Rites of Spring: Boston-Montreal Again in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens will square off once again in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the 31st time in history.

The Canadiens have gone 23-7 in this one-sided rivalry, humiliating the Bruins seemingly every time out. The Bruins, meanwhile, were successful only during the early 1990s, when five of their series victories (1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994) came in a seven-year span against Patrick Roy.

This time around, the storyline is intriguing.

First, the Bruins of course, have lost eleven straight to the Canadiens, including all eight during the 2007-08 regular season. Montreal has owned Boston the entire season, outscoring the Beantowners 38-16, though their last meeting of the season on March 22nd was the Bruins' best showing by far, a 3-2 decision determined by a shootout. Also included in the eight Habs victories were 6-1 and 8-2 routs at the Bell Centre earlier in the year. Montreal also embarrassed Boston by having a 24-9 margin in goals in the four games played in Hab city this year.

Second, the Canadiens once again have a rookie goaltender in net making his playoff debut against the B's. Back in 1971, it was Ken Dryden's goaltending that made the difference as the Canadiens eliminated the record-setting and heavily-favored Bruins in the first round. In 1984, Steve Penney, just called up prior to the playoffs, swept the B's in the opening round despite the Canadiens finishing 29 points behind their rivals, who had the NHL's third-best record. Then there was Patrick Roy just two seasons later, who led his Canadiens to yet another sweep over the B's in round one.

This year, of course, the Habs have rookie Carey Price, who took over the No. 1 role in goal after the team sent Cristobal Huet to the Washington Capitals in a bizzare deal at the trade deadline. The 20-year-old Price has played well all season long, and has won seven straight to close out the regular season. Price is a perfect 5-0-0 with a 2.16 GAA against the B's this season.

Price will be looking to follow in the footsteps of the trio of Dryden, Penney, and Roy, two of whom who actually led the Canadiens to Stanley Cup victories in their first years (Dryden and Roy).

While the actual seedings of the Bruins and Canadiens have yet to be determined, the matchup has been set.

This was thanks to the Bruins' 3-0 loss to Buffalo on Saturday night, along with the Canadiens' 3-1 triumph over Toronto.

Both Boston and Montreal's regular seasons are over, with the Habs currently holding on to top spot in the Eastern Conference and the Bruins seventh.

However, the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia game on Sunday afternoon will determine the final seedings, without changing the matchups.

The Canadiens (104 points) are currently ahead of the Penguins (102) for the No. 1 seed. Both teams currently have 47 victories.

If Pittsburgh beats Philly on Sunday, the Pens will claim the top seed over the Habs with 104 points by virtue of having an extra win. That will push Montreal to No. 2 in the conference, with Boston stuck at seventh.

The Flyers are currently eighth with 93 points, trailing sixth-place Ottawa and seventh-seeded Boston, both with 94 points and done for the regular season. The Bruins are seeded lower than the Senators because the latter has more wins (43 compared to the Bruins' 41).

If Philadelphia comes out on top, the Flyers will vault past the Sens and B's into sixth spot, pushing the Bruins to eighth. The Canadiens will clinch the top seed.

Either way, no matter how you slice it, it will be Boston-Montreal as the seventh-vs.-second matchup or eighth-vs.-one.

No way to get around it.

Even if the Flyers and Pens go to a shootout on Sunday, nothing changes.

Should the Flyers lose in that scenario, they will tie the Sens and Bruins in points with 94, but still finish in eighth place. Boston would still be seventh, with Montreal dropping to second because of Pittsburgh's win.

Under the shootout loss scenario, the Flyers and Bruins will have identical 41-29-12 records, but Boston won the season series 3-1-0, so would be ranked ahead of Philadelphia.

So there you have it, Boston-Montreal regardless of what happens Sunday.

Seems like they are destined to meet, and perhaps the Canadiens will have yet another parade this summer.

Prediction: Canadiens in four over the Bruins, and go on to win the Stanley Cup against the San Jose Sharks.