, their longest stretch since going 15-0-1 in March 2014. Brad Marchand added a power-play goal in the third period, David Krejci had an empty-netter and Patrice Bergeron had two assists for Boston, which posted its second win over the Canadiens in five days. The teams meet again in Montreal on Saturday night. Jakub Jerabek scored his first NHL goal for Montreal, and Carey Price made 28 saves. Julien, who coached Boston's Stanley Cup-winning team in 2011, was fired last Feb. 7 in his 10th season. He was replaced by assistant and current Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, who opted for more up-tempo, charge-into-the-zone play from his defensemen as opposed to Julien's mostly defensive-minded style. Rask extended his career-best point streak to 15 games (13-0-2), including a 4-3 shootout win at Montreal last Saturday. Trailing 1-0, Boston tied it 6:50 into the first when Pastrnak took a pass from Bergeron at the bottom of the left circle and slipped a wrister behind Price. The Bruins took the lead early in the second when Spooner's backhander from just outside the crease caromed into the net off the right skate of Montreal winger Jonathan Drouin. Montreal had a two-man power-play advantage for 69 seconds midway into the second - immediately after Rask made a pad-stop on Drouin's clean break in - but Boston limited the Canadiens' shots to mostly lower-percentage chances from the outside. Marchand's team-leading 19th goal came 3:40 into the period. Jerabek's shot from the left point found its way through a group of players in front and slipped into the net 31 seconds into the game. NOTES: Julien got a brief ovation during a video tribute midway into the opening period, but the crowd's chance for prolonged applause was drowned out by loud music until the next faceoff. ... Willie O'Ree, 82, was honored in a ceremonial puck drop before the game, commemorating the 60th anniversary that he became the first black player to play in an NHL game. He was with Boston and played at Montreal. ... Boston D Kevan Miller was out sick and Adam McQuaid took his spot, returning after missing 36 games with a broken leg. McQuaid had been healthy for a few weeks, but unable to crack the lineup. ... It was the 740th regular season meeting between the rivals. UP NEXTCanadiens: At the Washington Capitals on Friday. Bruins: At the New York Islanders on Thursday.)
Time: 7:30 PM EST Venue: TD Garden , Boston, Mass., 02114 / BOSTON -- One might expect a video tribute to flash on the TD Garden big board in Boston on Wednesday night. Claude Julien, who coached the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup and went to the finals the following season, brings his Montreal Canadiens to town for the first time since he was fired by Boston last season. But Julien has more -- a lot more -- on his mind than his Boston homecoming. His team is starting to run out of time in its quest for a playoff spot. Amazingly, this is the second of three games in eight nights between the two old rivals after the Bruins left Montreal with a 4-3 shootout win Saturday night. Both played and lost in overtime Monday, but one point for the sizzling Bruins is fine -- losing the second point in two straight games for the Canadiens is not. Montreal (18-20-6) is nine points behind the second wild card spot, with five teams between the Habs and that final spot. The Canadiens, who visit Washington on Friday before another game against the Bruins, had 56 shots on goal and lost 5-4 in overtime to the New York Islanders on Monday night." It's heartbreaking," Paul Byron said. "We're playing a team that we're chasing and you need the regulation win. Any time you go into overtime it hurts, and to lose the extra point is a big loss for sure." When you have 56 shots on net, a lot of quality chances, you expect a better result. A couple of mistakes cost us the game (and) we have to make sure we're not making those mistakes that cost us the game." The Canadiens are just 2-5-2 in their last nine games, but 2-0-2 in their last four." We took six of eight points and if we keep that standard, we'll be okay," Julien said. "We're frustrated that we didn't get that second point, but there were mistakes that created that situation. The important thing is that the effort is there. We did a good job in our end (Saturday against Boston), but tonight not so much." And injuries are piling up. Phillip Danault was felled by a Zdeno Chara slap shot Saturday night and is out with a concussion, and Andrew Shaw has been lost indefinitely with a lower-body injury. The club claimed Logan Shaw off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks and he will join the team in Boston. The Bruins also lost in overtime Monday -- overcoming a 2-0 deficit before old pal Tyler Seguin scored a dynamic goal in overtime -- but they are still on a roll. Talking about his team coming back, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said, "That's the positive in this game; we were down two. We were able to scratch back against a very good defensive team. It's one thing to do it against a team that gives up a lot, but this is a good defensive team, so that's the positive in it all. You could hear it on the bench; guys were pulling for one another and saying the right things, in terms of one at a time and one good shift, you will piggyback a couple of good shifts instead of trying to hit home runs and get breakaway plays and cheat. So, that was certainly a positive." The Bruins (24-10-8) are 9-0-3 in their last 12, 18-3-4 in their last 25. Boston is second in the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs (with four games in hand) and 14 ahead of the Canadiens. Tuukka Rask, who has never had much success against Montreal, improved to 8-15-3 with a 2.52 goals-against average and .914 save percentage against the Canadiens. He is also on a 12-0-2 run for the Bruins. Carey Price, who has made eight straight starts (2-4-2), fell to 24-9-5, 2.39, .922 against the Bruins with Saturday night's loss. The Canadiens moved Jonathan Drouin, who has struggled at center, to right wing at practice Tuesday. The teams, who play again Saturday night in Montreal, split two games in Boston last season (and play there again March 3) -- but the Habs are 5-1 at TD Garden over the past four seasons, 11-3 over the last five, the latter stat counting playoffs. The Bruins, who visit the Islanders on Thursday before going back to the Bell Centre, were missing three players from practice Tuesday." Jake DeBrusk was under the weather and so was Kevan Miller, so they stayed home," Cassidy said. "Noel Acciari has a bit of an upper-body injury and it affected his minutes (Monday). He's kind of day-to-day. I suspect that he would play tomorrow, but we'll have a better idea on (Wednesday) morning."
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