BOSTON -- The Montreal Canadiens were struggling through their worst stretch of the season. Then they had to play two of the hottest teams in the NHL. They beat both -- decisively. Peter Budaj stopped 34 shots and the Canadiens ended the Boston Bruins four-game winning streak with a 4-1 win Thursday night. The victory came just two days after they stopped Carolinas four-game winning streak with a 3-0 win. "Its good for the confidence," Montreal coach Michel Therrien said. "Even when things werent going our way, we tried to stay positive." The Canadiens had been outscored 19-5 in losing four consecutive games. The Bruins had won their previous four games by a combined score of 21-8. But Boston was outplayed from start to finish. "We didnt skate. We didnt execute, and we didnt make good decisions," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "We werent very good." The Canadiens were outstanding. Their speed and emotion put them in front of the Bruins all night long. "This was close to a complete game for us," said Daniel Briere, who scored Montreals last goal while playing just 7 minutes, 39 seconds. "We needed that after spending the last week dropping some big games and by big scores as well." Alexei Emelin and Max Pacioretty scored before Dougie Hamiltons goal cut Montreals lead to 2-1 after one period. Brian Gionta made it 3-1 at 11:54 of the second, ending goalie Tuukka Rasks night. He was replaced by Chad Johnson, who allowed the first shot he faced, by Briere, to get past him less than two minutes later. Julien wouldnt say why he pulled Rask. And Rask said he felt OK. "I play as long as they tell me to play," he said. "Youd like to stop everything, right? But, today, I didnt." The Bruins had scored six goals in each of their previous three games. The Canadiens scored five times during their four-game slide. "Usually, when you go through tough stretches, people have a tendency to panic," Budaj said. "Tonight we played well against a really good team." The losing streak ended Tuesday night against Carolina when Carey Price stopped 36 shots in his third shutout of the season. Budaj was nearly as good while improving his career record in Boston to 4-0 with just five goals allowed. "We played well against a really, really good team," he said. "This building is always rocking. Its always exciting to play these type of games." Boston remained in first place in the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference but Montreal was aggressive from the start, quite a change from the Bruins previous two games. They outshot Florida 19-8 in the first period of a 6-2 win Tuesday night. That came one night after they took 18 of the first 20 shots in a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders. But they fell behind early Thursday night and never caught up. Emelin got his first goal in 32 games this season when he converted a slap shot from the right point with four players standing right in front of the crease just 2:16 into the game. Pacioretty scored his team-leading 23rd goal at 14:32. He received a pass along the left side in centre ice, skated behind the defence and put a short backhander behind Rask. But Hamilton scored his fifth goal just a minute later. Neither team had many good opportunities in the first half of the second period. But less than two minutes later, Tomas Plekanec took a power-play shot from the right circle and Gionta tipped it in for his ninth goal. Briere finished the scoring with a shot Johnson had little chance to stop. With three Bruins chasing him and only the goalie in front of him, Briere fired a 10-foot forehand shot over Johnsons shoulder. NOTES: Briere had a goal and an assist after getting just one assist in his previous 10 games. ... The Bruins fell to 12-3 in their last 15 home games. ... Budaj is 4-1 with one shutout in five career games against the Bruins. ... For the first time in the last 10 games between the teams, the final margin was more than one goal. The last time that happened was on Oct. 29, 2011, when Montreal won 4-2. Keith Tkachuk Jersey . Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Steve Mason, Philadelphia (4) - Mason was brilliant all night long with save after big save on Benoit Pouliot, Carl Hagelin and Derick Brassard. Blake Wheeler Jets Jersey . Although head coach Randy Carlyle jokingly wondered how much actual training Bolland got done while in London. "I dont know how much training goes on when you go back to the junior team that you played for so I wouldnt read too much into that," laughed Carlyle after the Maple Leafs were put through an up-tempo practice that concluded with a 10-minute bag skate on Thursday. http://www.jetsauthentic.com/authentic-k...uk-jets-jersey/. Ferrer will play Mikhail Youzhny on Sunday after he defeated Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 6-4 in an all-Russian semifinal. "Youzhny is a good player," Ferrer said. Patrik Laine Jersey . "Weve given ourselves now a tougher task," said Carlyle after the Friday practice, the Toronto head coach notably chipper and upbeat throughout. "But the bottom line is we just have to win our share of games [and] not worry about what anybody else is doing. Laurie Boschman Jets Jersey . Almost 40 years to the day, the two teams will meet again, this time at BC Place, to celebrate the past and try to earn important points for the present.CANMORE, Alta. -- Canadians Heidi Widmer and Jesse Cockney won the womens and mens cross-country ski races at the Buff Sprints on Saturday, bringing them a step closer to the 2014 Winter Olympics. The Buff Sprints are serving as selection races to determine the final four spots on Canadas 2014 Olympic cross-country skiing team. The 22-year-old Widmer, from Banff, Alta., completed an emotional day by handily winning the womens sprint race. "I have raced these trails and trained on them so many times, but this just feels so surreal," said Widmer, who broke into tears at the finish line. "I was on a mission for this. I didnt want to be one of those Olympiczillas getting caught up in it all. There are so many ups and downs. I just wanted to stay focused on the process and not look back or ahead of myself. "This is a dream come true, but I have only completed part one. Now the real journey and work begins." Three-time Olympic biathlete Zina Kocher of Red Deer, Alta., made a charge to get her name in the mix to also compete on the Canadian cross-country ski team at the Games. Kocher finished second. Andrea Dupont, of Timmins, Ont., placed third. While being interviewed in the finish corral, Heidi Widmer broke into tears when her older brother Phil walked past to hit the start line to secure an Olympic spot of his own.dddddddddddd "My inspiration is right there," said Heidi Widmer. "I just wish I can channel some of this energy his way. He has been there for me the whole way." The 30-year-old Widmer, who was fighting for a return trip to the Games, was in a tight competition with 24-year-old Cockney, who was looking for his first trip to the Olympics. Phil Widmer took the lead early and held it around the hilly 1.7-kilometre track, which simulates the challenge athletes will face at the Nordic venue in Sochi, Russia at the Olympics. Cockney, from Canmore, Alta., tucked in behind Widmer until the final 100 metres when he sprinted to the front of the pack to win the final race of the trials. "I just kept telling myself to get to the line," said Cockney. "Phil has been so strong, and I took that outside lane for the finish. I didnt know what else to do, but I just wanted to get to the line. It has been years of hard work. I dont know if it is official. I did all that I can do and I just want to enjoy this moment." Widmer sprinted to the silver, while Patrick Stewart-Jones, of Chelsea, Que., was third. ' ' '