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Bruins face elimination in Montreal

Apr 17, 2008 - 1:26 PM Boston at Montreal 7:00 pm EDT Eastern Conference quarterfinals Canadiens lead, 3-1

MONTREAL (Ticker) - The eighth-seeded Boston Bruins try to avoid elimination from the playoffs on Thursday when they visit the top-seeded Montreal Canadiens for Game Five of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Defenseman Patrice Brisebois scored with 42 seconds remaining in the second period and 20-year-old rookie Carey Price stopped all 27 shots he faced to record his first career postseason shutout as the Canadiens skated to a 1-0 triumph over the Bruins in Game Four on Tuesday.

"We knew (Game Four) was going to be a hard game," Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said. "They challenged us the last two games. We've kind of responded at times. We knew this game was really a must."

With the win, Montreal claimed a commanding three-games-to-one lead in the best-of-seven series and returns to the Bell Centre, where it won the first two games of the series and posted a 22-13-6 record during the regular season.

The Bruins understand the situation that they are now facing.

"I think right now this is where you have to take games one at a time," Bruins rookie left wing Milan Lucic said. "But it's do-or-die for us from here on in and we have to make sure that we go in (to Montreal) with a good effort."

Boston coach Claude Julien knows that a three-games-to-one deficit can be overcome. Julien was the coach of the Canadiens when they rallied back from the exact same margin in the 2004 Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Bruins.

However, Julien is just trying to keep his team focused on Game Five.

"First of all you don't want to start comparing, you don't want to start thinking that those things just happen that easily," he said. "You (have) to think about winning the next game if you want to get back in the series. It's as simple as that. You don't look at the fact you have to win the next three (games), it's too big of a picture."

The Bruins will need to mount some offense if they are to have a chance in Montreal after scoring just six goals in the first three games of the series and failing to capitalize on numerous point-blank chances in Game Four.

"We've seen enough video to kind of figure out that we just have to shoot the pucks and if they give us some room, then make a play," Bruins center Glen Metropolit said. "We're trying to get better on our transition, get the puck wide, drive to the net and try to get a rebound on (Price)."