ONTREAL - Rookie goaltending phenom Carey Price found his top form when the Montreal Canadiens needed it most.
The 20-year-old made 25 saves and brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn combined for three goals as the Canadiens routed the Boston Bruins 5-0 in Game 7 of their NHL Eastern Conference quarter-final series on Monday night.
Montreal advanced to the second round against either the Philadephia Flyers, who have a Game 7 Tuesday night against Washington, or the New York Rangers.
Price posted his second shutout of the series after allowing five goals in each of the last two games - including four goals in the third period of each game - as the Bruins made a spirited comeback to tie the best-of-seven series and force a do-or-die Game 7.
"It's the playoffs - games can go either way," said Price. "You can't get too high or low. I know that's an old cliche, but that's how it is.
"We all felt we had to play better and we did."
Andrei Kostitsyn scored two goals and Sergei had one to give the brothers three goals apiece in the series. Veterans Mike Komisarek andMark Streit also scored for the Canadiens, who improved their record against the rival Bruins all-time in playoff series to 24-7. Montreal is now 5-2 in playoff Game 7s against Boston and 11-8 overall.
Stymied by Boston checking since opening the series with a 4-1 win at home, Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau made a small adjustment, moving veteran winger Alex Kovalev onto a line with captain Saku Koivuand winger Christopher Higgins. It paid off, as the new-look line produced the first goal of the game.
After a tight first period in which Price excelled, the Canadiens rediscovered the high-tempo game that earned them first place in the conference, and a perfect 8-0 record against Boston, in the regular season.
"Some time in the second or third game we got away from our style," said Kovalev, who had a pair of assists. "They played hard against us and we tried to do the same back to them - maybe to try to show who's stronger.
"That's not our game. And then it takes a while to get your game back and I think that's why we lost the last two games. But we got it back. Fast-paced hockey for 60 minutes. That's our game." 
