Bruins 8, Canadiens 6

If the Dallas Stars could bring out three fights in the opening four seconds against the Bruins, what could the Montreal Canadiens be capable of?

In a game featuring 192 total penalty minutes and an 8-6 score reminiscent of an old Red Sox-Expos interleague duel, the Bruins took it to the Scabs not only on the ice, but in the ring as well. Safe to say any lull which had developed in the B's-Hats rivalry can be thrown out the window. Remember the name P.K. Subban. He'll be mentioned a few more times here down the line. Same with Travis Moen, Jaroslav Spacek, and James Wisniewski.  All those brawls were something else, with the Bruins holding a decisive advantage in all of them I'd say. Yeah Tim Thomas didn't fare so well against Carey Price, but still, it was a freaking goalie fight! I'm guessing you'd have to go back to the Lord Byron Dafoe era for the last time a B's netminder got tangled up in one of those.

After blowing their last contest with the Canadiens first in the final minute of regulation and then in OT to fall into an 0-2-1 record against Montreal this year, the Bruins were adamant to send a message that they aren't afraid of the Canadiens in any facet, and more importantly to create a little space in the Northeast Division. Milan Lucic continues to blossom into a legitimate all-around player, notching his 23rd goal of the season (his career high is 17 and it's just past the Super Bowl here). Michael Ryder continues to rise from the dead and notch his 15h and 16th on the year, while Brad Marchand, Dennis Seidenberg, Adam McQuaid, and Nathan Horton also tallied for the B's. It was a great night for Horton, who also had 4 assists and was tied for a team-high +5 rating, as he scored for just the third time since December 11. Zach Hamill notched his first point of the season on a nifty pass to set up Ryder's first goal, and played a solid defensive game to boot.

The B's improve to 3-1 post all-star break, with a huge chance to make a statement with a rare upcoming home-and-home series with the Red Wings on Friday night in Boston and Sunday afternoon in Hockeytown USA. The schedule softens considerably after that, with their next three games against the Maple Leafs, Islanders, and Senators. So if such a statement can be made against the Red Wings, the Bruins have a real chance to create some distance between themselves and the Canadiens coming up here.

A True Classic