5. Montreal Canadiens Vs Boston Bruins
These teams have met a record total of 170 times in the post season, with Montreal having the huge edge in games won, 102-68 and series wins 24-9. Their first match up was in 1929, the last one in 2011. There was a period of 18 straight times the Canadiens beat the Bruins in the playoffs, a total spanning 45 years which was finally broken in 1988. Since then the teams have been on much more equal footing play-wise but Boston is considered the more dominant physical team while Montreal the much more hospitalized team. For example, to keep things interesting for the doctors, there
was this famous donnybrook, then
this straight-to-the-hospital hit by the world's tallest player, Zdeno Chara, and then
this incident last year. And in a classic "I'm screwing your ex-girlfriend' move, in 2012 the Boston Bruins drafted the younger brother of Montreal Canadiens star defencemen P.K. Subban in the NHL entry league draft, making for future family gatherings at the Subban household somewhat uncomfortable I am sure.
Chances Of It Happening In 2013- 60% With Montreal and Boston both in the upper half of the current standings, a renewal of the league's longest rivalry is within possibility. Both teams would have to beat their first round opponents and survive the inevitable Montreal riots that will follow each series victory. Boston, having won the Cup 2 years ago and standing behind the giant Zdeno Chara would be a 'tall' test for Montreal but all bets are off when it comes to the Canadiens and their storied history of beating the Bruins when it matters.