Stanley Cup Playoffs : For First Time in 45 Years, Bruins Oust Canadiens, 4-1

When Bobby Orr was in his prime, and leading the Bruins to a couple of Stanley Cups, the Bruins were more popular in Boston than the Celtics.

It hasn’t been that way in recent years. The Celtics have been battling for National Basketball Assn. championships, and the Bruins have been falling out of the Stanley Cup playoffs early, usually a victim of the Montreal Canadiens.

But Tuesday night the Bruins gave their fans a reason to dance in the streets again. The Montreal Forum, which has been the Bruins’ rink of futility for 45 years, was just like home.

Steve Kasper and Cam Neely each scored twice to lead the Bruins to a 4-1 victory, clinching their Adams Division playoff series in five games. It marked the first time since 1943 that the Bruins have taken a playoff series from the Canadiens. They had lost 18 straight series to Montreal.

But, for the fourth consecutive game, goaltender Reggie Lemelin frustrated the Canadiens. The defensive corps, anchored by Ray Bourque, simply overpowered the Canadiens, who had been favored by many to win the Stanley Cup.

The Canadiens breezed in the opening game, beating Andy Moog five times. Lemelin begged for his chance. Coach Terry O’Reilly gave it to him, and he allowed only five goals--none in the first period--in four games.

The Canadiens scored three times in the last period of Game 2, losing only 4-3. But, they had only two goals in the last three games.

Both Kasper goals came after perfect passes from linemate Randy Burridge. He scored midway through the first period and midway through the second. Four minutes after Kasper’s first goal, Neely stole the puck and went in alone to beat goalie Patrick Roy. That was all Lemelin needed.

Before John Kordic ended his shutout bid at 14:35 of the second period, Lemelin had held the Canadiens scoreless for 98 minutes.

It was a fabulous series for Kasper, more noted for his defensive ability. He grew up just a few miles from the Montreal Forum and always dreamed of playing there.

When Kasper’s second-period goal made it 3-0, Montreal’s biggest crowd of the season, 18,904, sat in complete silence, breaking it only briefly when Kordic cut the lead to two goals.

The Bruins can celebrate for a few days. They don’t open the semifinal round--against either the New Jersey Devils or Washington Capitals--until Monday night.

New Jersey 3, Washington 1--Until their last regular-season game there, the Devils had an 0-19-1 record at Landover, Md.

Now, they feel right at home in the Capital Centre. They ended the winless string and, with this victory, are 2-1 there in this playoff, which they lead, 3-2. They can wrap it up with a win at home Thursday night.

Kirk Muller scored twice, and backup goalie Bob Sauve stopped 28 shots. Coach Jim Schoenfeld of the Devils rested his sensational rookie goaltender, Sean Burke, and it turned out to be a smart move. Sauve also won the second game of the Devils’ first-round series against the New York Islanders.

Muller, scoreless in the Devils’ previous 10 playoff games, gave his team a 1-0 lead late in the first period when he beat goalie Clint Malarchuk with a backhander. In the second period, Muller set up Tom Kurvers’ goal and, after Mike Ridley cut the lead to 2-1 midway through the third period, Muller put the victory on ice.