Canadiens Dominate Bruins 6-2 After Fight-Filled Opening Period

The Boston Bruins showed plenty of fight against their longtime rivals, the Montreal Canadiens — but only for the opening period.

Tuesday night’s matchup at TD Garden began with instant fireworks as Boston’s Tanner Jeannot and Montreal’s Josh Anderson dropped the gloves right at the opening faceoff. The early brawl energized both benches and the packed crowd, setting the tone for a bruising Original Six rivalry clash.

Boston carried that momentum through much of the first period. Another fight followed midway through the frame, this time between Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov and Canadiens enforcer Arber Xhekaj. With emotions running high, the Bruins capitalized late in the period when Alex Steeves scored a power-play goal with just 18 seconds remaining, giving Boston a 2-1 lead.

However, the game took a dramatic turn after that.

Montreal completely flipped the script in the final two periods, unleashing a relentless offensive surge. After tying the game early in the second, the Canadiens erupted in the third period with four goals in just five minutes, overwhelming Boston’s defense and goaltending.

Costly penalties proved fatal for the Bruins, as Montreal converted twice on 5-on-3 power-play opportunities to blow the game wide open. By the final horn, the Canadiens had skated away with a convincing 6-2 victory.

The loss capped a disappointing homestand for Boston, who dropped their final four games after previously winning five of six. The Bruins now sit outside playoff position and will look to regroup during a three-day break before embarking on a five-game road trip.

For Montreal, the win was a statement. The Canadiens now hold 45 points, four more than Boston, strengthening their grip on third place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, Bruins players and coaches felt the game slipped away rather than collapsed from the start.

“It felt like we were ready and engaged,” said head coach Marco Sturm. “That’s why the final score is still hard to believe.”

The rivalry once again delivered intensity, emotion, and physicality — but when it mattered most, Montreal turned chaos into control and walked out with two crucial points.