Montreal's Hal Gill (Bolton, Mass.) dispatched ex-teammate Bill Guerin and the Penguins last week, now he's setting his sights on the Flyers in the conference finals. (photo: Getty)

Bruins fans never really warmed to Hal Gill.

Despite the fact that he was a hometown kid from Bolton, Mass., the Garden (or FleetCenter then) faithful even booed Gill when the club announced that he had been named an alternate for the U.S. Olympic Team at a game in 2006.

But while Boston fans never grew to love Gill, and probably like him even less now that he’s playing for the dreaded Canadiens, they can at least share a common hatred with him.

Gill added some spice to the Eastern Conference finals that open tonight with Montreal playing Game 1 at Philadelphia as he expressed a sentiment common around these parts right about now.

“It’s easy to hate the Flyers,” Gill told the Canadian Press. “They’ve been the Broad Street Bullies, their fans are loud and obnoxious. If you’re from Philly that’s great, if you’re not you hate them. It’s fun to hate the Flyers, just like it’s fun for them to hate our fans and our team. It should be a good series as far as hate goes.”

Boston fans have no problem hating the Flyers, though right now their disdain is probably even stronger for the Bruins after they blew a 3-0 series lead and a 3-0 lead in Game 7 against Philadelphia, depriving Boston puckheads a chance of witnessing another chapter in the B’s-Habs storied rivalry and instead adding the Bruins to the list of all-time choke artists.

Bruins fans may not be in the mood to watch any more hockey after the way their club’s season ended, but the Stanley Cup semifinals promise to provide plenty of intriguing storylines and exciting action if you bear to watch.

Here’s a quick rundown of the two conference finals.

Eastern Conference: No. 7 Philadelphia vs. No. 8 Montreal

How they got here: Boston fans don’t need to be reminded of how the Flyers reached this point. After needing to beat the Rangers in a shootout in the final game of the regular season just to qualify for the playoffs, Philadelphia knocked off New Jersey in five games in the first round, then became just the third team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit when they beat the Bruins. Montreal had the worst record in the playoff field, but rallied from 3-1 down to knock off Alex Ovechkin and President’s Trophy-winning Washington, then came back from trailing 3-2 to beat Sidney Crosby and the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins.

Bruins Connections: Flyers coach Peter Laviolette coached in the Bruins system, winning a Calder Cup in Providence in 1999, and served as an assistant in Boston in 2000-01. Gill spent the first eight seasons of his career in Boston, but has flourished away from the hometown spotlight, developing into a top shutdown defender and winning a Cup last year in Pittsburgh. Fellow blueliner Paul Mara also played for the Bruins and signed with Montreal last summer, but underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in March. Habs forward Glen Metropolit resurrected his career in Boston in 2007-08 after winning a job on a training camp tryout, and set a career high with 16 goals this year in Montreal.

New England Ties: Laviolette hails from Franklin, Mass. and played his college hockey at Westfield State, while Flyers goalie Brian Boucher, who was injured in Game 5 of the Bruins series, is a Mount St. Charles product from Woonsocket, RI.  Philly rookie James van Riemsdyk played his college hockey at UNH. On the Montreal side, Gill hails from Bolton, Mass. and played at Providence College, while Mara is from Belmont, Mass. Max Pacioretty (New Canaan, Conn.) began the year with Montreal, but was assigned to Hamilton (AHL) in January, where he’s currently sidelined with a shoulder injury. Brian Gionta played at Boston College and mid-season addition Dominic Moore was a Harvard man before turning pro.

Players to watch: The Habs’ three big offseason acquisitions have all come up huge in the playoffs, with Michael Cammalleri leading the team with 12-6-18 totals and three game-winners, while Gionta and Scott Gomez each have 12 points. Gill leads the league with 54 blocked shots in the playoffs despite missing one game after getting cut with a skate, while Jaroslav Halak has been a force in net, going 8-5 with a 2.42 GAA and a .930 save percentage and making 34 or more saves seven times in the first two rounds. Philadelphia captain Mike Richards derailed Boston’s season with his hit on David Krejci, but is also capable of hurting opponents on the scoreboard, as he leads the Flyers with 17 points in 12 playoff games. Simon Gagne returned from a broken toe to score four goals in four games against Boston, including the game-winner in OT in his first game back and the series clincher with 7:08 left in Game 7. Danny Briere has 15 points in 12 games and Chris Pronger has chipped in 11 points while leading the Flyers defense. Michael Leighton is now the man in goal after Boucher’s injury, and he was 2-0 with 1.54 GAA and a .940 save percentage against the Bruins.

The lowdown: It’s the first meeting between 7 and 8 seeds since the NHL went to the 1-8 conference format in 1994, which means there will be Cinderella in the Cup finals no matter who wins. The Flyers have the home-ice advantage and are 4-1 in Philly this postseason, but the Canadiens are 5-3 on the road and have already won a pair of Game 7s in enemy rinks. Both of these teams have shown their character and resiliency in the first two rounds, so don’t expect this one to go less than seven games either.

Western Conference: No. 1 San Jose vs. No. 2 Chicago

How they got here: The top-seeded Sharks exorcised some playoff demons by avoiding a first-round upset against Colorado with a 4-2 win, then dispatched Detroit 4-1. Things looked bleak early on when San Jose fell behind 2-1 to the Avalanche after Dan Boyle put the puck into his own net in overtime for the only goal of Game 3, but the Sharks have gone 7-1 since that disaster. Chicago also trailed 2-1 in the opening round, but rattled off three straight wins to beat Nashville 4-2, then beat Vancouver 4-2 as well in the second round.

Bruins Connections: San Jose is of course now home to former Bruins captain Joe Thornton, who was dealt to the Sharks in 2005 for Brad Stuart, Marco Sturm and Wayne Primeau in one of the most infamous trades in NHL history. Defenseman Jay Leach also wore the C for the Bruins, albeit the Providence Bruins, where he played parts of four seasons and got called up for two games with Boston in 2005-06.  For Chicago, Kris Versteeg was sent away in a much smaller, but similarly ill-advised trade for Brandon Bochenski in 2007 that remains one of Peter Chiarelli worst moves. The Blackhawks front office includes director of player development Norm MacIver, who was an assistant coach in Boston earlier this decade, while former Bruins Martin Lapointe and Dennis Bonvie are now pro scouts for Chicago.

New England Ties: The Sharks, whose AHL affiliate is in Worcester, have mined the Bay State for plenty of talent. Forwards Benn Ferriero (Essex, Mass.) and  John McCarthy (Andover, Mass.) are among the club’s Black Aces after making their NHL debuts early in the season. Defenseman Joe Callahan (Brockton, Mass.) also enjoyed a brief callup, while Leach also has local ties, having played at Providence College before turning pro. The best Chicago can muster on the New England front is skating coach Paul Vincent, who lives in Falmouth, Mass. He previously worked closer to home with Harvard, Boston College, Northeastern and Dartmouth, and most recently with the Bruins from 2004-08.

Players to watch: Thornton has begun to shed his playoff bust label with 11 points in as many games, including nine in a six-game point-scoring streak. And for a guy frequently accused of choking in the clutch, Thornton has come up huge this spring by scoring when it matters most. He has nine points in San Jose’s six one-goal wins, and seven of his 11 points have been scored in the third period or overtime. Joe Pavelski has been even hotter with team-leading 9-6-15 totals and three game-winners, while Dany Heatley (2-9-11) and Patrick Marleau (3-4-7, 2 GW goals) have shown up this postseason as well. Boyle has made up for his own-goal gaffe with 2-7-9 totals and Evgeni Nabokov has gotten the job done in goal (8-3, 2.43 GAA, .910 save percentage). For Chicago, Jonathan Toews has been dominant with 20 points in 12 games, while fellow young star Patrick Kane has 15 points. Marian Hossa has chipped in 10 points and Versteeg has a pair of game-winners. The biggest surprise might be Patrick Sharp though, as he already has 14 points. Antti Niemi is 8-4 with a 2.57 GAA and a .910 save percentage between the pipes.

The lowdown: It’s the complete opposite of the East, as the West’s top two teams remain alive. It’s just the sixth time that a 1 and 2 seed will meet in the conference finals since the format change in 1994. San Jose has home ice, where the Sharks are 5-1 this postseason. But the Blackhawks are 5-1 on the road, winning five straight away from the Windy City — including all three games in Vancouver in the second round. Thornton is on a mission to erase the doubts about his ability to deliver in the playoffs, but Toews and Kane might be too much to handle. Plus, everyone knows Hossa doesn’t lose until the Cup finals.

The Bruins and Flyers are now playing for home ice in the Eastern Conference finals, as eighth-seeded Montreal continued its unlikely playoff run with a 5-2 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins in Game 7 in pittsburgh tonight.

Boston College product Brian Gionta scored two power-play goals, Harvard’s Dominic Moore added another, while Michael Cammalleri scored his 12th of the playoffs and Travis Moen had a short-handed tally for the Habs. Jaroslav Halak made 37 saves as the Canadiens won despite being outshot 39-20. Old friends Hal Gill and Glen Metropolit have earned a trip to the conference final, but can the Bruins punch their ticket to join them?

While the home ice will be nice for either the Bruins or Flyers, the Habs won’t be an easy team to beat. They are as hot as any team in the playoffs, with wins over regular-season champion Washington and reigning Cup champ Pittsburgh under their belt and Halak playing out of his mind. Of course, the Bruins won’t have to worry about the Habs if they don’t snap out of their tailspin and finally put away the Flyers.

Final: Montreal 4, Boston 1

The Bruins picked up right where they left off from before the break. No, not the four-game winning streak they posted before the Olympics. Instead, they continued their struggles at home, dropping their 10^th straight decision at the Garden, remaining winless in their home building in 2010. With the win, Montreal moves past Boston into seventh place in the East. The Bruins remain in a playoff spot in eighth place, but it’s a tenuous hold on that postseason berth. The Rangers are even in points but trail in the tiebreaker because they’ve played two more games than the Bruins, while Atlanta is just one point back and Tampa Bay is two points behind Boston.

Records: Boston 27-23-11, 65 points; Montreal 30-28-6, 66 points

Revisiting the Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Quick start – The Bruins managed to get off to a good start, playing well in the first period and taking a 1-0 lead at 12:11 as they converted their first power-play opportunity. They continued to play well into the second, but couldn’t cash in on any of their chances to extend their lead, then everything fell apart in the third.

2. Special showdown – The Bruins won the special teams matchup, holding Montreal’s second-ranked power play scoreless on two chances, while scoring once on four power plays of their own. Montreal more than made up for that at even strength though, outshooting Boston 29-18 while playing 5 on 5 and outscoring the Bruins 4-0 while the sides were even.

3. Price check – Boston still can’t solve Carey Price, who held the Bruins to one goal for the third time in as many starts against them this year. He’s now 9-2-2 all-time against Boston, making 23 saves tonight after stopping 42 shots and all three shootout attempts in a 2-1 win in Boston on Nov. 5 and making 37 saves in a 5-1 win at Montreal on Dec. 4.

Key Play of the Game:

The Bruins were desperately trying to cling to a 1-0 lead, but old friend Glen Metropolit pulled Montreal even with a goal 2:40 into the third, one-timing a shot from Tom Pyatt. That goal changed the complexion of the game, as it seemed to deflate the Bruins, while Montreal fed off it and scored three more goals to roll to the win. Metropolit now has four goals in five games against Boston this year. Sounds like it safe to officially label him a Bruins killer now.

Fight Card:

There were no fights in this one, and very little nastiness of any kind as the Boston-Montreal rivalry has definitely hit a lull this season. The “rivals” have had just one fight in five games, with that one being a virtually punch-free scrap between Blake Wheeler and Ryan O’Byrne.

Flynn’s Finest:

Marco Sturm scored Boston’s only goal with his team-leading 19^th tally of the season. It was a nice effort, as he had to reach over Price after Zdeno Chara’s point shot trickled through Price’s pads, but came to a stop in the crease behind Price. That was Sturm’s only shot, though he had several near misses, one of which actually got past Price only to be blocked by Hal Gill, and also added a team-high four hits. Tuukka Rask stood tall in the first two periods and gave Boston a chance to win, but he couldn’t overcome the defensive breakdowns in front of him in the third. He did finish with 28 saves. David Krejci created a number of scoring chances, especially in the first two periods. The penalty kill kept Montreal’s dangerous power play quiet.

Flynn’s Sin Bin:

Where to begin? The Bruins reverted back to their frustrating old ways, once again struggling to finish even when they created scoring chances. They weren’t much better on the defensive end. Matt Hunwick was the biggest culprit, finishing a minus-2 and inexplicably standing idly by in the crease while Maxim Lapierre banged in a rebound for the eventual game-winning goal. Andrew Ference wasn’t much better as he was minus-3 and beaten on the initial drive by Travis Moen on that play. Mark Stuart was also a minus-2 in his first game back and struggled to get his timing down after missing the final seven games before the break with a broken finger. He got caught out of position several times when he went for big hits and came up empty. Dennis Wideman finished even on the day, but nearly put the puck in his own net late when he tried to sent a blind backhand pass behind the net and instead sent it into the crease where a startled Rask had to play it. The Bruins were without top face-off man Patrice Bergeron, who is day-to-day after suffering a groin injury during the Olympics, but the rest of the centers have to pick up the slack. Instead, the Bruins were dominated on draws, winning just 18 of 53 face-offs (34 percent). Marc Savard was the biggest culprit, winning just 4 of 20 (20 percent). Vladimir Sobotka once again didn’t do much to take advantage of his opportunity to play with Bergeron out. he had no shots and just one hit, won just 2 of 7 face-offs (29 percent) and finished a minus-1 in 11:24. He also continued his habit of picking up bad penalties, getting called for slashing late in the first.

Next: The Bruins host Toronto on Thursday before heading out on a seven-game road trip.

Down on the Farm: Jordan Knackstedt had a goal in regulation and the only goal in the shootout as Providence edged Abbotsford in AHL action. Craig Weller and Mikko Lehtonen also scored for the Baby B’s (30-28-3-0), while Kevin Regan (South Boston, Mass.) made 29 saves and stopped all five attempts he faced in the shootout. Providence plays at Abbotsford again tomorrow.

Final, Montreal 4, Boston 1

All over at the Garden, where the Bruins suffered a crushing loss to their rivals. It was a total collapse in the third, with Montreal scoring four unanswered goals to leapfrog past Boston in the Eastern standings. The Bruins still have not won in the Garden in 2010.

18:33-3rd – Montreal goal

Benoit Pouliot with the empty-netter to seal it

Pouliot (unassisted) (18:33) 4-1

17:30-3rd – Montreal goal

Metropolit strikes again, getting off a diving shot from the slot as he was getting tripped up by Ference; Rask made initial save, but Darche banged in the rebound at the right post

Darche from Metropolit, Pyatt (17:30) 3-1

5:42-3rd – Ryder a chance in front after Krejci steal to keep play in Montreal zone, but shot blocked in front without reaching net

7:24-3rd – Montreal goal

Travis Moen wins a battle for the puck with Andrew Ference in left circle, throws puck on net; Rask makes pad save, but Lapierre bangs in rebound at right post while Matt Hunwick stands idly by

Lapierre from Moen, Moore (7:24) 2-1

4:10-3rd – Montreal power play with Ryder off for holding; Bruins desperately need a kill here as Montreal is threatening to take control of game

2:40-3rd – Montreal goal

Mathieu Darche sent in a dump-in that Derek Morris played with a high-stick, Tom Pyatt gained control and drove down to the left corner, then sent out a centering pass to Glen Metropolit, who one-timed it in from the low slot; that’s ex-Bruin Metropolit’s fourth goal against Boston this year

Metropolit from Pyatt, Darche (2:40) 1-1

End second – Boston 1-0

- Bruins still clinging to their one-goal lead, but they had a few golden chances to pad that advantage; missing those could come back to haunt them in the third

- Rask still perfect through two, making eight more saves as Montreal holds a slim 18-17 edge in shots

- good to see a little hate in the second, but this one still doesn’t have the feel of a real Boston-Montreal rivalry game; who would have thought we’d miss Mike Komisarek so much? Montreal just doesn’t have the guys to get anyone riled up anymore; Lapierre is a pest, but everyone in the league knows he’ll never back it up when challenged so he doesn’t even really register any more

- Bruins getting killed in the face-off circle, winning just 37 percent of the draws as a team; Savard has been especially poor tonight, winning just 3 of 13 (23 percent), while Sobotka is 0 for 3; Bruins really miss Begeron in that department

16:35-2nd – Sturm with another bid in front, two whacks at it from top of the crease but puck goes wide

15:45-2nd – Marco Sturm gets shot from slot by Price, but old friend Hal Gill makes the save in the crease behind his goalie

15:17-2nd – Marc Savard in behind defense on partial break, denied on shot, but draws slashing penalty on Lapierre

10:11-2nd – scary moment for B’s; Wheeler overskates puck inside blue line, allowing Montreal to keep the puck in; Brian Gionta down low on left gets Rask way out of net and centers puck to slot, but Bruins able to clear it away

9:01-2nd – first sign of any nastiness with a post-whistle scrum in the Boston crease; Mark Stuart tangled up with agitator Maxim Lapierre and Andrew Ference shoving with Tomas Plekanec; face-washes all around but no penalties called

5:10-2nd – Bruins get another power-play chance, Jaroslav Spacek off for hooking

4:25-2nd – first of the insipid chants of “USA! USA!” from crowd breaks out; of course, no American players from Bruins actually on ice at the time; Montreal had Mass. native Hal Gill, Alaskan Scott Gomez and New York’s Brian Gionta out together shortly thereafter; time to give up the idiotic cheers folks

3:22-2nd – Benoit Pouliot delivers crushing hit on Dennis Wideman, sending Bruins d-man flat on his back in front of benches

1:09-2nd – Bruins kill off penalty; Boston had only shot in remaining 1:09 of power-play time in second on Daniel Paille bid from right side; Chara also pinched in for short-handed bid, but sent shot wide

End first – Boston 1-0

- Montreal finished period with a 10-7 edge in shots, but the Bruins carried the play after Sturm’s goal until the Habs’ late power play

- Tuukka Rask had a strong first frame, picking up where he left off before the break

- Krejci also turned in strong period, carrying over his Olympic showing, and he seems to have sparked linemates Ryder and Wheeler as well

19:08-1st – Montreal gets its first power-play chance after Vladimir Sobotka is sent off for slashing; big kill for Bruins to maintain momentum heading into intermission

13:48-1st – Bruins nearly double lead off great setup by Michael Ryder down left wing, pass across crease around sliding defenseman to Blake Wheeler, but Wheeler robbed at right post by Price toe save

12:11-1st – Boston goal

Zdeno Chara tees up blast from center of blue line that trickles through Price’s pads, Marco Sturm reaches over Price with one hand on stick and pushes puck over goal line

Sturm from Chara, Savard (12:11), pp 1-0

11:31-1st – Dominic Moore off for interference, Bruins get first power-play chance of the night

10:50-1st – Stuart goes for another big hit on Sergei Kostitsyn and comes up empty; looks like Stuart’s timing may be off in his first game back

10:07-1st – David Krejci with the nifty move through the Montreal zone, pass over to Michael Ryder on the left wing for shot; pad save Carey Price

8:30-1st – Milan Lucic with a big hit on Ryan O’Byrne along the boards in the Boston zone. Maybe Milan can find a new Habs sparring partner with Mike Komisarek gone.

5:52-1st – Montreal with the first legit chance, with Tom Pyatt sending in a testing shot from the left slot that Rask turns aside. The chance was created when Mark  Stuart went for a big hit in the neutral zone and missed.

We’re under way at the Garden.

Good tempo to start, but not much in the way of solid scoring chances in the opening minutes.

Bruins lines are:

Paille-Savard-Recchi

Wheeler-Krejci-Ryder

Sturm-Sobotka-Satan

Lucic-Begin-Thornton

Defense pairs:

Chara-Wideman

Stuart-Morris

Ference-Hunwick

Matchup: Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN; 98.5 FM)

Records: Boston 27-22-11, 65 points; Montreal 29-28-6, 64 points

Past History: After going 5-0-1 against Montreal last season and sweeping the Habs in the playoffs last spring, the Bruins have had the tables turned this year with Montreal winning the first three meetings, 2-1 in a shootout in Boston on Nov. 5, 5-1 in a blowout in Montreal on Dec. 4 and 3-2 in a shootout Feb. 4 in Boston. The Bruins finally ended that streak with a 3-0 win at Montreal on Feb. 7. All-time, the Bruins trail their rivals 263-331-103-6 overall, but have a 161-131-47-4 edge at home.

Bruins Connections: Defenseman Hal Gill spent the first eight seasons of his career in Boston, while fellow blueliner Paul Mara was here for less than one season, playing 59 games in 2006-07 before being dealt for Aaron Ward. Forward Glen Metropolit resurrected his career in Boston in 2007-08, and has 11-11-22 totals in 53 games this year in Montreal.

New England Ties: Gill hails from Bolton, Mass. and played at Providence College, while Mara is from Belmont, Mass. Max Pacioretty (New Canaan, Conn.) had 3-11-14 totals in 52 games with the Habs, but was assigned to Hamilton (AHL) on Jan. 24. Brian Gionta played at Boston College and new addition Dominic Moore was a Harvard man before turning pro.

Injury Update: The Canadiens are without leading goal-scorer Michael Cammalleri, who is still out with a knee injury. That’s good news for the Bruins, as Cammalleri scored a natural hat trick against them in December and had the only goal in the shootout on Nov. 5. Marc-Andre Bergeron (knee) and Mara (upper body) are also on injured reserve. Andrei Kostitsyn (knee) and Benoit Pouliot (upper body) are both expected to be activated from IR to play in this one. The Bruins should also get defensemen Mark Stuart (broken finger) and Johnny Boychuk (broken orbital bone) back and are otherwise healthy and rested after the break.

Fight Card: There were no fights in the first three meetings, which is unusual in this rivalry. Even more unusual was the lone fight in the fourth game before the break, as Blake Wheeler dropped the gloves for the first time in his pro career against Ryan O’Byrne, albeit in a brief and uneventful scrap. Last year’s series produced six fights, plus two more in the playoffs. The Habs have just 29 fighting majors and sent home enforcer Georges Laraque for the season. That leaves Travis Moen (5 fights) and O’Byrne (5 fights) as their most physical players. The Bruins have 36 fighting majors, led by Shawn Thornton’s 16. The Bruins have had fights in each of their last five games, and earned points in each with a 4-0-1 record, but it might be tough finding a willing opponent to keep that streak going in this one.

Matchup to Watch: David Krejci vs. Tomas Plekanec. Last week they were teammates on the Czech Republic Olympic squad, but they’ll be opponents tonight. Plekanec comes in as Montreal’s leading scorer with 17-43-60 totals and has four goals in his last seven games. Krejci has barely half that with 10-21-31 totals this year, but he was the Czechs’ best player in the Olympics and will look to build off that performance now that he’s back in Boston.

Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Quick start – The Bruins, other than their half dozen Olympians, have been off for two weeks, but they have to shake off any rust quickly and get off to a good start. Boston won its last four games before the break, but carrying momentum over after such a long layoff won’t be easy. The Bruins need to create some new momentum with a strong opening period and build from there.

2. Special showdown – The matchup between the Canadiens’ second-ranked power play (48-195, 24.6 percent) and Boston’s third-ranked penalty kill (30-215, 86.0 percent) could determine the outcome in this one. The Habs are lethal with the man-advantage, but have also had the fewest power-play opportunities in the NHL this year, while surrendering the second most chances to opponents. The Bruins have the second fewest power-play chances and haven’t done much with them (36-199, 18.1 percent).

3. Price check – Jaroslav Halak has taken over the No. 1 netminding duties for Montreal, but after playing for Slovakia throughout the Olympics and will get a night off tonight, giving Carey Price a chance to start in this one. Price’s numbers haven’t been great this year – 12-18-4, 2.80 GAA, .911 save percentage – but he has excelled against the Bruins, going 8-2-2, 2.51 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 12 games. This year, he made 42 saves and stopped all three shootout attempts in a 2-1 win in Boston on Nov. 5 and 37 saves in a 5-1 win at Montreal on Dec. 4.

The Lowdown: The Bruins finally had things going in the right direction, putting together a four-game win streak after losing 10 straight, and then they had to take two weeks off. The good news is they come back against their fiercest rival, so getting the intensity back against Montreal shouldn’t be a problem. The four-game win streak matches a season high, and the Bruins would like nothing more than extending that to five. Boston holds just a slim one-point lead over Montreal in the Eastern Conference standings, with the two archrivals holding down the final two playoff spots, but three teams are within two points and two more within six points. The Bruins also face a grueling seven-game road trip after playing Montreal and Toronto at home this week, so they can’t afford to let any points slip away at home.

Final: Boston 3, Montreal 0

The streak is finally over. The Bruins ended their 10-game losing skid one defeat short of matching the franchise’s all-time record run of futility back in 1924-25. They did it by finally getting some offense going, scoring more than two goals for the first time in 10 games. Ironically, the three-goal breakthrough came on a day when the Bruins could have actually won with a single goal, as Tuukka Rask stopped all 36 shots he faced for the shutout. With the win, the Bruins leap right back into the playoff picture despite their recent struggles. They are now tied in points for the final playoff spot in the East, though they are officially still outside a playoff position in ninth as Philadelphia has four more wins in one less game. The Bruins are within range of rising higher though, as they are just three points behind sixth-place Montreal with three games in hand on the Habs.

Records: Boston 24-22-11, 59 points; Montreal 28-26-6, 64 points

Revisiting the Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Stomp the smurfs – The Bruins weren’t overly aggressive in this one, as the clubs finished even in hits with just 17 apiece. But Milan Lucic did get more involved with a game-high five hits and some less likely Bruins stepped up big in the physical game. Matt Hunwick delivered a pair of hits, one of which leveled Brian Gionta (5-7, 173) with a shoulder hit in the Boston zone, while Marco Sturm set an early tone with a rare roughing minor against Scott Gomez (5-11, 202) just 39 seconds into play. Blake Wheeler was an even less likely combatant, but he dropped his gloves for his first pro fight in the opening period. He didn’t pick one of the little guys though, as he squared off with Ryan O’Byrne (6-6, 228), and while it wasn’t much of a scrap, it’s the thought that counts.

2. Derail Metro – Ex-Bruin Glen Metropolit had scored a goal in each of the first three meetings between the Bruins and Habs this year, but Boston kept him in check this time. He finished with no points and four shots in 15:44, and even managed to win just 4 of 12 face-offs (33 percent). He did have one good scoring bid from the left slot early in the second period, but Rask came up with the stop.

3. Time to get even – The minimal offense the Bruins have mustered of late had been primarily on the power play, while Boston has had almost no production at even strength. That changed today, which was vital as Boston didn’t get a single chance to use its power play all game. But after managing just two even-strength goals in the previous six games, they struck for three today to fuel their victory.

Key Play of the Game:

Adam McQuaid’s opening tally, Marco Sturm’s huge momentum-gaining goal with 3.2 seconds left in the first period and any number of key Rask saves in the second could all be viewed as decisive moments in this one. But it took Boston 10 games to score three times in one game, so Sturm’s second goal midway through the third was the play that truly locked down this win. With 10:11 left and the Bruins holding another 2-0 lead after blowing back-to-back 2-0 leads against Montreal and Vancouver in the previous two games, Sturm drove down the slot and fired in a shot that deflected off Montreal defenseman Josh Gorges and fluttered into the net for a 3-0 lead that finally felt safe.

Fight Card:

Anyone have Blake Wheeler in the pool for first Bruins fight of the year against Montreal? Didn’t think so. Despite standing 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Wheeler has never been known for his physical play and had never come close to dropping his gloves. That changed at 12:17 of the first when he had enough of the rough treatment he had gotten from Ryan O’Byrne. The more experienced scrapper O’Byrne appeared to smile as the pair squared off, but Wheeler threw the only punches. They weren’t much, two weak rights that didn’t appear to land, and Wheeler then slipped to the ice before O’Byrne could throw any counterpunches. The linesmen stepped in and it was somewhat surprising that the refs actually handed out majors for such a quick scrap, the likes of which would often draw just roughing minors. But it does go down in the books as Wheeler’s first NHL fight in his 146^th career game (regular-season and playoffs), so congrats to him for that. Both players also get credit for discarding their helmets before engaging, as they both wear visors.

Flynn’s Finest:

Rask has been solid in his recent games, but wasn’t quite able to steal a win for the Bruins. That changed today when he got the nod for a third straight start and responded by stopping all 36 shots he faced for his third shutout of the season. He came up especially big in the second period when the Canadiens outshot Boston 15-3 and had a slew of excellent scoring chances, but Rask held the fort and kept the Bruins in front as they survived the surge this time after squandering similar 2-0 leads the last two games. Sturm came up huge with the goal to make it 2-0 when he banged in a rebound with just 3.2 seconds left in the first after Patrice Bergeron had tipped Zdeno Chara’s initial point shot on goal. Sturm also added the clincher in the third for his 18^th goal of the year, finishing a plus-2 with five shots and two penalty minutes with a roughing minor 39 seconds in that helped set the tone. McQuaid scored Boston’s first goal, which stood up as the game-winner. It was the rookie’s first NHL tally, and came on a nice low point shot that deflected in off Montreal’s Ryan White with Marc Savard also positioned in front for a tip. With Johnny Boychuk injured yesterday, McQuaid again played a bigger role and was up to the challenge, with a hit, a blocked shot, a takeaway and no giveaways in a season-high 14:43. he also made a key play early in the second coming back to harass Tomas Plekanec just enough to help disrupt his breakaway bid. The matchup of McQuaid in his expanded role against the Habs’ rookie line of White, Brock Trotter and David Desharnais was the matchup I highlighted coming into the game, and while McQuaid delivered, the Montreal youngsters sure looked weak in comparison, combining to go minus-3 with just two shots and one hit, though White did put one puck in the net, albeit the wrong net, when he deflected in McQuaid’s shot. Andrew Ference returned after missing 14 games with a groin injury and was a solid plus-1 with a hit and a blocked shot in 15:05. With David Krejci leaving early in the first with an undisclosed injury, centers Savard, Bergeron and Steve Begin all had to log extra minutes to pick up the slack and they each came through. Savard had an assist and was a plus-1 with two shots and three takeaways in 20:53, Bergeron was a plus-2 with an assist and two hits in 20:22 and Begin had two hits, two shots, a blocked shot and won 8 of 12 face-offs (67 percent) in 17:11. Wheeler gets a nod for finally dropping the gloves and veterans Mark Recchi and Derek Morris were each a plus-2.

Flynn’s Sin Bin:

About the only real negative in this one was Krejci’s early exit with an undisclosed injury. Claude Julien said after the game that it was a minor injury, so hopefully Krejci won’t miss much if any time, as his game was finally rounding into form and his presence is a key for the Bruins in all facets of the game. The only other minor quibble comes from the Bruins’ lack of power-play chances, as they didn’t draw a single penalty on the Habs other than the matching roughing minors and fighting majors in the first. On the plus side, they gave Montreal’s power play just one opportunity and killed that off. Morris was guilty of the trip that created that chance, and was also charged with two giveaways. The Bruins still dominated that category though, with just seven giveaways compared to Montreal’s 14.

Next: The Bruins stay on the road as they continue their four-game pre-Olympic trip with another Northeast Division clash at first-place Buffalo on Tuesday.

Down on the Farm: It was a good day for all the Bruins, as Providence completed a home-and-home sweep of Atlantic Division-leading Worcester with a 6-2 win. The Bruins outscored the Sharks 11-5 in the two games, with six different goal-scorers today. Mikko Lehtonen led the way with a goal and two assists, while Drew Larman added a goal and an assist and Kevin Regan (South Boston, Mass.) made 27 saves. Drew Fata dropped the gloves twice, taking on Dennis McCauley just two seconds into play and Andrew Desjardins later on in a game that featured 77 total penalty minutes. The Bruins (25-24-3-0) won despite going 1 for 9 on the power play. Benn Ferriero (Essex, Mass.) had a short-handed goal for Worcester (31-16-2-2). Providence next hosts Hartford on Friday.

Matchup: Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens, 3 p.m. (NESN; 98.5 FM)

Records: Boston 23-22-11, 57 points; Montreal 28-25-6, 62 points

Past History: After going 5-0-1 against Montreal last season and sweeping the Habs in the playoffs last spring, the Bruins have had the tables turned this year with Montreal winning the first three meetings, 2-1 in a shootout in Boston on Nov. 5, 5-1 in a blowout in Montreal on Dec. 4 and 3-2 in a shootout Thursday in Boston. All-time, the Bruins trail their rivals 262-331-103-6 overall and 101-200-47-2 in Montreal.

Bruins Connections: Defenseman Hal Gill spent the first eight seasons of his career in Boston, while fellow blueliner Paul Mara was here for less than one season, playing 59 games in 2006-07 before being dealt for Aaron Ward. Forward Glen Metropolit resurrected his career in Boston in 2007-08, and has 11-11-22 totals in 53 games this year in Montreal.

New England Ties: Gill hails from Bolton, Mass. and played at Providence College, while Mara is from Belmont, Mass. Max Pacioretty (New Canaan, Conn.) had 3-11-14 totals in 52 games with the Habs, but was assigned to Hamilton (AHL) on Jan. 24. Brian Gionta played at Boston College before turning pro.

Injury Update: The Canadiens are without leading goal-scorer Michael Cammalleri, who is out for six weeks with a knee injury. That’s good news for the Bruins, as Cammalleri scored a natural hat trick against them in December and had the only goal in the shootout on Nov. 5. Andrei Kostitsyn (knee) is also out indefinitely. Mara (upper body) and Marc-Andre Bergeron (lower body) are both questionable. The Bruins are short-handed on the blue line with defensemen Mark Stuart out with a broken finger and Johnny Boychuk hit with a slap shot in the face yesterday against Vancouver. The severity of the injury is not known yet, but Boychuk did not travel with the team to Montreal. Andrew Ference, who has missed the last 14 games with a groin injury, could return in this one after taking warm-ups yesterday. The Bruins may have to call up another defenseman just in case though, as they are down to just five blueliners if Ference can’t go.

Fight Card: There were no fights in the first three meetings, which is unusual in this rivalry. Last year’s series produced six fights, plus two more in the playoffs. The Habs have just 27 fighting majors and recently sent home enforcer Georges Laraque for the season. That leaves Travis Moen (5 fights) and Ryan O’Byrne (3 fights) as their most physical players. The Bruins have 31 fighting majors, led by Shawn Thornton’s 14. Both teams did drop the gloves yesterday, with Thornton taking on Darcy Hordichuk and Montreal call-up Ryan White battling ex-Bruin Bill Guerin (Wilbraham, Mass.), so perhaps they were warming up to finally add some nastiness to this rivalry this season.

Matchup to Watch: Adam McQuaid vs. Ryan White, Brock Trotter and David Desharnais. A quartet of youngsters could play a big roles in this one. Needed to shake up their lineup and fill in for some injuries, Montreal called up three youngsters from their AHL affiliate in Hamilton and played the trio together on a line against Pittsburgh yesterday. They provided a needed dose of energy, drawing penalties on back-to-back shifts in the second period and combining for seven shots. White also adds a needed physical presence for the small but skilled Habs, as he dished out four hits, including one late on Evgeni Malkin that triggered the bout with Guerin. McQuaid is a key youngster for Boston who has been impressive in limited action since being recalled from Providence. With Boychuk and Stuart out, he’ll have to take on an even bigger role. He responded well yesterday, with two shots, two hits and two blocked shots in a season-high 13:23.

Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Stomp the smurfs – The Bruins haven’t been a particularly physical team this season, but this would be the perfect time to get back to their big, bad selves. Montreal has plenty of skill, but lacks size up front with the likes of Brian Gionta (5-7, 173), Tomas Plekanec (5-11, 198), Scott Gomez (5-11, 202) and Metropolit (5-10, 196) leading the way, and new additions Desharnais (5-7, 177) and Trotter (5-10, 170) would have trouble getting on the big kids rides as well. The Bruins need to take advantage of that and hit the Habs at every opportunity, though they have to do it within the rules as Montreal boasts the No. 2 power play in the NHL.

2. Derail Metro – Glen Metropolit earned a spot with the Bruins in 2007-08 after a training camp invite, keeping his NHL career alive with a career-high 33 points. So how does he repay the Bruins? By burning them every chance he gets. Metropolit has a goal in each game against Boston this year, going 3-1-4 with a plus-4 in the three games. The Bruins can’t afford to let him strike again in this one.

3. Time to get even – No, this doesn’t mean getting even with the Habs for their three victories this season and their decades of postseason torture of the Bruins. It would take more than one regular-season win to balance those scales. This refers to the Bruins need to generate more offense at even strength. They need goals period, but the power play has actually been producing at a decent clip with goals on the man-advantage in five of the last six games. But while they’ve scored seven power-play goals in that span, the Bruins have had just two even-strength goals in those same games. In the last four games, six of their seven goals have come on the power play. They need continued contributions from the power play, but they must also get some production 5 on 5 as well.

The Lowdown: The losing streak is now at 10. Another loss today and the Bruins match the longest losing streak in franchise history, an 11-game skid all the way back in 1924-25. To avoid that, they’ll have to beat a Montreal team that’s won three straight, including an impressive 5-3 victory over Pittsburgh yesterday. Jaroslav Halak won his third straight start in that one, needing to make just 18 saves. Halak is usually better when he sees more pucks, as he’s 7-0-0 this year when facing 40 or more shots. That doesn’t bode well for the Bruins, who have put up 42, 47 and 43 shots in their last three games. Of course, they managed just five goals in those three games and haven’t scored more than two in a game since Jan. 16 – nine games ago. Montreal has moved all the way up to sixth in the East, five points ahead of Boston, which currently sits in 11^th. Still, the Bruins are just two points out of the final playoff spot despite their 1-9-4 swoon, so a win today could put them back into a tie for that last postseason spot.

Final: Montreal 3, Boston 2 (Canadiens win shootout, 1-0)

This is just getting silly now. The Bruins have now lost nine in a row, going 0-6-3 in that span. They’re 1-9-3 overall in their last 13 for five of a possible 26 points in that stretch. And they’re 0-6-2 at home since winning the Winter Classic at Fenway Park on New Year’s Day. All those streaks continued despite the Bruins building a 2-0 lead and outshooting Montreal 47-25. They did get a point by reaching the shootout, but they gave up two points to one of the teams they’re chasing and remain stuck in 12^th place in the East – three points and four teams away from the final playoff spot.

Records: Boston 23-22-10, 56 points; Montreal 27-25-6, 60 points

Revisiting the Three Keys for the B’s:

1. Get ahead early – The Bruins accomplished this, taking a 1-0 lead in the first and doubling it early in the second, but it still wasn’t enough as Montreal exploded for two goals in 39 seconds to tie it. It was just the second time in 15 games that the Bruins have lost after going up 2-0. It was also the second straight game they’ve lost after going up 1-0, dropping their record when scoring first to 16-6-1. Not even playing with a lead is enough to get this club out of its ongoing slump.

2. Stay out of the box – The Bruins also did a good job here, taking just two penalties the whole game. Montreal did cash in on the first chance, however, which opened the floodgates as ex-Bruin Glen Metropolit scored after Matt Hunwick was whistled for hooking. That got the Habs going and they added another even-strength tally to tie it 39 seconds later.

3. Get the Krejci line going – Somehow, the Bruins go three for three on the keys to the game and still end up losing. The David Krejci-Blake Wheeler-Michael Ryder combo had another strong game, with Wheeler scoring Boston’s second go off assists from Krejci and Ryder. The trio combined for nine shots, led by Wheeler’s four, and each had several solid scoring chances.

Key Play of the Game:

Metropolit rejuvenated his career in Boston in 2007-08 after earning a job as a training camp invitee, but he didn’t exactly pay back the Bruins the way they hoped tonight. He pounced on a Scott omez rebound in front and banged it home to put Montreal on the board. The Bruins had been cruising to that point, leading 2-0 and outshooting the Habs 25-13. But Metropolit’s goal, a power-play strike after Hunwick went off for hooking, brought Montreal to life, and the Habs tied it 39 seconds later. Metropolit now has 11 goals, matching his total with Boston when he had a career-high 33 points, but it was his first goal in 19 games. He now has scored a goal in each game against Boston this year, with 3-1-4 totals in the three games.

Quote of the Night:

Mark Recchi, when asked if he thought the Bruins had deserved a better fate after losing the last two games despite putting 89 shots on goal:

“It’s reality,” said Recchi. “And somewhere along the way here, hopefully in the next 27, we’ll win one we don’t deserve.”

Fight Card:

It just doesn’t seem right that there could be no fights in a Boston-Montreal matchup, but it’s become a trend this year. We’re halfway through the six-game season series and there still no gloves have hit the ice in anger. The closest the “rivals” came tonight was a few shoves and some nasty words exchanged by Zdeno Chara and Ryan O’Byrne after a whistle in the first. It would have been interesting to see if the captain would have followed through with a fight considering the shape of his mashed up hand, which has contributed to his lack of a fighting major this year. It didn’t help that both teams were without their heavyweights, as the Habs sent Georges Laraque home for the season last month and Claude Julien made Shawn Thornton a healthy scratch for the second time in three games. The Bruins controlled play most of the play, but didn’t do much physically in this one as Montreal finished with a 29-17 edge in hits.

Flynn’s Finest:

Dennis Wideman has led off the other side of this ledger for many nights this year as he’s struggled mightily this season. But tonight he gets a positive plug after a solid night’s work. He set an early tone with one of Boston’s few hits, leveling Brian Gionta in front of the Montreal bench. Wideman also had the primary assist on Boston’s first goal, sending in a well-placed low shot on net that Recchi was able to redirect home. Wideman finished with four shots, two hits, one blocked shot and no giveaways in 27:02. Chara also came to play in this one with three shots and two hits. He also got in O’Byrne’s face and made a diving save at the blue line on a power play. It was the kind of emotional effort the Bruins needed from their captain, who led all players with 29:30 of ice-time. Recchi scored his team-leading eighth power-play goal and led all players with seven shots. Linemates Patrice Bergeron and Marco Sturm combined for another 10 shots as that line was buzzing all night, and Bergeron was also 13-9 on draws (59 percent).

Flynn’s Sin Bin:

While Marc Savard managed five shots, most of those came on the power play. At even-strength, the Bruins “top” line produced little offense as Miroslav Satan and Milan Lucic both failed to record a shot. Satan has just one point and eight shots in his last eight games. It might be time to scale back that reclamation project and give Savard someone more effective on his right wing. Lucic also had just two hits and needs to be more of a presence out there. Montreal games used to bring out the best – and the beast – in Lucic, but maybe the absence of old sparring partner Mike Komisarek has taken some of the needed hatred out of these matchups. The fourth line was also way too quiet. Daniel Paille had two hits and a shot, but Begin came up empty in both categories and Byron Bitz had just one hit and no shots. Bitz has now gone nine games without a point and is minus-5 with just five shots in that span. Maybe sitting Thornton isn’t such a good idea. The tough guy won’t add much offense either, but he supplies some needed intangibles both on and off the ice that should earn him a regular spot in the lineup. The Bruins did score once on the power play, but managed just six total shots on five opportunities, including a 4-on-3 chance in overtime. The Habs ended up with the best scoring chance on that with a short-handed rush.

Next: The Bruins will close out their four-game homestand with their final game at the Garden before the Olympic break when they host Vancouver on Saturday afternoon.

BOSTON – Apparently, eight isn’t enough for the Bruins.

Boston squandered a 2-0 lead and lost its ninth game in a row (0-6-3) as Montreal rallied for 3-2 shootout win. The Bruins do take away a point for just the fourth time in the last 13 games, but that’s little consolation for the club and little help in the standings with the Habs picking up two points.

The Bruins tried to change things up in the shootout by electing to shoot second. But after both teams failed on their first two attempts, former Boston College star Brian Gionta scored on a backhand for Montreal, and Marc Savard was unable to tie it for the Bruins.

The Bruins lost despite outshooting Montreal 47-25. In their last two games, the Bruins have fired 89 shots on net, yet have just three goals – and one point – to show for it.

“I think we were the better team out there – again,” said coach Claude Julien. “But the bottom line is you’ve got to win and score those goals.”

BOSTON – The time for talking is over according to Bruins coach Claude Julien.

Of course, Julien has never been known to be particularly verbose, especially while dealing with the media of late. But his point stands. The Bruins have to stop talking about playing better and snapping out of their current slump and start actually putting up results on the scoreboard.

“At one point you can’t say so much,” said Julien in his pre-game briefing. “It’s the same thing with me standing here. I’m getting tired of answering the same questions over and over. You want to see results. I think that is the bottom line. We’re looking for the positive results and that’s what we’ve got to do tonight.”

Julien will turn to Tuukka Rask to help get those results tonight, as the young Finnish netminder gets the start tonight against archrival Montreal. He brings a 10-7-2 record with a 2.13 GAA and a .925 save percentage into the contest. It’s his first start against Montreal this year, as Tim Thomas was in goal for the first two meetings, which Montreal won 2-1 in a shootout and 5-1.

More important is finding someone who can put a few pucks into the net, as Boston is last in the NHL in scoring and has just nine goals in its last seven games. They try to break out against Jaroslav Halak, who gets the call tonight despite the fact that Carey Price shut down the Bruins in the two earlier meetings this year, stopping 79 of the 81 shots he faced. But Halak has better overall numbers, taking over No. 1 duties with a 15-8-2 record, 2.43 GAA and a .929 save percentage.

The Bruins have once again scratched Shawn Thornton up front, along with Vladimir Sobotka, while Byron Bitz returns to the lineup. Montreal has scratched defenseman Yannick Weber and still lists enforcer Georges Laraque as a scratch even though he’s been sent home for the season. Paul Mara (Belmont, Mass.) remains out with an upper-body injury.