MONTREAL — Over the last century, the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens provided the hockey world with historical moments.
Among the plethora of highlights from the Bruins-Canadiens rivalry: the Maurice Richard riots in 1955; Willie O’Ree’s NHL debut in 1958; Ken Dryden’s sensational performance in 1971; too many men in Game 7 in the old Montreal Forum in 1979; the Bruins exorcising the demons with their first playoff series win over Montreal in 1988; Nathan Horton’s overtime heroics in 2011.
Jim Montgomery grew up in Montreal, witnessing the legendary moments of hockey’s greatest rivalry. The second-year Boston bench boss admitted his coaching inspiration with the assembled media following Boston’s optional skate at the Bell Centre on Saturday.