CFN – Montreal and Boston. It always feels like a Stanley Cup final match when these two teams get together.
Somehow there’s a lot of extra meaning. The Ghosts of the 70’s still burn deep in Bruin’s fan’s hearts.
Heart will be the deciding factor in this series. Yes strategy will be important, and yes I’m a lifer as a Hab fan even through the horrible icky years, and even though Reggie Houle stiffed me on my last Habs pay cheque thus forever giving the team a Romanian Jewish curse which won’t be lifted until he personally rights it.
Frankly the Bruins should blow Montreal out of the water in this series. In almost ever metric Boston comes out on top.
Scoring, defense, coaching, the Bruins are bigger, badder, and can do things Montreal simply can’t.
They have Zdeno Chara who is a sure fire Hall of Famer who can beat a team in so many ways including physically.
They’re relatively healthy and have Jarome Iginla who is the story of these play offs as his quest for a ring is a probability with this team.
Does Boston have any weaknesses? The only thing I’ve crunched is team defense in their own end; but a heavy fore check can be fatal if it’s not successful as the Bruins have the horse power to bury mistakes unless Carey Price rocks the series.
Unlike the Habs, the Bruins best are leading them right now. Bergeron has 5 points, Iginla 4, Lucic 4, yougun’s on D Torey Krug & Dougie Hamilton have 4.
The only regular really having a bad play off so far is Brad Marchand. Tuukka Rask has a .961 sv % and 1.16 GAA. That’s nuts!
Montreal will literally have to elevate its game to places that would make this team Legendary to win. We’re talking Patrick Roy kind of legendary where he back stopped a team that wasn’t that good to the final and last Habs cup.
And the puck does stop with Carey Price. If he can somehow do something incredible for this team he will cement a legacy with this city. If he’s sub par I don’t think he’ll be with this team come next season.
For Montreal to win PK Subban will have to really shine which he did in the Lightning series. Montreal really wasn’t that good in their sweep. I know that sounds odd, but they really weren’t. Andrei Markov was his usual no points for the play offs with zero and a -2 for the series.
There is hope, but it will all be about grit, heart, and heroics if Montreal advances in this series.
Who to watch: Boston – Chara, especially if the series gets mean. Same for Lucic. Igninla may be a oldster, but he’s still a heck of a hockey player, and one on a mission. Dougie Hamiltion seems to have shifted into a higher gear vs Detroit.
If Boston loses it will be because of penalties. Boston will probably try and physically dominate the Habs, especially Brendan Gallagher who will be a prime target, as will Pacioretty. If they get over zealous or the refs choke them they might be in trouble.
Montreal: Price, Subban, and Pacioretty. All three key in to critical points for the team, and all three have to shine so that they’ll be less pressure down the line.
Price has to simply be better than his regular season numbers. He needs one shut out in this series. He needs to get in the Bruins heads and stand up to them, and make them squeeze their sticks.
PK can be a game changer. He can’t win the series on his own, but he can cause some major grief with the Bruins and draw some penalties. Pacioretty needs to get on the board early. He needs to get some open ice for Vanek.
The Habs power play needs to go back to basics. Get shots on net and stop trying for the one timer. Get some traffic and let PK blast em from the point. Montreal needs to draw penalties and hit the net if they have any chance of winning. They also need to keep the puck out of their own end. This is not the team of Robinson, Savard, & Pointu.
Finally the Hab fans. They need to not curse the team. No “hey hey” singing in the first period. No booing the US anthem. They need to be the extra attacker for Montreal unless they want this team golfing.
This is the 34th time these teams meet in the play offs. Boston has won the last two including an embarrassing sweep in 2008/9
The mantra for this series is hope. The pressure really is on Boston as they are expected to blow the Habs right out of the water and that includes if youngster Alex Galchenyuk returns. The Bruins are deeper and frankly a better team. Montreal can use that leverage if they can snatch an early win, or two, or three, and maybe even four!
I predict Boston winning in 5. Of all my predictions I hope I’m totally proven wrong!
What do you think hockey fans? You can post your comments below.
u can’t be serious… markov was montreal’s best d vs tampa. watch some hockey lmao
Habs will easily beat the bruins. Unfortunately for boston they peaked too early and they are a slow a very slow team with a mediocre goalie. All their players are too old
Habs in 5
You’re clueless with your analysis
I agree with Jamie….Bruins in 5.
Habs r overrated. They beat a team with a backup goalie, &no st. louis. Price is not a playoff goalie& there way too small. Bruins in six bye, bye Montreal!!
Detroit is a much faster team then Montreal lol that guy ED is a {MODERATED} .. Boston is by far the better team ask any analyst on the planet. If Montreal wins it’s because boston will be in the penalty box. But highly doubtful. GO BRUINS!!! OH AN REAL CLASSY BOOING STAMKOS ANOTHER CANADIAN OFF THE ICE. Fans are a joke and an embarrassment to the game.
Montreal Canadians will take Boston out just like they did Tampa Bay 4 straight go has go
Boston is undeniably a better hockey team. when it comes to skill and size, making them heavy favorites in this series. But that can be said about any team because Boston finished first overall. However, Montreal is probably the last team Boston wants to face in the playoffs. Montreal matches up really well against Boston, and took 3 of 4 during the regular season. Carey Price is probably playing the best hockey of his young NHL career, and the Habs peaked at the right. Their recent acquisitions have fit in and contributed nicely, and for the first time in decades that Habs have two 39 goal scorers on the same line.
I predict there will be at least 2 suspensions handed out during the series, along with fights in every game, many overtime games, and many disputed calls.
Habs in 7!
Since the beginning of time, the team that scores the most goals will win the cup. I’ll go with that prediction.
Hey Ed:
Yes, Boston is a very slow team (just watch Hamilton and Krug blow by you!). For sure, the Bruins are too old (Chara and Iginla are over the hill!). Rask is so mediocre too (I guess that’s why he’s nominated for the Vezina and will probably win it). And they peaked too early (Boston hasn’t lost more than two games in a row all season). Of course, you’re right, Montreal will win in 4! Keep on believing what you want to believe Ed, keep on dreaming even when Boston takes out your team of midgets in 5 games max!
Habs in 7
All the canadiens need is for the bruins to be as over-confident and stupiid as their fans (like these posters) wich they are and underestimate them. and habs will win in 6. Cant wait to hear what excuse the little girls in boston come up with when its over. Bruins are mostly a bunch dirty goons players who play juliens boring shutdown hockey when the games not goin there way hence raasks good stats. Bruins will takedumb penalties and the canadiens speed will be too much for their slow d. Theres a reason they won 3 out of 4 against them this year… theyve got their number
With the Bruins so favored it should give the Habs players some room to overachieve. The question is are they willing to pay the “PRICE” to do so?
As a Canadian I find Habs fans to be the most classless and an embarrassment to the country. They are the canadian version of the hicks of the US south. I hope they prove me wrong but I have a feeling they won’t. What a shame that they are the only ones representing Canada. SMDH
Bruins in 5.
Peter. In 2011 the habs beat the bruins all regular season an then lost to them in the playoffs and bruins won the cup. Time before that bruins lost to them in the regular season then Swept them in the playoffs.. Another {MODERATED}habs fan who doesn’t know hockey. Lookin forward to those ugly jerseys and {MODERATED} And it could go either way. It’s hockey. Just drives me when idiots try to talk hockey. And the funniest part of about it. Is there always habs fans. Keep embarrassing our game and calling yourselves Canadians. Zero class and a joke to the game of hockey…
Bruins in 6 – Habs have crazy potential and are never a team to count out, but fact is the B’s are bigger and seem a little more focused. They are not in the least a slow, or old team. Experienced, and poised would be a better description.
And as for their goalie being terrible – I’m pretty sure his save average trumps Price twice over.
Again, this series is always a wild card and if emotions run high the B’s might drop the ball, but I don’t see that being all too likely.
Go Bruins go!
I knew this was the dumbest article ever and now that the Habs won, Iginla did horribly, Krejci disappeared, Gallagher was excellent, Dougie Hamilton was mediocre, Chara looked like he escaped out of an old folks home…you managed to be wrong in every single possible way !