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Tonight on NBCSN: Bruins and Canadiens renew hostilities in Montreal

Carey Price, Brad Marchand

As Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price looks on, Boston Bruins’ Brad Marchand skates back to the bench after scoring during the third period of Boston’s 3-2 win in an NHL hockey game in Boston Monday, Dec. 19, 2011. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

AP

There’s never a dull moment when the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens get together and when they meet for the final time this season in Montreal tonight (7:30 p.m. ET) you can expect things to stay as feisty as ever.

Boston comes into tonight’s game sort of shuffling along quietly losers of six out of their last 10 games and coming off a humbling shutout loss to the New York Rangers last night. Tim Thomas hasn’t quite looked like the dominating goalie we got used to seeing last year and the Bruins’ offense goes from clicking well scoring in bunches to not being able to throw the puck in the ocean.

With Nathan Horton continuing to be out with a concussion and not traveling with the team, the Bruins have to overcome that but haven’t done so. David Krejci has looked out of his element and has been moved around the lineup. Tyler Seguin’s once electrifying offense is on the fritz, and Milan Lucic seems to be the one guy out there still trying to mix things up. It’s not as dire as it sounds for the Bruins, but something is off.

It’ll be up to the Canadiens to not awaken a sleeping giant the way they were able to last season in Boston when the teams combined for 14 goals and penalty minutes galore. The Habs, instead, have their own issues to remedy. Montreal has won six of their last 10 games but are coming off a tough 5-3 loss to Carolina on Monday night.

While Scott Gomez’s goal drought is at an end (arguing with coaches is a new twist), the Habs are hurting to get more consistent production from a few other players. While guys like Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec, and Erik Cole are playing well getting more from guys like Gomez, Andrei Kostitsyn, and Rene Bourque would be nice. Getting P.K. Subban to settle down and shake off the stresses of playing in Montreal would go a long way as well.

With Montreal just seven points back of Toronto for eighth in the Eastern Conference and the rest of the Eastern playoff threats stumbling, there’s plenty for Montreal to play for. Perhaps this season the Bruins will be the ones to light the fire that spurs Montreal to make a run at the playoffs.