BOSTON—When you look back on this Boston-Montreal series, you’ll be able to point to the moment things changed, where emotions ramped up, where it finally got interesting.

A little bird might be able to help you put your finger on it.

Oh, yes. All the talk in two hockey towns Friday was Andrew Ference’s middle finger.

The Boston Bruins defenceman was caught flipping the bird to fans at the Bell Centre on Thursday night, when the Bruins tied their best-of-seven quarter-final at two games apiece.

After the game, he pleaded “What, me?” but the NHL didn’t buy his line that it was a mere wardrobe malfunction — Ference said the fingers of his glove stuck when he pumped his fist.

The league fined him $2,500, with the money going to Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Ference was contrite.

“I talked to Mike Murphy (NHL senior vice-president of hockey operations) and explained the same thing that I told you guys (Thursday) night. He said the same thing, that it looks awful obviously. And with this series, the whole year, how it is between the Habs and the Bruins, the fine was acceptable,” Ference told reporters in Boston.

“I was pumping my fist. I’m not giving anyone the bird or anything like that. Like I told them, it was an unintentional bird. I obviously apologize for it, it wasn’t meant to insult anybody, especially a whole row of cameras in the Bell Centre and the fans sitting there.

“That’s definitely not the intention.”

Back in Brossard, Que., where the Canadiens had a team meeting before departing for Boston, goalie Carey Price shook his head at Ference’s explanation.

“Yeah, come on, man,” Price said of Ference. “I’m sure he feels shame. It is what it is. It’s over now. I’m over it.

“But it was a tough one, It’s pretty funny. I have some stuff out there I’m not very proud of either.”

Habs captain Brian Gionta was happy the league fined Ference.

“We don’t want that in the league and it was dealt with,” said Gionta. “It’s his situation that I’m sure he’d like to have back.”

These two teams have a tough history, the most recent episode of which saw Bruins captain Zdeno Chara deliver a bone-crushing hit to Montreal forward Max Pacioretty late in the regular season.

Both sides have been able to rein in their emotions, which usually get ramped up in the playoffs. But it would surprise no one if emotions got the better of them with the series now down to a best of three.

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Montreal players were trying to figure out how they let Boston back in the series. The Habs won the first two games in Boston. The Bruins took the next two in Montreal.

“They came out (of Montreal) with two wins but for the majority of those two games we played better,” said Price. “We’re a lot closer, we’re really confident in our room. They played well, they earned everything they got.

“I thought we played pretty strongly as well.”

Montreal coach Jacques Martin said the key is for his players to draw on their experience from last year, when the team made it to the Eastern Conference final.

“No doubt the key is to learn from past experience,” said Martin. “A lot of these players have lived some of the ups and downs last year in the playoffs. It helps, some of the adversity we faced through the year. All those really build and I believe we have a lot of character and determination. As a group, I believe we are resilient.”

The overriding theme of this series is that the home team has yet to win. With that in mind, the Habs believe they have road-ice advantage Saturday night.

“It seems both teams want the road advantage now,” said Price. “As a team, when you go into an opposing rink, it’s a lot easier to try and keep your game simple because you don’t need to try to impress anybody. I think that’s why road teams are successful.”

Ference said he doesn’t put much stock into home-ice advantage. He simply wants to win on Saturday.

“Definitely, it’s a must,” said Ference. “And you want to do it in front of your fans. It’s not fun for them to lose up there and it’s not fun for us to send home disappointed fans down here.

“You work hard through the season to get home-ice advantage for a reason. Even if I don’t believe in it, it’s an important thing.”