Now. We are in it. Thursday night, Boston looked over matched, and very out played. Last night, while flipping between the BC game, and the Bruins, I noticed the Black and Gold had a lot more life. In spite of the overtime loss, they were still in the contest. After returning from the Garden tonight, I think these boys have a chance.
The evening started with the Dave special at the Fours. I had a Miller High Life, while George had a Michelob Ultra. We then moved on to the poppers and wings, followed by the Bobby Orr for George, and the Bambino (a ¼ hot dog) for me. Tasty buddy. Causeway Street, and all the surrounding bars, looked like St. Catherine’s St. as there was a shit load (actual attendance number) of Habs fans on the streets. George and I were seated between a group of four Canadiens fans on our right, and another two on our left. Both groups were really cool. The guys on our right had been at Fenway earlier, and the guys on our left had just arrived via car. The left guys were headed back to Canada tonight for work tomorrow, only to return for Tuesday’s tilt back in Boston. That is a hockey fan. I don’t even like driving to Lowell for Devils games, and these guys are going between two countries for their team. Both groups were a fun bunch, and it made it hard for me to want to punch them out.
After we killed a few beers and snacks, it was into the Garden for warm up. I have never seen as many fans in the building for the skate around, and to say the mood was electric was an understatement. Chants of GO HABS GO! and LET’S GO BRUINS!, cropped up everywhere. George and I were seated in section 12 row 7 seats 17 and 18 so we were close enough to see the intensity in everyone’s eyes. Shawn Thornton was at the redline trying to stare everyone down, and Marc Savard flipped about 10 pucks to kids. Milan Lucic has his own cheering section, much like old number 42 PJ Stock did. It was electric in the building, and it was only warm up.
The puck dropped, and it was clear the Bruins were not going to be beaten outright in their own building. They had an intensity and purpose about them that was matched by their old foes from the North. It was an up and down game filled with intensity and desire on both sides of the ice. When Milan scored at 6:57 the place went crazy! His goal was a real goal score4rs goal, and the Bruins faithful couldn’t have asked for a better person to score. Like I said, he is a God in Boston. At the end of the first, Sheriff Shane Hnidy, and Guillaume Latendresse had a big disagreement that led to a fight. It wasn’t much of a scrap, as neither landed many of the punches thrown, but I must say Latendresse is a pussy for not taking of the shielded helmet before engaging with Hnidy.
Boston found themselves on the power play to begin the second because Latendresse was given an extra two for roughing plus the five for fighting, but they couldn’t score. Much like the first stanza, it was an up and down affair punctuated by a Tom Kostopoulos goal in which he was damn near killed by a Bruin while tapping in a puck from his side. TK scored a playoff goal, and by that I mean a goal in which he had to fight for all the space given. I hate his guts, and I hate the Canadiens, but I must give props for the goal, and their resilience.
Period three was another back and forth number. Naturally, any shaky call went in Montreal’s favor, and the Bruins could only take it. Scoring chances were a plenty, and Tim Thomas held the fort for the hometown club, per usual. I haven’t been a big fan of his over the years, but this season, he’s really pulled them out of the fire on several occasions. The Hab fan I was seated next to commented as such, and I told him it was the SOP for the Bruins. Get in trouble. Timmy bails us out. Speaking of the Hab fan, that guy was a good guy. We talked a little hockey; and both agreed Carey Price has a great glove. It’s a shame he got a beer thrown on him. I got a little on me too. Here’s what happened. Bruins won, someone threw a half empty brew. Could have hit anyone. It hit him.and a little on me. Oh well.
The OT was awesome, and I want to thank Marc Savard for slamming home the slapper he unleashed on Price. Boston is back alive in this series thanks to him, and I could not think of a better way to spend a Sunday evening. George is working on seats for Tuesday. Hopefully I am the good luck charm, and don’t think I won’t go to Montreal for game seven if I have to. As it was said on the way out by Sully or whatever his name was, I’ve never had a job I couldn’t get fired from for a game seven in Montreal! Well said Sully. Well said.