Series Preview
by Kevin Greenstein

These division rivals have met on 29 separate occasions in the NHL playoffs, with the Canadiens coming out on top 22 times…

Canadiens Outlook: The Habs boast the NHL’s top power play, led by dynamic forward Alexei Kovalev and cool-headed quarterback Andrei Markov. Habs captain Saku Koivu is currently listed as “doubtful” for the playoffs with a foot fracture, but if the swelling has gone down enough for him to put a skate boot on without pain, look for him to take the ice for Game One. And perhaps most important of all, hard-hitting rearguard Mike Komisarek (hip) has been cleared to play, which should make life in the crease much easier for rookie netminder Carey Price.

Bruins Outlook: It hasn’t been particularly pretty, but the Bruins have battled their way back to the postseason after a two-season absence, largely because they’ve bought into head coach Claude Julien’s system. Playmaking center Marc Savard has been the key to the Bruins’ offense for most of the season, but with dynamic pivot Patrice Bergeron (concussion) finally cleared for contact, Boston’s offensive attack could be much improved. And on the blue line, Zdeno Chara is the difference-maker for Boston, one of the top two-way rearguards in the game and a huge help to vastly underrated All-Star netminder Tim Thomas.

Prediction: Canadiens in Six

Game One
Canadiens 4, Bruins 1
by David Carty

Why the Canadiens won: The Habs dominated every aspect of play. They outhit a more physical team (37 hits to the Boston's 25), put more pucks on net (32 shots to 18), and created far more scoring opportunities than the hapless Bruins. While the final score read 4-1, Montreal easily could have netted three or four more. Montreal simply played a faster, smarter, and more physical brand of hockey. In the end, the Bruins needed to play to their strengths, but Montreal beat them at their own game and excelled at their own.

Why the Bruins lost: Out of the gate, nerves got the best of them. The Kostitsyn brothers took advantage of the overaggressive Bruins to net two early goals, with Andrei's goal being of the soft variety. By the time Tim Thomas and company found their bearings, the Black-and-Gold were two in the hole. Thomas, making his playoff debut, settled down nicely, but poor blueline play left the Bruins reeling right in front of him. Captain Zdeno Chara played an especially poor game in both ends and Claude Julien juggling around his lines didn't help. A few decent even strength efforts didn't yield any results and the Bruins lose, again, to the Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge.

Key play of the game: When the Bruins needed to score, when they were absolutely desperate for a goal, youngster Carey Price was there. Price stoned Marco Sturm on a breakaway opportunity early in the third period. The puck bounced past Roman Hamrlik and skipped out to neutral ice onto the stick of the Bruins' best (healthy) goal scorer. Price remained composed and shut down Sturm stick side. A Bruins goal early in the period would have put them down by one with all the momentum on their side. Instead, Price used his frame to cover up the holes, ending any hopes of a Bruins comeback.

What's next: For the Bruins, another game awaits in the Bell Centre against a team that haven't beaten since March of 2007. For the Canadiens, it's just another game on Saturday. The Bruins aren't done yet. If they can tighten up their game, there's still hope. Tim Thomas stood on his head several times, showing every bit of his All-Star talent. The Bruins have to find their comfort zone, as difficult as that may be in front of 20,000 screaming, towel-waving fans. On the plus side, the Bruins killed off all five Montreal power plays, including a late 5-on-3 advantage. The Habs left chances for the Bruins to inch back, but the Black-and-Gold couldn't take advantage. Boston will need to utilize every opportunity in game two to even up the series and stand a fighting chance when the series comes back to Beantown.

Game Two
Canadiens 3, Bruins 2 (OT)
by Jake Duhaime

Despite being outplayed throughout most of the first and third periods, Montreal relied on their bread and butter to get the job done. Guy Carbonneau’s club promised to match Boston’s physical play and finally did late in the first thanks to Steve Begin, who didn’t factor on the score sheet, but laid out Andrew Alberts to set up the Canadiens transition game and the first goal of the night.

And in overtime, it was the league’s best power play, finally capitalizing on their eighth try after numerous chances. There was Patrice Brisebois hitting the post at the end of regulation, clearly beating goaltender Tim Thomas to the right top-shelf, only to find metal. Then it was Alex Kovalev, first at the 18:05 mark in overtime, a shot stopped by Thomas going from his right side to his left, and then the eventual game-winner less than a minute later.

Why the Bruins lost: The Bruins lost all eight regular season meetings against the Canadiens, but were 7-0-1 following those losses. The problem is, that one loss was in overtime to Montreal and after tonight, make that a pair.

The Bruins came out and showed the resiliency they've showed all season long. Through the first 18 minutes of play, they won shifts, got shots, forced two early power-plays and took a crowd of 21,000+ out of the game. For Claude Julien's club, having veterans Zdeno Chara and Aaron Ward on the same pairing made a big difference. Marc Stuart, like many of his young teammates, showed that the playoff jitters were a one time thing.

And in the third, down a pair, the Bruins were resilient battling back. Alex Kovalev could have very well have been the goat, as he missed a one-one-on-one breakaway on Thomas and then got called for a slash along the far side boards seconds later. A clearly-frustrated Kovalev nearly cost Montreal big-time as Marco Sturm set up David Krejci in front of the net to tie the game.

But the Bruins had multiple chances to capitalize and couldn't. 39 shots on net and one for six on the man advantage. And Julien’s decision to scratch a healthy Phil Kessel, one of the team’s few offensive spark plugs, seems suspicious, especially after Kessel had an assist on the team’s only goal of Game One.

Key play of the game: Kovalev's overtime winner was his first of these playoffs and his 38th career playoff goal. Andrei Markov got the assist and drew a questionable tripping call on Jeremy Reich that set up the Montreal power play.

What's next: There isn't much time to regroup as Game 3 is less than 24 hours away. For the Bruins, TD Banknorth Garden will be a welcome sight, but unfortunately, the Canadiens are coming with them. As for Bruins fans? It might be time to break out a 'We have base-ball' chant.

For Montreal, a sweep would leave them with a week of rest before a second round match-up. It's not that we're leaving the Bruins dead in the water, but we'd like to see them win a game, or take a lead, something they haven't done in the first ten meetings, before calling this a series.

Game Three
Bruins 2, Canadiens 1 (OT)
by Jake Duhaime

Why the Bruins won: The club's physical leader Milan Lucic had an outstanding night. It was his goal 6:30 into the first period that gave the Bruins their first lead of the series. He also was a physical presence, throwing six hits in what probably was his best game as a professional on both ends of the ice.

And after struggling mightily over the last three months, Marc Savard made an appearance, scoring the game-winner in overtime. Notably absent was Bruin-killer Alex Kovalev, who was limited to just one shot in 23:10 of ice time.

Why the Canadiens lost: Bodies flew up and down the ice as Montreal was successful in matching Boston's physical play hit for hit. But over aggressiveness can occasionally lead to mistakes, something Guillaume Latendresse found out after a three minute scrap at the end of the first period. In the third it was Andrei Kostitsyn who got called after some extracurricular activity with Jeremy Reich. And in overtime it was a Bryan Smolinski slash that opened the door for the six-on-five opportunity advantage that set up Savard's game-winner.

Key play of the game: If the Bruins could have hand picked a guy to notch the game-winner, it would have been Savard. For a team that's desperately needed scoring, he's only found the net three times since Feb. 1.

What's next: Only three teams in professional sports have battled back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series. So the Claude Juilien won’t be looking to Fenway Park for inspiration. Still, the Bruins has never come back from an 0-2 deficit through their illustrious playoff history.

Game 4 is Tuesday Night at the TD Banknorth Garden, a.k.a. Bell Centre South. Several thousand Canadiens fans have taken the long weekend and made the six hour journey for the two games here. Given the economy and the ticket availability. Why not?

Game Four
Canadiens 1, Bruins 0
by David Carty

Why the Canadiens won: Even when they're not the best team on the ice, they're too good not to find the net. If the Bruins thought they were going to force a scoreless overtime against Montreal they were, quite literally, dead wrong. Carey Price is the real deal. The kid has every positive aspect you'd like to see in a goaltender and unmatched poise for his age. Even when caught out of position, his recovery is fluid and swift. Mike Komisarek also did a fantastic job of blocking shooting lanes and getting physical with the Bruins big guns. That being said, luck was a factor in the win. They found net first, but just as easily could have found themselves in an early hole. The pucks bounced their way and good teams translate that into wins. Former New York Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez said that he'd "rather be lucky than good". Well, the Canadiens were both and now they have a strange-hold on the series.

Why the Bruins lost: They had the chances. They even had more chances than Montreal, but what they didn't have was more goals. Too many feeds fractions of a second late. Too many times missing the holes. Too many times not capitalizing on a breakaway or another primo scoring chance. Boston competed with and looked like the better team for much of the night against the Canadiens, but Carey Price, though shaky at times early on, never cracked. The kid is the definition of composure. If there were any doubts about the kid's future, he may be answering them in this series. Now all the doubts are draped in black and gold. It took the Bruins an entire season -- and then some -- to figure out how to beat Montreal. Now, to stay alive, they have to do it three times in three games.

Key play of the game: Montreal's power play at the end of the second period was truly make or break. The Bruins were pounding away at Montreal and though the shot count was even, Boston was getting more quality scoring chances. Montreal power play came through when it was needed more than ever. A long and fortunate rebound found its way to Patrice Brisebois, who finally drove home the puck and nailed down the game for Montreal.

What's next: The Bruins are in dire straits. Just as easily, the Bruins could be leading the series 3-1. Instead, they need to pull a miracle to knock off Montreal. For the Habs, it's about righting the ship. Their performance in this series has, at times, left something to be desired. If Carey Price can cover up the mistakes, fine, but turnovers and sloppy play would have meant defeat against a more talented offensive unit. The series could prove to be an eye-opener for Guy Carbonneau and club, but first they have to finish of Boston first.

Game Five
Bruins 5, Canadiens 1
by David Carty

Why the Bruins Won: Pressure. First off, hats off to Claude Julien for re-inserting Phil Kessel into the lineup. Some will debate if removing him was a mistake in the first place, but it gave the kid some rest. Let's not forget that Kessel has never had a workload like this before. His rookie season was cut short due to his bout with testicular cancer and he was one of only three Bruins to play in all 82 regular season games in 2007-08. The rest gave him an extra step - and a kick in the behind - as the youngster sparked the black and gold offense. He fought hard in the corners and proved to be substantially more valuable than Jeremy Reich could have been in Game 5. Kessel, a defensive liability during the season, even led the team with five blocked shots in his 12:32 of ice time. Boston didn't get caught up with trying to match Montreal hit for hit. Instead, they kept plugging away on offense, trying to complete the chances that they missed spectacularly in Game 4. They got under Price's skin and refused to leave. One goal, two goals, three, and four weren't enough. It was about proving a point tonight at the Bell Centre; the Bruins will not going quietly into the night.

Why the Canadiens Lost: They stole a page from the Bruins Game 4 playbook, they didn't finish their scoring chances. Alexei Kovalev put a 20 foot backhand past a heavily screened Tim Thomas to open up the scoring. But after that, Montreal didn't get the second chances they needed to beat the Boston goaltender. They even had chances on the power play. Boston found themselves in the penalty box late, but the Canadiens didn't turn those penalties into Bruins' mistakes. Montreal's defense was out of sync all night, missing assignments and allowing the Bruins to set up shot in the offensive zone. And, we come to the kid. Carey Price was a cool cat in the first three games of the series, but maybe his frustration after the Bruins overtime win got into his head a bit. He was a wee bit adventurous in Game 4 and entirely beatable in Game 5. The game's late goals were laughable and Price's positioning was just way off. Bottom line, when you're team allows four goals to the Bruins, you got some 'splainin to do. Montreal simply fell asleep at the wheel.

Key play of the game: The most significant thing to happen in Game 5 happened before the puck dropped. Claude Julien's decision to scratch Phil Kessel for three games had some people scratching their heads, but it gave the Bruins some more pop by keeping Jeremy Reich dressed. After a fruitless Game 4, it was painfully clear that the Bruins needed some offensive punch to stay in the series. Julien's decision to put Kessel back in the game gave the team a boost, and their first goal, en route to a surprising upset of the Canadiens.

What's Next: Maybe there is something to this "one game at a time" thing. If the Bruins fans actually populate more than 50% of the T.D. Banknorth Garden, it will serve as a huge boost to a team that needs every possible advantage it can get. The Bruins stepped up their game in Montreal and that won't change at home. Oh, and expect Phil Kessel to be in the lineup. Montreal got smacked in Game 5. They were complacent, flawed, and a shell of the team they're capable of beating. Guy Carbonneau has a task on his hands to get his team prepared for Game 6 in Boston. All told, this series still belongs to Montreal. The Bruins still have to win two games - or one and one, if you're Claude Julien - –and the Canadiens are still in control of the ship. But after Game 5, those rocks on the shore look an awful lot closer than they did before. Now, on the anniversary of Paul Revere's ride (April 18th/19th, 1775), a different brand of red coats will be coming into Boston. I don't know how many lanterns Revere would hang if they came by air, but another battle of nations will take place in Boston this weekend and, all of a sudden, the little engine that could has life.

Game Six
Bruins 5, Canadiens 4
by Jake Duhaime

Why the Bruins won: It's an overused cliché, but the Bruins played this game with everything to gain and nothing to lose. They've battled adversity since Patrice Bergeron went down in October and played tight, playoff-style games all season long. It makes perfect sense that this club is the first in franchise history to force a Game 7 after falling behind 3-1 in the series.

Why the Canadiens lost: Surprisingly, the Habs got beat at their own game. Carrying a lead into the third period, the action moved to the fast-paced, wide-open game the Canadiens would have preferred to play all along. The shots were 36-35 and 16-13 in the final period, both in favor of the Bruins. As head coach Guy Carbonneau put it, "We gave them three goals on breaks ... We had veteran guys on the ice every time and we just didn't react the right way." Containing Phil Kessel might be a top priority for Montreal in Game 7 as he once again was an impact all around the ice, scoring twice, putting up six shots and creating chances up and down the ice.

Key play of the game: Marco Sturn capped a wild third period with 2:37 left when he came out of the corner, shot it into traffic and ended up getting the puck back to beat a diving Carey Price for the game-winning goal. For the second straight game, the Bruins put four pucks in the net over the final 20 minutes.

What's next: The series heads back to Montreal where the top seeded Canadiens might have ghosts, but clearly don't have momentum. As for a short-term fix, the Habs would benefit if the Flyers close out the Capitals, as Montreal was 4-0 against Philadelphia and 0-4 against the Rangers. If Boston wins, the Bruins and Penguins would match-up in round two.

Game Seven
Canadiens 5, Bruins 0
by David Carty

Why the Canadiens won: The Habs found their stride with their backs against the wall. After a dismal Game 5 and an unsuccessful Game 6, Montreal blew Boston out of the water in the final game of the series. They dominated in front of the net and in the corners, winning virtually every physical battle on the night. Montreal also clogged the shooting lanes, not allowing the Bruins to really get off any quality chances. The Habs were more physical and eliminated a lot of the hard work for their goaltender Carey Price.

Why the Bruins lost: Boston fell flat after an impressive bounce comeback from 3-1 down in the best-of-seven series. The Bruins' main offensive protagonists were invisible for much of the game. Phil Kessel returned to mediocrity, Marco Sturm's efforts went for naught, and Marc Savard's offensive talents weren't enough to lift the Bruins to victory. Boston limited itself to long drive attempts from the point and never really established itself in front of Montreal's Price. They played the first 30 minutes of hockey pretty strongly, but the last 30 minutes can't even be classified as mediocre hockey.

Key play of the game: Mark Streit's second-period goal deflated the Bruins, who never recovered. Maxim Lapierre took the puck into the zone and lured the Bruins' defense to the left side of the ice before hitting Streit, the trailer. He made Zdeno Chara look foolish in his flailing attempt to disrupt the chance and beat Tim Thomas for a crippling goal that effectively ended Boston's playoff run.

What's next: The Canadiens will wait to see who awaits them in the Eastern Conference semifinals. This Jekyll-and-Hyde routine won't fly from here on out. The Habs need to put teams away and must keep up the physical play. The Bruins have a lot of good building blocks in place and this will be an interesting postseason. Both Aaron Ward and Dennis Wideman have expiring contracts and both demand a healthy sum of money. Will the Bruins stand pat or reach for an offensive stud, a la Marian Hossa? Either way, the black and gold have to feel positive about what they accomplished this season.