Playoff Results - Mon, May 12, 2014

Boston @ Montreal 0-4 - Series Tied 3-3

Thomas Vanek and Max Pacioretty finally turned on the offense, Carey Price took care of keeping the puck out of the net, and, as a result, the Canadiens will get their ninth opportunity to face off against the Bruins in a Game 7. Price made 26 saves for his first shutout of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Vanek scored two goals to lead the Canadiens to a 4-0 win in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference First Round series against the Bruins on Monday at Bell Centre. Pacioretty had a goal and an assist, and Lars Eller opened the scoring for the Canadiens, who evened the series at 3-3. The shutout was the fourth of Price's playoff career, all against the Bruins. Game 7 is Wednesday in Boston (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, RDS). It will be the ninth time the Bruins and Canadiens have gone the distance in a best-of-7 series, and the fourth time in the teams' past five series since 2004. Montreal holds a 24-9 lead in 33 previous playoff series against Boston, including a 19-8 advantage in 27 best-of-7 series. Tuukka Rask stopped 24 shots for Boston, which has now failed to close out five straight series in which it entered Game 6 on the road with a 3-2 lead. The Bruins have played in eight Game 7s since 2008. They are 4-4 in those games. The Canadiens looked more prepared to play Monday. Pacioretty made it 2-0 with his second goal of the playoffs, first in six games, at 15:24 of the second period. Defenseman Nathan Beaulieu, who made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, got an assist on the goal. Beaulieu flipped the puck to clear the Canadiens zone, and it struck Bruins forward Loui Eriksson's left arm and carried down the ice past Pacioretty at the Boston blue line. Pacioretty outraced Chara for the bouncing puck and swatted a shot between Rask's pads. Pacioretty earned an assist when Vanek scored a power-play goal at 17:39 of the second period to put Montreal up 3-0. Rask made a sensational sliding save on Rene Bourque early in the third period to temporarily prevent Montreal from going up four goals. Boston clamored for a goal at 11:05 of the third after a shot dropped behind Price and Canadiens center David Desharnais batted the puck back under the goalie with his right glove. However, a video review upheld the on-ice ruling that the puck had not crossed the goal line. Vanek got his team-leading fifth goal of the playoffs at 16:04 of the third with a shot into a wide open net with Rask on his way to the Boston bench in favor of an extra attacker. The Bell Centre crowd roared to life when Eller scored at 2:11 of the first period. The Canadiens center took advantage of a Bruins turnover when Boston defenseman Kevan Miller misplayed partner Torey Krug's backhand pass off the boards behind the net. The puck went off Miller's stick in the right corner straight out into the slot, where Eller went to his backhand to tuck a shot around Rask, who had sprawled to the ice and waved his stick in an attempt to prevent Montreal from grabbing the early 1-0 lead. It was the Danish center's fourth of the playoffs, Montreal's first at even strength in a span of 149:38. Rask had better luck later in the period when he made a desperate lunging save with the back of the paddle of his goal stick on Brendan Gallagher's backhand to prevent the Canadiens from taking a two-goal lead. Gallagher had two quality chances during a Canadiens power play at the beginning of the second period after Bruins defenseman Dougie Hamilton was called for roughing at the end of the first. He fired the first one wide of the Boston net, and Rask made a left-pad save on the second as Hamilton's penalty expired. Milan Lucic missed a golden opportunity to draw Boston even in the second when his shot at an open net from the left edge of the crease went through the goal mouth. The Bruins were exerting intense offensive pressure at that point, shortly after their power play ended following a holding the stick penalty against P.K. Subban. Canadiens defensemen Josh Gorges and Mike Weaver were trapped on the ice for a three-minute shift, and Montreal center Brian Gionta was on for 2:32. Lucic misfired on a 2-on-1 pass from David Krejci a little more than a minute into the game. Eriksson fired a shot off the crossbar at 8:47 of the first. Boston won three of its four previous best-of-7 series at home after failing to close out a 3-2 series lead on the road, including in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. The Bruins also won playoff series against Montreal and the Tampa Bay Lightning under the same circumstances on their way to winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. Boston lost four games in a row to the Philadelphia Flyers, including the decisive game at TD Garden, after taking a 3-0 series lead in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Beaulieu, who was paired with Weaver, played in favor of defensemen Douglas Murray and Francis Bouillon. Murray played the previous three games after replacing Bouillon, who played Montreal's first six playoff games. Forward Daniel Briere returned for Montreal after he was left out the lineup for Game 5 on Saturday. Travis Moen was scratched. Bruins coach Claude Julien used the same lineup for a third straight game.

Vanek: "Obviously, it's big for us to score and get those goals, but I thought tonight what the difference was I think we played well as a team. Every line played well, our (defense) was great, and [Price] was [Price] back there."

Price: "We played as a unit. They competed on every shift, and I thought that was our best effort of the series. They're a lot of fun," (Price has twice faced the Bruins in a Game 7). "That's the whole reason you play the hockey game. That's what you dream of as a kid."
Patrice Bergeron: "We knew they were a tough team. They have a lot of character; so do we. So it's about Game 7 now."
Zdeno Chara: "You've got to be ready to play them, play your own game"
Max Pacioretty: "I just got the bounce that I've been needing for a couple of games. Beaulieu made a great stretch pass after a blocked shot. I think it hit two of their defensemen, lands right on my stick, the puck was still wobbling, just swiped at it five-hole. You know, it's a funny game. I'm talking to you guys right now like I just played the best game of my life, but I don't think I played much different from a couple of games in the past."
Desharnais: "The puck's right there and I didn't want it to go in the net, and I just pushed it with my hand. I didn't know if they were going to call it a penalty shot or whatever, but I like the chances on Carey on a penalty shot more than a goal right there."
Miller: "I've got to make a better play than that. I kind of handcuffed myself, and it bounced out in front, so it's unfortunate."
Milan Lucic: "Well, I mean, we capitalize on our chance there, it's a different game, but we're not frustrated with what happened here today. We were able to establish some pretty good zone time and stuff like that, and not more to talk about than looking forward to a Game 7."
Tukka Rask: "We've been through it, so I've got no doubts in my mind that we [can] get it done."

Penalties

1st Period
12:23 MTL	Mike Weaver  Hi-sticking against  Loui Eriksson
15:38 BOS	Patrice Bergeron  Roughing against  P.K. Subban
15:38 MTL	P.K. Subban  Roughing against  Patrice Bergeron
20:00 BOS	Dougie Hamilton  Roughing against  Tomas Plekanec
2nd Period
05:08 MTL	P.K. Subban  Holding the stick against  Carl Soderberg
17:13 BOS	Gregory Campbell  Hi-sticking against  Andrei Markov
3rd Period
03:58 BOS	Milan Lucic  Tripping against  P.K. Subban
19:10 MTL	David Desharnais  Interference against  Patrice Bergeron
19:36 BOS	Zdeno Chara  Slashing against  Mike Weaver
19:36 BOS	Zdeno Chara  Roughing against  Mike Weaver
19:36 BOS	Jarome Iginla  Roughing against  Brian Gionta
19:36 BOS	Jarome Iginla  Misconduct (10 min)
19:36 MTL	Mike Weaver  Slashing against  Zdeno Chara
19:36 MTL	Mike Weaver  Misconduct (10 min)

Los Angeles @ Anaheim 3-4 - Sucks lead Series 3-2
The "Beat L.A.!" chants grew to a deafening roar at Honda Center on Monday night, practically echoing 30 miles up the freeway. After an odd four games of the Western Conference Second Round series in which the dominant puck possession team has lost, the Sucks seized control with their offensive depth in a 4-3 win in Game 5 against the Kings. Anaheim took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7-series and can eliminate its Southern California rival in Game 6 on Wednesday at Staples Center (9:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TSN, RDS). The Sucks received another strong performance from 20-year-old rookie goalie John Gibson, who made 39 saves and has stopped 67 of 70 shots in the first two Stanley Cup Playoff games of his career. Devante Smith-Pelly, 21, had one of the better games of his young career with two goals, and the Sucks got goals from three lines and points from 11 players. Smith-Pelly was the first star of the game and Gibson was No. 3. Each spent most of the season with the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League, who are down 3-1 to the St. John's IceCaps in the AHL's Eastern Conference Semifinals. Los Angeles switched up his lines, presumably to counter Anaheim's depth, but it uncharacteristically handled the puck poorly and the Sucks took advantage in the first two periods and grabbed a 4-1 lead. Los Angeles pulled within 4-3 on Marian Gaborik's second goal of the game at 14:12 of the third. Gibson anchored Anaheim during a second straight furious third-period rally by the Kings, who outshot the Sucks 14-2 in the third. But Gibson held his ground. He began with a glove stop on Tyler Toffoli in the first period and made a four-save flurry during a Kings power play in the second. Gibson wasn't born when Selanne entered the NHL, and Selanne got in more one-liners when reminded of it. Smith-Pelly began a stretch of three goals in 7:12 in the second period when he redirected Mathieu Perreault's shot home after Selanne's nifty feed on the power play at 1:11. Smith-Pelly scored again on a breakaway at 2:34 and Jakob Silfverberg later followed with a rebound conversion at 8:23 to make it 4-1. Smith-Pelly knelt down for a huge fist pump after his goal in a pose that reflected Anaheim's enthusiasm. His five playoff goals lead the team and are tied for fifth in the NHL. All three goals came following mistakes by the Kings. Justin Williams took an offensive zone hooking penalty that led to Smith-Pelly's first goal before Alec Martinez made an egregious pass that Ryan Getzlaf intercepted that allowed Smith-Pelly to score again. Matt Greene missed the puck on a clear attempt, which led to Silfverberg's goal. Los Angeles, without injured defensemen Robyn Regehr and Willie Mitchell, has allowed four power-play goals in three games. The four goals allowed Monday were the most since Game 3 of the first round series against the San Jose Sharks. The game was tied 1-1 at first intermission after an entertaining period that more resembled the looser, chance-for-chance play of Game 1. Trevor Lewis scored his third goal of the playoffs on a wrist shot that went off Sucks defenseman Bryan Allen at 9:12 of the first. Anaheim looked confused on a line change, and Lewis grabbed a loose puck in the neutral zone and skated down right wing. Anaheim got the start it wanted, at least in the first five minutes, and capitalized when Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin lost the puck falling down in the corner. Daniel Winnik took it and set up Bonino from the right side at 2:15 of the first. The Sucks had 12 shots on goal in the first period, nearly as many as their total of 14 from Game 4. The Kings had 14, or half of their 28 from Game 4 on Saturday. Los Angeles slightly altered its lineup and inserted right wing Jordan Nolan in place of Kyle Clifford.

Teemu Selanne: (of the Western Conference Final) "I haven't really thought about that too much. My heartbeat is still 200 [miles per hour]. I needed some nitrous at the end of the game there. But, obviously that's the next plan. Let's try to play the best game the next game and close this thing and go from there. He was joking [that] his mom is the same age is me and I almost punched him. One of us is in the wrong place, and it's not him."

Bruce Boudreau: "Norfolk's not happy. Those guys have come up and all of them played such big roles … the youth is really carrying us right now. They're solid NHL players."
Nick Bonino: "When all four lines are scoring, it's really tough to beat us. When we put up that many goals, we've got such great goaltending that four goals we would hope should be enough."
Smith-Pelly: "We're just having a lot of fun. It's fun to play in the playoffs. This is what you dream about when you grow up. We're just trying to enjoy it, and so far, it's gone pretty well."
Dustin Brown: "Turnovers, you just can't have them. When you give up quick goals like that, it's a momentum killer and a double whammy. They get it and we lose it. When we're playing our game, we don't have those turnovers."
Sutter: "Muzzin falls in the Zamboni corner and that's just bad luck, that goal. I think, similar to last game probably, the second and third goal were close together. One was a power-play goal, and then the turnover to Ryan Getzlaf. A player can't make that play, that's for sure."