to the penalty box.

“When the fans are screaming and they’re pumped up it gets you even more pumped up,” he told reporters after the game. “It’s pretty much adrenaline going through me.”

It was clear that the revived rivalry between the two clubs was still burning after their exciting playoff series battle last season.

Team USA jerseys and an American flag could be seen among the crowd which occasionally burst into “U-S-A” chants. Not to be outdone, the large number of Canadiens’ fans in attendance made sure to sing out their proverbial “Ole, ole ole,” song.

Bruins Coach Claude Julien said he thought his team “showed so much character” and “resiliency and determination tonight.”

“We certainly went out there with a lot of jump,” he said in the post game press conference. “I thought our guys were great and their character certainly showed tonight.”

The Bruins are continuing to exceed expectations as they are at the top of the Northeast Division and only three points away from a first place spot in the Eastern Conference. The B’s face off against the league leading New York Rangers on Saturday.

GAME NOTES:
The three stars of the game were Marco Sturm (LW), Shawn Thornton (LW) and Milan Lucic (LW).
Sturm has three goals in his last two games after scoring two last night and one against Chicago on Wednesday.
Andrew Ference was injured in last night’s game and will be out of the lineup for 6 to 8 weeks with a broken tibia.
The game was the second of four Original Six team matchups in a row this week as the Bruins faced the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday and the Montreal Canadiens last night. On Saturday the B’s play the New York Rangers before heading to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

BOSTON-(Nov. 13, 2008)--Boston Bruins forwards and three star selections of the night Marco Sturm, Milan Lucic and Stephane Yelle talk about the team's big win.