Montreal @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 17, 2018 ) Boston 4, Montreal 0

The Boston Bruins are heating up at just the right time, as the club has won six of seven to reside within two points of second place in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins bid to continue their sizzling stretch on Monday when they host the Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden in the finale of the four-game season series between the Original Six rivals.

David Pastrnak, who is set to play in his 300th career NHL contest on Monday, scored the eventual game-winning tally in Saturday's 3-2 triumph at Toronto to boost his team-leading total in goals (26) and points (53). The 22-year-old Czech had a pair of assists in Boston's 4-0 romp at the Bell Centre on Dec. 17 as the road team improved to 3-0-0 in the season series. Former Hart and Vezina Trophy recipient Carey Price was on the losing end of that contest but recorded his second shutout in five outings after turning aside all 28 shots he faced in Saturday's 3-0 victory versus Colorado. The 31-year-old owns a sterling 25-13-5 mark with two shutouts in his career versus Boston, however fellow netminder Jaroslav Halak has had his number by winning all five head-to-head encounters.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, TSN2, RDS (Montreal)

ABOUT THE CANADIENS (24-17-5): Brendan Gallagher answered an eight-game goal drought by scoring in back-to-back contests to raise his team-leading total to 17 before being held in check against the Avalanche. The 26-year-old, who joined Phillip Danault on top line with Jonathan Drouin on Saturday, scored in Montreal's 3-0 road victory over Boston on Oct. 27 to boost his point total to 20 (seven goals, 13 assists) in 25 career matchups before failing to dent the scoresheet in the last two battles. Max Domi, who has a club-best totals in assists (25) and points (39), also scored in the Canadiens' win over the Bruins in October.

ABOUT THE BRUINS (26-15-4): David Krejci has scored in back-to-back games to boost his point total to five (two goals, three assists) in six contests this month. The recent strong surge comes on the heels of the 32-year-old answering an eight-game point streak - during which he scored in Boston's 4-0 win over Montreal on Dec. 17 - with four straight games of failing to notch a point. Brad Marchand scored in that contest versus the Canadiens to ignite a stretch of 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in nine games before being held off the scoresheet in each of his last two outings.

OVERTIME

1. Montreal's league-worst power play is 1-for-20 in the past seven games.

2. Ten of LW Jake DeBrusk's 14 goals have been scored in Boston wins this season.

3. Canadiens LW Tomas Tatar has been held off the scoresheet in five of his last six games on the heels of collecting seven points (two goals, five assists) in his previous four.

PREDICTION: Bruins 4, Canadiens 2