Canadiens Take Out Bruins on Eve of Deadline

By KC Downey in Bruins, Featured ⋅ March 3, 2010 at 6:35am ⋅ Post a comment

Canada continued their dominance over America on the ice Tuesday night, as the Montreal Canadiens scored four third-period goals to beat the Bruins 4-1.

Olympians Tim Thomas (USA) and Patrice Bergeron (CAN), who were in Vancouver for Sunday’s Gold Medal Game, finally re-joined their team in time for the match with the Habs on Tuesday. Neither played, however, as Bergeron was out with a groin injury, and Tim Thomas continued riding the bench as he had the previous few weeks (with the B’s and Team USA).

Now that Thomas is clearly the backup to Tuukka Rask, how long will he be sitting on the Boston bench?

That’s unclear, for now. The NHL Trade Deadline is on Wednesday, and some rumors have the Bruins shopping Thomas around the league. Unfortunately for the Bruins, Thomas has a no-trade clause and could exercise it against any team.

Another way to answer the question would be to argue that Thomas should be the starter over Rask, and supporters of the move can point to Tuesday night’s Rask meltdown as a tell-tale sign to make the change now.

With the Bruins clinging to a 1-0 lead, Rask allowed the tying goal to Glen Metropolit less than three minutes into the period, and forked over the lead less than five minutes later when Maxim Lapierre beat him to give the Habs a 2-1 lead.

The Canadiens piled on two scores late in the game, with goals from Mathieu Darche and Benoit Pouliot.

German Olympian Marco Sturm scored the lone goal for the B’s on a first period power play.

The Bruins next take the ice on Thursday against the Maple Leafs, and the team could look very different when we see them next. You’re on the clock, Chiarelli.