Bruins 4, Canadiens 3 (SO): Tim Thomas, B's Win Thriller In Montreal

Tyler Seguin beat Carey Price with a long wrist shot in the shootout period to give the Boston Bruins a 4-3 over the long-time rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.

Boston had a 3-1 lead after two periods. The Habs tied it up with a strong third period in which they out-shot the Bruins 10-2. Eric Cole beat Tim Thomas on an unassisted breakaway after Zdeno Chara gave away the puck in front of the net.

Thomas stood tall in the shootout, turning away three Canadiens’ shots. That included a Lars Eller wrist shot to make Seguin’s goal stand.

The win helped the Bruins keep pace with the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference race. New York leads the conference with 79 points. Boston is right behind the Rangers with 72 points after Wednesday night’s win.

The Bruins continue their six-game road trip on Friday at Winnipeg. They do not return home until Feb. 28.

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The Boston Bruins broke a 1-1 tie in the second period of their Wednesday night tilt with the Montreal Canadiens. Two goals, including a power play goal from Patrice Bergeron, made it a 3-1 Bruins lead after two periods of play at the Bell Center in Montreal.

Mathieu Darche tied the game for the Habs with a shorthanded goal early in the period. Less than five minutes later, the Bruins answered with a Benoit Pouliot goal, his ninth of the season, assisted by Chris Kelly and Rich Peverly.

At the 14:33 mark, the Bruins snapped their power play drought as Bergeron scored his 19th goal of the season. He was assisted by Zdeno Chara and Tyler Seguin.

The Canadiens did finally muster more shots on goal, after just five in the first period, but not by much. The Habs put the puck on net six times. Boston was firmly in attack mode, adding 13 shots for a total of 25.

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The Boston Bruins lead the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 1-0 after one period of play. The scoring was a mere side note in an opening frame that featured a spirited round of fisticuffs between Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid and Canadiens forward Ryan White.

White jumped out to a good start in the scrap, but McQuaid finished strong landing a series of bruising punches with a meaty right hand. Both McQuaid and White received a five-minute major for fighting after the altercation.

Andrew Ference put the Bruins on top with a late goal in four-on-four. Brad Marchand forced a Hal Gill behind the net. Marchand fed Ference the puck at the top of the right circle, and he put in with a bullet of a shot.

Montreal managed just five shots on goal during the period. The Bruins more than doubled that, putting the puck on net a dozen times. Neither team could convert on power plays.

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Event: Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
Date/Time: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Location: Bell Centre (Capacity: 21,273), Montreal, Quebec.
Broadcast Info: Wednesday's game between the Bruins and the Canadiens will be broadcast live on RDS(HD), TSN, and NBCSN(HD). The game can also be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with Dave Goucher providing play-by-play, and Bob Beers providing analysis.

Last Time Out: It’s going to be a quick turnaround for the Bruins who took a 3-0 loss to the New York Rangers last night at TD Garden.

For the third time in six games, the Bruins did not record a goal, and instead gave up at least three goals against in each game.

More: Click Ticking as Bruins hit the road

Tim Thomas was in net for the B’s last night and recorded only 17 saves on 20 shots. He is 6-7-1 in his last 14 games and has failed to impress many as of late.

The Habs on the other hand have had a couple impressive games, going on a four-game win streak before losing to Carolina on Monday, 5-3.

Tomas Plekanec, Erik Cole and David Desharnais each netted a goal in the losing effort--all in the middle period--while Carey Price stopped 30-of-34 shots.

Storyline: This is the final regular season matchup between the Bruins and the Habs, and you can bet it will be a good one. The Bruins hold a 3-2 winning advantage over them this year, and the Canadiens have a little bit of extra confidence moving into tonight’s game.

The Bruins have been missing one of their top forwards for almost a month and it certainly has shown in their goal production. Though Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli commented that he is improving, it’s hard to think that he will be the solution to all of their offensive woes.

While the Bruins have back-to-back games, the Habs haven’t played since Monday and will be at home, which should give them a little more energy heading into tonight.

Players To Watch: Max Pacioretty currently leads the Habs in goals and in total points, marking him as a player to keep your eyes on. He has been lighting the lamp quite a bit in the recent past, scoring four goals in three games. However, the 23-year-old does only have one point against the Bruins this year.

Recently renewed defenseman Johnny Boychuk could also be interesting to watch after signing a three-year contract extension with the Bruins. He had the second most time on the ice in last night’s game, and no doubt he will have similar time tonight. Though he also only has one point against the Habs, his recent signing could spark some more production out of him tonight.

Prediction: The Bruins need to get back on to winning--or at least performing well--on a consistent basis. If they can do that and start off on the right foot tonight, they will be able to take the final game this season. Final Score: Bruins 4, Rangers 3 OT.

For more Boston Bruins coverage, visit our team page and blog, Stanley Cup Of Chowder.

An ugly 3-0 loss to the New York Rangers in their wake, the Boston Bruins look to hop back onto the wins train on Wednesday night against their rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.

After failing to hit the net despite 42 shots on goal against the Rangers, Boston has now been shut out in two of its past three outings and three out of its six games to date in February.

The Bruins have won three of five meetings so far with Montreal, including a 2-1 decision on Jan. 12.

Game Date/Time: Wednesday , February 15, 7 p.m. ET

Location: Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada

TV: RDS (HD), TSN, NBCSN (HD)

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Stay tuned to this StoryStream for updates on the game. For more Boston Bruins coverage, visit our team page or our blog Stanley Cup of Chowder.