Game 23: Boston 3 at Montreal 6

Claude Provost scored two goals and Henri Richard tallied three assists as red-hot Montreal Canadiens blitzed Boston Bruins, 6-3 at the Forum.

Canadiens (6-2-0) have won six straight and lead the league in goals scored with 35.

Bruins (3-5-0) have dropped two straight after a modest two-game winning streak.

Vic Stasiuk scored two late goals for Boston to make the score somewhat respectable.

Bruins trailed 3-0 when Bob Armstrong scored on a slap shot from near the blue line with one second remaining in the second period. After 40 minutes, Montreal was outshooting Boston, 28-10.

But any hopes that Bruins could make a game of it were dashed when Provost and Dickie Moore scored by the 6:04 mark of the third period.

For the second straight game, Boston goalie Don Simmons was pulled because of ineffective play. Simmons was lifted after Maurice Richard made the score 6-1 at 12:23 of the third period.

There was one fight: Boston's Armstrong and Montreal's Jean Beliveau, in the third period.

1st Period
MON- Provost (unassisted) 3:38
MON- LeClair (Curry, Pronovost) 11:24
MON- Olmstead (H. Richard) PPG 18:46

2nd Period
BOS- Armstrong (Stasiuk, McKenney) 19:59

3rd Period
MON- Provost (LeClair, St. Laurent) 3:31
MON- Moore (H. Richard, Harvey) 6:04
MON- M. Richard (H. Richard, Pronovost) 12:23
BOS- Stasiuk (McKenney, J. Toppazzini) 18:37
BOS- Stasiuk (McKenney) 19:45

SOG
BOS 5-5-11 = 21
MON 13-15-9 = 37

PP: BOS 0-1; MON 1-3

Goalies
BOS- Simmons (35 shots, 29 saves); Sawchuk (12:23 3rd; 2 shots, 2 saves)
MON- Plante


Provost scored two goals in Canadiens' rout