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About last night ...
posted by Mike Boone at 1h28 EST on Dec 5
Eyes of Texas nothing.
How about the scrutiny of about 20 Hall of Famers?
With Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy in the house, Carey Price made 37 saves – including 17 in the pivotal second period.
With Dickie Moore, Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt and Stéphane Richer looking on, Mike Cammalleri scored three goals in nine minutes, 19 seconds of the aforementioned middle period.
With Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard and Pete Mahovlich watching, Glen Metroppolit had a goal and an assist, Scott Gomez had two assists and Tomas Plekanec assisted on one goal.
With ovations for the Big Three – Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Guy lapointe, still echoing up in the rafters with the Stanley Cup banners and retired numbers, a diminutive defenceman, Josh Gorges, played his heart out.
With Doug Risebrough and Doug Jarvis watching, Canadiens' penalty killers held the Bruins scoreless through seven power-plays – including two 5-on-3s.
The first two-man disadvantage occurred less than six minutes into the second period. Maxim Lapierre and Jaro Spacek both went off for roughing, giving five Boston skaters a full two minutes to eras the 1-0 lead Spatch had give the Canadiens in the first period.
Didn't happen. Half a minute after the penalized players returned, Camalleri converted a Tomas Plekanec pass to make it 2-0 and the Canadiens were off to the races.
The cliché is apropos. The team that used to feature Flying Frenchmen back in the days immortalized during the pre-game ceremony was just too fast for the Bruins, whose team speed took a major hit when Phil Kessel was traded.
With four Stanley Cup-winning coaches – plus his immediate predecessor – introduced during the ceremonies, Jacques Martin watched his team practice what he's preached since the beginning of training camp. The Canadiens kept their game simple. Defencemen controlled their gaps, forwards got back deep to help and the number of penalties notwithstanding, the Canadiens played a generally disciplined game. They consistently pounded the puck deep behind Boston's lumbering, not-terribly-mobile D and, for the first time in three games, managed to sustain O-zone pressure, resulting in good chances.
Cammalleri and Price were spectacular in a game they'll remember all their lives. But save some accolades for the Canadiens' D, which played its best Markovless game in a long time.
Hal Gill, in his first game since Halloween, played a heroic 6:08 on the PK, where his size and wingspan are assets and lack of speed is not a factor.
Gorges played 5:11 on the PK, blocked two shots and ended the night plus-3. Roman Hamrlik and Spacek provided their customary steadying influence, and the Canadiens got good, physical play from Paul Mara and the team's last number 3 and newest number 20, Ryan O'Byrne.
Martin dressed seven defenceman, using Marc-André Bergeron on the power play and as a winger on the fourth line, with Maxim Lapierre and the freshly unsuspended Georges Laraque. This is a Mark Streitian role I can see MAB filling when Markov returns.
Metropolit was excellent: three shots on goal, 4-2 on faceoffs, plus-3 on the night and a constant, buzzing burr in the britches of the Bs' beleaguered D. Linemate Travis Moen was one of the overachieving penalty-killers, and Max Pacioretty played one of his best games of the season, using his speed and physicality to bedevil Bruins defenders and fire four SoG.
With his Buffalo linemates, Ryan White and Tom Pyatt, in the pressbox, Gomez played with Matt D'Agostini and Sergei Kostitsyn. I really liked the combination: D'Agostini had three hits and worked the corners and boards effectively, while Gomez and SK74 kept the Bruins off-balance with puckhandling wizardry – until Shawn Thornton fell on Sergei's knee and knocked him out of the game in the second period.
So who are the real Montreal Canadiens, the bums in Buffalo or the triumphant birthday boys?
The answer will become clearer next week. The Canadiens are home to the Flyers on Monday, travel to Ottawa on Tuesday, play the Penguins at the Bell Centre on Thursday and face the Thrashers in Atlanta next Saturday.
The Canadiens are 10th in the Eastern Conference, tied in points with Tampa Bay, which has played two fewer games, and one point behind the eighth-place Islanders.
Centennial celebrations are over. The balloons have been popped, the streamers taken down and the guests have gone home with their loot bags.
Now they can concentrate on hockey.
And they can do so with the satisfaction of capping 100 years with a solid, well-earned W that displayed the best virtues of a Canadiens team that may be short on future Hall of Famers but is long on heart.
• • •
Historical note: Mike Cammalleri is the first Canadien to bag two hat tricks in a season since Brian Savage in 1999.
Fearless prediction: he'll get three ... at least.
Cammalleri scored in L.A., he scored in Calagary and he's scoring for the Canadiens – at a pace that will get him 42 goals.
That's what he does. Cammalleri shoots a lot: 102 SoG, tied with Corey Perry for seventh in the league; 14.7 per cent of Cammalleri's shots find the back of the net, an efficiency exceeded, among the top 10 shooters, only by Crosby and Ovechkin.
Cammalleri is a natural scorer, a rare commodity not seen in these parts for a while. That's why Bob Gainey signed him.
And shout-out to my great and good friend Josie Gold who, noting Cammalleri's Jewish/Italian heritage, says he scored a yarmulke trick.
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Bill J and everybody else: "The energy seemed so elevated"----and also on my apple farm in the Catskill Mountains in NY. The silver thread that ties the Habs Fans together over the decades and over countless miles,certainly pulsed with life last night.
Roy was the guy I grew up watching, so to see him skate out there in full goalie gear and take some shots from legends of all different eras was just so cool. Dryden at the other end with the new/old pads on was a nice touch. The way things were going I thought they were going to have a little scrimmage at the end of the warmup. Perhaps the one thing that could have been added to the festivities. What a night! Glad the team play matched the emotions that arose before the puck dropped. Keep playing with that fire, add Gionta, Pouliot (yes I think he will be re-born here) and Markov and I think we'll do pretty well. We may not be a contender, but we can be a dark horse, and I think that kind of role is more fun to watch transpire.
Well well well, where is all the tankers today? All i read on the first couple pages of Boones Blog was " lets tank the season" " NO, lets tank four or five seasons" "man we are going to get blown out tonight" " Our birthday is going to be our nightmare". It pissed me off so bad i had to post. Wtf is wrong with some of you guys? You gotta give this team a chance. A REAL chance when everyone is healthy and playing their roles to full potential.
Last nights game was unbelievable! The ceremony was the greatest i ve ever seen. Brought so many memories i could only imagine what it felt like to be those guy s on the ice or even to be old enough to remember seeing them play. So much history makes you realize what it really means to be a habs fan.
Maguire would have had a hard time picking a MONSTER last night because we had many. Obviously CAREY PRICE was outstanding. That first breakaway save was a game saver . no doubt. And that save on Chara was awesome. Not to mention the other 35. My fave new hab MIKE CAMMALLERI does what he does best. Scores goals. We havent seen a pure scorer like him in a habs uniform in a while. (Kovalev? maybe but no with this guys consistency!) MAX PAC! Had his best game ever in a habs uniform. I was ready to send him down at the start of the year but if this guy continues to improve we are going to have a great power forward on our hands. His line of MOEN and METRO played a great game. Boone s main man JOSH GEORGES was a beast. Only getting credit for two blocked shots is a mistake i believe. Man this guy tries so hard you have to love it. And another , and believe me this really really really pains me to say , is HAL GILL. To see him on his *** spreading his arms , legs and face around the ice on the pk was too funny. but you know what? it worked! One poster said it was like trying to make a pass around a manatee. ha ha. Lets not forget SCOTT GOMEZ and SK 74 . Just wait until these two are setting up GIONTA and we ll see how many want to send him back. Sure his contract is way too much buy you guys wont care once you see this line in action!
All i am trying to say is this team IS a playoff team. And any team in the playoffs is a stanley cup contender. In this NHL any team can beat any other team in a seven game series. Maybe not seven , seven game series 'but thats not how the playoffs work. So before wanting the most historic team in the world to tank for five seasons, give them a freaking chance. There is talent here and last night showed it.
Btw , Kayva Shivashankar, if i mispelled any words please keep them to yourself! Thanks
It IS possible to be a Habs fan but also be critical of the team. Some fans feel that supporting a team means they have to be behind them all the time, others feel that supporting a team means that they are free to criticize bad decisions. The fan base accepts and needs all types. So don't take it so personally when people express opinions that differ from yours...you will give yourself ulcers, and ultimately the people you are trying to rip into will stop reading your posts just as quickly as you should stop reading theirs if they annoy you so much.
There is also a big difference in being critical of the team and being so negative that its impossible that your even a true fan. what true fan predicts a 5-1 blowout before the game even starts?(for the bruins that is) What true fan wants a team to tank a season on purpose before even seeing what this team can really do? I agree that there is two types of fans and i am a little of both. I am not totally supportive of every little thing however you will never hear me say to tank a season. At least not 25-30 games in after all these injuries. Everyone has their right to their own opinion and if their allowed to express all their negativity , i am allowed to try change their minds.
As the foremost proponent of tanking let me make something clear. Nobody, not even I, wants the Habs to purposely tank. I've only said that I would embrace it if it happens. I would be delighted to see the Habs draft a #1 over-all. The more times the better the chances of getting a true super-star.
In view of watching teams like Chicago, Pittsburgh and Washington it's no secret that 1st round draft picks matter. My major disappointment with the Habs has been the poor drafting over the years, which has gotten better since Gainey, but could still be and in fact needs to be better, and the penchant to trade picks for assetts as opposed to trading assetts for picks. The last true 1st round pick the Habs had was Guy Lafleur, the last actual #1 pick Doug Wickenheiser, and that one turned out to be tragic for the Habs and even more tragic for Wickenheiser, but I digress.
If tanking happens so be it, if they win the Cup even better. 10th place in the conference is not good but being in the top 10 over-all is very, very good, being in the top 16 almost as good, being 17th to 25th sucks and after that the closer to being 30th the better.
Man you told me you wanted the team to tank for 4-5 years. Your avatar was a tank until today! I agree that five years of high draft picks will make you a contender. However, that is a horrible five years. I have read on here people wanting the team to tank, do you think i made this stuff up? All i am saying is this team didnt have a chance yet to see what they are made of yet and people are already calling for them to quit. i cant accept that , sorry. If we are so far out of it at trade deadline then deal whatever you can but to start tanking now is totally ridicolous . I know i spelled that wrong, i dont care.
"Everyone has their right to their own opinion and if their allowed to express all their negativity , i am allowed to try change their minds."
Just make sure that is actually your goal. You will rarely change anybody's minds...once people form opinions, it is often more than a little difficult to dislodge them from that point of view (and that goes for both sides, by the way). But when you go into an argument guns blazing, the other side tunes you out pretty quick.
Are you done with your parents computer now?.There is nothing to be critical about last night.Especially with the ceremonies. There was alot to be during the week.TO,Buff. The tanking talk is out of frustration. People get sick of spending time and money when the team stinks it up or gives no effort,which has happened more often than not this season. Enjoy the win,and hope it turns the season around,instead of being a pompous *** and criticizing posters,who are probably bigger fans than you'll ever be.
hey b j? cant believe you even know how to use a computer your so old. People getting frustrated after two bad games gimme a break! I can see people your age getting mad because your used to winning cups all the time but do you really expect that now with all these teams? if you want your team to tank this season your no fan i dont care what you say . Your saying we are giving no effort this year? obviously your bifocals need a new prescription! i guess your the only one allowed to criticize is it ? i dont know why im wasting my time with with someone who has no clue what they are talking about. have a nap jimmy its afternoon already.
I'm not that old and I never once said anything about tanking.I want to win every game. our effort has not been there many times this season. I don't expect a cup,but would like to contend once on a while.If your just happy to fight to make the playoffs,then good for you. You have low expectations in life. Not a real Hab fan
Oh but you are a real fan are ya BJ? You dont even have a favorite player on your profile. Its time for diaper change and sponge bath , you are getting delirious
Oh but you are a real fan are ya BJ? You dont even have a favorite player on your profile. Its time for diaper change and sponge bath , you are getting delirious
K T F:Well said.Thank you.
It was an absolutely fantastic time last night, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Looking around my section, there was harly a dry eye throught the opening ceremonies, culminating in the number retirements and the ultimate team photo. Roy AND Dryden in the warmup? Oh man...!
As the perfect capper to the evening, I just happened to wear my Guy Lapointe jersey, and the man himself signed it post-game. Perfect! Here's to another great 100 years!
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Cheer for the crest on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back.
What an amazing night to be there, Chuck.
Seeing as it was Lapointe, did you check for your wallet after he signed your jersey, maybe a "Kick Me" post-it note on the #5?
On l'Antichambre, Demers was describing how incredible it was to be in the dressing room among the alumni who were prepping for the skate, his sense of the strong bond between the players, and how everyone was trying to keep tabs on Lapointe's whereabouts. Apparently, mayor Tremblay let his guard down and paid for it. Classic.
Savard got a good one in on Lapointe; Guy was holding the jersey beore he signed it, admiring it, saying, "Man, to think that I wore this all those years ago!" Savard's retort: "Don't put it on again; you'd pop the seams."
:)
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Cheer for the crest on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back.
With efforts like this, and with Gionta and Markov slowly returning to health there are some signs of hope. I eagerly await the return of the aformentioned players.
Not that crazy for CBC hockey coverage, but I thought they did a real good job last night with *** Ervin still sharp for an old guy. P.J. Stock was ok and Ron McLean is a hockey Guru, too bad he's been Don Cherry's bitch for sooo long.
==================================================================== A pat on the back is only inches away from a kick in the ***.
I dunno...I always thought McLean was a knowledgable guy, but I couldn't believe the Pocket Rocket comment.
I was equally stunned. Jaw on the floor kind of stunned.
I sure hope that he was being sarcastic...
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Cheer for the crest on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back.
What comment??
I didn't hear it because I was at the game, but apparently he said that Henri Richard's number should be retired.
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Cheer for the crest on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back.
Yah... he's usually on the ball and one of the first to recognize the Habs. Maybe being with Don Cherry for so long has made him senile.
Great ALN this morning, Prof. Boone.
> Wow. Still reeling from everything last night. Personal highlights: (1) Patrick Roy, in full uni, stepping onto the ice for the skate. I really couldn't believe my eyes. Floored me; (2) The Big Three skating together. Pass me another tissue, son; (3) Nonagenarians Elmer and Butch being honoured. Watching O'Byrne remove his jersey and hand it to Butch as the banner rose; man, the deep poignancy that can arise from such a simple gesture.
> Maybe it was the cream in my coffee, but if the LLSJ and I were more on the same page this morning, it would make Bill Clinton blush. The Habs absolutely played their hearts out, in part reflected by the 22 blocked shots last night versus only 10 against Buffalo. But, the Habs also had a staggering 27 turnovers versus 10 by the Broonz and only 8 against Buffalo, acknowledging that two of the Broonz turnovers were so deadly as to be comical. Moreover, as was the case the previous night, the Habs were again outshot – two 5-3s can do that to a team - albeit by a slimmer margin. I'm with Red on this one: We witnessed the Carey Price Power Hour on a night when two Vezinas were mere memories by night's end.
> Also placing me square with Fisher is his comment regarding Ovie and all the pontification regarding his “reckless” play. Yeah, he really should tone it down. After all, it's not like he's an incredible gifted athlete and hockey player who performs at a level most players in the NHL would kill to be able to replicate. Hockey is inherently reckless. Habs fans are screaming for AK46 to find his game and he's starting to. The key? More reckless abandon. It's what made AK46 a fan favourite and he's slowly trying to regain form. As many have said, the only reason Ovechkin should tone it down is to ensure he has a long career. Can't disagree with that. However, the moment he does so, fans will be talking about how Ovie just doesn't have it anymore. Lost his game, you know.
> "I suspect that the decision to sit Halak for 10 games was based, as much as anything, on a desire to teach agent Allan Walsh to shut his tweet. If that's the case, it's a bizarre way to handle your own talent." And there you have it - culled from this morning's Gazette - Jack Todd opinion journalism in a shoddy, unprofessional little nutshell. Funny, I suspect Todd's decision to become an author was based, as much as anything, on his failure as a sports journalist. If that's the case, Jack, go write your cowboy books cause your mouth-breathing columns are a waste of perfectly good Domtar pulp.
> Anyone have the name and phone number of a caterer that could make a massive, big-assed cake for me?
Good times, as always.
JD
Todd does not make my list of things I miss about Montreal. God someone send me a bagel!
I'll send you that bagel along side a nice Smoke Meat Sandwich from Pete's
"one win, plan the parade; one loss, tie the noose. It’s super-emotional, it’s completely irrational, but that’s what makes it so glorious." - George Stroumboulopoulos
What's the latest on Pouliot? I imagine he would have loved to have been in the lineup last night. His size and speed could be a welcome addition to the "new" Habs.
Go Habs Go!
The latest is all good news:
First, he's still French Canadian so the francomedia is happy.
Second, he's still big and fast with some apparent talent to come.
And third, he's day-to-day so I'd say with White's demotion to the Hammer, we should see him in Philly.
I was thinking about that last night....wouldn't it really suck if he plays this week, and missed getting his name on the banner in the rafters by a couple of days?
I missed the game but I managed to catch some the ceremony at my gym before going out for an Xmas party. We didn't have sound so it was fun calling out the names of players we could remember. I showed my age as I scored most of the older players. But perhaps because this is Calgary I might have Hab an atvantage. People who weren't even Habs fans seemed to enjoy it, made me proud.
D-Men for last night's game:
Spacek, Hamrlik, Mara, O'B, Gorges and Gill (with MAB playing on the 4th line)
Who sits when Markov comes back? The easy answer is Gill, but after seeing what he did on the PK last night I think we could really use him in the lineup, The only other option is O'B, who, unfortunately, will probably find himself on the short end of the roster stick once again.
Maybe JM can work something out where Gill and O'B rotate so that neither of them sits for too long.
You will always be a Canadien in my eyes, Saku
They will probably cycle them in. Mara, Obyrne, MAB will take turns. If Gill slips, he'll sit a few.
Mara
I fear that'll be true, only because I really like Mara and his -12 is really only a relfection of a string of bad games we played as a team...everyone who's played with Mara loves having this guy on the team...I really can't stress enough how important I think it is to have great lockey room...those clips of him on the Rangers and seeing his genuine enthusiasm and love for the game are something a team looking for veteran leadership needs...guys like Markov and Gionta arent very vocal leaders, and having vets like Metro and Mara are assets and i think both should be resigned, Mara for only one year though...I feel like he's been gettin alot of flack lately....
but someone else will be hurt when Markov comes bak, gauranteed, be it Hamir, Gorges is also due for a little injury, etc.
Mara should sit, and I don't see him back with the team next year.
Not gill. Mara (-12) most likely, tho he is one of the few guys who has dropped em to mete out justice. gorges as a 7th d another option.
I say Mara goes -- he's only here for one year and OB is an asset we need to continue developing. He's been playing great, so I'd keep him in. Mara hasn't been shabby, but it's a matter of which player we need to give the ice time to.
This assumes that BG doesn't make any moves at or around the trade deadline to get rid of our excess D or to bolster our D through a trade.
A healthy D corps would be a beautiful problem.
nice to beat the bruins, but it's just 1 games so nobody get too excited.
good news: Cammalleri is a real scorer.
bad news: Cammalleri is our only scorer.
Hey what about Metro, he must be getting up there!
What about Gionta?
seems like for some people, out of sight out of mind.
"one win, plan the parade; one loss, tie the noose. It’s super-emotional, it’s completely irrational, but that’s what makes it so glorious." - George Stroumboulopoulos
So which team is the REAL Montreal Canadiens? The one from last night or the one from earlier this week? The answer is neither. We can't judge the team until we see how they play when fully healthy. That means Markov and Gionta have to be back in the line-up before we can see how they really are as a team and how good BG really was in building it. If they continue to play like they did last night, then the additions of Markov and Gio will only act as catalysts in springboarding us into the playoffs. If they continue on as they did against the Leafs and Sabres, then there is no hope.
Other news:
- Teemu Selanne out for 4-6 weeks with an injured hand.
- For others who don't know, Peter Laviolette has been named Philadelphia's new head coach. Stevens was fired as an aftermath of Flyers's recent struggles. Winners of only 3 of their last 10 games are facing the Capitals today. Ray Emery has been struggling lately as his save % has dropped drastically from .926 to .907.
- Guillame scored the shootout winner against Ducks yesterday.
- Kessel and the Leafs take on the Bruins today. I call it 5-3 Bruins.
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Goaltender Jaroslav Halak needed some repairs to his mask after it suffered a direct hit from a Brian Gionta slapshot. Said Halak: "It was a pretty hard shot from such a little guy."
i heard that Markov Skated Lightly yesterday...is that true?
"one win, plan the parade; one loss, tie the noose. It’s super-emotional, it’s completely irrational, but that’s what makes it so glorious." - George Stroumboulopoulos
He did. RDS confirmed it too, I think..
did anyone notice that he was limping in the pre-game ceremony btw
--- we need a kovalev
Kovalev [ka-va-leov]: A player who makes you jump out of your seat with a wicked deke or a sick shot and makes you say: "Did you see that!!"
I would rather him limping than being on crutches
"one win, plan the parade; one loss, tie the noose. It’s super-emotional, it’s completely irrational, but that’s what makes it so glorious." - George Stroumboulopoulos
touché but still... let's hope he can walk properly as well
--- we need a kovalev
Kovalev [ka-va-leov]: A player who makes you jump out of your seat with a wicked deke or a sick shot and makes you say: "Did you see that!!"
haha for sure
"one win, plan the parade; one loss, tie the noose. It’s super-emotional, it’s completely irrational, but that’s what makes it so glorious." - George Stroumboulopoulos
I'll admit that I was about to write this season off after the last two games, but this one has given me hope. Habs still need 9 more wins in December. At least for this most historic game they came out and played like a team, dare I say it, possessed. Hopefully the ghosts of the old Forum have finally found their way to the new Bell Centre. Funny how Boston always seems to be on the other end of these moments.
Did not see the game sadly, but from the highlights it looks like the hockey Gods were generous last night. I think the team is not as bad as they looked against TO and Buffalo, but neither are they as good as they looked last night.
Like everyone else I am glad the Centennial is finally over. What the next century holds is anyones guess. As a dedicated fan I hope new heroes and stories of iconic magnitude will unfold.
Does your approach cause dizziness? ;o)
Welcome to the roller-coaster ride that is Habs fandom!!!
I've been a fan since at least 1974 and it hasn't been so up and down for me. I guess we all have our own way of responding to the trials and tribulations of the team.
Yeah about '74 for me as well. . . and it's all been up except for last spring, the off-season, and the beginning of this year.
Last night got me back on track.
in my opinion i don't think anyone should write a team off until...january at the latest..unless your the leafs then you can write them off at the end of October.
"one win, plan the parade; one loss, tie the noose. It’s super-emotional, it’s completely irrational, but that’s what makes it so glorious." - George Stroumboulopoulos
rember last year when kostistyn was struggling a bit and wasn't scoring. he owuld always pass the puck of to kovy even if he had a wide open lane to shoot.
i am wondering if the same thing isn't happening this year but with cammaleri. kostitsyn just passes the puck of to him even though he has a shot available.
Either way i am hoping this ain't the case because if kostitsyn can also start scoring, then that line would be killer.
right now ksotitsyn is palying really well, don't get me wrong, but i would like to see some goals from him as well
--- we need a kovalev
Kovalev [ka-va-leov]: A player who makes you jump out of your seat with a wicked deke or a sick shot and makes you say: "Did you see that!!"
Speaking of "Last Night":
Did anyone see Mario Tremblay at the Bell Centre?
After the destruction of Thursday night, I was convinced that this season was over and done. Maybe, just maybe, that 2 hour ceremony showed the players what it truly meant to wear that CH. Hopefully that message carries over for the rest of their careers with the Canadiens.
Amazing Game Amazing Night i will remember it for the rest of my life. a couple of things that i loved were Price, Cammalleri ( His reaction of the croud when he got his hatrick was priceless also someone through a Boston jersey on the ice instead of the hat, that was hilarious) and Gill on the penalty kill all that guy has to do is lie down in front of price and he covers everything with his body and stick . Amazing amazing amazing. Keep playing like this and WOW.
"one win, plan the parade; one loss, tie the noose. It’s super-emotional, it’s completely irrational, but that’s what makes it so glorious." - George Stroumboulopoulos
Great game!
the goaltending on this team is fine and so is the d(good enough for playoff)...but going forward we need better pp stats (i heard we have had 100 less pp chances than the leafs) ..hopefully we average more than 2.5 pp per game but when we do we have to do better ...also we need to get scoring from other forwards so we can win games when one of our few scorers dont score...ak46,sk74 dags plecks and maxpac have to start scoring goals not just getting assists .
one thing about last night - the referees nearly handed them the game before we killed it off and then scored. i can't for the life of me understand the two calls - did i miss something? either were marginal, unless i missed something, but two together? that was nearly riot material if they'd stolen our night with that.
The first 5-3 in my opinion was deserved. But it should have been 4-3 because one of Boston's players was going at it also. But the second 5-3 was bogus
"one win, plan the parade; one loss, tie the noose. It’s super-emotional, it’s completely irrational, but that’s what makes it so glorious." - George Stroumboulopoulos
Just a side note, but was anyone else somewhat shocked when Patrick Poulin came onto the ice? To me, his name reminds me of the dark Houle period. Not to mention he was completely useless, and we traded the now hated Darcy Tucker to get him. Nothing against Poulin personally, but I just thought it was kind of funny/weird that he was there.
Unbelievable night. Couldn't have asked for more.
Here's the Cammalleri hat trick goal, and the ovation afterwards:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgDyTE6g35c
we are now in a situation ,where we have to play price every game, its a nice situation to be in, cause he has arrivved
great to read an upbeat "about..." and great to read the emotional and thoughtful posts today and last night. lots of happy tears, fond memories, excitement, and to wrap it up with a confident and deserving win... the word i keep coming back to is pride. pride in the organization, in the fans (more or less, enough with the BG hating already), the legends who spoke their minds and rekindled the joys of youth, sitting up late in my parents room watching a little black and white, my brother twisting the antennas to improve reception.
it felt like a turning point game and i hope it becomes one. there was pride on the team's faces last night, and i hope it doesn't sound condescending but i was proud of the guys and how they came through when it mattered. keep it going!
Exactly how I feel, BeacHab.
I posted this before but THAT CEREMONY was HUGE in every WAY.
I'm 45 years old, I started falling in love with the Habs was when I was almost 7 years old during that playoff series vs. Boston where Ken Dryden stole the show in the spring of '71 (that and all the hockey cards, mmm, that gum... got me hooked). My dad was a Bruins fan and it was fun seeing him shaking his head at all the great saves and comebacks. During the Final vs. Chicago, my dad let me stay up to watch and the sight of Jacques Lemaire sending a slap shot from center ice past Tony Esposito is still such a vivid memory. My first Cup win as a fan!!!
It seemed like the Habs won the Cup every season back then. My grandfather being best friends with then Habs president Jacques Courtois meant many games sitting right behind the team bench in my grey flannels looking dapper and meeting players and amassing a cool hockey stick collection (Dryden's goal stick, Cournoyer's oh so cool curve all wasted by using them on them rough snowy streets of the Town of Mount Royal in daily games of the best most meaningful intense road hockey ever!
That all came back last night seeing the Habs of yesteryear coming out for a pre-game skate, I couldn't sit, it was like opening new packs of hockey cards and getting that season's edition of your favourite Habs "Ken Dryden! The Road Runner! Steve Shutt!!! LAFLEUR!!!!" Breathlessly explaining them to my 5 year old son who only knows Lafleur and Shutt from his McFarlane sports figures. Even my Columbus Blue Jacket loving wife said she got goose bumps (she's only been a hockey fan since 2000 but has heard me and my buddies reminisce about these players endlessly over the years).
THANK YOU Montreal Canadiens for making me feel like a 7 year old again.
Hey Smiler
I didn't see U at the Pearl St. Bar Thursday night. Thean again it would have been hard to spot U with the sea of RED there!
DD, how'd you enjoy Buffalo? We got to the Pearl Street Grill about 5:45pm, the place was packed, we sat with some Hab fans from Toronto and quaffed some really bad flat draft Blue Light before heading out where we swapped our section 322 tix (and my Feb 5 BUF-CAR tix) for a couple of sweet section 101 tix behind the net.
Before Dale could fart, it was 3-0 Sabres. Ugly game but hey, Dale has said he's not bringing his jinxed *** to Buffalo anymore so maybe next time I'll see a MTL W.
Nice arena though eh? Sorry we missed ya, we'll hook up next time.
Dude, you're scaring me...I'm 44, my dad is a B's fan and my first recollection of hockey was the '71 season.
As for last night, I too was so excited when all the players came out for the pre-game skate. I was in the living room with the wife, and I'm pointing out each player, naming them and giving tidbits about them when she looks over at me and says, "are you crying?" I said " Yeah, I am. That's my life right there. Name a player and I can tell you when they played, how old I was and what I was doing during that period of my life. Thye've been with me since I was a kid, and will be til the day I die."
Gawd, I love this team, and think BG has the foundation for another great team. These guys care, and that's the one thing this team has been lacking for awhile.
Is your dad's name Rick? Maybe we're long lost brothers! Or maybe it's just bizarro universe.
Now that I live in Ontario, it's very hard to convey to Leaf fans the depth of being a Habs fan. They have no clue, no traditions, nothing but a fading memory of a Cup win 42 years ago when the league was six teams, two playoff rounds and nothing but crew-cuts and black & white footage. Yet they still act like it's their God given right as the Toronto Maple Leafs that they should be handed the Cup every year.
Hating the Leafs is sooooo easy. At least I respect Bruin fans, I have had many drinks in bars with them after Habs-Bruins games. Ah, good ol' Montreal, I miss ya.
I'm living 90 minutes south of MTL in Vermont, where there is loyalty to 3 teams, MTL, Boston and some Philly fans due to John Leclair growing up here. I've never had ANY respect for the Laffs(especially growing up in NFLD where I was surrounded by them), and just slightly more for the B's. I have many friends (and family) who are B fans and we've had many discussions about them. I couldn't support a team that doesn't strive to win the Cup every year, and sadly under Harry Sinden, the B's did not. They had great players and always seemd one player away from being able to win it all, yet they seemed happy because they were filling seats at the old Gah-den and making a profit.....and let's face it, another team that seemed to operate that way for the past 30 years plays in Toranna, which is why I've never respected the team.
Great post. . . nicely put. If last night was a reminder to the players what team they cheer for and the opportunity they've been afforded, it was a reminder to me of what a fan should be as well. Yes, these last 10 or 11 months have been hard, but they're the only hard ones I can remember in my entire time following the club. Time for all - team and fan alike - to man up (or the equivalent for the women).
About Last Night - from the other side pov.....Love the comment section....sounds so familiar. lol
http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2009/12/05/bruins_in_giving_spirit/?comments=all
"Don't play to get into the Playoffs - Play to WIN the Division" IT'S A TEAM GAME - Go Habs Go!
I read it earlier, and thought the same thing
indeed a memorable game.... now it's time for this edition of les boys to write their own history
by the way the 'yarmulke trick' is a keeper.
That was really one of the most special nights I can remember. I was so tired of so much of the celebratory stuff, and then the organization hit the exact right note with that pre-game. I felt so proud and nostalgic during the entire ceremony - I'm still getting chills thinking about it.
For those of us who have followed this team for decades, and for those who are younger and are just as attached and in love without having had the success to sustain you, I can tell you that this organization never stops giving back if you decide to embrace them. It's an organization that has had very, very few truly bad seasons in its history and precious few classless players and controversies on the ice. You just don't see 20 game suspensions or really late hits from our club. For all the requests for "North American players", we were the first to embody a skating first, finish your checks, but only have enough goonery to match the key opponent (e.g., Bruins and Flyers of the 70's) approach: the first to play the game with the beauty of skating.
The combination of French and English in general, and the way they were intertwined so beautifully last night across skaters by their own native/more comfortable tongues, is and was amazing. Guy Lafleur, my favorite Hab of all time, switching to English was so kind, I found. Patrick Roy's speech was incredibly classy and funny. These guys went out there and showed every current player why they're fortunate to be a part of this and what they can get back if they play hard. Cammalleri's hat trick a coincidence? I don't think so. It was a rough week and this hit them right in their hearts and reminded them of why each of them laced up and cheered themselves before they became the product. How could you not want to become part of the history with all of those incredible players out there, all of whom wore the jersey so well before them?
To see Guy Carbonneau back in the uniform was so touching. The same for Roy in full regalia, Dryden with his mask, Robinson, even guys like Eric Desjardins and Mike Keane. Mike McPhee and Brian Skrudland, who was forced out when he shouldn't have been. Chris Nilan after his alcoholism and recent difficulties - maybe a night that can help him remember his potential. It seemed to me like the franchise was saying "you can always come back home", a message that resonates with all human beings as life speeds by, your 20 year old future becomes your 40 year old now in the blink of an eye, hard times come and go, regrets occur, feelings of loneliness occasionally creep in, and the sum of the above, with the addition of a "better than it was" recollection of simpler times and lesser responsibilities, create that perfect recipe we call nostalgia. There were many players I would have liked to see but I think they all know that they're welcome back.
Thank you, Montreal Canadiens, for a true night to remember. Thank you, 2009-2010 edition, for carrying on that tradition last night with obvious hard work and a desire and resulting ability to get the job done. You see what you can do when you put your hearts and dreams above your heads and hands: when you "just do it". To you from failing hands we pass the torch, indeed. You new guys are on the banner but you know that you kind of snuck into the club through the back door despite being underaged, and celebrated with the ghosts here and gone. The ghosts said, "go make your own dreams and become immortal", and for one night at least you knew, consciously or unconsciously, that that offer is simply unmatched by any other sports club in the world.
Bravo, boys, from Elmer Lach and Butch Bouchard - holding hands like brothers - to Ryan White and Tom Pyatt in your Habs jersey and seeking to carry on the tradition. You all made us proud last night. Hold your heads up high and keep skating into your own dreams.
great post, well said.
GREAT POST DOUG. KEEP GOING HABS,YOU CAN DO IT GO HABS GO!!!!!!
Doug-- very nice job. I get goose bumps reading how we all felt. It is so neat for me to be able to read all this emotion now. I'm a kid again!!!!!
I'm 58 and came to the team much later in life, only about 18 years ago when I moved here from Toronto. I was a Leaf fan for my entire life even though I couldn't help but be drawn in by the sheer elegance of the way the game was played by the Habs during my childhood. In our family and in our small town you were either a Leaf or a Hab. There were no other teams. Finally it was the '93 Cup that clinched the deal for me and I've been hooked ever since. Last night reaffirmed my commitment. The history, the great players, the ghosts and now today's team. Classic.
Great post....I agree 100%