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Todd: When previewing the Bruins’ opening round playoff series (which both of us agreed would be over in five games), I brought up how long it had been since Boston and Detroit had met in the playoffs (1957).  For some comparative perspective, the Bruins and Canadiens are about to square off in their 24th playoff series since 1957, and 34th all-time.  Montreal has won 24 of the previous 33 playoff series, but the B’s have won seven of the last eleven series dating back to 1988.

Including postseason, Boston and Montreal have played nearly 900 games against each other over ten different decades, more than any other two teams in league history.  But all those prior numbers don’t mean much, other than the fact these two franchises have known and loathed each other since Calvin Coolidge and Mackenzie King were governing North America.

So what is there to know about this year’s version of Les Habitants? (Don’t worry readers, that’s the extent of my French.)  While they won three of four games against Boston this season, two of those wins were by a 2-1 score, and one of those came in a shootout when they last met on March 25 (aggregate series scoring: Montreal 9, Boston 7).  So it’s hard to say either team dominated the other.

While the Bruins excel with their depth and physical play, the Canadiens tend to win with team speed and their ability to draw penalties from their opponents.  Rumor has it that if the Habs were to participate in the summer Olympics, the sport they’d be best at would take place on a springboard or platform.

There doesn’t tend to be much fighting during the playoffs, but if you’re looking for individual matchups that could feature more than a few hard hits, I’d keep an eye on Milan Lucic and Alexei Emelin, with Brad Marchand and P.K. Subban on the undercard.  These four will be paired up against one another early and often, with the winners potentially setting a tone for the series.

But the Canadiens present other concerns.  Max Pacioretty scored a team-leading 39 goals (two of them vs. Boston) and probably won’t be knocked out by Zdeno Chara again, like he was during the 2011 playoffs.  Montreal’s top scoring line also includes longtime B’s nemesis Thomas Vanek, whose 30 goals and 32 assists in 55 career regular season games are the most he has scored against any opponent, and that doesn’t include the pair of goals he had with Buffalo in three playoff games against the B’s back in 2010.  Have to think the Habs acquired the 30-year old at the trade deadline with this particular series in mind.

For what it’s worth, Montreal’s third line of Rene Bourque, Lars Eller and former BC Eagle Brian Gionta (can you believe he’s 35 now?) are fresh off a combined six goals and eleven points in their first round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning.  While it’s unlikely the trio will duplicate that production matched up against a much better Bruins third line, the Black and Gold shouldn’t overlook these guys.

Special teams could be a huge factor in this series, particularly with the potential for many penalties to be called.  The Bruins’ power play could not be playing any better, as their six PPG against Detroit are the most they’ve scored in a playoff series since (oddly enough) 2010 against Vanek’s Buffalo Sabres.  Conversely, the Canadiens were only 2-of-13 against the Lightning with the man advantage.

In goal, Tuukka Rask is a Vezina Trophy finalist and looked tremendous against Detroit, to the point where I would tend to ignore his 3-10-3 career record vs. the Canadiens.  Even while Rask was only 1-2-1 vs. the Habs this season, his 1.94 GAA and .932 save percentage were actually above his regular season averages.  On the other side, Carey Price does have good career numbers vs. the Bruins (17-8-3, 2.50 GAA), but he only faced Boston once this season and has only played one game at TD Garden over the last two seasons (a game in which he was pulled after allowing four goals in two periods).

Hard to see how this is not going be one helluva series.  To me, Montreal is by far the toughest opponent the Bruins will face in the Eastern Conference.  But it’s hard to pick against Tuukka the way he’s playing in net, and it’s also hard to pick against the team with home ice for Game 7, where being able to make the last personnel change could prove vital.  My pick: Bruins in seven.

By the way, the potential exists for a Red Wings/Canadiens/Rangers/Black Hawks path to the Stanley Cup.  Five of the Original Six teams qualified for the playoffs (the Maple Leafs were the lone omission), and the Bruins could conceivably play all of the other four this spring.  Whether you’re an old-school Bruins fan or simply an NHL history buff, how cool would that be?

Mike: Honestly, I think the NHL would love an Original 6 path to the Cup.

Like I said during last year's playoff push (which saw the Bruins square off against the Rangers, Canadiens and Black Hawks), these Original 6 matchups are good for the NHL, traditional rivalries bring higher ratings and more casual interest to the series.

Now that we're finally ready to get this second round on the road, I am as excited as ever for the big rivalry matchup! I know that the Red Wings are an old rival, but they don't have the spark of the sight of Montreal coming to town!

I think this is a case where the regular season results are meaningless. Boston is a team on a mission here. They came ever so close last year to winning their second Cup in three years, and they want to get back to the Promised Land.

I think home ice advantage is the key here. Both teams have loud, passionate fan bases, and I am glad that the Bruins will be able to play a potential Game 7 at home.

The thing is, I really don't think they will need to.

Rask is playing too well for Boston to have to go to the limit with the Habs (1-2-1 record aside) and the improved Boston power play will be tough for Montreal to stop. My pick: Bruins in 6.

One team that should be rooting for a long, epic 7-game Bruin win is the Boston Red Sox. They have opened the season with a bit of a struggle, ending April with a losing record, and the scuffles continue into May.

But, that has gone a bit under the radar as the Bruins have taken the lion's share of the attention away from the Sox, and a series with Montreal will push the Bruins even further into the spotlight. Hopefully, while all of the eyes of New England are on the Bruins, the Red Sox can figure out just what the heck is going on and emerge from May back on top where they belong!

Go Bruins!

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