BUFFALO — The mere possibility of a playoff series with the Toronto Maple Leafs already has members of the Montreal Canadiens smiling.
The Original Six rivals haven’t met at the most important time of year since 1979, but they found themselves lining up as potential first-round opponents when they looked at the standings on Thursday morning.
And with just over two weeks remaining on the NHL schedule, there’s a fairly good possibility it will remain that way.
“Bring it on,” Habs defenceman P.K. Subban said before Montreal faced the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center.
“If you’re not fired up for that, you shouldn’t be playing hockey. Toronto and Montreal? Come on, it doesn’t get much better than that.”
Adding an extra level of intrigue to the scenario is the fact that the Leafs and Habs still have two regular-season matchups remaining, the first coming Saturday night at Air Canada Centre. They also meet in Toronto on the final day of the season.
Do you think those games might add a little more fuel to the fire, especially with a playoff series potentially on tap?
Subban was raised in Toronto and speaks fondly of the Leaf teams of his youth — which just happen to be the last ones that qualified for post-season play at all. In particular, the 23-year-old defenceman remembers Darcy Tucker’s bone-crunching hit on Philadelphia Flyers forward Sami Kapanen in 2004.
Even though the Habs biggest rival is currently Boston (helped by a couple seven-game playoff series recently), Subban doesn’t think it would take long for the hatred to grow to a similar level with the Leafs.
“I think that Toronto rivalry can heat up pretty quick,” he said. “It would only take one series to get that going because people are dying for that, people want that.”
It would certainly appease the more sentimental members of both fanbases.
The teams have met 15 different times in the playoffs, with the Habs sweeping the last two meetings in 1978 and 1979. The rivalry, such as it is, has been running on fumes (and nostalgia) ever since.
Over the last three decades, the Canadiens and Leafs spent time in different conferences –narrowly missing out on a meeting in the 1993 Stanley Cup final — and haven’t really been competitive at the same time since being put back in the same division.
At least until now.
With Montreal and Toronto now sitting fourth and fifth in the Eastern Conference, the stars may finally be aligning.
“That’s two historic franchises that have been known to hate each other over the years facing off,” said Habs defenceman Josh Gorges. “There would be a lot riding on that series.”
Even the younger players sense it.
Brendan Gallagher, the 20-year-old rookie who has impressed with his feisty play this season, flashed his trademark grin when asked about what it would be like to draw Toronto in May.
“I’ve only been a part of that little rivalry for one year but you can already tell that we hate each other,” said Gallagher. “It’s the same on both sides. Those are very competitive games, very intense games.
“If we were to meet in the playoffs, I’m sure it would be a very emotional series.”
The Habs entered Thursday night’s game with a chance to secure a berth in the post-season with a victory over the Sabres.
Even though the Montreal players were more than willing to discuss the possibility of facing Toronto prior to making it official, coach Michel Therrien opted for a more cautious approach.
“I’m not going to go there,” he said.
Not yet, anyway.
