Thomas, Bruins deliver KO, Beat Habs 3-1

The Boston Bruins met the Montreal Canadiens for regular season meeting number, 697 tonight at the Garden. While both sides were ailing with some big injuries the game still had plenty of meaning.

The Canadiens came out with purpose, and carried the play for much of the period. The Bruins threw their weight around trying to slow down the Montreal attack but the Canadiens were keeping a steady attack.

The Canadiens put plenty of rubber on Tim Thomas who had to make 17 first period saves to keep the Habs off the board. The teams went into the room with Montreal holding the early edge in momentum.

The second period started and just a few minutes in the Canadiens found themselves on the Power Play. Everyone's least favorite brothers (The Kostitsyn's) were able to hook up on the Power Play with Andrei burying the goal with a little help from brother, Sergei.

Five minutes later the Bruins were on a Power Play of their own, and Zdeno Chara took it amongst himself to even the score. Chara cleaned up the garbage in front, which in this case was an Aaron Ward rebound and knotted the game at one.

The game continued on and the Canadiens found themselves on yet another Power Play when the momentum turned. Andrei Kostitsyn lined up Ward from behind and plastered him into the glass. Ward lay on the ice for a while before getting up, OK at least for the moment. As Kostitsyn skated away from Ward and toward the goal, Thomas gave him a two handed smack down, planting Kostitsyn in the ice.

Kostitsyn ended up with a five minute major for boarding while Thomas got, two minutes for a rough. The Bruins were on the initial Penalty Kill but as soon as David Krejci got out of the box, Montreal took another penalty and the Bruins had a five-on-three for two minutes.

With just 96 seconds left in the period Captain Chara's one-timer deflected off the stick of Andrei Markov and fluttered past Jaroslav Halak. The shot looked like Chara took a page out of Russ Tyler's book in D2 and put a knuckle puck top dog.

The second period was over and the Bruins had stolen the momentum from the Habs. 2-1 Bruins and Timmy was turning in a heavyweight performance.

The action went back and forth in the third period, with both teams having some good chances. Tim Thomas had to make a great toe save to keep the Habs from tying the game with less than five minutes remaining.

With a little over a minute to go Michael Ryder came right down the slot on Halak but was denied. Ryder, however, kept with the puck and found David Krejci off the right post who hacked the dagger into the Canadiens heart.

This chapter in the Bruins vs. Habs rivalry was closed with a 3-1 win for Boston. With the win the Bruins are now 11 points clear of Washington in the Eastern Conference.

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AARON WARD KNICKED UP AGAIN

*According to Claude Julien, Aaron Ward aggravated his charley horse in the second period. Ward was apparently limping around in the locker room after the game and said he took a few shots off the leg which didn't help the cause either.