This was the only game 5 to be played on Saturday that wasn't a potential series decider, with both teams already having taken 2 games a piece. Montreal had taken a 2-0 series lead in this one but would find themselves 3-2 behind come the end of it.
This was a game of goaltending, with both Price for Montreal and Thomas for Boston making outstanding saves and keeping their team in the game at certain points. It may come as no suprise to you then that this game was 0-0 going into the 3rd period. The Bruins were outshooting the Canadiens 21-16 with both teams having only taken 6pims each so far. What might have been a suprise is that the save of the game so far had been made by Ryder of the Bruins and not Thomas. He had made a street hockey play infront of the net, diving infront of an empty net to get his hand to a puck that Thomas was nowhere near saving.
It was the Bruins who took the lead 4.33 into the 3rd period with Marchand getting his 1st ever playoff goal.
He had originally made a pass infront to Recchi who fired the puck wide and as it was recycled back behind the net, he then put a pass in front for Bergeron. His stick broke on the shot, deflected off a skate and came across the crease to the front of the net where Marchand had followed the play to and he had a wide open nt to put the puck into. Their was nothing Price could do about this one and the Boston crowd went into raptures.
The Canadiens didn't lose hope though and with 6.04 left on the period they got the game tying goal. It was Jeff Halpern in his 2nd game of the series that ended with the puck on his stick at the top of the crease and he wristed it up past Thomas. Bad play along the boards by the Boston defence ending with Eller getting that puck and putting it to the front of the net.
The game went into not 1 but 2 overtime periods and there was no lack of action in them. Boston could have been awarded a penalty shot when Bergeron got in behind Sopel and the defenceman pulled him down. The referee only saw it as a 2 minute tripping penalty and the Bruins couldn't take advantage of the man advantage.
Price pulled of the save of the game with under 2 minutes of the 1st overtime period remaining. Krejci picked up a great pass from Lucic and went 1 on 1 with the netminder. He deked to his forehand and tried to get the puck into the nearside of the net but price had stayed low and got his leg and pad against the post to shut the door on him.
Thomas then outdid his opposite number when Moen set Gionta up on a 2 on 1 breakaway with just under 5 minutes gone in the 2nd overtime period. Thomas moved from post to post to somehow get a pad across as Gionta must have been close to celebrating.
It was down to Horton to win it for Boston at 9.03. Ference fired in a weak wrist shot from the top of the circle that seemed to hit Lucic infront and he got it to Horton who fired into an open net to send the TD Garden crowd wild. Price had faced 51 shots whilst Thomas had 45 fired on him. The netminders had set the tone of the game and the series had seen another close game only won by 1 goal.
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