Montreal isn’t writing off Bruins goalie Andrew Raycroft.
MONTREAL (AP) – The Montreal Canadiens aren’t counting on any more gift goals from Boston Bruins rookie Andrew Raycroft.

Raycroft looked human for the first time Thursday, as the Canadiens staved off elimination with a 5-1 victory. The Bruins still hold a 3-2 series lead and get another chance to eliminate the Canadiens in Game 6 on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.

“He’s been one of the top goalies in the league all year and he’ll bounce back,” Canadiens forward Yanic Perreault said Friday. “It’ll be tough to score against him.”

Perreault’s goal 5:43 into the first period started the Montreal romp in Game 5. The favorite to win rookie of the year honors also wasn’t sharp on Alex Kovalev’s goal 7:39 into the second frame.

Montreal goaltender Jose Theodore, meanwhile, had his first dominant game of the first-round series, making 43 saves.

“They’re up 3-2 but I don’t know it that’s because of the goaltending,” said Canadiens enforcer Darren Langdon. “Both teams have great goaltenders. “I’d say Raycroft will come back with the same attitude Theo did.”

Early in the series, some wondered if Raycroft was about to do to Montreal what Theodore did to Boston in 2002, steal the series almost singlehandedly.

The Bruins dominated the series opener 3-0, but were outplayed in Game 2, although they won in overtime when Theodore let in a soft one to Patrice Bergeron.

Montreal won Game 3 at home, then lost when Kovalev, slashed by Travis Green, abandoned the puck and allowed Glen Murray to score on a breakaway for a 4-3 double overtime loss.

That put Montreal in a 3-1 series hole, but Theodore’s return to form in Game 5 and their new-found scoring touch has the Canadiens confident they can win Saturday night and force a decisive Game 7 on Monday night in Boston.

Meanwhile, the Bruins are struggling on the power play. After scoring twice with the man advantage in the opener, they have fallen into an 0-for-18 slump.

And they must rebound from their Game 5 letdown.

“We’re still ahead in this series,” coach Mike Sullivan said on the Bruins’ Web site Friday. “The expectation coming in was that it would be a hard-fought series and probably a lengthy one. We have to be sure to keep that in perspective.”

Game 5 had a minimum of the theatrics that marked the first four games, both with Kovalev’s miscue and center Mike Ribeiro’s much-criticized writhing on the ice after a minor collision in Game 3.

When Richard Zednik dropped to the ice after a cross-check to the face in Game 5, no call was made and the Boston crowd booed. Some feel the officials now consider the Canadiens habitual actors.

AP-ES-04-16-04 1851EDT