The Montreal Canadiens have taken a significant step toward securing their first Stanley Cup Playoff berth since 2021 with a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins at Bell Centre on Thursday. This marks their third consecutive victory, and the Canadiens have now moved two points ahead of the New York Rangers for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki were key contributors, each recording a goal and an assist, while Sam Montembeault made 18 saves to seal the win for Montreal. "It’s been too long," Gallagher said of the team's playoff contention. "Really, it makes you appreciate this building, this atmosphere and everything that comes with being a Montreal Canadien. It’s special coming to the rink."
This win also broke a long-standing drought, as it was the Canadiens' first regulation win against the Bruins since November 5, 2019. Boston had gone 15-0-1 against Montreal since that time.
“It’s really encouraging for our team right now and we’ve just got to keep winning games,” said Canadiens forward Josh Anderson.
Elias Lindholm scored the lone goal for Boston, while Jeremy Swayman made 28 saves. However, the Bruins' struggles continue as they suffered their 10th consecutive loss (0-9-1), tying the eighth-longest losing streak in the team's history.
“We’re easy to play against,” said Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov. “The other teams are just hungrier than ours.”
Christian Dvorak gave Montreal a 1-0 lead just 40 seconds into the second period. Cole Caufield extended the lead to 2-0 with a career-high 35th goal of the season at 14:42, with an assist from Suzuki. Gallagher made it 3-0 in the third period, scoring off a turnover from Jake Evans.
Lindholm briefly cut the lead to 3-1, but Suzuki sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 18:03, marking the 4-1 final score.
Suzuki's impressive season continues as he reached 81 points (26 goals, 55 assists) in 75 games, making him the first Canadiens player to reach 80 points in a season since Alex Kovalev in 2007-08. "It’s nice to be in the same category as him for something," said Suzuki, reflecting on his historic achievement.
With three straight multipoint games, Suzuki has been the standout player, matching a feat last accomplished by Vincent Damphousse in 1995-96. Meanwhile, Caufield’s 35-goal season is the first by a Montreal player since Max Pacioretty in 2016-17.
