BOSTON -- Kyle McLaren shook his head as he passed by the stereo speaker on his way from the locker-room shower. A radio station was taking a tongue-in-cheek poll.

The announcer asked listeners to choose whether McLaren's hit on Richard Zednik was intentional, unintentional or irrelevant because it came against a member of the Montreal Canadiens.

"This thing, I think, has dragged on too long," McLaren said Sunday as the Boston Bruins prepared to leave for Montreal. "The only thing we should have in mind is we lost the last game and it's over.

"We have to go up there and win or our season's over."

With McLaren suspended for Saturday's game, Montreal won 2-1 in Boston to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference quarterfinal.

The NHL announced Sunday the suspension will last until the end of the series with Montreal. The decision followed a hearing in Boston before Saturday's game held by the NHL's chief disciplinarian, director of hockey operations Colin Campbell.

Boston did OK without McLaren on Saturday, allowing just 13 shots while taking 44. But Montreal goalie Jose Theodore was outstanding and benefited from two shots that hit the post.

"It's a game of mistakes. We're going to make some mistakes and if Kyle was in he'd make some mistakes," Boston coach Robbie Ftorek said. "So I think we did fairly well."

The Bruins finished first in the Eastern Conference. But eighth-place Montreal has gotten a boost from Saku Koivu and Donald Audette, both sidelined most of the season.

The Canadiens won Saturday without Zednik, who was tied for the NHL playoff lead in goals and points before he was injured in Game 4 in Montreal. He suffered a concussion, broken nose and laceration below his right eye when McLaren's arm hit him in the head as he sped into the Boston zone with the puck.

"I'm sorry he got hurt, but it's hockey and we need to win to move on," McLaren said after participating in Sunday's optional practice. Campbell said he didn't think the hit was a deliberate attempt to injure.

Montreal has one of the NHL's best goaltenders and quick forwards who have caused problems for Boston's big, physical defensemen.

"We want to make sure that we put our shots in when we get the opportunity to," Ftorek said. "We want to make sure that we show up in the defensive zone first and foremost."

After taking a 2-0 lead in the first period Saturday, the Canadiens focused on defense.

"They were patient and dumped the puck in a lot and took advantage of a couple of chances," Boston defenseman Don Sweeney said. On defense, "they packed it into their own crease."

Ftorek liked the way his team played the last two periods and doesn't see much that needs to be changed -- except the scoring.

"Goalies gain confidence from making saves. Shooters gain confidence from getting shots," he said. "If you're getting scoring opportunities, you've got the confidence that you'll put it in eventually."

Eventually must come Monday night if they want to play a seventh game at home Tuesday night.

"I'm a part of it no matter if I'm on the ice or off the ice. I feel I do my best work on the ice, for sure, but I support these guys 100 percent," McLaren said. "The only thing we're going up there to do is win the game and come back here. That should be the only thing on our minds."