The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens are set to renew their rivalry for the first time this season Tuesday night in Montreal.
Montreal is in the midst of an average start to the season. Through 14 games, the Canadiens sport a 7-5-2 record. This gives them 16 points, only good enough for fifth in the Atlantic Division.
The Bruins, of course, are one of the elite teams not only in the division, but in the entire league. They currently hold the top spot in the Atlantic, above the likes of Tampa Bay and Toronto.
We can go back and forth to see exactly how the Bruins and Canadiens stack up. We can compare the goalies, the top forwards, and the shutdown defensemen. But, no matter what we consider, there’s really only one thing that stands out: this isn’t your grandfather’s Bruins-Canadiens matchup.
Historically, the Bruins and Canadiens have unique styles of play that permeate every era. Montreal always seems to be the faster, more skilled team that relies on offense. The smaller forwards create chances and draw a lot of penalties, and then they capitalize on the man advantage.
The Bruins, on the contrary, are usually the bigger and stronger team that focuses on defense and goaltending. They rely on size to impose their will, and they use on their structure to grind out games.
This year, however, the roles are completely reversed.
Montreal, relative to Boston, is the grittier, more defensive-minded team. They rely on Claude Julien’s tight, defensive structure to suffocate opponents, and they aren’t afraid to fall back on the goaltending of Carey Price.
At the same time, Montreal’s forward group doesn’t feature elite, top-end talents. Rather, the Habs best forwards are two-way players like Brendan Gallagher and Max Domi who are tough to play against. Nobody is even on pace for 80 points this season!
Compare all that to Boston. The Bruins, unlike the Canadiens, have a wealth of talented forwards in the lineup. David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand are on 100-point paces, and then there are other offensive-first guys like David Krejci.
With this roster construction, the Bruins don’t play a grind-it-out, win 2-1 style. Instead, they play an uptempo game so they can outscore their opponents. Boston’s forwards want to trade chances; they don’t want to hang back.
This new style of play continues to work out for Boston. After a trip to the Cup Final last year, the Bruins are back as one of the current favorites this season. And offense is the big reason behind Boston’s success.
Things are a little different for Montreal. The Habs certainly aren’t bad, but they remain a work in progress. They need to grind out games night after night to climb the standards.
Bruins and Canadiens fans alike have to adjust to these role reversals. For once, Bruins fans root for a fast-paced game where the referees call a lot of penalties. Canadiens fans want to see a slower, more physical game played at even strength.
We’ll see which team imposes its will Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.