Young skaters coming of age

Scoring a bonus with experience

Milan Lucic should still be in junior hockey. Vladimir Sobotka was projected to spend the season in Providence. Phil Kessel spent Games 2, 3, and 4 of this first-round playoff series against the Canadiens as a healthy scratch.

Nevertheless, the three youngsters (ages 19, 20, and 20, respectively) pumped in four of Boston's five goals in last night's Game 6 victory.

"We understand that we're coming together," said old man Aaron Ward. "It's partly to do with chemistry, but partly to do with a lack of experience. We don't know the pressure that lies ahead."

Last night, the Boston youngsters - throw in 21-year-old David Krejci, who assisted on the final two goals - reveled in the moment of another elimination game. They didn't buckle under the gravity of the situation.

Instead, they sparkled.

"There's no such thing as kids in the playoffs," said Zdeno Chara. "They've been with us the whole year and earned a spot. They're playing big for us. You have to give them a lot of credit. It's not easy for guys like that to fill those roles and fill those spots. But they've done a great job."

Sobotka, ever eager to enter the danger areas, wiped out a 2-1 lead when he drove to the net and backhanded a shot past Montreal goalie Carey Price 3:13 into the third. Lucic, who has battled with Mike Komisarek the entire series, outmuscled the rugged defenseman to put himself in the right spot to deflect Ward's shot in the third period, evening the score at 3-3. Krejci skated 26 shifts for 20:12 of ice time, most among the Boston forwards, and finished with a plus-2 rating.

Then there was Kessel, who undressed defenseman Francis Bouillon in the first period and sprinted past Saku Koivu in the third for a pair of goals, giving him three over the last two games.

"It was a blast," said Kessel. "Must have been a great third period to watch."

Koivu's comeback

Koivu, Montreal's captain who had missed the entire series with a fractured left foot, returned to the lineup last night and looked like he hadn't missed a shift.

Koivu, centering Christopher Higgins and Sergei Kostitsyn on the second line, skated 24 shifts for 15:02 of ice time, winning 15 of 21 faceoffs. In the first period, Koivu beat Marc Savard on the draw and set up Higgins for the game's opening goal.

The pair clicked again in the third when Koivu beat Shane Hnidy behind the Boston net and ended up assisting on Higgins's second goal, which came 11 seconds after Kessel had given the Bruins a 4-3 advantage.

In 44 career playoff games, Koivu has 13 goals and 25 assists.

"It was a phenomenal first game back for him," said Higgins. "He battled well, skated well, and didn't seem to be hurting at all. It seemed like he was 100 percent and he played a very good game."

Also making his return after a five-game absence was Bouillon (ankle), who snapped a 2-2 tie in third with a goal off Hnidy's stick.

"The game is pretty fast, and when you're out for a few weeks, you have to get back into game shape," Bouillon said. "It's the playoffs, so there's a lot of emotion."

Koivu suffered the fracture March 28 against Buffalo. During the regular season, he appeared in 77 games, tallying 16 goals and 40 assists.

"He's always been the kind of player that when games are important in tight situations, you can always count on him," said Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau. "He's the kind of guy who you know is going to show up and play hard. That's what this series has been since the start. Good plays, smart plays on the ice, nothing outside. He's one of those guys who will definitely help our club."

Return had impact

Ward, out for Game 5 with a knee injury, was back in the lineup. Ward, paired with Chara, helped shut down Alex Kovalev, limiting the winger to two shots and no points in 21:46 of ice time. Ward played 22:13, assisting on Lucic's goal. He was credited with four hits . . . With Ward back in, Andrew Alberts was a healthy scratch. Jeremy Reich also was a healthy scratch for the second straight game . . . The Bruins forced a Game 7 for the first time in a series in which they've fallen behind, 3-1 . . . The Bruins are 9-7 all time in seventh games . . . Kovalev was a team-worst minus-3 and was on the ice for Marco Sturm's winning goal . . . Patrice Bergeron had a phone conversation with neurologist Robert Cantu and team physician Bert Zarins Friday afternoon and was not cleared for last night's game. Bergeron thought he could speak with the doctors again tomorrow, but wasn't sure whether he'd be cleared for Game 7. "I'm feeling good," Bergeron said. "I want to play, but it's up to them to clear me. They're doing what's best for me, I guess."

Ins and outs

Canadiens forward/defenseman Mark Streit (hip), who missed Game 5, played last night. Forwards Michael Ryder and Guillaume Latendresse were the healthy scratches. On the back end, Ryan O'Byrne was a healthy scratch. O'Byrne had dressed for Games 3 and 4 . . . Prospect Levi Nelson signed an amateur tryout agreement with Providence Friday and joined the P-Bruins for their playoff run. Nelson, a center selected in the sixth round of the 2006 draft, must be signed by Boston by June 1 or he will become a free agent.

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com.