Montreal Canadiens: When the odds aren’t in your favour

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 12: Andrew Shaw
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 12: Andrew Shaw /
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The Montreal Canadiens will be playing their first of three games against the Boston Bruins tonight which should be intense as games against them always are.

We’ve been talking about this upcoming stretch in what kind of effect it could have on the remainder of the season for the Montreal Canadiens. Considering the games in hand Boston has over Montreal, they could do some pretty heavy damage to them if they win. However, this could be one of those games where the Habs find another gear.

Not only is it one of, if not their biggest, rival, but it’s also Claude Julien‘s first game against his former team since being fired. Weird right? Julien was hired by the Habs two days after their final game against the Bruins last season, so the ‘homecoming’ had to take as long as it did. It’ll probably be more meaningful for him when the Habs are in Boston next week, but it doesn’t change the fact that the players will want to win this one for him.

If that doesn’t give them a reason to have a strong performance, perhaps Zdeno Chara‘s comments on the upcoming game will.

Now it’s not like he said, “Why would it have that feel, the team is garbage,” but it could be read that way. For all intents and purposes, Chara isn’t far off to express that kind of attitude towards the game. The Habs know where they are in standings, but that doesn’t mean they can’t put up a fight.

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