Canadiens 4 - 1 Bruins
Final
  for this game

Canadiens take down rival Bruins in Boston

Jan 31, 2014 - 3:59 AM Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Brian Gionta and Danny Briere scored crucial goals in the second period, helping Montreal take down Boston, 4-1, at TD Garden.

"This was close to a complete game for us," said Briere.

Alexei Emelin and Max Pacioretty also lit the lamp for the Canadiens, who have won two in a row after dropping four straight. Brendan Gallagher picked up a pair of assists, while Peter Budaj backed up his teammates with 34 saves.

Dougie Hamilton supplied the lone offense for the Bruins, who were denied a fifth straight win by their oldest rivals.

Tuukka Rask allowed three goals on 18 shots in 27-plus minutes. Chad Johnson filled in and gave up one score on 15 shots for the remainder of the contest.

The Habs picked up the game's first goal 2:16 in, as Emelin's right-point blast sailed over Rask's pad.

Pacioretty was allowed space on the left wing, beating Johnny Boychuk and then Rask on a backhander from atop the crease with 5:28 to play in the first.

Hamilton got one back for the hosts just over a minute later by tipping home a Loui Eriksson wrister, but Gionta's slight tip of a Tomas Plekanec offering on a power play made it 3-1 for Montreal at 11:54 of the second.

Johnson was greeted by a Briere breakaway, where the wily veteran outran three Bruins chasers up the middle to score cleanly for a 4-1 advantage less than two minutes later.

Boston's comeback bid was complicated by two minor penalties -- one each to Hamilton and Milan Lucic -- in the final 5:04 of regulation.

Budaj completed his victorious start by stopping all 10 shots he faced in the third period.

"It wasn't good enough from, I guess, an emotional standpoint and from a determination standpoint," said Lucic.

Game Notes

Montreal has won eight of its last 12 games in Boston since Nov. 2009, and five straight against the Bruins overall ... Bruins forward Brad Marchand committed three minors and was held without a shot on goal in 17:01 of ice time ... Budaj picked up his first win since Dec. 4, having dropped six consecutive decisions.






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