The Boston Bruins made short work of their division rival Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of their first round series, as they did all series long. For the first time in a decade, the Bruins were able to advance past the first round and into the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Bruins won Game 4 with little resistance from the Habs, scoring 4 goals in the first two periods to knock out their longtime nemesis in Montreal’s disappointing centennial season.
Former Canadien Michael Ryder can take special pleasure in Boston’s series win, as he led the Bruins in scoring with 4 goals and 7 points throughout the series, including two goals in the final game. Montreal was led by veterans Saku Koivu and Alexei Kovalev who both finished the series with only 3 points. Of no real surprise was the fact that Boston only gave up 6 goals all series, while Vezina candidate Tim Thomas took away all other chances that the Canadiens put together.
Carey Price continues to be scrutinized by the Montreal fans, but the blame for the loss of this series can hardly be placed on his young shoulders. The Bruins finished first in the Eastern Conference and were one of the most statistically well-rounded teams on paper coming into the playoffs. The Canadiens were missing three of their key players for at least half the series, as Alex Tanguay and puck-moving defensemen Andrei Markov and Mathieu Schneider all sat out with injuries. The Bruins outscored the Canadiens 21-6 in the series, while the Canadiens were unable to score a single goal while on the powerplay. A lack of discipline may have also cost the Canadiens, as they racked up over 100 penalty minutes, as opposed to the Bruins’ 78. With Boston given plenty of time to rest up and analyze their next potential opponent, the Bruins should be a scary matchup for whoever survives the remaining Eastern Conference playoff matchups.