(Sports Network) - The top-seeded Montreal Canadiens will try once again to clinch their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series tonight, as the Habs visit the Boston Bruins for Game 6 at TD Banknorth Garden.

The Canadiens have held two-game leads twice in the series at 2-0 and 3-1, but have lost the following test on both occasions. Montreal had its first chance to end the series on Thursday, but was pounded on its home ice by the Bruins.

Glen Metropolit scored the first of four Boston goals in the third period, as the Bruins staved off elimination with a 5-1 rout of the Habs in Game 5.

Marco Sturm, Zdeno Chara, Vladimir Sobotka and Phil Kessel each scored for eighth-seeded Boston, which needs to win two more in a row to complete the improbable comeback from two games down.

Andrew Ference and David Krejci each added two assists, while Tim Thomas stopped 31-of-32 shots in the win.

The Bruins' offensive explosion in Thursday's meeting was a surprise, as Boston had scored only five goals in the entire series and were shut out in Game 4.

Carey Price, who made 27 saves in the Game 4 shutout, gave up all five goals on just 24 shots for the Canadiens. Alex Kovalev scored the lone goal for Montreal.

The Canadiens once again played without captain Saku Koivu, who has missed nine straight games dating back to the regular season. However, the Finnish centerman could return tonight for the first time since suffering a fractured bone in his left foot against Buffalo on March 28. Koivu is considered to be a game-time decision for tonight's contest.

The 33-year-old Koivu had 16 goals and 40 assists in 77 games this season and has 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 43 career playoff games.

The Canadiens dominated the regular-season series with the Bruins this year, as they won all eight meetings and outscored their Northeast Division rivals by a 39-16 margin.

Montreal also holds a sizeable advantage in terms of all-time playoff meetings between the clubs. Montreal has taken 23 of the 30 postseason series between these old rivals and has also won the last two, beating the Bruins in the conference quarters in 2002 and 2004.

Boston was 21-16-4 as the hosts this season, while the Canadiens were an impressive 25-12-4 as the road team.

If necessary, the seventh and deciding game of this series will take place Monday night in Montreal.