BOSTON (AP) – Cristobal Huet made 28 saves for his second consecutive shutout over Boston and his fourth of the season, beating the undermanned Bruins 3-0 on Thursday night.

Boston was without Sergei Samsonov, who was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. That left the Bruins, already struggling for offense, without much of an attack.

Alex Kovalev and Sheldon Souray scored and Tomas Plekanec added an empty-netter with 25 seconds left for Montreal, which won for the fourth time in six games.

The Canadiens have beaten Boston four times in five tries this season, and Kovalev and Souray have combined for 11 points against the Bruins. Tim Thomas made 38 saves for Boston, which has one win in six games. Huet’s success could make it difficult for former Colorado goalie David Aebischer to walk in and take over the starting job. Aebischer was acquired from the Avalanche on Wednesday for Jose Theodore. Kovalev scored at 6:48 of the second period to make it 1-0, then Souray made it 2-0 seven seconds after David Tanabe was sent off for holding early in the third. Huet, the league’s reigning defensive player of the week, stopped Dan LaCouture on a breakaway with 14 minutes left to protect the lead.

The already short-handed Bruins lost defenseman Nick Boynton to a game misconduct during a second-period brawl.

But if Boynton was hoping to give the team a spark, he didn’t do any better than general manager Mike O’Connell.

O’Connell claimed Mariusz Czerkawski off waivers from Toronto on Wednesday and got Reasoner on Thursday, but neither was available to help Boston against Montreal.

Notes: Huet also shut Boston out on Feb. 4. … Souray’s goal was greeted with cheers from a large contingent of fans rooting for the Canadiens. … Samsonov was the eighth overall pick in the 1997 draft. Boston also got Joe Thornton with the top overall pick that year and traded him away on Nov. 30.