from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,

Is there a more anticipated rematch in the early NHL season?

The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens get it going again Thursday night after last spring's drama-filled, seven-game series, which saw the underdog Habs prevail.

Given the handshake line heard around the world, who knows exactly what will transpire Thursday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal's home opener.

Normally, these types of games rarely live up to the hype fueled by media and fans.

Although sometimes ...

"I had one with Vancouver where we played Boston for the first time after the Stanley Cup final and we had a line brawl seven minutes in. So I think the fans, the media and everybody got what they wanted there," Canadiens winger Dale Weise said Wednesday after practice.

"I don't see it being the case tomorrow. The media kind of blows things up and the games have a hard time living up to that. We're just focusing on trying to come out and have a good game. Obviously, being the first home game, we're excited; our crowd is going to be jumping and we'll be ready to go."

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