The mood was festive at TD Garden on Sunday (Dec. 1) afternoon for the Boston Bruins Centennial Game against the Montreal Canadiens. Fans were buzzing, legends like Johnny Bucyk and Ken Dryden were present for the ceremonial faceoff, and it was yet another chapter in the storied rivalry between perennial rivals. In the end, the Bruins fed off the energy in what was mostly a rout, winning 6-3.
Boston’s Scoring Drought Gone for the Day
There has been a lot of hubbub regarding the Bruins’ inability to tally goals this season. Coming into Sunday’s date, the beleaguered group sported the 31st-ranked attack in the league. Whether it was the emotions running high on a very special day or that Boston just loves pounding Montreal for goals, scoring was not an issue.
Charlie McAvoy got things going at 11:45 of the first period. As the Bruins buzzed in the Canadiens’ zone, he took a pass from Jordan Oesterle, raced around the net and slid the puck past an outstretched Cayden Primeau.
The blitz continued at 12:40 and, amazingly, at 12:55, when both David Pastrnak (via a one-timer from in close) and Charlie Coyle (off a backhand) made it 3-0 that maybe Montreal’s netminder should have had.
Boston Bombardment
The hosts emphasized their superiority in the middle frame. At 0:38, McAvoy got his brace on the penalty kill. A Canadiens turnover permitted the 26-year-old to race out on a breakaway and deftly make it 4-0.
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The Canadiens were unwilling to completely roll over and die. Cole Caufield made it 4-1 at 5:42 when he patted the puck home from the crease after determined skating from Arber Xhekaj, who sent the puck into the paint from a tight angle in the hopes of surprising Jeremy Swayman.
But the Bruins ensured that they ruled the day when Coyle got his second of the game at 0:21 of the third period to make it 5-1. He capped off some slick passing by Boston as they raced out and made Montreal’s defence look extremely passive.
Caufield and Emil Heineman would respond to make it 5-3 and somewhat interesting down the stretch, but Cole Koepke scored an empty netter late for the 6-3 final.
In true Canadiens vs. Bruins rivalry fashion, there was a pair of game misconducts in the second period when Xhekaj and Mark Kastelic got the boot. They engaged in fisticuffs with a referee hugged between them. Xhekaj’s furious fists almost clipped the referee, for that matter.
The Canadiens will take Sunday evening and Monday to lick their wounds before they host the New York Islanders on Tuesday (Dec. 3). The Bruins get to enjoy what remains of Thanksgiving weekend before hosting the Detroit Red Wings on the same night.
