(My Sportsbook) - For the second straight year the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins will face off in the opening round of the playoffs, as the Habs visit the B's for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals tonight at TD Banknorth Garden.

The big difference this year is that Boston is the East's top seed and the Canadiens are in the eighth spot. The teams were in opposite positions last year when the No. 1 Habs needed seven games to eliminate the rival Bruins.

The Bruins have had very little success against Montreal in the playoffs through the years, as the Habs have taken 24 of the 31 postseason series between the Original Six rivals. The Canadiens have won the last three postseason matchups against the B's and Boston last beat Montreal in the playoffs in the opening round of the 1994 postseason. Even then it took the Bruins seven games to dispose of the hated Habs.

Montreal also has had a recent series win over the Bruins as the eighth seed, as it defeated top-seeded Boston in the opening round of the 2002 playoffs. The Bruins, however, should be encouraged by pushing the No. 1 seeded Habs to seven games last year in a series that few people thought would be competitive.

Boston dominated the season series with five wins in six meetings against Montreal.

The Bruins recorded 116 points this season -- a 22-point improvement from last year -- and ensured themselves home-ice advantage through the conference playoffs. It marks the highest point total for the Original Six franchise since the Bobby Orr-led Bruins posted 119 in 1971-72. Interestingly enough, that was the last time Boston won a Stanley Cup championship.

Boston scored 270 goals this year -- a big jump from the 212 markers it had in 2007-08. Boston also allowed 25 fewer goals this season, surrendering an NHL-best total of 190.

The Bruins are led by goaltender Tim Thomas, who was quite possibly the NHL's best puck-stopper during the regular season. Thomas is practically a lock to qualify as a finalist for the Vezina Trophy this year, as he led the league with career bests in both goals against average (2.10) and save percentage (.933). He also posted career-highs in wins (36) and shutouts (5).

Thomas' only NHL postseason experience came last year against Montreal, as he went 3-4 with a 2.65 GAA and .914 save percentage in losing to the Canadiens in a first-round exit.

Montreal suffered many ups and downs in 2008-09 before barely qualifying for this year's tournament. This season was the 100th in existence for the NHL's most storied franchise, but outside of doing an excellent job as this year's All-Star host, the club had little to celebrate during the centennial.

Yet, despite the fall from first to eighth in the conference, Montreal recorded just nine points less than it did a year ago, notching 93 on the season. Still, the fact that head coach Guy Carbonneau was fired 66 games into the season is a clear indication of the lofty expectations the Canadiens came into this campaign with.

The Habs didn't fare much better after general manager Bob Gainey took over for Carbonneau, as the team limped to the finish with a mediocre 6-6-4 record in its final 16 games.

One reason for Montreal fans to be excited about this year's postseason is the recent play of winger Alex Kovalev, who finished very strong after struggling for the majority of the 2008-09 campaign.

Kovalev was a huge part of the Habs' success last season as he recorded 84 points for his highest total since posting a career-high 95 points for Pittsburgh in 2000-01. This year, the Russian sniper led the team with 26 goals and 65 points. He had nine goals and eight assists in his final nine games of the season.

Kovalev has been a productive playoff performer in his career, registering 42 goals and 95 points in 112 playoff outings.

While Kovalev's improved play down the stretch was encouraging, the Canadiens are unlikely to survive the first round if top defenseman Andrei Markov remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Montreal has said little about the injury to Markov, who missed the final four games of the regular season -- all of which were Canadiens losses.

Markov is the glue that keeps Montreal's potent power-play attack together, as he recorded a team-high 39 points (7g, 32a) on the man advantage this season. The Russian blueliner also finished second to Kovalev on the team in overall scoring this year with 64 points (12g, 52a).

It's unclear if Markov will play in this series as he hasn't been spotted at practice since his last game on April 4.

Carey Price certainly had a rocky season in goal for the Canadiens, as he went 23-16-10 with a lofty 2.83 GAA and .905 save percentage in 54 games this year. The Habs will start with the 21-year-old in net, but don't be surprised if Jaroslav Halak takes over if Price begins to struggle like he did in last year's playoffs.

Price went 5-6 in the 2008 postseason with a 2.78 GAA and .901 save percentage and appeared to be rattled, especially in the second-round loss against Philadelphia.

Game 2 of this series is scheduled for Saturday night in Boston.