For years, the Canadiens-Bruins feud felt like a relic that was waiting for the right moment to flare back up. Now that moment might be here.
Montreal and Boston have spent decades building one of the NHL’s defining rivalries, but the edge dulled when the competition stopped feeling even. Boston kept rolling into playoff races and deep postseason pushes while Montreal went through a rough stretch.
Then the Canadiens started climbing again, and the Bruins had their own downturn. Suddenly, both clubs are back in the same fight, and that changes everything.
This is not just another meeting between Original Six teams. No two franchises have faced each other more often in NHL history.
The Canadiens and Bruins have met 945 times across the regular season and playoffs, dating back to the Original Six era. Montreal holds the all-time advantage with 473 wins to Boston’s 369, but the rivalry has always been about more than the numbers.
It has been built on bad blood, grudges, and moments that linger. One of the most infamous came in 1955, when Maurice Richard responded after taking a high stick from former teammate Hal Laycoe.
Richard skated over and struck Laycoe in the face and shoulders with his stick, then punched linesman Cliff Thompson in the face. Boston police tried to arrest Richard after the game, but his teammates blocked the door until they left.
He was suspended for the rest of the season, playoffs included, and the fallout helped spark the Richard Riot in Montreal.
Even in the modern game, the hostility has never disappeared entirely. There was the goalie fight between Tim Thomas and newly minted Hockey Hall of Famer Carey Price.
There was Andrew Ference flashing the middle finger to Canadiens fans during a seven-game playoff series. There was the handshake-line tension between Dale Weise and Milan Lucic, with Lucic later admitting he crossed the line.
Whenever these teams met, it was appointment viewing.
What the rivalry has lacked lately is the kind of meaningful stakes that once made every collision feel bigger. The NHL has cleaned up the game, and that has stripped away some of the unnecessary violence that used to define these matchups.
But the real fuel was always the battle for supremacy, especially in the Eastern Conference. The two teams have not met in the playoffs since the 2014 series, and that absence has left the rivalry without one of its sharpest edges.
This season, though, the setup looks right again. Boston sits first in the Atlantic Division, with Montreal third and just one point back. That is the kind of race this rivalry has been missing.
The rosters also bring plenty of star power. The Canadiens and Bruins have Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, David Pastrnak, and Charlie McAvoy leading the way.
They also have younger names pushing into the spotlight, including Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, Fraser Minten, and James Hagens, who is currently on injured reserve. And there is the possibility of a goaltending duel between Jacob Fowler and Jeremy Swayman, two of the hottest goalies in the NHL right now.
All of it gives this meeting at TD Garden the feel of something bigger than a regular-season game. The ingredients are there. Now it is up to the teams to bring the rivalry back to life.
In Other News...
Canadiens Win Came With One Chris Kreider Concern Fans Feared
Chris Kreiders night against the Boston Bruins ended with an image Canadiens fans would rather not see. After a knee-on-knee collision with Michael Eyssimont, Kreider was in visible pain and had trouble walking off the ice, leaving Montreal to wait on word about how serious the injury might be and what it could mean for the stretch ahead.
For a Canadiens team that has leaned on Kreider as a major contributor this season, the timing matters as much as the concern itself. Even in a win, the uncertainty around his availability lingers over the next few games, with Montreal now hoping the initial scare does not turn into a longer absence. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Have Found A Pairing They Can Trust Most
Mike Mathesons return from a six-game absence gave the Canadiens something they have been missing, and it showed right away in a win over the Bruins. Montreal leaned on Matheson and Kaiden Guhle in the kind of minutes that reveal whether a pair can be trusted, and the two were matched heavily against Boston star David Pastrk while helping keep the danger level down.
For a team still sorting out its defensive structure, that matters. Matheson and Guhle have already flashed strong results in their limited time together this season, and the Bruins game only added to the case that they may be Montreals most dependable pairing when the matchups get tough. If that holds, it gives the Canadiens a clearer answer for how they want to handle elite opponents going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Ivan Demidov Update Leaves Canadiens Fans With More Concern Than Clarity
Ivan Demidovs status has become one of the quieter but more closely watched storylines around the Canadiens, especially with the young winger still on injured reserve after the ankle injury he suffered on Sept. 21. Montreal has kept the recovery process tight-lipped, giving the public very little access to his rehab work, and the timeline already points to a return no earlier than Nov. 14.
The latest update did little to clear the fog. Demidov reportedly skated once between Monday and Wednesday, but he is still wearing a walking boot, which only adds to the uncertainty around how far along he really is. With some speculation now drifting toward the possibility of surgery, the Canadiens are left with more questions than answers on a player whose development and availability are both worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]