Tonight on NBCSN, it’s the Boston Bruins hosting the Montreal Canadiens starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. Following are some game notes, as compiled by the NHL on NBC research team:
• Tonight marks the start of the 34th all-time playoff series and the 171st all-time playoff game between Montreal and Boston. The Bruins had the slight edge between the Original Six clubs in the early years, before the Canadiens rattled off 18 straight series wins over 41 years (1946-1987). Since 1988, when the Bruins finally broke through again, Boston has won seven of the 11 series.
• The Canadiens return to competition after sweeping Tampa Bay nine days ago (Apr. 22). It was the Habs’ 22nd sweep in a best-of-seven series in franchise history and first since 1993, the year they went on to win their 24th (and most recent) Stanley Cup title.
• Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask, who leads the NHL this postseason in GAA (1.16) and save% (.961), will be starting his first-career playoff game vs. the Canadiens. The Vezina Trophy finalist has struggled vs. Montreal during his regular-season career, going 3-10-3 in 17 appearances (one no-decision), with a 2.63 GAA, .908 save% and one shutout. He has never beaten the Habs at TD Garden (0-4-3, 3.35 GAA, .833 save%).
• Boston allowed a league-low 1.20 goals/game in their first-round, five-game series win vs. Detroit. The six goals allowed by Rask and the Bruins were the fewest allowed by the club in a series going five or more games since the 1939 Stanley Cup vs. Toronto (also six goals in five games). In their last 10 playoff games vs. Eastern Conf. opponents dating back to last season (Gm. 5 vs. NYR, Gms. 1-4 vs. PIT, Gms. 1-5 vs. DET), they allowed only nine goals.
• In the first round, Montreal led all playoff teams with 4.00 goals/game, but none of their 16 goals came from defensemen. The Canadiens averaged 34.5 shots/game, but no Habs defenseman had more than nine shots on goal (P.K. Subban). The Bruins scored 2.80 goals/game in the first round; four of their 14 goals came from their blueline (Zdeno Chara – 2, Torey Krug, Dougie Hamilton).
• Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher (3-2–5) enters tonight’s game with points in all four games this postseason and goals in his last three games. Gallagher became the third-ever Montreal player age 21 or younger to score in at least three straight playoff games in one series (Steve Shutt, Games 1-4 vs. NYR, 1974; and Shayne Corson, Games 5-7, 1987 vs. Quebec). Elias Sports Bureau
• Bruins winger Jarome Iginla, who scored the OT game-winner in Game 4 and the series-clincher on an empty-net goal in Game 5, will be playing in his 75th playoff game tonight. Iginla has now suited up in 1,384 NHL games (1,310 regular season, 74 playoff), the most among all active players who have never won the Stanley Cup.
• Bruins coach Claude Julien will be behind the bench for his third postseason series involving these two teams. Each of the previous series went seven games, and he was on the winning side in both of them, for Montreal in the 2004 Eastern Conf. Quarterfinals and Boston in the 2011 Eastern Conf. Quarterfinals. That 2011 Bruins side went on to win the franchise’s sixth Stanley Cup.