2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Review: (A1) Boston Bruins vs. (A3) Montreal Canadiens

Series Summary

The Habs got the ball rolling in Game 1, as P.K. Subban snapped one from the point past Tuukka Rask to give the Habs the lead. Rene Bourque would score early in the second to extend the lead. Boston would tie the game early in the third. Francis Bouillon would score midway through the frame to regain the lead for the Habs. With 2 minutes to go in regulation, Johnny Boychuk would blast one home to tie the game and force overtime. The first overtime was the Carey Price show, as he made  a few highlight reel saves to keep the Habs in the game. Just like how the game started, the game would end the same way. Subban would score on the powerplay in the second overtime period to end the game and give the Habs the 1-0 series lead. Boston looked to right the wrong from Game 1, and would strike first in Game 2 with Dan Paille finding the back of the net midway through the first. Montreal would open and close the second period with a goal, taking a 2-1 lead heading into the third. Thomas Vanek would score his second powerplay goal of the game 6 minutes into the third period to extend the Habs lead. After that it was all Bruins. Dougie Hamilton would kick off the Bruins comeback midway through the third. Goals by Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith would follow as the Bruins would take Game 2 and tie the series. Game 3 started out pretty evenly, but the Habs would be the only ones on the scoreboard, leading 2-0 after the first. Dale Weise would extend the Habs lead before Bergeron gave Boston its first goal of the game late in the second. Jarome Iginla would score late in the third, but that was as close as the Bruins would get. The Habs take Game 3 and once again take the series lead. Game 4 was a goalie duel, as both Carey Price and Tuukka Rask would stop 30+ shots in regulation. Matt Fraser would eventually end the game in overtime, poking the puck into the Habs net. Carl Soderberg would open the scoring in Game 4, snapping one past Price midway though the first. Boston would capitalize on a Tomas Plekanec double-minor early in the second, scoring twice to extend their lead to 3 goals. Montreal would find the scoreboard later in the period thanks to a Brendan Gallagher powerplay goal. Loui Eriksson would get back that 30goal lead for Boston with a goal in the later half of the third. While the Habs would control play from their, only Subban was able to find the back of the net. Boston would take Game 5, giving them their first series lead and pushing Montreal to the brink of elimination. Needing a big game back in Montreal, the Habs would not disappoint. Price would stop all 26 Bruins shots, while the offense would score 4 times give the Habs the Game 6 win. Dale Weise would score early in Game 7 to give the Habs the lead. It would stay 1-0 until 10 minutes into the second, as Max Pacioretty would score to extend the Habs lead. Iginla would cut the lead in half later in the period with a powerplay goal. The Bruins would press in the third, but it was all for not. Daniel Briere would add a powerplay goal late in the third to ice the game, giving Montreal the win. The Habs eliminate the Bruins in 7 games.

Games

Montreal Canadiens 4 (2OT)
Boston Bruins 3

Montreal Canadiens 3
Boston Bruins 5

Boston Bruins 2
Montreal Canadiens 4

Boston Bruins 1 (OT)
Montreal Canadiens 0

Montreal Canadiens 2
Boston Bruins 4

Boston Bruins 0
Montreal Canadiens 4

Montreal Canadiens 3
Boston Bruins 1

Three Many Thoughts on the Series

1. The only game I was able to see start-to-finish was Game 7, so I'll try to keep my thoughts in order (and I may miss a few things).
2. CBC was cutting jobs before the series. Now, it's never good to see people lose their jobs, but I kind of hope one of the firings was the person who thought "let's make Bob Cole call the other series".
3. Before the series, I'm sure I was with the majority thinking "Boston probably wins this series, but hopefully Montreal can win a game and not get swept".
4. It's no surprise that a few idiots decided to go off after Subban's overtime goal in Game 1.
5. IT W(don't do it)...IT WA(you're better than this)...IT WAS(last chance)...IT WAS 3-1!!! (calls therapist).
6. Bouillon did have a bad game in Game 2, but did Therrien have to replace him with Murray?
7. Speaking of Murray, the Habs went 1-2 with him in the lineup. This is 1 more win than I expect.
8. One more Murray thing: if Bouillon was sat after Game 2, how come Murray got an extra game after getting outmuscled and blowing his assignment on the winning goal in Game 4?
9. P.K. Subban and Dougie Hamilton star in Net Removers. Coming this fall.
10. You never want to accuse someone of being as such, but...well...do you think Shawn Thornton is a defense-ist? (First Orpik, now Subban. Where does it end?)
11. Joking aside, probably not the best idea to whine about a guy ducking a hit then squirting water at said guy in the middle of play.
12. I might only ever say this once: Marchand got jobbed on his first penalty call in Game 7
13. (That second penalty was totally deserved). 
14. It's pretty bad when my first thought going into the third period of Game 7 was "Don't be like the Leafs. Don't be like the Leafs. Don't be like the Leafs..."
15. How to win the Quebec vote while losing the B.C. and Ontario ones in one tweet.
16. This series probably took years off my life (and probably many other Habs fans).

Picture of the Series

Lucic reportedly said "I'm going to f***ing kill you next year" to Weise. It makes for a nice t-shirt.

 

(Image via The Province)

Highlight(s) of the Series

Instead of picking out one highlight, I'm going to give Price and Rask some love. Here is a highlight save by both of them.

Price:

Rask: