Bruins lose to Montreal, 4-1, as skid continues

The Montreal Canadiens are at last back in the National Hockey League s consciousness but it might take a while before their ancient rivals are back on their level The Bruins were ready for a battle in mind and spirit but not body as the young emerging talent of the Habs bested the undermanned B s roster in a - decision at the Bell Centre It was the B s th straight loss their longest losing streak since the - season Jeremy Swayman saves had one of his better games of fresh vintage but another terrible second period by the B s was the main culprit in the loss While the B s have been working their way to a top-five draft pick the Habs have been climbing the standings toward their doable first playoff berth in four years But despite the teams juxtaposition the B s evidenced early on that that they weren t going to go through the motions not against the Canadiens not in the Bell Centre It helped that Swayman was on top of his competition In the scoreless first period he made a very good stop on Cole Caufield on a -on- and then another on an Alex Newhook redirection The B s had various chances too the best being a clean breakaway for Elias Lindholm that Sam Montembeault turned away There was nastiness as well Heated scrums took place around both nets the second of which led to a Canadien power play after Montembault stopped a John Beecher break in The Habs could not capitalize nor could the B s do anything on their earlier PP The B s had an - shot advantage in the first But the Habs got on the board seconds into the second period on a maddening goal Swayman had just made an excellent save on Brendan Gallagher from the slot and the B s had a chance to get it out of the danger zone but could not control the bouncing puck Christian Dvorak swooped in and from nearly the same spot from Gallagher s original shot he snapped it past Swayman s glove side for the - lead It would be one of those second periods for the B s who were outshot - in the middle period The Habs poured it on then but Swayman kept it to a one-goal challenge for preponderance of the period thanks to a spectacular glove save He d made a save on a long-distance shot but the rebound went dangerously to the right side Alexandre Carrier came down from the right point and with Swayman struggling to get to his feet it looked like he had an easy goal But Swayman lunged to his left and got his glove on it from is knees to make the tremendous stop The B s were being outshot - when just after the B s got their first shot on net on a dangerous Lindholm chance Cole Koepke dropped the gloves with Kaiden Guhle who d landed a big hit on Fabian Lysell and gave the Canadien several solid rights to figure that W the B s only one of the night It was a good push-back for the B s but shortly after that the Habs took a lead at The long change got them again when Nikita Zadorov went for a change when it looked like the B s were in control of the puck in the offensive zone but Morgan Geekie turned it over out high Nick Suzuki took off on a -on- and after deftly avoiding Henri Jokiharju s sweep check attempt he beautifully fed Caufield who had an empty net at which to shoot Three minutes into the third period a Casey Mittelstadt turnover led to an easy Gallagher goal and the Habs were on their way It wouldn t be long before the success-starved Bell Centre crowd would take up their sing-song Ole Ole Ole Montreal s musical version of a domination cigar Lindholm did get the B s on the board wit remaining when he followed up a David Pastrnak bid but Suzuki finished them off with an empty net goal with left Bancroft added The Bruins added various size and edge to their prospect pool on Wednesday with the signing of Cornell s Dalton Bancroft The -foot- -pound physical left-shot forward inked a one-year entry level deal that will carry an NHL cap hit of He will finish the season with Providence on an amateur tryout contract A -year-old undrafted free agent out of Madoc Ontario Brancroft posted - - totals in games for Cornell last season while playing with Bruin draftee Ryan Walsh sixth-rounder th overall In NCAA games with Cornell Bancroft had - - totals In - he was the MVP of the Ontario Junior Hockey League with a league-high - - totals