Kovalev, Montreal Finish Off Boston

Alex Kovalev and the Montreal Canadiens salvaged their season and brought a shocking end to Boston’s.

Kovalev set up Richard Zednik’s tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and the Canadiens capped a comeback unprecedented in their rich history, beating the Bruins, 2-0, Monday night at Boston to win the first-round series in seven games.

“When we lost the first game and were down 3-1 in the series, we never gave up,” Kovalev said.

For the second time in three years, the Bruins were upset by the Canadiens in the first round.

“We had our chances,” Boston defenseman Nick Boynton said. “We blew it.”

The Canadiens won for the first time after trailing 3-1, winning two of the last three games in Boston. Seventh-seeded Montreal will take on the Eastern Conference’s top team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the second round.

Jose Theodore, who helped eighth-seeded Montreal eliminate top-seeded Boston in the first round in 2002, got the first playoff shutout of his career, stopping 32 shots with the help of a swarming defense.

“Teams are successful because of goaltending in this league,” Canadien Coach Claude Julien said. “He was at his best when it really counted.”

Zednik clinched the victory with an empty-net goal with 7.8 seconds remaining. Kovalev, who leads the NHL with five playoff goals this season, and Saku Koivu assisted on the goals.

Bruin captain Joe Thornton played all seven games in pain, caused by a rib injury suffered with two games left in the regular season. He went scoreless in the series, and when it was over, Coach Mike Sullivan revealed the nature of the “upper-body” injury.

“Most players in the league wouldn’t have played,” Sullivan said.

But Thornton was determined.

“It’s something you have to do in the playoffs,” he said. “It’s devastating [that] we lost the game. It’s unacceptable.”

Boston, which had never lost a series it led 3-1, had its six-game winning streak in Game 7s ended.

Montreal was 0-12 in seven-game series it trailed 3-1. The Canadiens got as close as 3-3 only one other time, in 1954.

Calgary 3, Vancouver 2 -- Martin Gelinas scored a power-play goal 1:25 into overtime at Vancouver, Canada, and the Flames won a playoff series for the first time since 1989.

Matt Cooke’s second goal tied it for Vancouver with 5.7 seconds left in regulation, but the Canucks started the overtime down a man because of Ed Jovanovski’s high-sticking penalty with 27 seconds remaining.

Alex Auld made two good stops in close on the power play, but Gelinas knocked the second rebound over the fallen goaltender from the right side of the net.

Jarome Iginla scored twice and Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 26 shots as the Flames won a series for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup 15 years ago.

Craig Conroy had two assists for Calgary, which won three of four games on the road.

The sixth-seeded Flames will face top-seeded Detroit in the Western Conference semifinals.