Charles Krupa
You could see the contrast in styles at the Complexe Sportif Bell on Wednesday.
Where Boston coach Claude Julien was tetchy and argumentative after his team's practice the day before, fellow Franco-Ontarian Jacques Martin was calm and subdued.
Boring even.
And when you consider this plan that the Bruins have concocted to spend a couple of days in Lake Placid, N.Y., during a two-day break between games three and four of their upcoming series with the Habs?
Seems to us maybe, just maybe, the Bruins are over-thinking this thing - no team should feel the need to resort to these kinds of devices in the playoffs.
In fact, it buttresses the theory that these guys are too brittle mentally to do this thing.
Isn't being favoured supposed to be relaxing?
Now, no one ever won anything after two off-days spent sampling the delights of downtown Montreal (or Vancouver, as Alain Vigneault has cannily pointed out).
But to go to the site of the Miracle on Ice to seek inspiration and quiet time in the middle of a series? Curious.
More so when you consider that the only U.S.-born player on the roster is Tim Thomas (defenceman Steven Kampfer of Ann Arbor, Mich., is injured).
Hints at some fragility, does it not?
Or maybe the Bruins come out and hammer the Habs in four because they were able to stay off Ste-Catherine St. and their goalie - who is pumped - fulfilled a lifelong dream of skating in Jim Craig's footsteps.
No bets on that from this end, however.