CANADIENS EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO THREE WITH 4-1 VICTORY OVER BRUINS
The Montreal Canadiens continued their surge towards the playoffs with a convincing 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. The victory marked the Canadiens’ third straight win and solidified their hold on the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Nick Suzuki and Brendan Gallagher led the way for the Canadiens, each scoring a goal and adding an assist. Suzuki’s goal was his 26th of the season, and he also reached a milestone with his 80th point of the campaign. He became just the second Canadiens player in the past 25 years to reach the 80-point mark, joining Alex Kovalev.
Sam Montembeault was solid in net for the Canadiens, stopping 18 of the 19 shots he faced. The only blemish on his record came with 6:41 remaining, when Elias Lindholm scored to spoil Montembeault’s shutout bid.
The Bruins, on the other hand, continued their slide, extending their winless streak to 10 games (0-9-1). The team’s struggles have been well-documented, and Thursday night’s loss was just the latest in a long line of disappointments.
“We’re just not getting the results we want,” said Bruins coach Jim Montgomery. “We’re working hard, but we’re just not executing. We need to find a way to turn things around and start winning some games.”
The Canadiens’ third line of Christian Dvorak, Gallagher, and Josh Anderson has been a key factor in the team’s recent success. The trio has combined for 13 goals in the last 10 games, including five from Dvorak.
The game was marked by several hard hits and scrums after the whistle, with tensions boiling over when Montreal’s Kaiden Guhle fought Boston’s Cole Koepke with six minutes remaining in the second period.
The Canadiens will look to extend their winning streak when they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night. The Bruins, meanwhile, will try to snap their losing streak when they face the Carolina Hurricanes.
