Even as the Montreal Canadiens swept through the opening round of the playoffs - their first postseason series victory in four years - they knew a more difficult challenge was next.

The Boston Bruins. Their Original Six archrival - and the defending Eastern Conference champions and the NHL's top team in the regular season.

"That's our measuring stick," forward Max Pacioretty said after the Canadiens beat the Bruins 3-1 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night.

"There's always been that rivalry, and that bad feeling between Boston and Montreal. Not just between the cities, but in the rooms, too."

Pacioretty scored the winner, and Carey Price made 29 saves to give the Canadiens a spot in the conference finals against the New York Rangers. Game 1 will be in Montreal on Saturday, with the rest of the schedule to be announced.

It's just the second time since winning their NHL-best 24th Stanley Cup title in 1993 that the Canadiens have reached the third round of the playoffs.

"You have an opportunity to get one step closer to the Stanley Cup," said Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban, the team's leading scorer in these playoffs. "We deserve it. We played hard. Nothing has come easy for us all year."

Dale Weise and Daniel Briere also scored for the Canadiens, who needed a win in Game 6 on Monday night to force the series to a seventh game. They beat Boston 4-0, then came to the TD Garden and Price dominated the Bruins again.

"Carey Price was just outstanding; he gave them a chance to win every night," Bruins coach Claude Julien said of the goalie who backstopped Canada to Olympic gold in February. "You play the way he did, it gives his team a lot of confidence."

The Canadiens scored just 2:18 into the game to quiet the Boston crowd and then made it 2-0 midway through the second period.

Jarome Iginla made it 2-1 at the end of the second, but Briere chipped in a power-play goal off Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara's skate with about three minutes left to make it 3-1.

"We just beat the best team in the league," Montreal coach Michel Therrien said. "Down 3-2 and (we) showed a lot of character, a lot of passion. To win a series in Boston, it is a tough place for people to come and play here."

Tuukka Rask made 15 saves for the Bruins, who won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and returned to the finals last year.

Boston finished with the best record in the regular season this year, but its road stopped against the Original Six rival in another classic playoff series.

Rask said it was particularly difficult to follow up a successful regular season with a playoff dud.

"Especially when you think you have a great team," he said. "We had a decent first series but this just shows that winning the regular season doesn't mean anything."

(China Daily 05/16/2014 page23)