Canadiens score 4 in the 3rd period to turn fight-filled game against rival Bruins into a laugher

BOSTON (AP) — Zachary Bolduc scored to give the Canadiens the lead as Montreal scored four goals in a five-minute span to snap a third-period tie and run away from the Boston Bruins 6-2 on Tuesday night.

Sammy Blais, Ivan Demidov, Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky also scored for Montreal. Jacob Fowler stopped 26 shots for the Canadiens in a game that started with fisticuffs but ended with the Bruins going down meekly.

Marat Khusnutdinov and Alex Steeves scored in the first period to give Boston a 2-1 lead, but Demidov tied it two minutes into the second when he swept in to steal a bad pass from Nikita Zadorov to David Pastrnak and skated in on Jeremy Swayman for the goal.

The Bruins had a goal waved off in the final seconds of the second period and it was still 2-2 when Zadorov broke his stick while trying to clear the zone and left the puck for Bolduc.

The Canadiens winger passed the puck and then followed up to knock home a rebound to make it 3-2. Caufield scored on a power play 99 seconds later, and Suzuki scored with a two-man advantage.

Swayman stopped 23 shots for the Bruins.

Boston killed a four-minute power play when Steeves was sent off for a high-sticking double minor late in the second, and then appeared to take the lead with 5 seconds left in the period, but Elias Lindholm’s goal after a scramble in the crease was waved off for goaltender interference.

The Canadiens face Tampa Bay on Sunday.

The Bruins visit Buffalo on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Montreal Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (93) scores on Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Bruins center Marat Khusnutdinov (92) scores on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler (32) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) looks back at the puck on a goal by Montreal Canadiens' Sammy Blais during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj (72) fights Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Michael Porter Jr. scored 28 points, Egor Demin added 20 and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-106 on Tuesday night.

Porter went 5 of 12 from the 3-point arc and Demin hit a couple of late 3s after the 76ers cut a 19-point lead to nine in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn shot 17 of 46 from 3-point distance to win for the third time in four games. Nic Claxton added 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Philadelphia's Joel Embiid scored 27 points despite going out briefly early in the third quarter after banging his right knee. Paul George added 19 points, but 76ers leading scorer Tyrese Maxey was held to 13 points on 3-of-14 shooting. Andrew Drummond finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Porter scored 24 points in the Nets' 96-81 win over Toronto on Sunday and eclipsed that in the first half against Philadelphia.

Porter had 25 points and hit 5 of 8 from 3-point range, helping the Nets build a 63-57 halftime lead.

Embiid did most of his work inside the arc, hitting 7 of 10 shots to score 19 points by halftime. Maxey, coming off a 38-point game against Dallas, had five first-half points on 1-of-7 shooting.

Embiid went to the locker room clutching his right knee after colliding with Brooklyn's Terance Mann in the opening minute of the third quarter. Embiid returned to the bench and re-entered the game a few minutes later.

Brooklyn gradually stretched the lead even after Embiid returned, up 89-77 after three quarters. Philadelphia used a 10-0 run to pull within 99-90 midway through the fourth quarter, but got no closer after Demin hit a pair of 3s.

Nets: At Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

76ers: At Chicago Bulls on Friday in opener of a five-game trip.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Brooklyn Nets' Egor Demin, right, shoots the ball against Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George, second from right, dunks the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr., left, shots the ball against Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey, center and Joel Embiid, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, left, goes up for the shot against Brooklyn Nets' Danny Wolf, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr., left, makes his move against Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George, center, and Adem Bona, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)