BOS@MTL 17 DEC

BROSSARD - The Canadiens will wrap up their homestand on Monday night with a tilt against the rival Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre.

It's a chance for Claude Julien's contingent to rattle off their third straight victory and close out this sequence of games in style.
But, it will be a tall task.
Despite dropping four of their last six games, Bruce Cassidy's squad always presents a challenge.
They also sit just one point back of the Habs entering the contest, so their motivation level to play spoiler will be especially high.
"It will be a good game. When you look at the standings, you know that it's a meaningful game. It's a chance for us to hit the road with a perfect record at home over the last three games. We have a chance to finish things off the right way," said Julien.

Claude Julien's pregame press conference vs. BOS

For their part, the players have a similar mindset heading into the game, which also happens to be their final outing of the calendar year in front of their own fans.
"We'll have to be at our best. Our goal during the homestand was to win as many games as possible. Everybody is ready and focused on what we have to do tonight before we think about the trip," explained assistant captain Paul Byron.
"They're a team in our division. We've played good games against the Bruins this year, and we have to keep that going tonight. We play an intense brand of hockey and we're fast, so emotional games like these are always fun," added Matthew Peca.
Speaking of Peca, the Petawawa, ON native has two goals in his last two games since being re-inserted into the lineup.
"I never lost my confidence. Everyone is feeling confident in the room right now," said Peca. "We're confident as a team. We know that if we play our style, the team will produce and we'll win games."
Peca's offensive contributions come as the entire fourth line continues to give the Canadiens' opponents fits night after night.
According to Byron, the fact that every line is chipping in represents a serious advantage.
"When you have four lines that are capable of scoring, you have a chance to win every night. We're getting contributions from everyone this season," praised Byron. "Carey is playing well and so are the defensemen. We just have to keep going. That's the recipe for our success."

Paul Byron on the contributions across the board

Power play struggles
There's no denying the Canadiens' power play struggles this year.
They currently rank 30th in the League in that department, converting just 14 times on 114 opportunities so far this season.
"There are high and lows. We have to be better. We're playing well 5-on-5, so we shouldn't have trouble producing when we're up a man. We have to work harder," said Tomas Tatar.

Tomas Tatar on the Canadiens' power play

Byron chimed in on the subject as well.
"We're always trying to improve. I don't know why the puck isn't going in the net, but I know we have to execute better," mentioned Byron. "We have to create traffic in front of the net to help. We have to improve that part of our game."
Price could hit another milestone
With a win over the Bruins, Price would reach the 300-win plateau for his career.
The Anahim Lake, BC native would become the 35th goaltender in NHL history to hit the mark.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.