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

The Boston Bruins. Their Original Six rival. 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 NHLbest 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 victory 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.

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

Rask said it was especially 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.”

KINGS 2, DUCKS 1

LOS ANGELES — Trevor Lewis scored his fourth goal of the postseason, Jonathan Quick made 21 saves, and the Los Angeles Kings forced a seventh game in the Freeway Faceoff series with a victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6.

Jake Muzzin scored an early goal for the Kings, who ended their three-game skid with another sturdy defensive effort at home.

Los Angeles improved to 6-1 in postseason elimination games over the last two seasons while beating Ducks goalie John Gibson for the first time in his sixgame NHL career.

Kyle Palmieri scored and Gibson stopped 21 shots for the top-seeded Ducks, who missed the chance to clinch their first trip to the Western Conference finals since 2007.

Game 7 is Friday night in Anaheim.

Sports on 05/15/2014