Canadiens 4, Bruins 0: Thomas Vanek scored twice and Carey Price finished with 26 saves for his fourth career postseason shutout as host Montreal forced a pivotal Game 7 in its Eastern Conference second-round series.

Max Pacioretty collected a goal and an assist while Lars Eller also tallied for the Canadiens, who return to Boston for Wednesday's showdown. Montreal has won five of the previous eight Game 7 meetings between the Original Six rivals, although the Bruins emerged victorious in the last such encounter in 2011.

A fortunate carom allowed the Canadiens to draw first blood 2:11 into the contest. Boston's Torey Krug attempted to feed fellow defenseman Kevan Miller behind the net, but the puck exploded off his stick and into the slot. Tuukka Rask (24 saves) failed in his bid for a successful poke check as Eller backhanded the puck into the net for his fourth goal.

Pacioretty reeled in rookie blue-liner Nathan Beaulieu's stretch pass before tucking the puck between the pads of Rask with 4:36 left in the second period to double the advantage. Pacioretty also kept the puck alive in front on Montreal's third goal just 2:15 later, kicking it over to Vanek before the Austrian converted from the left doorstep.

The Bruins came within an eyelash of denting the scoreboard midway through the third period as captain Zdeno Chara's blast deflected off Price before trickling toward the net. Montreal's David Desharnais swatted the puck away as it danced along the goal line, and Vanek sealed the win by scoring into an empty net with 3:56 remaining.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Metropolitan Division rivals Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers also will play a deciding Game 7 in their second-round series on Tuesday. The victor of that showdown meets the winner of Wednesday's tilt in the Eastern Conference final. ... The Bruins continue to be snake-bitten on the road in Game 6, losing for the fifth consecutive time with an opportunity to close out of the series. ... All four of Price's postseason shutouts have come at the expense of Boston. ... Montreal C Daniel Briere returned to the lineup after sitting out Game 5 as a healthy scratch. Beaulieu, who replaced fellow D Douglas Murray, was playing in his first postseason contest.