The Canadiens came up short against the Boston Bruins, losing 5-3, but St. Louis was proud of the way his team rallied with two third-period goals and was pressing for the tie when Patrice Bergeron dashed their hopes with an empty-net goal.
“I think if you saw our third period, it was very similar to yesterday’s third period, and there was no quitting,” said St. Louis. “I tell the guys when you quit in anything, there’s one guarantee — you’re not going to get what you wanted.”
Nick Suzuki, who scored his 21st goal to bring the Canadiens to within a goal of the Bruins in the third period, said the players had a better appreciation of the role hockey plays in Montreal after the pregame tribute to Lafleur.
Sam Montembeault, who kept the Canadiens close with 37 saves, noted the presence of a dozen of Lafleur’s teammates, including Hall of Famers Yvan Cournoyer and Bob Gainey, who were seated behind the Montreal bench
