• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Canadiens set to host the Bruins for Game Seven

Apr 21, 2008 - 2:20 PM Boston at Montreal 7:00 pm EDT Eastern Conference quarterfinals Series tied, 3-3

MONTREAL (Ticker) - The Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins have been here before.

For the fourth time in 18 years, the Northeast Division rivals will meet for a Game Seven - this time at the Bell Centre in Montreal in the decisive game of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

The eighth-seeded Bruins, who faced a three-games-to-one deficit, used another dominating third period Saturday to extend the series.

Marco Sturm snapped a tie with 2:37 remaining in the third as Boston scored four times in the session to even their best-of-seven series with top-seeded Montreal at three games apiece with a 5-4 triumph in Game Six.

Phil Kessel scored twice and rookies Milan Lucic and Vladimir Sobotka also tallied for the Bruins, who erased three one-goal deficits and scored three times in just over five minutes down the stretch.

"It was a big battle, back and forth," Sturm said. "I'm just glad we won."

Christopher Higgins netted a pair of goals and Tomas Plekanec and defenseman Francis Bouillon each recorded their first of the series for the Canadiens, who are now looking to avoid a monumental collapse to their longtime rivals.

"We have to regroup now," Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said. "Everyone wants to win in four (games) but that's why you play 82 regular-season games, so you can have the seventh game at home."

The last time the Bruins made the playoffs in 2004, the Canadiens sent them home with a Game Seven win. Current Boston coach Claude Julien was behind the bench for Montreal then as the Canadiens overcame a three-games-to-one deficit.

Boston had defeated Montreal in seven games a decade earlier and also in 1991. This will be the seventh that the Bruins and Canadiens have faced off in a Game Seven, the most such meetings of any two teams in major sports history.