Could this mark the return of a historic rivalry? For decades, the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins have been intertwined in one of the fiercest and longest-standing rivalries in NHL history.
However, somewhere over the last decade, a matchup that used to be fueled by bad blood, melees, and heated exchanges between players and fans has lost some intensity. Rivalries are nearly impossible to maintain when the competition is one-sided, and for a while that is what it was.
While Boston continued to compete for playoff spots and make deep runs in the postseason, the Canadiens were in a down period. Then, when the Canadiens began to turn things around, it was the Bruins' turn to experience a downturn of their own.
With both teams now fighting for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, their upcoming meeting could provide the spark needed to reignite one of hockey's greatest rivalries.
One of one rivalry
No two teams have played against each other more in NHL history than the Canadiens and the Bruins. Through the regular season and playoffs, the two teams have matched up 945 times, going all the way back to the Original Six era. The Canadiens have the edge in wins overall, with 473 compared to the Bruins' 369. But this rivalry has never been defined solely by wins and losses. It is the bad blood and unforgettable moments between these two franchises that have made it legendary.
The hatred does not just stem from the two fan bases. Once a player puts on either jersey, they inherit more than a century of history between the two franchises. One of the rivalry's most infamous incidents came in 1955, when Maurice Richard retaliated against former teammate Hal Laycoe after taking a high stick, setting off a chain of events that eventually led to the Richard Riot. Richard skated over to Laycoe and struck him in the face and shoulders with his stick before punching linesman Cliff Thompson in the face. Boston police attempted to arrest Richard after the game, but his teammates blocked the door until they left. Richard was suspended for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs, which sparked outrage in Montreal.
It has always been fiery, even in the modern era of the NHL. It has included a goalie fight between Tim Thomas and newly minted Hockey Hall of Famer Carey Price, Andrew Ference sticking up the middle finger to Canadiens fans during a seven-game playoff series, and heated exchanges during the handshake line between Dale Weise and Milan Lucic, with the Bruins forward later acknowledging he crossed the line. It has been a rivalry that has often crossed the line of being acceptable, but one thing was certain: whenever the two teams faced off, it was must-see TV.
The return of the rivalry
The NHL has done a great job of removing unnecessary violence from the game, something this rivalry has had its fair share of, but that was never the only thing that made it special. The two teams regularly battled for supremacy in the Eastern Conference, making their playoff matchups even more exciting. The two teams have not matched up against one another in the playoffs since the 2014 series, which likely has contributed to the rivalry losing some of its spark. With the way both the Canadiens and Bruins have been playing so far this season, that could soon change.
The Bruins currently sit atop the Atlantic Division, while the Canadiens are third, just one point behind. These are the types of moments this rivalry has missed: a game with something on the line.
The two teams have a mixture of current stars in Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, David Pastrnak, and Charlie McAvoy. They also feature young up-and-coming stars, including Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, Fraser Minten, and James Hagens, who is currently on injured reserve. There is also the potential for a dynamic goaltending matchup between two of the hottest goalies in the NHL right now: Jacob Fowler and Jeremy Swayman. Both franchises have all the elements to reignite the rivalry, and those elements will be on full display at TD Garden.
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