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Bruins Can't Solve Price in 3-1 Loss to Canadiens

November 12, 2010, 5:05 AM ET [ Comments]
Ty Anderson
Boston Bruins Blogger •Bruins Feature Columnist • RSSArchiveCONTACT
After an emotional victory last night in Pittsburgh, what’s the excuse of the night in the Bruins‘ 3-1 loss to the rivaled Montreal Canadiens?

Were they tired from the travel late last night? Did the bounces not go their way or did Montreal simply get lucky? Either way--if you have an excuse, save it. It’s not going to fly, because when it comes down to it, the Bruins were simply outplayed by their archrivals tonight.

Back on the ice at the TD Garden and turning to goaltender Tuukka Rask, making his first start since Saturday’s 34-save effort in a 2-1 shootout loss, the Bruins found themselves in an early hole when Tyler Seguin got his first taste of the biggest rivalry in Bruins history.

On the wrong end of a tripping penalty, the 18-year-old’s minor penalty led to a rare power-play goal from the Habs as P.K Subban fired a one-timer that beat Rask to give the Canadiens an early 1-0 lead on a shot that Rask honestly should’ve had.

Scoring his first goal of the season and first regular-season goal of his career, Subban was pretty honest when talking about the goal after the game.

“It was a horrible shot,” the 21-year-old blue-liner said. “I don’t think he saw it. He may have been screened, and it just went underneath his pad.”

With Montreal scoring just their fifth power-play goal of the season, the momentum swung back into Boston’s favor as time winded down. Sneaking along the half-wall and poking the puck free, Milan Lucic, continuing his bat-out-of-hell style of play, takes the puck around the Montreal net as nearly all five Habs go to converge onto the Boston winger when he sends a wide-open dish to Zdeno Chara.

Catching the pass with ease as he crept into the slot, the B’s captain fired home his fourth goal of the season and after a successful penalty-kill, it was tied up at one.

As the second period opened up with a ferocious Boston power-play that nearly struck the back of the net on numerous occasions, tempers were officially at a code-red alert with every whistle resulting in shoves and face-washes in true Boston versus Montreal fashion. Playing undisciplined hockey on both ends, the B’s caught a break when a would-be Jeff Halpern goal was called back after the veteran American-born center clearly Pele’d the puck into the back of net and past Rask.

But with the Bruins’ captain taking a stupid penalty on an interference call in front of the Boston net, a true gaffe by Chara, the Habs would begin the third period on a power-play.

Needing all of the opening 29 tics of the third period, Bruins-killer Michael Cammalleri sent a beauty of a cross-ice saucer pass to the captain, Brian Gionta, who buried the puck through Rask to give the Habs a 2-1 lead with his third tally of the year.

Becoming the first team to score two power-play goals in a game against the Bruins this season, things went from bad to worse for the rowdy bunch in attendance when Scott Gomez scored a bizarre goal off the back of Rask, who knocked the puck off his own body and in.

Appearing to run on empty, any last glimmers of hope that the Bruins were going to be able to battle back once again were crushed. Skating lethargically, unable to create a sustainable presence in the Habs’ zone, and falling a little bit too in-love with their fourth line, Boston’s chances were only decimated further by the strong-play of Carey Price.

Stopping 34 of 35 shots faced on the night on the way to his ninth win of the season, the 23-year-old Price improved to 3-0-0 at the Garden since the 2009-10 season and recorded his 10th career win against the Bruins in just 14 regular season starts.

DOES JACQUES MARTIN HAVE CLAUDE JULIEN SOLVED?

I never thought I’d ask it, but hey, Bruins fans, do you miss Guy Carbonneau?

Since taking over as coach of the Habs last season, the Canadiens are 6-1-0 against the Bruins and with the team’s so evenly matched in the skill department, you have to believe that bench boss Jacques Martin certainly has the edge over B’s coach Claude Julien.

WHEN'S RASK GOING TO CATCH A BREAK?

In case you haven't heard by now, Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask is still without a win. Coming off a stellar rookie year, the Finnish-born phenom has begun the year with an 0-4-1 record with a 2.75 goals-against-average, but how's this for a kicker; He's never played with a lead in front of him.

"I can’t cover for the bounce at all and I don’t know if I’ve got to change something or if I’ve got a lock, or if it’s just bad luck," the 23-year-old said after the game. "But definitely the puck’s not going my way. It’s just hockey."

BY THE NUMBERS

- 66.7: Percentage of face-offs won by Patrice Bergeron on the night. Known as one of the best face-off men in the league, Bergeron won 14-of-21 battles at the dot tonight. That’s called getting it done.

- 5: Blocked shots from defensemen Dennis Seidenberg, who had a solid game despite being on the ice for the game-winning power-play goal.

- 0: Power-play goals scored by the Bruins. The B’s went a dreadful 0-for-4 on the power-play.

- 14: Blocked shots from the Canadiens tonight, including a team-high four from Mathieu Darche.

- 36: of Rask’s 38 saves that hit him in the noggin tonight. Okay, so that’s an exaggeration, but seriously--the guy must have gotten hit in the cranium at least 20 times tonight.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The B’s will have Friday off before continuing their home-stand with a Saturday night showdown against the Ottawa Senators. After demolishing the Sens to the tune of a 4-0 shutout back on October 30th, the B’s seem destined to turn back to Tim Thomas, who’s not only 8-0-0 on the season, but has 17-7-2 record against Ottawa in his career with a 2.01 goals-against-average.

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