Zdeno Chara’s Hit on Max Pacioretty Adds Even More Bad Blood to Bruins-Canadiens Rivalry

Before the puck was even dropped on Tuesday night in Montreal, the Bruins and Canadiens had furthered their rivalry. Brad Marchand took care of that.

Following morning skate, Marchand sat in front of his stall in the Bruins' dressing room and unloaded on the Canadiens.

"They like to get in and shoot their mouths off and then when you hit them they'll dive down and fall easy," Marchand quipped.

Naturally, the Canadiens responded.

"There's really not many words that can describe it," Montreal's Max Pacioretty said on Tuesday morning. "There's been so many tough games between Boston and Montreal since I've been here and that's sort of fueled the way a lot of guys in this room feel about that team."

Little did Pacioretty know at the time, he was about to become one of the focal points in the next chapter of the two teams' storied rivalry.

With 15.8 seconds to play in the second period, Pacioretty was the recipient of a scary check from Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara. The hit, in which Chara angled Pacioretty off into the stanchion separating the two benches, left Pacioretty face-down and unconscious on the ice.

The two learned their fates on Wednesday. Pacioretty was diagnosed with a serious concussion and a fractured vertebrae. Chara, on the other hand, was informed he would not be suspended nor fined.

The hit may have overshadowed the biggest problem for the Bruins — their continued struggles against the Canadiens, particularly in Montreal's barn.

The Bruins played pretty uninspired hockey, and as a result, the B's fell to 1-3-1 on the season against the Habs. Their only win came in a knock-down-drag-out affair on Feb. 9 in a crazy, fight-filled 8-6 win at TD Garden. Bell Centre in Montreal is quickly becoming a house of horrors for Boston.

Tuesday night marked the Bruins' final trip to Montreal this season — barring a meeting in the playoffs — but they'll have one more chance to build some momentum against the Habs this regular season.

The two teams will renew their rivalry on March 24 in Boston.

Click here to see photos from Tuesday night's wild Bruins-Canadiens matchup >>