BROSSARD, Quebec — Milan Lucic and Canadiens counterpart Brendan Gallagher will be bitter enemies in the second round of the playoffs when the Bruins and Montreal meet for the 34th time in the postseason.

But for the last six summers, Gallagher and Lucic have developed a friendship while training at Ian Gallagher’s gym in Ladner, British Columbia. Lucic and Gallagher met when Gallagher was 15 and his father, Ian, was a strength and conditioning coach for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL while Lucic was a member of the team.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Gallagher, who later also played for the Giants. “We knew this was going to come eventually where we play each other in the playoffs, so I know I’m looking forward to that.”

With Lucic having been to two Stanley Cup finals and winning one, Gallagher said he has tried to pick his training partner’s brain a bit, especially when Gallagher played in the playoffs as a rookie last season. The pesky Canadiens forward has also tried to emulate Lucic’s work ethic on the ice and in the gym.

“You bounce back ideas and talk a little bit in the summer, but nothing like that,” Gallagher said. “I think you have to experience it yourself to really understand what it’s like. But for me training with him in the gym, he’s a great guy to follow and his work ethic is great. He’s won a Stanley Cup, he’s pushing for another one and he still has that hunger. He’s a beast in the gym. What you see on the ice is what you get in the gym with that work ethic. He’s a great guy to watch and see how he trains.”

That’s another reason Gallagher knows how hard it is to play against Lucic and the Bruins. Lucic led the team with three goals and had a team-high 14 shots on net in the first-round series win against the Red Wings. Gallagher is ready for Lucic to be in “beast” mode again, and he’s not expecting any mercy from his friend.

“I don’t know if you can contain him, you just gotta play him hard,” said Gallagher, who scored three goals in the Habs’ first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning. “You make sure you don’t give him too much time and space, because if you do, he’s going to make a good play. He’s a competitive guy and playing against him, you certainly have to be ready to compete. He doesn’t treat anyone different on the ice and I don’t expect him to. If he has a chance to finish a check on me, then he’s going to do that, just like I will on him. There’s no friends on the ice.”