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Kalman: Playoffs Will Be Bruins' Only Chance To Prove They Can Beat Canadiens

BOSTON (CBS) - Maybe the Bruins are saving up all their determination and venom for the inevitable playoff showdown with the Montreal Canadiens.

Because after they lost 3-1 to the Canadiens on Sunday at TD Garden, the Bruins finished the season series with Montreal at 0-4-0 without a solid all-around performance in the bunch.

Most of the Bruins were in agreement about the common theme between all four losses to the Canadiens.

"For the most it's that we're shooting ourselves in the foot, I think," defenseman Dennis Seidenberg said. "A lot of little mistakes and they're very opportunistic and once they get the chance, they score. And that's what happened today, I guess to a certain extent, and what happened in the past."

At the Garden on Sunday, Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara's best hit of the night came on teammate Dougie Hamilton. The ensuing turnover resulted in the game-winning breakaway goal by Montreal forward Max Pacioretty.

Boston had 35 shots against Montreal goaltender Carey Price, but only David Pastrnak's hack at a rebound found the back of the net in the third period. Price was hardly challenged. Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, Price looked like he could've played a third game after putting the finishing touches on the sweep of the Bruins.

After the Bruins beat the New York Islanders on Saturday, several players weighed in on the upcoming matchup with Montreal. Defenseman Torey Krug and forward Chris Kelly downplayed the significance of the late game of the season against the Bruins' fiercest rival. They wanted to approach it like just another game.

But there's a balance between treating it like a game against the Winnipeg Jets and being nonchalant. If the Canadiens aren't using voodoo to knock the Bruins off their games, then it must be something the Bruins are doing to rattle themselves.

In beating the Islanders twice in a week and beating the New York Rangers a few weeks ago (not to mention barely coming up short against the Rangers last week), the Bruins proved they could handle teams that come at them with a house full of speed.

But put a bunch of speedsters in sweaters with a C and an H on the front, suddenly the Bruins are skating with two left skates on.

The best thing about not getting too jacked up for a game with the Canadiens is that you're not going to fall into the doldrums after they beat you again.

"Well I mean everybody's obviously upset that we lost and we don't like losing games and we don't like losing games to them," Krug said after the loss to Montreal. "But I mean you've got to move past it. Now there's a bunch of points that have to be won in order for us to maintain our position. And we're not thinking about it. But we'll let it sit tonight, let it sting, and then move on tomorrow."

The good news is the Bruins have no more regular-season games against Montreal. The even better news is that the Bruins can look at recent history to see that regular-season results don't always translate in the playoffs.

The last time Montreal swept Boston in the regular season was 2007-08. The Canadiens won all seven meetings, but in the playoffs barely got by the eight-seeded Bruins in seven games. In 2009, the Bruins swept Carolina in the regular season and then lost in seven games in the playoffs. Last season the Bruins dropped three out of four to Detroit in the regular season before taking a first-round playoff series from the Red Wings in five games.

If you're going to look at the silver lining, that's it right there.

"You know we saw in the past that it doesn't really make a difference if you're thinking about playoffs," Chara said. "It could, who knows, but the playoffs is a different kind of time of the year. You know anything can happen. But for sure we should remember that these kinds of games, nobody's happy about and we want to get them back."

Bruins fans and observers might think it best for Boston to avoid a matchup with the Canadiens in the postseason. Krug, though, is a glutton for punishment.

"We'll take on anyone," Krug said. "I mean we're not a team that shies away from anybody and you know at some point you're going to have to go through them. Maybe it happens; maybe it doesn't. But if we want to win a Stanley Cup, we have to be able to beat them. And we'll welcome that challenge."

The Canadiens will probably welcome it too, if not beg for it.

Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.

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