There have been 874 meeting between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens, and never a dull moment. From epic fights to stunning upsets, with a few 9-1-1 calls from our neighbors up north sprinkled in, there is no doubt that the Bruins and Canadiens are the fiercest rivals in all of hockey.
The storied rivalry will open a new chapter Thursday night when the Bruins will host the Canadiens in the quarterfinals of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden (7 p.m. EDT; TV/Radio: NESN/WBZ-FM).
Boston, the third seed in this year's playoffs, trails the all-time regular season series against Montreal, 259-343-103. The Habs hold a strong advantage over the Bruins in postseason meetings, winning 24 of the 33 series between the two teams in the playoffs.
In typical fashion, the Bruins and Canadiens have played in some stellar games this season. However, the Habs hold the edge in this year's regular season series, as the Bruins were 2-4-0 against the Canadiens this season.
The last meeting between the two teams was on March 24, 2011, with the Bruins blowing out the Habs, 7-0. In perhaps the most notable meeting of the year between Boston and Montreal on February 9, the B's prevailed 8-6 in a game that featured 182 penalty minutes and a plethora of fights between the two.
While postseason success is on the side of Montreal, which has won an NHL-best 24 Stanley Cups, Boston swept the Habs, 4-0, in their last postseason meeting back in 2009. The postseason series victory was the first for the Bruins against Montreal since 1994, when Boston won the series 4-3 in the conference quarterfinals.
Yet in this series, records and seeding can be rendered meaningless. There's no doubt that both teams will give their all in every game, meaning that it will all come down to whichever team wants it more.
Series Schedule
Game 1: Thurs., April 14 at 7 p.m.
Game 2: Sat., April 16 at 7 p.m.
Game 3: Mon., April 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Game 4: Thurs., April 21 at 7 p.m.
Game 5*: Sat., April 23 at 7 p.m.
Game 6*: Tues., April 26 at TBD
Game 7*: Wed., April 27 at TBD
View the full first-round playoff schedule here.
For more on the Bruins, check in with SB Nation's Stanley Cup of Chowder. For the Montreal perspective, visit Habs Eyes On The Prize.