With the Hat to Match...

This is a double rivarly edition of "With the Hat to Match" featuring the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. You cant go wrong with a vintage Starter jacket with the vintage Zubaz hat to match IMO.

While the teams played each other often, the rivalry became truly pronounced in the 1970s, when both were yearly contenders. In 1971, despite the Bruins finishing first in the league and shattering many NHL scoring records, they lost in the first round to the Canadiens in seven games. This ended a potential Bruins dynasty (although they would win the Stanley Cup the following season). Don Cherry's "Lunch Pail Athletic Club" lost to the Habs in both the 1977 and 1978 Stanley Cup finals. Canadiens fans remember the rough tactics that Cherry's players used against Guy Lafleur, whose head was swathed in bandages at the end of the 1978 series after repeated high-sticking from Bruins players.

The seminal moment in the history of the rivalry was probably Game 7 of the 1979 Semi-Finals. After a rough and tumble series which saw both sides win at home through the first six games, the Bruins took a lead in the closing four minutes of game 7 in Montreal, thanks to a goal by Rick Middleton (Ken Dryden would later remark this as "the most beautiful goal" that he ever let in). The Bruins were charged with a minor penalty for having seven players on the ice, Lafleur scored the tying goal on the ensuing power play, and Montreal's Yvon Lambert scored in overtime to win the series. The win allowed Montreal to advance to the Stanley Cup finals, which they won for the fourth consecutive year. Source