The Boston Bruins went from having a fair chance at making the NHL playoffs in January to crashing and burning out of the race. This isn’t the Bruins hitting a rough patch but a downtrend they just can’t seem to reverse. Just how bad is it? Well, for the first time since 1997, the Bruins have found themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference in April. Yet, Joe Sacco is still looking to salvage what he can on a match-to-match basis.

Unfortunately for Sacco, Boston has failed on that front as well. A massive nine-game losing streak has shattered even a miraculous chance of making the playoffs. Despite this grim outlook, Sacco is excited to face their next matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs, who still have a 45.5% chance of clinching the last remaining wild card as per MoneyPuck, will look to beat a downed Boston.

However, Joe Sacco’s Boston Bruins would like to throw a wrench in those plans. The Bruins are looking to go all out as a team with nothing left to lose on the final stretch of their disastrous 2024-25 season. “For us, it’s a good opportunity to try to make their chances of progressing into the playoffs a little bit harder,” Sacco said as his team will look to become the heel in Montreal’s story.

“Play a spoiler against them tomorrow night,” Joe Sacco added while speaking to the reporters during the pre-game presser. However, there’s another reason behind Sacco’s enthusiasm to take on the Montreal Canadiens. That’s because this will be their first and only meeting this season. The Bruins head coach lamented that this is the only opportunity they’ll get to face a team he thinks should be a more frequent opponent.

“I feel like we should be playing four times during the season… two at home and two on the road,” added the 56-year-old. So with the Bruins head coach making his intentions crystal clear, what do the Canadiens think about hosting the Bruins? Well, as you might’ve guessed, the Canadiens have no plans of losing to Boston.

Montreal can’t afford to lose to Joe Sacco & Co.

With the regular season ending soon, the hockey team has managed to remain ahead of the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. While the Rangers have equaled the Habs with 79 points, they still have one game in hand. That means the Canadiens could remain two points ahead of their rivals for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

“I almost feel like we’ve been better coming back than holding a spot,” said Habs coach Martin St. Louis. That’s because before going on their current three-game win streak, the Canadiens were on a five-game slippery slide. Thankful for not having slipped out of the wild-card contention, the coach is ready to focus on what’s worked for his team against Joe Sacco’s Bruins.

“To me, we can’t be tight as a group because we are in the playoff picture right now. It’s the old cliche, ‘stick to the process’ and all that, but it’s really true,” added St. Louis. The Habs are also determined to keep the winning streak going. After all, losing the match endangers their chances of making the playoffs. Defenseman Kaiden Guhle explained the team is treating every match as “do-or-die.”

“The pressure is on us, and you want that pressure,” the Habs defenseman told reporters. With Joe Sacco voicing his intentions, that pressure just went up. So who will come out on top in yet another installment of this 100-year-old NHL rivalry? Tell us your pick in the comments.