Until the puck is finally dropped on Thursday at TD Garden, we will hear every single prediction for how the series may play out. Those who predict the series going the distance or close to it, may be on to something, or at least that’s what history tells us.
Of the two teams’ 32 playoff series, they’ve needed to go the distance — either five or seven games — 10 times. Since 1994, the teams have gone seven games in a best-of-seven series three times, most recently in 2004 when the Bruins fell to the Habs in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.
Of course, that’s in the past. However, this season’s series also indicates that history may be bound to repeat itself. The Canadiens took four of the six meetings this season between the two Northeast Division rivals, but they needed overtime for one of them, and the Bruins have been the better team down the stretch, winning the teams’ final two meetings, scoring a combined 15 goals in the two games.
So when you consider that, and then when you add in the fact that both teams play contrasting styles of hockey, you start to get the feeling more and more that we may be in for a long series.
How many games will the Bruins-Canadiens playoff series go?online survey
