MONTREAL (CP) - Montreal Canadiens winger Alex Kovalev went from hero to goat in the space of two playoff games.
The Boston Bruins defeated Montreal 4-3 on Tuesday night when Kovalev abandoned the puck after he was slashed on the hand, allowing Glen Murray to score at 9:27 of the second overtime period.
The win gave Boston a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven NHL Eastern Conference quarter-final and a chance to wrap up the series at home in Game 5 on Thursday night.
``If a penalty's not called, you can't stop playing,'' said frustrated Montreal coach Claude Julien, whose team had the better of Boston through most of the overtime. ``It's a crappy way to lose and it tarnishes the effort of the whole team.''
Kovalev, who scored two goals as Montreal got back into the series with a win in Game 3 on Sunday, was the last man back with the puck when he took a slash on the right hand from Boston's Travis Green.
The big Russian skated past the puck, shaking the hand in pain, and then collided with teammate Sheldon Souray, who was racing back for the puck.
That allowed Murray to go in on a partial breakaway and beat Jose Theodore with a low shot.
``I was lucky enough to be there,'' said Murray.
The Canadiens called it a two-handed slash, but Green said: ``If I'd have double-handed him, his arm would be broken.''
Kovalev had ice on the hand after the game, but said he would play in Game 5.
He was incensed that referees Don Van Massenhoven and Mick McGeough didn't call a penalty, although infractions are rarely called in overtime - even more rarely are two in a row called against the same team. Murray had been sent off for holding only six minutes earlier.
``I'm not crying about it, but a penalty should have been called,'' said Kovalev. ``It's so frustrating it worked out like this.
``It feels like they (the Bruins) got help.''
Kovalev said it ``wasn't a dangerous situation. The puck was in the neutral zone.''
That's not how Souray saw it.
``I was caught by surprise that he left the puck there and there was no one behind him,'' said Souray. ``Obviously, you want to go back and get the puck and then he ran into me.
``I guess he got slashed. Maybe. But do you stop playing? You know? We're in double OT. They'd already called a penalty against them. They (the refs) are going to let you play at that point.''
When questioned further, Souray said he ``wasn't blaming anyone. It was just a crazy play.''
Up to that point, Kovalev had played a strong game, scoring a goal in the first period.
The Canadiens also got a pair of goals from Mike Ribeiro, who had been involved in a controversial incident in the final minute of Game 3.
In that game, the refs stopped play with Ribeiro writhing on the ice in pain, but he was then was seen gesturing and smiling at the Boston bench.
The Bruins believe Ribeiro faked the injury and suggested that incident influenced the officials' decision not to call a slash against Green.
``The refs learn too, they see what's going on,'' said Mike Knuble, whose goal with 31 seconds left in the third period forced overtime.
``Nick Boynton got stuck in the face the other night and he didn't grab his face whatsoever,'' added Green. ``They go down and score on the same play.
``If Nick goes down, it's a double minor. Go figure.''
Michael Nylander, back after missing a game with ``flu-like symptoms,'' and Jiri Slegr also scored for the Bruins.
``Coming back to our building up 3-1 is a big difference,'' said coach Mike Sullivan.
Knuble forced overtime when, with Andrew Raycroft pulled for an extra attacker, he jabbed at a soft shot by Murray in the crease. Video replay showed the puck just cleared the line inside the goalpost.
Boston dominated the opening game of the series 3-0 and then needed overtime to win the second game at home by 2-1.
Canadiens defenceman Stephane Quintal left the game at 4:59 of the second period when he was hooked by Hal Gill and jammed his right arm or wrist as he fell heavily into the boards.
He returned to watch the rest of the period on the bench, but did not come out for the third frame.
Montreal outshot Boston 45-44.
Ailing Bruins' star centre Joe Thornton had his best game of the series even though he remained without a point. Early on, Thornton levelled Andrei Markov with a bodycheck.
The defenceman was shaken up, but remained in the game.
The Canadiens proved opportunistic early.
Only 4:41 into the game, Michael Ryder bounced a shot to the net that Ribeiro deflected past Raycroft in the crease.
Nylander, with his third of the series, took a pass from Sergei Samsonov and threaded a shot through a defenceman's leg into the far corner at 16:25.
With five seconds left in the period, Kovalev banged in Jan Bulis' rebound for his third in the last two games.
Strong forechecking by Jason Ward allowed Ribeiro to take a loose puck and reach across the crease to tuck the puck behind Raycroft 1:48 into the second period.
Slegr's screened point shot beat Theodore at 11:30.
Notes - To counter booing of the U.S. anthem before Game 3, the Canadiens played a videotaped message of Hall of Famer Jean Beliveau asking fans to respect both national anthems. A handful still booed. Many more chanted Go Habs Go. ... Steve Begin, who injured a leg in Game 3, sat out and was replaced by Yanic Perreault. ... With Nylander's return, Craig McDonald sat for Boston.