The Bruins’ seven-game home winning streak ended with a 5-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden, where Boston fell behind by five goals in a matchup with a share of the Atlantic Division lead at stake.
Montreal established a 5-0 advantage before Boston scored its two goals, according to MassLive. The Bruins narrowed the final margin but could not extend a home winning run that had reached seven games entering the meeting with the Canadiens.
Boston also changed goaltenders during the loss. Jeremy Swayman surrendered four goals while facing 17 shots before Michael DiPietro replaced him, Boston.com reported. DiPietro finished with 13 saves in relief.
The result combined a missed opportunity in the division race with the end of Boston’s home streak. Rather than emerge from the game with a share of first place, the Bruins were left with a three-goal defeat against a Montreal team that had built a substantial cushion.
Montreal builds decisive lead
MassLive described the Canadiens’ speed as a feature of the victory. Montreal scored the game’s first five goals, creating a deficit that left Boston needing five unanswered goals merely to draw even. The Bruins ultimately scored twice, leaving the Canadiens’ early advantage beyond their reach.
The final score was closer than the largest gap between the teams. Montreal’s five-goal lead became a three-goal victory, but Boston never erased the separation the Canadiens had established before the Bruins got on the scoreboard.
That progression distinguished the loss from a game decided by a late tiebreaker or a narrow final margin. The central problem for Boston was the size of the deficit: By the time the Bruins began scoring, Montreal already had all five of its goals.
Change in Boston’s net
Swayman’s departure was another major development in the defeat. His four goals allowed on 17 shots meant Montreal had scored repeatedly before Boston turned to DiPietro. Boston.com’s account identified both the change and the replacement goaltender’s 13-save performance.
The two goaltenders’ workloads were part of a night in which Boston could not keep Montreal’s scoring within reach of its own offense. The Bruins finished with two goals, while the Canadiens’ total was enough to withstand Boston’s response after the 5-0 start.
For Boston, the home setting and division stakes made the result consequential beyond the score alone. A chance to take a share of the Atlantic lead instead ended with the Canadiens halting the Bruins’ run of victories at TD Garden.
The seven-game streak remained the backdrop to the loss, but it offered no protection against Montreal’s fast-moving attack. Boston’s two goals reduced the damage on the scoreboard; they did not change the outcome or preserve the home winning run.
