Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens: NHL Winter Classic - 1/1/16 NHL Pick, Odds, and Prediction

After the 5-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Foxboro and a day off yesterday, the Bruins awakened to Eastern Conference standings that don't look almost as good for them as they did just a few days ago.

This was the 910th combined regular-season and playoff game between the teams, but the first held outdoors at Gillette Stadium, where the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots play their home games in the National Football League.

The Bruins, playing without center David Krejci (injured), left winger Brad Marchand (suspended) and right winger David Pastrnak (continuing rehab at the World Junior Championships), missed their third straight chance in recent games to move into first place in the Atlantic. We managed the puck.

Q: Will we go back to venues that we have seen before?

"We couldn't seem to find our game", said Bruins coach Claude Julien.

"When things go wrong, you have to stick with a game plan and play your system and we didn't do that". Montreal got Brenden Gallagher back for Friday's matchup after being sidelined since November 22nd with a broken finger. He picked 16 players and gave his readers a New Year's resolution for each player. At any given moment Gallagher was to be found around the net, poking, prodding and occasionally getting what-for. "You have to play for each other, probably a little bit harder and probably a little bit more determined".

Bettman: I think that is possible. We very much appreciate what (owner) Robert Kraft and the Patriots organization did to make the stadium available. "You can't undervalue the smiles that everyone had coming into the rink". "Starting yesterday at practice, everyone chipped in". "Our whole team just had a lot of jam I thought in warmup".

"I'm pretty amazed at how fast he came back and what he accomplished out there", said Byron, who scored twice. We have a blanket we use in hot climates during the day when the sun is out, but Florida, subject to (NHL ice guru) Dan Craig figuring it out ... it's not likely we will be in Florida for an outdoor game in the near future. Beleskey, who later scored his third goal in the last two games and fourth in the last four, appeared to be the one who poked the puck under Condon, but the whistle had already blown.

Gallagher was a key part of the finish for Montreal, even netting a goal with a mid-air backhand redirect. Perry has averaged 2.67 goals per game this season, a pace he will have to pick up if he wants to produce. They didn't have their whole lineup. We have to be better as a group.

"I don't know if you noticed, but we put Plekanec with Patch, and I've had a good feeling that Gallagher was going to be there for today", Therrien told media after the game.

Tuukka Rask made 25 saves while dropping his record to 14-10-3. He still said that he was not trying to hurt Borowiecki and whether or not that is actually true, no player would ever admit to trying to hurt someone on goal if they were trying to clear their name.

For his coach, Gallagher's return allowed him to press reset on his lines, which had been shifted when he went down with injury. It was tougher lately. Dennis Seidenberg didn't have much help on the back check.

"It's easy to give the obvious guys credit but I'm so proud of the guys most people aren't talking about", said captain Max Pacioretty.

Another thing I recall: the constant scraping of the ice, especially expected with the snow falling down. "That's where you know Belichick deserves all the accolades he gets, if he can get out on skates and do that".