Bruins rally to end seven-game skid vs. Habs

The Boston Bruins finally got one over on their biggest rivals after dropping the first two decisions against the Montreal Canadiens this season. Boston rode a three-goal third period and a terrific performance from goalie Tuukka Rask to earn the 3-1 win in the last game before the two teams meet outdoors for the 2016 Winter Classic.

It was a huge win on a number of levels for the Bruins, not the least of which that it was the first win for Boston over the Habs in the regular season since 2013-14. They went 0-4-0 against Montreal last season and just 1-2-1 the year before. As hard as it is to believe, the Bruins had just two wins over their chief rivals since 2012-13 coming into Wednesday night’s contest.

It looked like that futility was about to continue, with the Bruins getting outplayed for the first two periods of the game. Rask kept them within striking distance, with just a 1-0 deficit heading into the third period. The Bruins flipped a switch in the third and came away with two big points.

Here are three things to know about the game.

1. Tuukka Rask needed this one

For whatever reason, Rask has really struggled against Montreal over his career. Coming into Wednesday night’s game, Rask had a 3-14-3 record against the club’s Atlantic Division rival over his career in the regular season. He also lost all three games in Montreal when the two teams met in their highly contentious series in the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was bad enough that some Bruins fans openly wondered if Rask was just cursed against the Habs.

He sure didn’t look cursed Wednesday. The veteran netminder finished with 32 saves, including 25 over the first two periods when he wasn’t getting much help from the guys in front of him. In fact, the only goal Rask allowed went off his own defenseman, Zach Trotman, in the first period.

That one little bit of bad luck did nothing to shake Rask, who is 5-0-2 over his past seven starts. Getting the monkey off his back against Montreal could be a big boost for a goalie who is seemingly just beginning to hit his stride this season.

2. A pair of nice assists helped the Bruins score the game-tying and go-ahead goals less than a minute apart

The goal that started the rally for the Bruins came off of a rather incredible (and maybe a little lucky, too) play by captain Zdeno Chara with Boston short-handed. The big defenseman managed to bat the puck out of mid-air — a low changeup on the outside corner — and hit it squarely enough to spring Loui Eriksson on a partial breakaway.

Eriksson skated and battled hard to keep body position before sliding a puck under Mike Condon and crashing into the end boards.

Because you know we’re all about that pass. #BOSvsMTL https://t.co/ljTbjd3VT5

— NHL (@NHL) December 10, 2015

The hand-eye coordination from Chara and the ability to get enough on it to hit Eriksson in stride is pretty amazing. Somewhere, David Ortiz is smiling at that swing.

Only 42 seconds later, the Bruins capitalized again when Ryan Spooner sent a quick no-look, backhand pass to Landon Ferraro in the high slot. Ferraro had all the time in the world to size up his options and rip a wicked wrister past Condon.

Landon Ferraro fires in the game-winner 42 seconds after Eriksson made it a tie game–WATCH: https://t.co/XkJ79Lr0gb

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 10, 2015

After that, the Bruins had all the momentum and had flipped the game on its head.

3. If you leave Patrice Bergeron alone in the slot, you’re going to have a bad time

Patrice Bergeron, the best player on the Boston Bruins, somehow made it to the middle of the ice in the Montreal zone completely undetected. All Brad Marchand had to do was slide the puck to him for a wide-open look on Condon.

Bergeron made an impressive move to freeze the Habs’ netminder and bury the chance.

Those hands? Still sick. #BOSvsMTL https://t.co/i0ZX0e5Iwa

— NHL (@NHL) December 10, 2015

You have to give a lot of credit to Matt Beleskey and Marchand for winning board battles to contribute to the goal, but where was everybody else when Bergeron snuck in between the faceoff circles?

That was the back-breaker for Montreal, helping the Bruins pick up a much-needed win over the Habs.

The Bruins earned a rare win in Montreal thanks to a big third period. (USATSI)

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