Schedule and 2002 Results
Regular Season Records: Boston 43-24-6-9=101pts, Montreal 36-31-12-3=87pts
Game 1 on Thursday, 18 April: Montreal wins at Boston, 5-goals-2
Game 2 on Sunday, 21 April: Montreal loses at Boston, 6-goals-4
Game 3 on Tuesday, 23 April: Boston loses at Montreal, 5-goals-3
Game 4 on Thursday, 25 April: Boston wins at Montreal, 5-goals-2BR> Game 5 on Saturday, 27 April: Montreal wins at Boston, 2-goals-1
Game 6 on Monday, 29 April: Boston loses at Montreal, 2-goals-1

SERIES NOTES: Post Game 6 and series assessment: Montreal wins Game 6 by a 2-goals-1 margin to win the series 4-games-2. The win improves the Habs' best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 6 record to 6-3 (4-2 at home), and reduces the Bruins' best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 6 record to 4-4 (3-3 on the road). The series win is Montreal's 70th best-of-7 NHL playoff series victory -- far and away the most of any MLB, NBA, or NHL franchise. The series loss is Boston's 40th best-of-7 NHL playoff series loss -- the most of any MLB, NBA, or NHL franchise. Only three franchises -- the Bruins (78), the Detroit Red Wings (72), and the NBA Los Angeles Lakers (71) have more best-of-7 appearances as of 30 April 2002 than the Canadiens have best-of-7 series wins. Montreal now owns a 9-3 best-of-7 Prelim-round series record (4-3 when Game 1 is on the road); Boston now owns a 7-6 best-of-7 Prelim-round series record (6-3 when Game 1 is at home). Win order for Montreal was WLWLWW: The series is the sixth NHL Prelim-round, the 11th NHL series (all rounds), and the 28th overall to go WLWLWW. The last NHL series to follow this path was best-of-7 series 830, in which the St. Louis Blues defeated the San Jose Sharks in 2001 NHL Preliminary round play. Game 6 in this series was the 2500th best-of-7 format playoff game in NHL history, dating back to the first best-of-7 NHL playoff series in 1939. Post Game 5 assessment: In the aftermath of the 2-goals-1 Montreal Game 5 win, the Montreal best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 5 record is now 7-3 (5-2 on the road; those five wins lead the NHL), while that for Boston becomes 6-5 (4-4 at home). When leading a series 3-games-2, the Montreal series record is 23-3; when trailing a series 3-games-2, the Boston series record is 2-14. Post Game 4 assessment: With its Game 4 loss, Montreal's best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 4 mark falls to 5-7 (3-4 at home). With its Game 4 victory, Boston's best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 4 mark rises to 6-7 (4-5 on the road). In best-of-7 NHL Preliminary round play, teams opening the series WLWL have posted a 7-5 series record. Interestingly, that 7-5 record comprises five consecutive losses, followed by seven consecutive wins. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 series, Montreal's series record is 22-15, while Boston's is 13-12. Post Game 3 assessment: Montreal improves its best-of-7 Prelim-round Game 3 record to 7-5 (4-3 at home), while that for Boston falls to 5-8 (5-4 on the road). Leading a best-of-7 series 2-games-1, the Montreal series record is 35-7; trailing a best-of-7 series 2-games-1, the Boston series record is 6-19. Post Game 2 assessment: The Game 2 loss by Montreal drops their Prelim-round Game 2 record to 8-4 (3-4 on the road), while Boston's Game 2 victory improves their Prelim-round Game 2 record to 7-6 (6-3 at home). When starting a best-of-7 series WL, the Montreal Canadiens' series record is 8-5; when starting a best-of-7 series LW, the Boston Bruins' series record is 9-5. A total of 17 goals have been tallied through the first two games of this series -- the most in the first two games of an NHL best-of-7 series since Buffalo and Toronto posted 18 in their 1999 Semis-round series (series 785). Post Game 1 assessment: Montreal wins its first best-of-7 NHL playoff game since Game 6 of 1998 Prelim-round series 749, which Montreal won to eliminate the Pittsburgh Penguins from the 1998 NHL playoffs. In best-of-7 Preliminary round Game 1 action, Montreal improves its record to 8-4 (3-4 on the road), while Boston's falls to 3-10 (2-7 at home). Those 10 Game 1 Preliminary round losses by Boston are a new NHL-franchise high, pulling the Bruins out of a tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks (Chicago won this evening) at 9 losses apiece. (The combined Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes Preliminary round Game 1 record is also 3-10, but WhoWins™ treats those Winnipeg and Phoenix clubs as separate franchises.) In 441 best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through 2001, the team winning Game 1 by three goals had a series record of 55-27 (.671). Pre-series assessment: Series 848 is the 100th best-of-7 playoff series for the Montreal Canadiens franchise. No other NHL, NBA, or MLB franchise has played in that many best-of-7 series. With a 69-30 best-of-7 series record upon entering series 848, Montreal has won more best-of-7 series than any other NHL, NBA, or MLB franchise. The Boston Bruins, by contrast, enter series 848 with a 38-39 best-of-7 series record; Boston has lost more best-of-7 series than any other NHL, NBA, or MLB franchise. Of greater importance to series 848, however, is that Boston finished 14 points ahead of Montreal in the 2001-02 regular season standings. From 1939 through 2001, when NHL best-of-7 opponents were separated by 14 regular-season points, the better regular-season team has gone on to post a 9-6 (.600) best-of-7 series record. Series 848 is the 23rd best-of-7 series between the Canadiens and Bruins; no other pair of teams has locked up as often in NHL, NBA, or MLB best-of-7 play.