The 2013 NHL playoffs have finally begun, despite a lengthy lockout that lasted until January 19th. For the first time in modern history, the Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Canadiens will square off in the first round of the NHL playoffs.

The puck is set to drop for Game 1, on Thursday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Both teams have battled and overcome adversity to earn their respective playoff positions.

The Ottawa Senators were hit with a slew of injuries at the beginning of the season. The Senators leading scorer, Jason Spezza, was sidelined by a back injury and is not expected to play for the remainder of the playoffs.

Norris Trophy winning defensemen, Erik Karlsson, suffered a severed Achilles tendon during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 13th and was also expected to miss the entirety of the season. Miraculously, Karlsson has recently returned to his team and his presence on ice helped the Senators clinch a playoff spot with a victory against the Washington Capitals last week. 

Milan Michalek  and Jared Cowen were also injured for most of the season but have since returned to the lineup. Even the Senators star goaltender, Craig Anderson, could not escape injury. 

Anderson suffered a right ankle injury during a game against the New York Rangers on Feburary 21st. Despite the rash of injuries this season, the Ottawa Senators have remained mostly consistent this season, given their circumstances, finishing with a respectable record of 25-17-6. 

The Montreal Canadiens have not suffered major injury problems, but rather have suffered because of inconsistency throughout the season. On February 12th the Canadiens displayed an instance of their struggle with inconsistency as they blew a 3-0 lead against the Tampa Bay Lightning only to stumble away with a 4-3 shootout victory. 

Canadiens starting goaltender, Carrie Price, has also shown inconsistency throughout the season, giving up 5 or more goals in 10 of the 38 games he played this season. However, when the Canadiens play to their full potential, they have proven to be nearly impossible to defeat. Their hot and cold performance this season has earned them the Northeast Division championship title with a record of 29-14-5.