First muzzled, then mauled
Murray's series ends with injury
MONTREAL - Yesterday morning, 35-year-old Glen Murray, the oldest Bruin, pondered appearing in his sixth career Game 7, most of any member of the 2007-08 club.
"It's exciting. No question about it," Murray said before the game. "The series comes down to one game. Both teams are going to give it their all."
Murray didn't even make it to the second period.
Late in the first period, during Boston's second power play, Murray shot a puck wide of the net. After he released his shot, Murray was smoked by defenseman Roman Hamrlik, whose hit drove the winger into the end boards. Murray got up slowly and finished the period, but his night was finished with what coach Claude Julien thought were either cracked or bruised ribs.
Murray skated a total of five shifts for 4:16 of ice time.
The blow left the Bruins without their No. 1 right wing, who was replaced during even-strength play by Peter Schaefer. On the power play, Petteri Nokelainen took Murray's spot on the No. 1 unit.
Murray, however, performed nothing like a top-line right wing during the series. In seven games, Murray was held scoreless, recording only 10 shots. He missed on two attempts. Murray finished the series with a minus-3 rating.
Murray has one more year remaining on a contract that pays him $4.15 million annually, a steep sum for an aging winger who scored only 17 goals in 63 regular-season games. He was sidelined for 19 games this season with a hip flexor strain, and missed 23 matches because of a groin injury in 2006-07.
If the Bruins consider Murray too expensive and too injury-prone, they could trade him, buy him out, or place him on waivers.
Carey carries load
Last night, goalie Carey Price answered any doubters who questioned his nerves after giving up 10 total goals in Games 5 and 6.
In the first period, when the Bruins had their best scoring chances, Price posted 11 of his 25 saves.
"He did what he had to do to get the job done," Bruins netminder Tim Thomas said. "He's a good goalie. I don't think we tested him like we did the past two games."
Thomas gave up five goals, the most he allowed in any game of the series, but he didn't have much of a chance on any of the scores. Meanwhile, he kept his team in the game with several big-time stops, robbing winger Christopher Higgins on several attempts.
"We gave it everything we had," Thomas said. "That's what we've been doing the whole year. The last couple games, we had some phenomenal efforts. Tonight the effort was there, but it didn't work out that way."
Canadiens step up
Yesterday morning, without mentioning names, Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau called out his top players, no doubt including forward Alex Kovalev and defenseman Andrei Markov in the mix.
"They've been in this league before," Carbonneau said. "They know they haven't played to their potential. I'd never expect anybody to play 89 games and be perfect. But the reality is they haven't played up to their potential. I don't have to name names. They know who they are. I'm sure they want to redeem themselves and help their team win the seventh game."
Kovalev responded with two helpers. For the first time in the series, Carbonneau broke up his top line of Kovalev, Tomas Plekanec, and Andrei Kostitsyn. Kovalev skated with Higgins and Saku Koivu, while Plekanec centered the Kostitsyn brothers. Andrei Kostitsyn scored two goals and had an assist, while Sergei Kostitsyn registered a goal and an assist.
"Give the other team credit," said Julien. "I think you saw a different Montreal team out there tonight. They played extremely well."
Rioting in Montreal
Canadiens fans celebrated in downtown Montreal by setting at least three police cars on fire a few blocks from the Bell Centre, according to Montreal police spokeswoman Annie Lemieux. "Many arrests have been made," Lemieux said. "Fortunately, no one seems to have been seriously injured so far." . . . The Bruins are now 11-3 all time in the playoffs on April 21. It was their first road loss on the 21st in eight games . . . Last night marked the seventh Game 7 in 31 playoff series between Boston and Montreal, most seventh-game meetings of any two clubs in North American major pro sports. Montreal has won five . . . Aaron Ward was a team-worst minus-4 while blocking a game-high five shots. Ward, slowed by a knee injury, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He has said he would consider re-signing with the Bruins and wouldn't require a multiyear deal . . . Montreal winger Steve Begin, a monster all series, threw a game-high seven hits. Begin landed 37 hits during the series, most of any player in the playoffs. Milan Lucic threw 35 total hits . . . The Providence Bruins finished a four-game sweep of the Manchester Monarchs in the AHL's Atlantic Division semifinals with a 3-2 overtime victory in Manchester, N.H. Martins Karsums won it for Providence just 46 seconds into overtime.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
