The Montreal Canadiens have a fierce rival in Ontario. That isn’t an earth-shaking statement in and of itself, but let’s be honest for a second, that rival isn’t the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team the Habs haven’t faced in the playoffs since 1979. No, it’s the Ottawa Senators.
We got a taste of it in 2013, something was definitely brewing. Eric Gryba left Lars Eller bloodied on the Bell Centre ice. Former coach Paul MacLean traded barbs with Michel Therrien. Brandon Prust famously got in on the action as well. Ryan White and Chris Neil both earned a bigger share of the spotlight than fourth liners usually get.