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| Photo: Linked from habstalkradio.com |
Last night I watched another classic match-up between the
Boston Bruins and our beloved Montreal Canadiens. The game had it all: Scoring, fighting,
hitting, lead changes and edge of your seat dramatics down to the very
end. Habs prevailed 4-3. That evens the season series at one win apiece
and goals are 5-5 over the two games. With
Boston coach Claude Julien crying foul after the game about Montreal players diving
around and drawing penalties, I expect the intensity level will be through the
roof on March 27 when they renew acquaintances. It will be another closely contested game in
what I deem is the greatest hockey rivalry.
Sure, the Toronto Maple Leafs are rivals. Ontario vs Quebec. English Canada vs French
Canada. Toronto vs Montreal. Without a shadow of a doubt its Canada’s biggest rivalry.
Two original six franchises; the faces of hockey in Canada prior to the days of
expansion. It was either or back then. You
were pro-Leafs or pro-Canadiens. Post-expansion
however, it has been a different story. It’s always an entertaining series, but
very rarely meaningful in the standings. Up until the 1998-99 season, the Leafs were in
the Western Conference with the Habs in the east. Twice a year they matched
up. This rivalry picked up once they
became division rivals. And being a born and bred Montrealer now living in Toronto (the self
proclaimed hockey capital of the world), it’s my surely favorite rivalry to be
a part of. Great as it is, though. Its
not Montreal vs Boston.
It seems these two clubs are always jockeying for position
in the standings against one another. If its not a direct battle for conference
supremacy like last nights game was, it always has some playoff implications for
at least one of the teams involved. In
the last 25 years, these two teams have met in the playoffs 11 times. Montreal was victorious in only 4 of those
series. Five times they’ve played the
full seven games. That’s just in the
last 25 years. Seven of those years we
did not even make the playoffs. So kids,
if it feels like you constantly say 'Montreal always faces Boston in the playoffs!!' you're basically correct. 11 times in 18 playoff seasons we’ve faced
Boston in a round.
History lesson aside, let’s get back to the
intangibles. How many other teams do you
as Habs fans loathe? I mean seriously despise?
- Ottawa Senators? You haven’t been around long enough. Well you have. Just you weren’t very good.
- Buffalo Sabres? Meh. You’ve always been the little brother of the division.
- New York Rangers? Detroit Red Wings? Chicago Blackhawks? Maybe back in the early days of the NHL.
- Toronto Maple Leafs? Touched on them already.
- Boston Bruins? *#*&$% the *#*$@&* Bruins!!!
Some highlights of this classic rivalry include:
- Hal Laycoe’s hit and Maurice Richard’s response leads to a suspension that sparked the Richard Riot of 1955.
- Don Cherry’s “Too Many Men on the Ice” penalty that led to his demise in Boston in 1979.
- Andy Moog: 1990’s Boston goalie and Habs killer. Then later in his career, a Canadien.
- Saku Koivu returns from Cancer, sparks Habs to a playoff upset in 2002.
- Carey Price fighting Tim Thomas in 2010-11.
- Zdeno Chara’s hit on Max Pacioretty later that same year .
- PK Subban’s younger brother, Malcolm, drafted in the first round of the 2012 NHL draft. By Boston.
Too much has happened over the years for this rivalry not to
be considered hockey’s best. Sorry Chicago-Detroit, Ottawa-Toronto, New
York-New Jersey, Pittsburgh-Philadelphia or Calgary-Edmonton. You just don’t have the history behind
you. Montreal and Boston have met 33
times for 170 games in the NHL playoffs.
That’s 10 more times and 53 more games than the next closest NHL playoff
rivalry (Detroit-Toronto). Eight times they’ve played a series-deciding game
seven. And my favorite stat, which I saw on the telecast last night: Montreal
is 7-0 vs Boston in Stanley Cup Finals.
Suck on that, Bruins fans.
What’s your favorite Habs-Bruins memory?
Nick M. is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a weekly contributor here at habsaddict.com and he can often be found rambling on Twitter.
Nick M. is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a weekly contributor here at habsaddict.com and he can often be found rambling on Twitter.
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