Rivalries

Throughout the years, the Canadiens have developed strong rivalries with two Original Six franchises. They also have a rivalry known as the "Battle of Quebec".

Bruins-Canadiens Rivalry

One of the most notable rivalries in the NHL is the one between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins. The Bruins have played the habs more times than any other team in the NHL, in both regular season and the playoffs. The teams have faced each other a total of 34 times in the playoffs, seven of which were in the finals. The last time these two teams met in the playoffs was in 2014 during the Eastern Conference Semi-finals where the Canadiens ended up winning the series 4-3.The rivalry between these two teams is often considered one of the best in all of sports.(Montreal)

Maple Leafs-Canadiens Rivalry

The Canadiens oldest rivalry is with the Toronto Maple Leafs whom they have faced a total of 15 times in the playoffs. Five of those fifteen those playoff appearances were in the Stanley Cup finals. Up until 1970, the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs were the only two Canadian teams in the NHL. "Featuring the two largest cities in Canada and two of the largest fan bases in the league, the rivalry is sometimes dramatized as being emblematic of Canada's English and French linguistic divide" (Montreal). The last time these two teams have met in the playoffs was in 1979. It was the quarterfinals and the Canadiens won the series 4-0. It's been 37 years since these two teams have played each other in the playoffs. (Montreal)

Battle of Quebec

The Montreal Canadiens also had a rivalry with the Quebec Nordiques, often referred to as the "Battle of Quebec". The rivalry between these two teams lasted from 1979 till 1995, which is the year that the franchise was relocated to Colorado. These two teams faced each other five times in the playoffs, with Montreal winning 3 of those. (Montreal)