The Bruins, true to form, were knocked out of the NHL playoffs last night by the Montreal Canadiens. That's the top seeded Bruins getting knocked out by the bottom ranked team from Montreal.

So why am I not surprised?

As much as you hear about Sox-Yankees, Pats-Jets (or Dolphins, depending on the year), or even the recent renewal of the Celts-Sixers, there is no one single pairing that should make a Boston-area sports fan's blood run cold more than Bruins-Canadiens. They are the proverbial 800 pound gorilla that the Broons can't shake.

What makes this pairing that much more consternating is that you have a regular season rivalry which, until recently, was almost always topped by a meeting in the playoffs. Back in the olden days of playing within your division first, the odds of not having a Bruins-Canadiens matchup in the Adams Divison were tiny.

So, for a good half century, the Bruins would face the Canadiens in the playoffs, and would make their exit in any one of a number of ways. Just as they did this year, when they combined blowing a big lead with an inability to cool off a hot goaltender to hitting more posts than your above-average cricketeer.

And yet we don't see the collective wailing and gnashing of teeth that arises when the Yankees roll into town during a pivotal series, or when there's an AFC playoff game the Pats have to play in Dade County. For some reason the Bruins' historical failures when playing Montreal are well known but not well lamented. And by "well lamented" I mean "column fodder for the Globe until mid-July."

Perhaps we're less angst-ridden over Montreal than we are New York. Montreal is a nice city, but located in another country and is full of people who don't care to speak English. New York, while seemingly in another country and full of people who can't or won't speak English (or who are, but who can tell with the accent and all?), is in the US, and is of a proximity that forces comparisons. The idea that Boston dislikes New York because we're in their shadow is a common one... most often bandied about by New Yorkers.

I blame the Puritans. Their dour world view and emphasis on self-denial would, naturally, lead to fixating on the one thing that should give the most pleasure but never does, and that year in and year out teaches us a lesson in humility. Thought I don't think they'd approve of the bright red, I think the Puritans would approve of the Red Sox's mortifying aspects. How could the Bruins top that?

It makes me sad to think the former Hartford Whalers are still in the playoffs while the Bruins aren't, but I'm sure someone will crow about it.