Bruins vs. Canadiens: Is It Fate?

Hatred. That's the one word and emotion most Bruins fans become consumed with when analyzing the Boston vs. Montreal rivlary. There is no debate, the Bruins vs. Canadiens rivlary is the head-liner of the NHL. These two teams have played head to head against eachother more than any other pair of teams in NHL history, and their 32 all-time playoff matchups is an NHL post-season record. Now, with just five days remaining in the NHL season, could the Bruins and Canadiens be set for playoff match-up number 33?

The Bruins and Habs rivalry has been signified by one thing: Montreal dominance. In the 32 playoff showdowns, Boston has left the series as the victor just 7 times. In fact, the sheer win and loss tallies aren't even kind to the Bruins as in these 32 match-ups the Habs are 90-64. The most thrilling series in recent memory is of course the 2008 1st round match-up between the two Northeast Division rivals where a Bergeron-less Bruins took the Habs to a seventh game after what's considered the greatest hockey game played in the TD Banknorth Garden's history only to be dismantled easily by Carey Price and the Canadiens in Game 7.

Boston's longest and perhaps only stretch of success against the Montreal Canadiens came in the early 90's when Ray Bourque and the Boston Bruins beat Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens in four consecutive years in the playoffs. This success was short lived however as in the proceeding three series, Montreal has won all of them and in two of the three series the Bruins have entered as the higher seed with home ice advantage.

Boston hasn't always been the victim, especially not this season. The Bruins have simply made the Canadiens look foolish this season, going 4-0-1 against les Habitants in their centennial season. Boston's emergence as the Eastern Conference's top team and Montreal's incredibly disappointing season has surely felt as if the tables have turned between the two franchises. With the Canadiens fighting for their playoff lives and the teams set to due battle tomorrow at the TD Banknorth Garden, is fate about to take a favorable turn for the Boston Bruins?

The rollercoaster that has been the Montreal Canadiens season will take yet another turn tomorrow night in Boston. The Habs are coming into Boston hanging onto the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference by a single point over the New York Rangers and three points away from falling into the 9th seed and out of the playoff picture. If the Bruins were to win tomorrow night and beat the Canadiens for the 5th time out of the 6 meetings between the arch-rivals the Canadiens will surely be in a spot to slip into the 8th seed, and possibly even the 9th seed.

If the Habs are to fall into the 8th seed, we'd be seeing yet another Boston vs. Montreal series. As much as the history tortures the Bruins from a concussed Rocket Richard putting one by and beating Sugar Jim Henry to Carey Price's 5-0 shutout in Game 7 last year the idea that Montreal is in Boston's head was been made clear and sometimes overpowering. However, heading into the 2009 playoffs there's no doubting the advantage is in the Bruins corner.

The Canadiens have lost leading scorer Andrei Markov for atleast three weeks with a knee injury while Mathieu Schneider's season is over due to a shoulder injury. Without their top defensive pairing and powerplay weapons, the Habs are a significantly weaker team. Take into account the Bruins high powered offense and the inconsistency of Carey Price and this only adds to the Bruins advantage. That being said, a win tomorrow in Boston for Montreal could be a momentum boost for the Habs if they were to head into the playoffs against Boston. Like previously stated, without Markov and Schneider on defense the Habs are a much weaker defensive team and with Tim Thomas expected to be between the pipes tomorrow night and B's coming off a frustrating loss against Ottawa, don't bank on the Habs locking up the 7th seed just yet.