As all sports fans know, if there’s one thing that’s almost as fantastic a feeling as watching your team win, it’s watching your rival team lose. Times that feeling by a thousand if it’s actually your team that manage to inflict defeat on your biggest sporting foes. Well, the Montreal Canadiens are a hockey franchise that have acquired some truly legendary rivalries since they were founded way back in 1909. After all, as the most decorated NHL side of all-time, with their 24 Stanley Cup wins, it’s no real surprise, as success does breed resentment.  

Here’s a rundown of the Habs’ greatest rivalries then, as we discuss which teams they truly love to hate.  

The Boston Bruins 

Known as one of the greatest rivalries in the whole of sports, the Habs and the Boston Bruins have an intense disdain for one another that has mostly been borne out of familiarity. This tracks with the knowledge that the two sides have played each other more times, both in the regular season, and in the playoffs, than any other two teams in NHL history. No wonder there’s such bad blood on display between the two teams then, as they’ve faced each other an insane 931 times in all competitions. We’re delighted to say that the Habs have the upper hand though, with more games being won overall by those in red and blue.  

The rivalry evolved from mere dislike to utter hatred in the 1970’s, when both sides were real powerhouses in the league, constantly battling it out to get their hands on The Cup. Again, we’re pleased to say it was the Habs who came out on top, managing to win a miraculous six titles, with their silky smooth hockey dominating the boorish Bruins, whose hard-hitting tactics only captured them two in that decade. It was also during this era that the Habs were great enough to tie with the Soviet Union’s Olympic team, which was one of the best Montreal Canadiens moments of all-time. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs 

This rivalry shouldn’t be too difficult for outsiders to comprehend, as it’s between the two oldest teams in the NHL, but even more importantly than that, it’s the battle for Canadian supremacy of the national sport. Interestingly, historians account that the rivalry between the two cities began before the birth of the two clubs, with both Toronto and Montreal duelling it out for economic and cultural superiority during the 1800’s. So, when hockey was introduced in 1917, which was the first meeting between the two sides, this just further elevated the competitive nature between the cities.  

The rivalry really gathered steam in the Original Six era, which ran between 1942 and 1967. This was when, like the name suggests, there were only six teams competing in the NHL, and of those six, it was more often than not either the Habs, or the Leafs, celebrating come the end of the season. This meant that each fanbase saw themselves as the number one team in the country, and was a real source of national pride.  

Tampa Bay Lightning  

The previous two entries are historic enemies of the Habs, enemies that are now very much woven into the fabric of the franchise. This rivalry though, is a more modern one, one where the buds of loathing are only just beginning to bloom. The Tampa Bay Lightning were only founded in 1992, and like most late-comers in hockey, it took them a good few years to become a serious franchise. Since 2013 though, they’ve been in the Atlantic Division along with the Habs, where the two have been duking it out to reign supreme.  

In that time, they’ve also had some epic play-off meetings, including in 2004, 2014, 2015, 2021. There’s no doubt that as the important games continue to rack up, this rivalry will continue to grow and grow. Unfortunately, the Lightning currently have the most wins in these post-season games, winning twelve, to the Habs’ seven. It seems like most sports bettors will be backing Tampa at this moment in time, though we hope that changes soon.  

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