NHL Notebook: Rivalry between Boston and Montreal never disappoints

MONTREAL -- The storied rivalry between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens is very much alive.

It might not seem that way since the Bruins won all three games in a week’s span, but there’s no better matchup in the NHL than this one. Boston is playing its best hockey of the season, while Montreal continues to drop in the standings. It’s still incredible entertainment.

Bruins alternate captain Patrice Bergeron, a native of Quebec, has enjoyed this rivalry since 2003. He’s been on the winning side and the losing side plenty of times, but he understands there’s something special about it.

“It always changes. It always evolves,” Bergeron said. “It depends on the year, but it’s always special. It goes beyond my playing years, but it’s been a lot of fun. It’s always great to come here and play with the fans and the atmosphere, and it’s the same thing in Boston.”



It’s a bit unusual that it took until mid-January for these teams to face off, but it seemed like a playoff series with three games in one week. The Bruins stand second in the Atlantic Division, while the Canadiens drop to seventh in the Eastern Conference, nine points behind of the second wild-card spot.

“We’re aware of the standings and we want to keep going up and climbing and try to catch Tampa,” Bergeron said. “You look at Montreal, whichever teams are behind us, you want to push them down every time you face them. We know they’re big games for them and it’s the same for us. They’re a big rival, so every time you play them you know its big games and it means a lot. It’s always beyond just two points against Montreal.

Coach Bruce Cassidy has always been a Bruins fan. He vividly remembers all the times the Canadiens beat the Bruins in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Now, he gets to coach against the Habs.

“I pretty much can recite most of the games from ’70 on. I had my heart broken a number of times over the years, especially Yvon Lambert’s goal in overtime (of Game 7 of ’79 semifinals),” Cassidy said. “My mum let me stay up and watch the game one of the very few times and I wish she hadn’t now. But it’s been a great rivalry and it’s nice to see we’re on the right side of it the last few games.”

Canadiens coach Claude Julien has been on both sides of this rivalry. When he was coaching in Boston between his stints in Montreal, he would use the word “hate” when describing the opponent. Now that he’s back with the Habs, the Stanley Cup-winning coach believes the rivalry is alive and well.

“Well, it’s still there,” he said. “I know a lot of people would love to see the gloves flying off again.”

As Julien explained, just because the days of all-out brawls no longer exist and there’s more 5-on-5 play doesn’t mean the games aren’t physical.

“It’s because the game’s changed,” he said. “There are consequences now that are a lot more severe than they were back then and even though there might not have been fights (this week) there was good intensity and you could tell both teams were playing some of their best hockey.”

Bruins defenseman Torey Krug played his third NHL regular-season game against the Canadiens. It was a high-scoring game and after 12 rounds, Montreal won in a shootout. It was a time when the Canadiens began to dominate the Bruins and now it’s Boston that’s having success.

“It’s been a rollercoaster,” explained Krug of the rivalry during his NHL career. “One of my first regular-season games was against Montreal and it was a high-scoring game. They seemed to take it to us for a little bit. We lost Game 7 in the (2014) Stanley Cup playoffs, but I thought we had the best team in the NHL that year and that (victory) really propelled them for the next couple of years and they took a stranglehold of the series.

“We’ve been playing well as of late and getting our wins against them, so it’s been a lot of fun. Obviously, with the game changing, it’s a faster game and there aren’t as many fights. It’s definitely changed in that aspect but it’s still a chippy game and you get hit every single shift. You’re still trying to out will each other so there’s still grit.”

From a local standpoint, playing in this rivalry means more than just two points for Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who grew up a saucer pass away from TD Garden in Charlestown.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s a dream come true being a kid growing up in Boston. I’m trying to cherish every moment being at the Bell Centre. It’s an once-in-a-lifetime experience. That’s how it felt (my first game here). It’s so loud and I kind of try to not think about it, but halfway through the game I was thinking what a blessing it is to be here and those are the game you remember, so it’s pretty cool.”

These teams conclude the season series on March 3 at TD Garden.

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On Wednesday, the Bruins and the NHL celebrated the 60th anniversary of Willie O'Ree breaking the color barrier on Jan. 18, 1958. It's incredible that O'Ree, 82, is not in Hockey's Hall of Fame. He only played 45 games in the NHL, but he should be considered in the builder's category for his work as the league's diversity ambassador.

“I’d be thrilled – I really would be,” he said. “If I was going to be inducted it would probably be for the work that I’m doing now with the diversity program, because I only played 45 games in the NHL. I’d be thrilled. If it happens, it happens.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman attended the anniversary at TD Garden and he believes O'Ree is deserving a call to the Hall.

“He’s certainly one of the great contributors of our game,” Bettman said. “The NHL doesn’t control the Hall of Fame. I don’t control the Hall of Fame, but when you look at the contributions that people have made to our game over the years, when you look at the number of young people he has touched at 120,000 since we named him our diversity ambassador, he is truly a special person in the history of this game.”

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The NHL has done a good job of expanding its brand world-wide and its latest conquest is China. The Bruins have a strong connection there and it's only a matter of time before they play either a preseason or regular-season game. The Los Angles Kings and Vancouver Canucks played a pair of games in Beijing and Shanghai this season and it was considered a success. The Bruins are up next.

“All of our efforts with respect to games and events over seas we do injunction with the players’ association, but I believe in the not-too-distant future, not necessarily next season, but the Bruins, as an Original Six team, as a storied franchise, will have their turn internationally," Bettman said.

“There are some organizations that think twice about it because there’s a little bit of wear and tear on making travel arrangements half way around the world, but the Bruins have always been a great lead team, in terms of when you ask them to do something, whether it’s an outdoor game, or you name it, they’re always happy to be participating. At some point, in the foreseeable future, I see some travel in their plans.”

In February 2016, the Bruins and O.R.G. Packaging, a China-based company made a commitment to expand the game of hockey in Asia. Last summer, Bruins players participated in a series of clinics in China as a way to promote the game.

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Prior to the Bruins and Canadiens game on Saturday at Bell Centre, hockey writers, broadcasters and executives held a moment of silence before toasting the passing of Hall of Fame scribe Red Fisher, who passed away on Friday. He was 91.

Fisher was a legend in the hockey world. He would routinely take a shot of Chivas as a tradition before every game, so the hockey writers did the same in his honor before Saturday's game.

“He did leave a good imprint on everybody,” said Canadiens coach Claude Julien. “He had his personality that was unique. I always said he was a smart individual and he knew what was going on and he wasn’t afraid to say the way it was. I was one of the fortunate young coaches that had an opportunity to talk to him one-on-one because we all know with him you had to pay your dues. I was able to have some good conversations with him and that’s one of the things I remember the most.”

Fisher covered 17 of the Canadiens' 24 Stanley Cup championships.