MONTREAL— The Montreal Canadiens missed the net 23 times. They whiffed on seven power plays. They failed to generate more than two shots and a single dangerous scoring chance on two five-on-threes. And after Saturday’s game slipped away at six-on-five, the opportunity to redeem some much-needed confidence evaporated with a fifth loss in six games.

This one against the Boston Bruins started with a bang.

Jayden Struble delivered it because he felt the team needed a lift, and because he felt he could provide it by giving up seven inches and 47 pounds in a fight against six-foot-seven, 255-pound Nikita Zadorov right off the opening faceoff.

Struble said he talked with Arber Xhekaj about it Friday afternoon and that the two of them concluded they needed to do something to return some of the

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