Thomas and the defense pulled out stops

MONTREAL - With four third-period goals last night, the Bruins turned a 1-1 squirmer into a 5-1 laugher.

But with the score tied, the Canadiens had two glittering chances to take the lead and perhaps finish Boston's season.

Late in the second period, after Phil Kessel netted a power-play goal, Andrew Alberts tried to hold the blue line when the puck skittered his way. But it got past the defenseman, creating an odd-man rush for forwards Maxim Lapierre and Guillaume Latendresse, who thundered into the Boston zone.

Dennis Wideman, in full retreat, had to think fast. To fend off a two-on-one, a defenseman should skate straight back to take away the pass or play the shot. But because Wideman had to sprint into the zone, he was facing Latendresse and had his back partly turned to Lapierre.

"It bounced through Albie, and at first, I thought I could get to it," Wideman said. "But then it kind of died. So I peeled back and [Lapierre] fed it over to Latendresse. I just stayed forward and had a pretty good feeling. I just went down and tried to get as big as possible, trying to take the pass away."

As Latendresse, steaming down the left wing, tried to slide a pass back to Lapierre in the slot, Wideman hit the deck and smothered the puck, negating the scoring chance.

"He played it great," Tim Thomas said. "Those are game-breaking plays. We get down [2-1] there, it's going to be really tough to come back. He wound up cutting off the pass. In a two-on-one, the D's job is always to take the pass. At the same time, you can't let the guy with the puck get too good of a shooting spot. [Wideman] was lined up right at about the inside post, which is exactly where you're supposed to be. I think I would have had the shot, but then he took the pass away."

Then in the third period, Alex Kovalev, who scored the game's first goal (Thomas was screened on his first-period backhander), took a high-sticking penalty when he clipped Zdeno Chara. But Montreal killed off the penalty, and just as Kovalev stepped out of the box, the Canadiens cleared the puck down the ice, creating a three-on-one.

Kovalev chased down the puck on the right wing and swooped in. He had help in front, but chose to whip an off-wing wrister on goal. Thomas got a piece of Kovalev's shot with the edge of his blocker, sending it over the net and keeping it a 1-1 game.

"It almost surprised me because he could have dropped it in the slot," Thomas said. "It was a three-on-one, so I don't know if he didn't notice it, got hungry, or tried to get tricky."

Less than a minute later, Glen Metropolit scored the winner.

No-go for Ward

Aaron Ward, who suffered a knee injury late in Game 4 after a collision with Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec, didn't play last night. Ward participated in an optional morning skate but was a game-time decision.

Alberts, scratched for Games 1, 3, and 4, replaced Ward. Alberts, playing mostly with Wideman during even-strength situations, skated 18 shifts for 10:30.

Ward, who played alongside Chara the past three games, was replaced on the top pairing by Shane Hnidy. Coach Claude Julien tried to match Chara and Hnidy against Montreal's top line.

Streit sidelined

Montreal's Mark Streit, who has played forward and defense this series, was knocked out of the lineup last night because of a hip injury. Streit suffered the injury during the second period of Game 4.

Streit, a forward in Game 4, was replaced by Michael Ryder, a healthy scratch Tuesday. Defenseman Patrice Brisebois, usually on the second power-play unit, was bumped up to the No. 1 formation and skated in Streit's spot on the point.

Streit had one assist through four games.

During the regular season, he recorded 13 goals and 49 assists in 81 games. He scored 34 regular-season points on the power play, trailing only Kovalev (47) on the Canadiens.

Julien has been there

Four years ago, Julien was in the same position he found himself in entering last night's game: down, 3-1, in the first round of the playoffs. "Personally, I can draw a lot from it," said Julien, whose Montreal club wiped out the Bruins' lead to advance in seven games. "I know the feeling it gives you to come back. I haven't gotten the feeling of not being able to. Hopefully, that doesn't happen. There are no big secrets to it. If you look at the big picture, is it scary? Yes. We have to win three games against a pretty good hockey club. Does winning a game tonight remain impossible? No." . . . Patrice Bergeron, hopeful that his teammates can extend the series, was the last Bruin off the ice in the morning. Bergeron has been working with assistant coach Doug Houda . . . Canadiens captain Saku Koivu (foot) missed his fifth straight playoff game . . . The Canadiens recalled forwards Kyle Chipchura, Matt D'Agostini, and Brock Trotter, defensemen Mathieu Carle and Pavel Valentenko, and goalie Yann Danis from Hamilton as extra bodies.