2010-11 Record: 44-30-8, 96 points (2nd Northeast Division; 6th Eastern Conference; lost in first round to Boston, 4-3)
Bruins record vs. Canadiens: Boston trails the all-time series 265-336-103-7, and went just 2-3-1 against Montreal last year. The Bruins prevailed when it counted most, however, winning the playoff showdown, though they had to climb out of an 0-2 hole and go to seven games to do it, with Nathan Horton scoring the overtime winner in Game 7. The regular-season meetings provided plenty of drama as well. There was the Canadiens' comeback with two goals in the final 2:22 of regulation en route to a 3-2 OT win in Montreal on Jan. 8. There was the wild fight-filled affair at the Garden on Feb. 9 that featured 182 combined penalty minutes and a goalie fight between Tim Thomas and Carey Price in a 8-6 Bruins win. Then came Zdeno Chara's hit that sent Max Pacioretty into the stanchion at the Bell Centre on March 8, followed by Boston's 7-0 rout of the Habs in the rematch on March 24.
When to watch: The Bruins and Habs will renew the rivalry with a home-and-home set at the end of October, with the Bruins hosting the first game on Thursday, Oct. 27, then heading to Montreal on Saturday, Oct. 29. Boston also hosts the Habs on Monday, Dec. 19 and Thursday, Jan. 12, while visiting the Bell Centre on Monday, Nov. 21 and Wednesday, Feb. 15.
Familiar faces: Longtime Bruins blueliner Hal Gill (Bolton, Mass./Providence College) will be staying in Montreal for another year after re-signing this offseason. Pacioretty is actually a local boy as well. He hails from New Canaan, Conn., and 2011 seventh-round pick Colin Sullivan is from Milford, Conn. Montreal's 2009 draft yielded Mac Bennett (Warwick, R.I.) in the third round and Louis LeBlanc in the first. LeBlanc attended Harvard for one year before moving on to the QMJHL last season. Brian Gionta played at Boston College before turning pro.
Key additions: F Erik Cole (free agent); G Peter Budaj (free agent); F Michael Blunden (trade with Columbus); F Brian Willsie (free agent); D Jeff Woywitka (free agent); D Mark Mitera (trade with Anaheim)
Key losses: D James Wisniewski (rights traded to Columbus); F Benoit Pouliot (signed with Boston); D Roman Hamrlik (signed with Washington); F Jeff Halpern (signed with Washington); D Alexandre Picard (signed with Pittsburgh); D Paul Mara (free agent); D Brent Sopel (signed with Metallurg Novokuznetsk, KHL); G Alex Auld (signed with Ottawa); F Dustin Boyd (signed with Barys Astana, KHL); F Ryan Russell (traded to Columbus); D Mathieu Carle (traded to Anaheim)
Burning question: Will the Canadiens' defense hold up?
Montreal parted ways with much of its blue line after the season. The Habs traded the rights to pending free agent Wisniewski to the Blue Jackets, who promptly inked him to a six-year, $33-million deal. Montreal also watched as Hamrlik signed with Washington, Sopel went to the KHL and even spare defenseman Picard found a new home in Pittsburgh. Mara was also let go, though the former Bruin remains unsigned. The only addition Montreal made on the blue line was signing depth defenseman Woywitka. The Habs did retain Gill and re-signed Andrei Markov to a three-year, $17.25-million deal. That $5.75-million cap hit is actually higher than Wisniewski's $5.5-million in Columbus, which is a big risk for a player who's appeared in just seven games last year and 45 the season before that due to ankle and knee injuries. Josh Gorges was also limited to just 36 games last year with a knee injury. Montreal will be counting on both staying healthy, as well as 37-year-old Jaroslav Spacek, who played just 59 games last year. Emerging star P.K. Subban will be asked to take on a bigger role and Yannick Weber will likely see regular duty as well.
2011-12 outlook: There may be some questions on the blue line outside of Subban (14-24-38 last year), but the Habs do have a balanced attack up front and Price is coming off a strong season in net (38-28-6, 2.35 GAA, .923 save percentage, 8 shutouts). The offense lacks a dominant star, but has numerous threats with Tomas Plekanec (22-35-57), Michael Cammalleri (19-28-47), Gionta (29-17-46), Andrei Kostitsyn (20-25-45) and Scott Gomez (7-31-38). The Canadiens also added some much-needed size with the signing of 6-foot-2, 205-pound Cole (26-26-52), though he struggled the last time he left Carolina and lasted less than a season in Edmonton before returning to the Hurricanes. Montreal also hopes that Pacioretty will be able to return to the form he was showing prior to the season-ending injury he suffered from Chara's hit. Pacioretty had 14-10-24 totals in 37 games, including 11 goals and 17 points in his final 20 games.
Did you know? The Bruins and Habs have met in the playoffs more than any other two teams in the NHL, and most of that postseason history has been filled with painful memories for Boston. The Bruins are just 9-24 in the 33 playoff series between the Original Six rivals. But Boston has the upper hand of late. They've won the last two encounters, sweeping Montreal in the opening round in 2009 and prevailing in this spring's seven-game epic that kick-started the Bruins' run to the Cup. The Bruins' success against the team that once owned them in the playoffs dates back a bit further than that though. Beginning with the Bruins' Adams Division Final win over Montreal in 1988 for Boston's first series win against the Habs since 1943, the B's are 7-4 in the last 11 playoff clashes with the Canadiens.
With the bulk of the offseason moves complete and the start of another NHL season inching closer, NESN.com Bruins beat writer Douglas Flynn will be previewing one team from each conference every day through August 26.
Monday, Aug. 22: Buffalo Sabres and Calgary Flames
Wednesday, Aug. 24: Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers