For the 34th time in NHL history, Boston and Montreal will play against each other in a playoff series.
There aren’t many rivalries in the league with more history than this one and it hasn’t died down in modern times. It won’t take a game or two for this series to intensify. They already hate each other.
“Yeah, I do,” Milan Lucic told CSN New England. “I’m sure if you asked them about us you’d get the same answer. Being here for seven years and being a part of this organization, you just learn to naturally hate the Montreal Canadiens.”
Or as Bruins coach Claude Julien put it, he hated Boston when he was with Montreal and hates the Canadiens now that he’s switched sides.
These squads are also well rejuvenated after Montreal swept Tampa Bay and Boston eliminated Detroit in five games. Every other series lasted at least six contests, so while the rest of the playoff teams were battling to stay in the Stanley Cup race, the Bruins and Canadiens rested, practiced, and waited for this day.
The game will start at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can also stream it online:
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Get your game notes: Canadiens at Bruins