David Backes scored the game-winner during a three-goal surge in the third period, as the Boston Bruins rallied past the visiting Montreal Canadiens 3-1 Sunday night.
David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk also tallied in the third, as the Bruins extended their winning streak to seven straight and their points streak to 11 (8-0-3). Tuukka Rask stopped 28 shots in net to help Boston remain undefeated in regulation at home (11-0-4).
Joel Armia scored for the Canadiens, whose losing streak extended to eight games (0-5-3). Carey Price had 31 saves.
Price entered the contest having allowed at least five goals in four of his last five starts. One of those outings was against the Bruins at home Tuesday, when he was pulled after giving up five just 1:10 into the second period in an eventual 8-1 defeat.
Price carried a shutout into the third period Sunday before Pastrnak beat him with a wicked one-timer from the right circle off the post and in, knotting the score at 1 at the 6:16 mark. Pastrnak, who had a hat trick in the rout of Montreal five days prior, extended his league lead in goals to 25.
Backes, returning from a 13-game absence due to a concussion, gave Boston its first lead with his first goal of the season at 10:29 off a feed from David Krejci on the power play. The goal was the first for Backes in a regular-season game since March 31.
DeBrusk piled on at 13:27 to make it 3-1 off a give-and-go with Charlie Coyle for the third of three unanswered Bruins goals in a span of 7:11.
Looking to pull Price with less than two minutes remaining, the Canadiens were called for too many men on the ice and ended the game on the penalty kill.
Montreal's lone goal came 1:58 into the first period. Armia forced a turnover off the stick of Zdeno Chara behind the net and backhanded the puck off Charlie McAvoy's skate and past Rask for the unassisted marker, his 10th of the season.
--Field Level Media
Montreal | Boston | |
Joel Armia 1 | Points | David Backes 1 |
Joel Armia 1 | Goals | David Backes 1 |
Joel Armia 0 | Assists | Anders Bjork 1 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | David Backes 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Carey Price .912 | Save Percentage | Tuukka Rask .966 |
Carey Price 31 | Saves | Tuukka Rask 28 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Montreal | 29 | 1 | 0-1 | 2-3 | 8 | 33 |
Boston | 34 | 3 | 1-3 | 1-1 | 4 | 23 |