The Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings' rivalry has gone away over the past few decades thanks to both teams finding more substantial rivalries and Detroit's journey to the Western Conference. However, the teams combined for over 600 games in their long and illustrious histories. The Canadiens lead the all-time series, holding a record of 327-245-96-2.
The Canadiens are on a current three-game losing streak to the Red Wings, as they dropped the final three games of their four-game schedule last season. Every matchup from last season was close, as all three Canadiens losses ended in a 5-4 overtime or shootout loss. It includes a back-to-back home-and-home series to end the season.
Due to their close proximity, the Canadiens and Red Wings frequently host home-and-home series, and they will do it again this year on December 20 and 21. The home-and-home series last year featured the debuts of Lane Hutson and Logan Mailloux. Detroit's 5-4 shootout victory on April 16 featured Mailloux's first career assist on Alex Newhook's first-period goal.
Hutson also added an assist on Juraj Slafkovsky's third period goal, before David Perron tied the game and Patrick Kane scored the shootout winner.
Canadiens-Red Wings Playoff History
There aren't many teams in the NHL that have a winning record against the Canadiens. However, the Red Wings have won seven of the teams' 12 series all-time. The Red Wings defeated the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1952, then repeated that feat in 1954 and 1955. However, they played again for a third-straight time in 1956, but the Canadiens emerged victorious.
The Canadiens beat the Red Wings one more time in 1966 for the Stanley Cup. The teams last played in the playoffs in 1978, with the Canadiens winning in five games in the Conference Semi-Finals.