The rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins is one of the most heated in pro sports. The two teams have met in the playoffs 32 times as of the 2009 season, and each series is full of excitement.

The Montreal Canadiens are the most successful club in National Hockey League history, having won 24 Stanley Cups since their inception into the league in 1917. Their last Stanley Cup win was in 1993, led by the stellar play of Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy. Great goaltending in the playoffs go hand in hand with the Habs. Past greats such as Jacques Plante, Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy have turned in brilliant performances in the postseason. In 100 years, there have been many popular players to don the Habs jersey, including Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur and Larry Robinson.

The Boston Bruins have been in the National Hockey League since 1924, entering the league as the first American-based team. They have won the prestigious Stanley Cup a total of 5 times, the last being in 1972 over the New York Rangers. The teamers has had many great players on its roster, including Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr, Cam Neely, and Ray Bourque.

The Habs and Bruins have one of the most heated rivalries in sports. As of the end of the 2008-2009 season they have met a total of 32 times, with Montreal winning 24 of them. Some of the more notable facts that demonstrated Montreal's mastery of the Bruins in the playoffs:

• The two teams have met in the Stanley Cup Finals 7 times: (1930, 1946, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1977, 1978; Montreal has won all 7 times
• From 1946 to 1987 the two teams met in the playoffs 18 times, with Montreal winning every one of those series
• In 2004, Boston had a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals but lost three straight to lose the series

Montreal and Boston last met in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in 2009.http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/page.htm?bcid=31443 Boston went into the series as the top seed with a regular season record of 53-19-10 for 116 points, compared to the 8th-seeded Canadiens with a record of 41-30-11 for 93 points. The Habs proved to be no match for the powerful Bruins, as they were swept in 4 straight by scores of 4-2, 5-1, 4-2 and 4-1. The Canadiens were riddled with injuries during the series, losing the services of defencemen Andrei Markov and Matthieu Schneider as well as forward Alex Tanguay.