Montreal, QC -- (Sports Network) - Michael Ryder registered two goals and an assist, as the Boston Bruins came away with a convincing 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre, sweeping their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

David Krejci posted a goal and a helper for the top-seeded Bruins, who won their first playoff series since an opening-round triumph against Carolina in 1999. Phil Kessel also lit the lamp and Tim Thomas earned the win with a 26-save performance.

Andrei Kostitsyn provided the lone tally for the eighth-seeded Canadiens, who have lost their last eight games dating back to the end of the regular season. Carey Price was beaten four times on 30 shots in defeat.

The 2008-09 campaign was expected to be a memorable one for Montreal, which was celebrating its centennial season, but a promising start filled with visions of a serious run at hockey's holy grail in hopes of a 25th title was followed by a second-half swoon and, ultimately, a bitter first-round exodus.

"There were high expectations before this season, but things happen on the ice," said Canadiens captain Saku Koivu. "For a team to be successful and reach its potential, a lot of things have to go your way. You have to stay healthy, and we had problems with injuries throughout the season."

Montreal recorded more than twice as many shots as the Bruins in the first period, but found themselves staring at a one-goal deficit.

The desperate Habs came out strong and grabbed the lead just 39 seconds after the game's opening faceoff. Koivu lugged the puck across the blue line and Kostitsyn gathered a drop pass from the Montreal captain. Koivu continued to drive to the net and provided a screen as Kostitsyn ripped a shot earmarked for the top right corner of the net.

"When a team is putting on a press like that, you have to withstand it, and we did a good job because we didn't allow ourselves to be down by two," Thomas said.

Boston countered with 2:33 remaining, as Ryder continued to terrorize the organization that drafted him.

The Newfoundland native skated down the middle and hammered a loose puck past the blocker of Price and into the far side of the net. Unearthed by the Canadiens in the eighth round of the 1998 draft, Ryder spent his first four NHL seasons in Montreal before inking a three-year deal with the Bruins this past summer.

The visitors struck again in the frame's final minute. Krejci spun off a Habs player, dished across from the left circle to Ryder and deposited the return feed into the open cage with 34.4 seconds to play before the first intermission.

Boston scored twice in a 45-second span to blow the game open in the middle stanza.

With a Canadiens power play winding down, Patrice Bergeron fired the puck off the right-wing boards to Kessel, who had exited the penalty box. Kessel skated in alone on Price and beat the second-year netminder along the ice with 8:02 left in the second period.

Ryder then one-timed a feed from Krejci over Price's glove for a 4-1 Bruins lead.

Montreal mustered a few quality scoring chances among its seven shots in the third period, but failed to get one behind Thomas and ended its disappointing season with a second consecutive home defeat.

Game Notes:

Boston had not swept an opponent in the playoffs since ousting the rival Canadiens in four games back in the 1992 Adams Division finals...Montreal has dropped its last eight playoff games since winning Game 1 against Philadelphia in last year's conference semifinals...The Bruins outscored Montreal, 17-6, in the four games...The Canadiens were 0-for-8 on the power play in the series...Montreal has still won 24 of the 32 postseason matchups between the Original Six rivals...Defensemen Mathieu Schneider (upper-body) and Patrice Brisebois (lower-body) and forward Alex Tanguay (upper-body) missed the game for Montreal...The Bruins signed goaltender Matt Dalton to an entry-level contract on Wednesday.