Mats Naslund tucked a shot between the legs of Boston goaltender Bill Ranford at 2:38 of the first overtime period last night, lifting the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-3 triumph over the Bruins and a 2-0 lead in their NHL Adams Division semifinal series.

The quick ending spoiled a three-goal performance by Bruins right wing Cam Neely and sent the series back to Boston for Games three and four Saturday and Sunday nights.

The winning goal came as Brian Skrudland carried the puck over the Boston blueline, and passed off to Naslund. The pint-sized Naslund kept moving in, even going behind the net, before skating to Ranford's right and finding an opening between his skates.

The Bruins, who had overcome a 2-0 deficit, displayed the same resiliency after Bobby Smith boosted Montreal into a 3-2 lead at 10:30 of the third period. Smith caught the far lefthand corner on Ranford, after Ryan Walter had stripped the Bruins' Reed Larson of the puck at center ice.

Earlier, the Canadiens had drawn a thunderous roar from the Forum crowd of 16,829 during a stretch in the latter part of the first period and early in the second, when they killed off penalties that had them playing at least one man short for 5:06. At one point, they were at a 5-3 manpower disadvantage for 2:14.