Montreal - Boston (the rivalry)
- Thread starter Darkstorm
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jeangauthier
Registered User
They were the best of friends back in the day. Then Habs fans started walking upright and the rest is history.
awesome
Power Man
Grrrr
Both Historically catholic cities and are seen as the little brother of sorts to cities given more attention (Toronto and NY). Both passionate places, my theory is they are too alike to be friends. Love the genuine hate generated from this rivalry. Sports at it's purest
Pretty much all due to being an original 6 team. The Rangers have never been a dynasty since the late 30s, Chicago is witnessing its greatest era ever (except two cups in the 30s). Detroit is the only real team to ever really challenge the canadiens claim to being #1. But for too long the two teams have been separated... So that leaves Toronto and Boston and it so happens that these three teams are close from one another. Switch Boston's record with New York's and I think this would be the #1 rivalry.
Patccmoi
Registered User
- Aug 11, 2010
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It's great. Best in sports.
But it's so funny when a Bruins fan tries to claim there isn't a rivalry if the Habs aren't good. First, no matter how good or bad we are, we always give them a tough time. Second, we could have easily said the same, as this rivalry is the most lop-sided and one sided rivalry in the history of sports. Their history is chapters and chapters of losses to the Habs. Oh, and the games weren't always close when we topped them.
But it's so funny when a Bruins fan tries to claim there isn't a rivalry if the Habs aren't good. First, no matter how good or bad we are, we always give them a tough time. Second, we could have easily said the same, as this rivalry is the most lop-sided and one sided rivalry in the history of sports. Their history is chapters and chapters of losses to the Habs. Oh, and the games weren't always close when we topped them.
Best rivalry is sports, even though it's clearly the most lopsided in sports. Habs have owned them forever. Their history is made up of pages and pages of defeats to the Habs.
Hackett
BAKAMAN
Anytime you have 2 original 6 teams that have been in the same division (meaning tons of playoff matches), they just play each other too much for it not to be a rivalry.
I think Montreal/Boston is 2nd all time in regular season matchups (will be first eventually since Detroit moved out of Chicago's division)
No other teams have played each other more in the playoffs, or had more game 7s.
I don't think its one single event that started the rivalry. If you play a team consistently enough in big games, a rivalry is naturally born, and nobody has met more in those conditions than these 2 teams.
For the record, the habs are 449-337-103
I think Montreal/Boston is 2nd all time in regular season matchups (will be first eventually since Detroit moved out of Chicago's division)
No other teams have played each other more in the playoffs, or had more game 7s.
I don't think its one single event that started the rivalry. If you play a team consistently enough in big games, a rivalry is naturally born, and nobody has met more in those conditions than these 2 teams.
For the record, the habs are 449-337-103
AllanMTL46
Registered User
There isn't only a rivalry when both teams are good, but it sure is better when they are.
hockeyfan2k11
Registered User
- Jun 11, 2011
- 12,150
- 6
I love the rivalry. Never understood the leafs rivalry. They've been crap for too long to even be considered a rival. Boston though? True hatred. I feel sorry for the leafs when they suck. Not Boston
Maybe the Leafs rivalry is seen to be more relevant to Quebec Habs fans - for cultural reasons - I've no idea. But to me the leafs are really irrelevant. If we end up with them in a playoff series there's mild animosity from me - but no more than I'd have for, say, the Sens.
Nothing matches my desire to beat the bruins though. If we can't have them in the first round, I hope we play our hardest against whoever we end up with, so we can eventually meet them at some point in the playoffs. I don't care how dominant or tough they've been - **** all that.
Nothing matches my desire to beat the bruins though. If we can't have them in the first round, I hope we play our hardest against whoever we end up with, so we can eventually meet them at some point in the playoffs. I don't care how dominant or tough they've been - **** all that.
MasterDecoy
Who took my beer?
that's exactly what i said and i got many leafs fans butthurt when i suggested that most habs fans dont give two ***** about the leafs. to me, everytime they compare one of their to one of ours, i just see it as penis envy. seriously, they always do that and i don't see many, if any, habs fan doing that...
from players to draft picks to coaches to owners to playoff record to cups won, there's not much to envy over there
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Scintillating10
Registered User
When I was a kid they had some famous battles. After Bobby Orr arrived and the Bruins got good. The playoffs of '69 and '71 will live on forever to me. Even the famous bench clearing brawl of '70 was intense.
My hatred for the leafs has nothing to do with their team but the 'toronto-centric' mentality of all hockey canada. Same here in the states, everything is NY center. So when the lose or do not make the playoffs I see all of the media go into a major depression. If the Habs are the only Canadian team to make it then I will love this even more..
My hatred for the Bruins goes way back to how nasty they get when they can not win. I love how we beat them when it counts and how nasty and bad they get when it is happening. I hate them for how they try to intimidate us or pull a chara/mclaren with cheap shots, not meant to make a statement but to injure someone. They are the sorest of losers and act like 3 year olds when someone has something they do not have.
I root for 3 teams--the HABS, AND THE 2 TEAMS PLAYING THE leafs and bruins.
My hatred for the Bruins goes way back to how nasty they get when they can not win. I love how we beat them when it counts and how nasty and bad they get when it is happening. I hate them for how they try to intimidate us or pull a chara/mclaren with cheap shots, not meant to make a statement but to injure someone. They are the sorest of losers and act like 3 year olds when someone has something they do not have.
I root for 3 teams--the HABS, AND THE 2 TEAMS PLAYING THE leafs and bruins.
George Lebay
Registered User
habtastic
Registered User
I actually think it's the opposite. It's only when I moved to Ontario for school that I started even noticing the leafs. I realized they have always hated us out of jealousy. Then we were put in the same conference and it became a real rivalry. They would like to beat us more than anybody. Having lived in leafs country for so long, I can tell you, generations of Ontarians HATE the Habs more than anything else in life. As a result, I've been immersed in the rivalry + it's awesome to be united with Habs fans in Ontario (either local or expat Montrealers or even from other provinces). Makes the bars during games electric.
The bruins rivalry is different. It's so pure, so elemental. So...good vs evil. Perhaps the event that christened my awareness of and involvement in the rivalry was the 2002 series. That hit on Zednik by Mclaren. And I was at the BC for game 6. Amazing memories. Since then we've played them a lot and they have never failed to be hypocritical cheapshot artists with a fan base deserving of them.
We really need to step up our game (and I acknowledge we're taking the right steps) as an organization, because they certainly have built an impressive one. Cheap as hell, but still impressive. We need to be competing with them in the EC finals regularly. Common Bergevin...you've shown me a glimpse.
Great post!! I agree even though people are upset we have parros/murray etc but you need guys like this at times. Bruins look to intimidate and beat people down and they were trying that again last night. They felt the freedom to run Budaj, cheap stick ball shots, boarding weise, but chara was trying to push murray around in front and that became a nice little match. Whether you agree or not we need those big guys that can weather a little cheap shot and willing to give it back.
Bruins fans sneeringly dismiss Hab wins during the regular season as our Stanley Cup. They say th Bruins would oust the Habs very easily in a seven-game playoff series--if the Habs are't eliminated first, as they were by the Senators. I have some observations to make. One, the three wins the Habs secured this season made them more unhappy than they admit. Two, The Habs have won six of the last seven meetings between the teams. That's even more than four out of seven. Three, the last time the teams met in the playoffs in 2011 the Bruins won by the skin of their teeth in OT of the 7th game. The Habs were missing Markov, Gorges, and Pacioretty. Who knows what would have happened if those players had been available. Being eliminated in the first round would have prevented the Bruins from winning their first championship since 1972.
WhiskeySeven*
Expect the expected
- Jun 17, 2007
- 25,154
- 770
Leafs and Leafs fans are delusional, arrogant and at times pathetic (read: every April!) whereas Boston really has it in for us and when they're good they become Goliath to our David. They relish beating the Habs more than anything and it shows.
Montreal is a pretty arrogant and stuck up organization with regards to tradition but the sheer weight of our history keeps us both grounded and humble whenever we want to claim "oh this young player of ours is really good" or "we have a good team this year"... because we've had some of the best players of all time play for us and win.
For the Habs nothing is beyond winning more cups, for the Bruins it's all about catching up to the Habs and asserting themselves as equals- which they'll never be. And that's why the rivalry exists and that's why the Bruins are so damn intense about it.
Montreal is a pretty arrogant and stuck up organization with regards to tradition but the sheer weight of our history keeps us both grounded and humble whenever we want to claim "oh this young player of ours is really good" or "we have a good team this year"... because we've had some of the best players of all time play for us and win.
For the Habs nothing is beyond winning more cups, for the Bruins it's all about catching up to the Habs and asserting themselves as equals- which they'll never be. And that's why the rivalry exists and that's why the Bruins are so damn intense about it.
