It’s a word that we use often. Pierre McGuire constantly reminds us to “manage” them, but we often let them get away from us just the same. When we talk about individual players, coaches, teams and outcomes, we all have our own expectations for what the final analysis should read. Sometimes their fair, sometimes they’re more fantasy than reality-based.

I can’t recall a playoff series that has such a wide gamut of expectations on either side of the fence as this 33rd matchup between Montreal and Boston. Both sides expect (demand?) victory, and both sides have compelling cases as to why their side will come out on top.

No doubt Bruins fans, and indeed Bruins management expect their team to employ the ‘Big, Bad Bruins’ philosophy. It’s been their identity for decades, and it’s how they play the game. They’ll expect the belief of superior size, and skill, propelled by their two most recent home wins over Montreal, to grind the Habs in to a gooey tri-coloured paste. They’ll expect to break the Canadiens’ will through intimidation. The Bruins almost certainly expect to prove that their Northeast Division win wasn’t all for naught, and they want to do it with authority. Their Head Coach, Claude Julien expects that his team will carry their strong regular season in to the playoffs with their rough-and-tumble style, and escape the first round unscathed (no doubt he has to expect that, otherwise he can expect to be shown the door). General Manager Peter Chiarelli clearly expects big things, as he was the one pulling the trigger on significant trade deadline upgrades. He will have answering to do if the Bruins don’t go very deep in the playoffs.

"Panic. It crept up my spine like the first rising vibes of an acid frenzy." - Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Well, perhaps panic is not the right word since with Game 1 of the Montreal Canadiens-Boston Bruins first-round matchup set to start tonight, no one is panicking.

But there is excitement. A ton of it. It doesn't affect your spine, however, but more the chest-stomach region, which gets twisted into a tension-filled, knot of stress. And this nervous anticipation or coffee buzz-like jitter is coursing through the entire city of Montreal this morning. Whether at the bus stop, the corner store, while stuck in traffic or sitting at their desks, everyone seems intensely aware of what awaits the Canadiens tonight in Boston.

How quickly NHL seasons go by!

It seems like just yesterday that discussions were swirling about Ryan White making the Canadiens lineup out of training camp. That and questions about whether Carey Price was ready to handle the No.1 goaltender's job.

But 82 games and about nine months later, the 2010-2011 NHL regular season has come and gone. And like any season, this one had no shortage of storylines and surprises for the Montreal Canadiens. From the early losses of Andrei Markov then Josh Gorges, to the well documented scoring woes of Scott Gomez, there was no shortage of discussion topics.

Aside from the emergence of Carey Price as a bonafide No.1 goaltender, however, I think the biggest surprise has been the play of Mathieu Darche.

 

The Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins are two of the "Original Six" teams and, as such, are both steeped in history and rich traditions. A huge part of that tradition, it seems, is facing either other in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Since 1928, these two teams have met exactly 32 times in the post-season with the Canadiens holding a commanding 24-8 record.

The last time these teams met was in 2009 when the Bruins swept Montreal in four straight games. Since then, the already heated rivalry has continued to simmer to a slow boil with the intensity growing each game.

Montreal and Boston met six times this season with the Habs going 4-2-0. Those numbers don't tell the complete story, however, as this has been one of the most explosive seasons between the two clubs in recent memory.

Between the early-season fight-filled game to the one where Zdeno Chara famously knocked Max Pacioretty unconscious, these are two teams that absolutely despise each other.

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 last night in their final game of the season.

In recent seasons the Canadiens have frequently finished the year against the Leafs. Last year, for those with short memories, Montreal needed a "loser" point against the Leafs in overtime to qualify for the playoffs in their final game.

This year, however, the Habs had different plans.

From the drop of the puck Montreal was ready to play and win. Ryan White got the party started only 2:29 in, scoring his second of the season off a Lars Eller pass. It was a bit of a softie and allowed Montreal to grab the momentum and run with it.

Over 4 thousand fight fans packed the Centre Bell last night and were treated to a night filled with stoppages and great action. Here are the quick results:

Patrick Côté def. Kalib Starnes by UD 29-28x3

Seth Baczynski def. Alex Garcia by TKO (ground and pound) round3, 2:44 Baczynski Wins interim 170lbs title

Michel Gagnon def. Réjean Groulx by submission (slam) round3, 3:47 to retain title

Roger Hollett def. Martin Désilets by TKO round2, 1:39

Iraj Hadin def. Derek Gauthier by UD 30-27, 30-27, 29-28

Mike Ricci def. Jesse Ronson by TKO (ground and pound) round1, 3:12

Kevin Morin def. Guillaume Lamarche by UD 30-27, 30-26, 30-27

Lenard Terrance def. Robert Masson by KO (head kick) round1, 1:32

Valérie Létourneau def. Julie Malenfant by TKO round 2, 2:15