One great thing about Marco Sturm's appointment as head coach of the Boston Bruins is that, as a former player, he understands the team's history and culture. Sturm played for the Bruins from the time he was traded for Joe Thornton through the 2009-10 season, which means the Montreal Canadiens were his biggest rivals then.
It might've been a bit different for Sturm to learn that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers had surpassed the Habs lately, but that is just what happens when one team goes through a period of irrelevance. However, the Canadiens are back as last season's Eastern Conference Final runner-ups and are now going toe-to-toe with the Bruins for first in the Atlantic Division.
The Bruins-Canadiens rivalry would not just go away; it has too much history to do that, but it was hard to get up for those games when Montreal was battling for a lottery spot. The team's resurgence has revved up the rivalry again, and it's been a long time since a game has felt as big as what it will be Thursday night at TD Garden.
Marco Sturm on the Bruins-Canadiens rivalry:⁰⁰“I actually just got a question from a friend of mine yesterday: ‘What’s your biggest rivalry?’ I said, ‘It’s still Montreal, for sure. Not even close.’ I had great games, great history [in] games versus them, regular season,… pic.twitter.com/tZRfsjYiPD
— Jack Studley (@jackstudley13) November 11, 2026
The rivalry charged back up a bit last season, with both teams battling for a playoff spot, but uncertainty about where the Bruins were headed and whether the Canadiens were ready to be Stanley Cup contenders still left a bit to be desired. No one is really questioning either team so far this season, and plenty of matchups in this game have a rivalry vibe.
Jeremy Swayman vs. Jacob Fowler will be a fun matchup for years. You can see David Pastrnak and Cole Caufield going goal-for-goal on a few occasions, and while they play a different style, Charlie McAvoy vs. Lane Hutson is intriguing as two American defensemen. James Hagens and Ivan Demidov aren't in the lineup tonight, but even some of the team's young stars going toe-to-toe will create some intrigue down the road.
If a Bruins fan's heart can handle it, a playoff matchup between these two teams would be great theatre and something the league has been missing for over a decade, and it'd be great to see at some point over the next few years.
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