Habs Beat Bruins 4-1 In Game Marred With Hit
MONTREAL (AP) -- Lars Eller scored twice in the first, Carey Price made 30 saves, and the Montreal Canadiens extended their winning streak to a season-high five games with a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.
A dangerous hit on Montreal's Max Pacioretty by Boston captain Zdeno Chara late in the second left the Canadiens' left wing motionless when he was taken off the ice on a stretcher.
Chara was given an interference major and a game misconduct with 15.8 seconds left in the period for the hit, which sent Pacioretty flying headfirst into the glass partition at the end of the Bruins' bench. A Canadiens spokesman said Pacioretty was conscious and moving his extremities when he was taken to hospital for precautions.
Brian Gionta scored his 24th goal in the second and James Wisniewski added a power-play goal for Montreal, playing its first game after a 3-0 road trip.
Milan Lucic scored his 29th goal 13:21 into the third to spoil Price's bid for a second shutout in three games.
Tuukka Rask stopped 22 shots for Boston, which had claimed 15 of 16 points in its previous eight games, a run that began with a 6-0 road trip.
Eller gave Montreal a 1-0 lead 8:21 in with his sixth of the season. Travis Moen got his second straight assist when Eller beat Rask for his seventh of the season at 17:37.
Gionta made it a 3-0. The Montreal captain drove the net and got off a shot that trickled through Rask. The Boston goalie knocked the puck back towards the goal line twice while Chara tried to keep it out and referee Eric Furlatt pointed to the net to signal the goal.
Wisniewski drove a slap shot past Rask for a power-play goal at 15:09.
Price stopped Brad Marchand on a penalty shot 4:08 into the third.
Pacioretty was given a lengthy standing ovation when he was named the game's third star in voting conducted by the team's fans.
Canadiens right wing Ryan White got 17 minutes in penalties 3:11 for instigating a fight with Johnny Boychuk after the Bruins' defenseman attempted to knocked down Montreal's P.K. Subban with an open-ice hit.
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