Montreal Canadiens Bigger, Badder Than Boston Bruins
The Montreal Canadiens have often been the smaller, more skilled team when compared to the Boston Bruins. With a few key offseason additions, the Canadiens have suddenly flipped the script on their oldest rivals this season.
The Montreal Canadiens face their most fierce rival for the first time in the 2016-17 season tonight. The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens rivalry dates back nearly one hundred years. No two teams have played each other more in the postseason and there are almost always fireworks in store when they face off.
Whether it be the regular season or the playoffs, it is always a heated affair when these two teams meet.
Historically, Boston is known as the “Big, Bad Bruins” and Montreal the “Flying Frenchmen.” It’s usually a story of brawn vs. finesse when these teams square off, with Montreal playing the role of the smaller more skilled team.
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However, after a busy offseason and a long-term focus on getting bigger, the Canadiens have become the bigger, badder team in this historic rivalry.
Since winning the Stanley Cup five years ago, the Bruins have moved on from many of their biggest, meanest players. Gone are Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton, Johnny Boychuk, Shawn Thornton and Dougie Hamilton.
The average size of those five players is 6’3″ and 223 pounds. Replacing them are smaller players like David Pastrnak, Matt Beleskey and Torey Krug. Also stepping into the lineup are hulking players Jimmy Hayes and Brandon Carlo, but they are playing more of a depth role than Lucic, Horton, Boychuk and Hamilton were playing.
Of course, the Bruins still have the largest player in the league in Zdeno Chara. However, at age 39, Chara’s 6’9″ frame isn’t as intimidating as it once was. When Chara was playing at a Norris Trophy candidate level, he was the most feared player in the league. Today, he struggles to keep up to the fast pace of the game, making him less of a factor in these contests.
Canadiens additions bring nasty edge to their game
On the Canadiens side of the battle, there are several new recruits who aren’t afraid to play a physical game. The Canadiens added Shea Weber, Alex Radulov and Andrew Shaw in the summer.
Weber is perhaps the hardest hitting top pairing defenseman in the league. At 6’5″ and 240 pounds, he basically has the reputation that Chara did when he was Weber’s age. Weber is excellent at using his size to clear the front of the net, and forces opponent’s to keep their head up when entering the Habs zone.
Radulov has come into the Habs lineup and erased any doubt about his desire to play hard. He forechecks like no other forward in the Canadiens lineup, isn’t afraid to throw his weight around and mixes it up after whistles, but again, not enough to take foolish penalties.
Shaw, it may surprise you is not quite six feet tall. However, what he lacks in size he makes up for in bite. The former Chicago Blackhawk toes the line of the NHL’s rulebook and is one of the biggest pests in the league. He has already been suspended once in the preseason and nearly again in the regular season for a slew foot.
This isn’t the style of play that I endorse, but it is reminiscent of the “Big Bad Bruins” from years gone by. Shaw leaves opponent’s frustrated, angry and willing to take penalties in an effort to get back at him. This is an area the Canadiens have taken advantage of from the Bruins for many years, by drawing them into penalties and then capitalizing on the power play.
Gallagher as pesky as Marchand, but more disciplined as well
Another Habs forward that plays a similar style to Shaw is Brendan Gallagher. If I had a nickel for every time he just about took a goaltender interference penalty, only to draw one from an opposing defender, I could afford to pay him his $3.75 million contract.
Of course, the Bruins still have Brad Marchand on their team. He is the king of being a pest for the opposition. However, if you take a look at penalty minutes, it’s easy to see Marchand crosses the line far more often than the Canadiens super-pest.
Emelin battling Lucic the turning point in physical battle
The turning point in this area of the rivalry may have come when Alexei Emelin flat out dominated Lucic in one on one battles. Lucic was reduced to a trembling child he was so angry at Emelin after the Canadiens knocked the Bruins out of the 2015 postseason.
Lucic infamously stated he was going to kill Emelin the following season after Emelin shut him down for seven games and was really the first NHL player to match Lucic from a physical point of view.
The Canadiens often came out on top when facing the “Big, Bad Bruins” in past postseason matchups. Their skill and ability to skate proved more important than the physical, mean game their rivals brought.
The good news about this version of the Canadiens is, not only are they bigger and more physical than the Bruins, they also remain more talented.
Bruins lack of depth means Habs still have speed and skill advantage
The Bruins are very top heavy when it comes to their current lineup. Sure, a forward group that features Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Marchand, Pastrnak and David Backes looks impressive. However, their depth on the wings specifically is nowhere near what the Canadiens currently boast.
The Bruins third line will bring little scoring coming from Riley Nash, Matt Besleskey and Jimmy Hayes. The trio combined for 37 goals last season and have a combined zero points in the Bruins first four games this season.
The Canadiens on the other hand, have an impressive top six as well. The difference if the bottom of the lineup, where they are getting contributions from David Desharnais, Andrew Shaw and Paul Byron.
On defense, and of course in goal, is where the Canadiens really separate themselves from the Bruins. The Bruins are still reeling from losing Boychuk and Hamilton from their blue line.
Montreal boasts a deep blue line led by Weber and Nathan Beaulieu. Jeff Petry is off to an excellent start this season and forms a great second pairing with Andrei Markov. Emelin, Mikhail Sergachev and Greg Pateryn combine to form a dependable third pairing as well.
In net, Carey Price has become the best goaltender in the league. Combine that with Tuukka Rask, who always plays his worst hockey against the Canadiens. This gives the Habs a huge edge in goal against their rivals.
The Canadiens often had the edge on the Bruins in terms of speed and skill. They still do, but they can also match or beat their rival in a physical battle as well. Cheering for the Canadiens against the Bruins has always been fun. It may be even a bit more so this season with Weber and Shaw on our side.