Every journey has its humble beginnings. A rise from the bottom of the barrel all the way to the top of the ranks. But as we cued Boston's beloved 'DuckBoats' for the parade celebrating the Bruins' first Stanley Cup victory since 1972, it's time for the proverbial thank you letters to be sent out.

Some would suggest that they go out to the fans, who sat through the agonizing and mentally trying playoff games with their hearts in their throats. Or perhaps Claude Julien, the even keeled coach who was nearly run out of town at numerous points this season. However, the biggest thank you should go out to, yep, the rivaled Montreal Canadiens.

When the stars aligned -- ultimately setting Boston and Montreal up for a 33rd playoff series between these fierce rivals -- there wasn't exactly a feeling of brimming optimism in the Hub. And if there was, boy, were those the people you didn't want to play poker against.

It was no secret that the Habs were not a team Boston had a fun time against. Despite two of the final three contests against Montreal, this was a Canadiens club that took four of six against the Bruins in 2010-11, and nine of the last 12 dating back to 2009-10.

In short, from a match-up standpoint alone, it wasn't a showdown the Bruins necessarily chomped at the bit for. Such proved to be true through the first two games of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Seeing the Bruins fall down two games to none on home-ice, it seemed as if a first round bow-out was in the works for the Black and Gold that appeared so poised for a deep playoff run. There was simply no way the Bruins were going to win four out of five against this Montreal club. Especially with three trips to the always unkind Bell Centre on tap. It was game over. A 39-year drought was almost a sure bet to stretch to at least four decades.

Yet, through all of this, the Bruins believed in themselves.

"The biggest thing was Montreal," Claude Julien said on Sunday. "We knew that this was a big rivalry and we know it’s been said that we’ve had some tough tilts against that team. And we knew right from the get go that it was going to be a tough series."

Battling back in each game, ultimately tying the series up in four games, subsequently winning it in a Game 7 overtime frame, it was the Habs who unknowingly tested the Bruins with everything they'd face throughout this magical run.

A serious deficit to climb out of. A potent and thorough offense. A stellar goaltender, and a more than hostile crowd on the road.

It was Boston's version of a perfect storm.

Overcoming the rabid Bell Centre crowd for two wins to knot the series up, there was no doubting the idea that Boston's entrance into Quebec for Game 3 had the feeling of a Game 7 for the Bruins. It was a must-win in front of a crowd that mercilessly taunted them, demonstrating their burning desire for a Stanley Cup in their town.

But the Bruins soldiered on, and carry that momentum all the way to Vancouver for a Game 7 victory.

Then came the offense. Sure, a combo of Michael Cammalleri and Brian Gionta isn't exactly on par with the Sedin's, but it made Boston's defense tighten up and realize the intensity and skill-set they had to match in order to victory. It was the same mentality that held the Sedin's and Ryan Kesler to a combined three goals in the Stanley Cup Final.

However, the most daunting obstacle for Boston came with the goaltender they went up against. There's no denying this truth, regardless of your allegiance to the Bruins, Montreal's Carey Price is freakin' good. In fact, he was the best goaltender Boston faced in the playoffs. For two games, he was impossible to solve.

Price's mechanics, style, and nearly impossible-to-rattle mindset (My, how things have changed) made him the ultimate test for Boston. And even when the Bruins cracked Carey, the B's were just an overtime tally away from elimination before Nathan Horton became the hero of the Hub, spelling the end to a Price run that saw the 23-year-old post a .934 save-percentage and 2.11 goals-against-average.

A close call if there ever was one.

"We really felt that our team kind of got a boost from that game seven win and obviously in overtime couldn’t have had a better finish to that," Julien added.

For Boston, it was clear that this was their best chance, especially with momentum on their side. To put it simply, this was the easiest road Boston would ever have. They were a moderately healthy club, and they were thrown into a playoffs that saw them avoid Pittsburgh, Washington, and take advantage of a goalie-less Flyers club in four games, a Cinderella-esque Tampa club in seven, and eventually knock off the President's Trophy-winning 'Nucks.

And through all of this, as banner six is set to be lifted to the rafters in October, it's only fair to say "Merci, Montreal."

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