2016 NHL Winter Classic Preview

Canadiens vs. Bruins – January 1st, 2016

The 2016 NHL Winter Classic is officially less than a month away. The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens will take their rivalry outdoors, as they will battle it out at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Over the last few years, the Canadiens and Bruins have had one of the more heated rivalries in the NHL.

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Many close playoff series’, line brawls, controversial hits and arguments have created tension between the two organizations. However, is this rivalry still as heated as it was a few short years ago? Well, according to the games that the two teams played in the first months of this season, and in the entirety of last season, the rivalry may have cooled off. Not because the teams don’t still dislike each other, but because the matchup seems to be uneven. The Canadiens have come out victorious in their last 7 contests with the Bruins, dating all the way back to 2014. It is almost as if the games between the two teams are not as competitive, since the Habs usually seem to come out on top.

It seems that the Canadiens have the favourable matchup here. The height of the rivalry, was when the teams would go face to face in tight, competitive playoff series’ or regular season games. Now, though, the Bruins are having a hard enough time qualifying for the playoffs. Boston missed the 2015 playoffs by merely 3 points. Had they qualified, they would have most-likely faced the Canadiens in the first round. This season, the Bruins are sitting at 4th place in the Atlantic Division, and at 14th place in the NHL, while the Habs are at 1st place in both the Atlantic Division and the NHL.

Nov 7, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher (11) and teammate Max Pacioretty (67) crash into Boston Bruins goalie Jonas Gustavsson (50) during the third period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

During this past off-season, the Bruins traded forward Milan Lucic to the L.A. Kings, and received goaltender Martin Jones, and prospect defenceman, Colin Miller in return. Jones was quickly dealt to the San Jose Sharks, for a first round pick in 2016, and prospect Sean Kuraly. Milan Lucic leaving the Bruins definitely also contributed to the cooling off of this famous, original-six rivalry. Lucic was a key part of the tension between the teams, as he had famous confrontations with the likes of Dale Weise and Alexei Emelin – to name a few.

The Bruins are currently on a 5 game winning streak, as they hope to ride this momentum into the new year. Boston has been rallying around forwards David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, and Loui Eriksson, who are their three leading scorers. They have 24, 22, and 20 points respectively, and have all played 22 games.

The Canadiens’ leading scorers are Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec, and P.K. Subban, who have 25, 24, and 21 points respectively through 26 games. The Canadiens will be missing two important parts of their team on January 1st. The Habs will be without forward, Brendan Gallagher, and star goaltender, Carey Price at the 2016 NHL Winter Classic. Gallagher was injured near the end of November, and he required surgery that put him on the shelf for 6 weeks. Carey Price is dealing with a nagging knee injury, which means that it is likely that Massachusetts native, Mike Condon will get the start in Foxborough.

Nov 7, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward David Desharnais (51) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Boston Bruins goalie Jonas Gustavsson (50) during the third period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

The rivalry between the Bruins and the Canadiens may not be as heated as it once was, but one thing is for sure, the two original-six teams have a tough battle laying ahead. The Winter Classic is always an event that draws major crowds, not only at the stadium in which it is played, but on TV sets all over the globe. Two markets of passionate, dedicated fans will come together to watch their favourite teams battle it out in Foxboro, though only one can leave victorious.

So which team will win the 2016 NHL Winter Classic? Well, it’s tough to vote against the Montreal Canadiens. It seems that no matter how good the Bruins have been over the last couple years, the Canadiens are the team that has their number (aside from 2011). The Habs have dominated the Bruins in their meetings over the last year and a half, and for that reason, the Montreal Canadiens will win the 2016 NHL Winter Classic. The Habs may be without their All-Star goaltender, and one of their key forwards, but they will surely figure out a way to pull out a win outdoors. If anything, the next month will be a lesson for the Habs in how to win without key pieces in their lineup.

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This year, the Canadiens are considered one of the potential contenders for the Stanley Cup. That said, the Bruins have been having trouble with the Habs dating back to when they were merely a bottom-seed playoff team. On January 1st, the Canadiens will continue their conquest of the big, bad, Bruins – as they look to go 8-0 in their last 8 meetings.