Canadiens aim to bounce Bruins

[OMEN]

Zdeno Chara, left, and the Boston Bruins need a bounce-back effort on Thursday if they hope to keep playing this season.
Coming off their grittiest win of this young post-season, the Montreal Canadiens will look to dispose of the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarter-final at the Bell Centre on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, CBC, CBCSports.ca).

Montreal's defence has been particularly encouraging, anchored by the solid goaltending of rookie Carey Price.
Price earned the first post-season shutout of his career in Game 4 — stopping 27 shots in the Canadiens' 1-0 win.

All in a day's work for the 20-year-old, who earned Montreal's first shutout by a rookie in the playoffs since Patrick Roy did it in the 1986 Stanley Cup finals.

"It's kind of how the playoffs go — you have to try to make every save because that one goal could make the difference," the low-key goaltender said. "I thought we really needed to get that one... We wanted to get at least a split in Boston and that's what we did."

Price may have been at his best on Tuesday, but he's been a constant throughout the first round. In the first four NHL playoff games of his career, he has only allowed five goals on 120 shots, and leads the league with a 1.19 goals-against average and a save percentage of .957.

It's this kind of play from Price that Montreal envisioned earlier this season, when they dealt starter Cristobal Huet to give the rookie his opportunity, and he's run with it, going 15-4 ever since.

"I saw him last year a bit," Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau said. "It was a different level, but he did pretty amazing things. He's playing his position as well as anybody right now and he's fun to watch."

But Montreal can't rely on Price to compensate for a lack of goal scoring.

Patrice Brisebois netted the game winner on a booming one-time shot from inside the blue-line on Tuesday, but that was all the offence Montreal could muster.

After scoring seven goals in Games 1 and 2, the Canadiens have been held to just one goal in each of the last two games.

Help could be on the way soon, however, as Montreal captain Saku Koivu had his foot re-evaluated and skated on his own on Wednesday. It remains unclear when Koivu will be able to play in his first playoff game for the Canadiens this season.

Injured Montreal defenceman Francis Bouillon also skated on Wednesday and is reportedly getting closer to returning from a sore ankle.

Canadiens' power-play point man Mark Streit won't play on Thursday night after sustaining a hip injury in Game 4. Carbonneau said Streit's status was "day-to-day."

Michael Ryder, who was a healthy scratch on Tuesday, will return to the lineup in Streit's spot.
Boston looks to extend season

With their season hanging in the balance, the Bruins will be a desperate club trying to regain the momentum they had after their Game 3 win in Boston.

Boston can take some solace in the fact that it had its share of chances in Game 4.

The Bruins dictated play early and missed a glorious chance with Marco Sturm nearly opened the scoring midway through the frame when Price rushed out of his net. Sturm won the race to the puck and had an open net, but his shot from inside the circle sailed just wide of the post.

Sturm also set up David Krejci with a perfect cross-ice pass while on the power play, but the centre put the puck wide of an open net.

With Price stopping 54 of 55 shots, the Bruins will have to capitalize on such opportunities if they want to have any chance at sending the series back to Boston.

Boston practised without defenceman Aaron Ward on Wednesday, who is questionable for Game 5 with a knee injury.

CBC

[Pretty Fly Guy]

Canadiens are gonna take the Cup home to Canada this year boys!