Canadiens-Bruins Game Diary

As tonight's game versus the Bruins was not broadcast anywhere close to the city of Montreal, I had to watch it online, with the CKAC broadcast on live to make it like a real TV feature! Still, I wrote the game down to have a little diary.  

7:26: The CKAC commentators compare the Bruins to an injured animal (“Injured animals are more dangerous”) referring to the consequences of last playoffs. What a metaphor! So are the Habs the hunters? Then the hunters themselves got killed by the Flyers. What are the Flyers, then? PETA?

Michel Lacroix : Mesdames et Messieurs, Acceuillons nos Canadiens

7:38: They say Andrei Kostitsyn is threatening already. Well, when you face dangerous injured animals, you better be!

7:39: Ryder is booed as he touches the puck. No big surprise there. Two years ago, he was the face of future of the Montreal Canadiens. In hockey, time goes faster!

7:42: Chara is booed. That is no big surprise either. 

I wonder what "P.J." of P.J. Axelsson stands for. Paul Jake, Patrick John, Peter Jonathan? I am checking...Per-Johan, to make it Anders Per-Johan Axelsson. Nice!

8:03: Bruins go on a power play.  No. 84 is on the ice. What is he doing on the ice? Did he steal a shift? Does coach Carbo know about it? Someone please tell him!

8:07: Bouillon hits Ryder and get the crowd cheering. Hockey is mean sometimes.

8:09: Power play for the Habs.

8:11: Reich is gone for four minutes. It is a five-on-three but the period ends.

A look over the Internet: Carey Price tops the confidence index poll on Yahoo Sports.

8:29: The second period has started. Tanguay, Koivu, and Kovalev make an interesting line, but the power play is still not working. They shoot wide everywhere. Fernandez can leave the net, there is no harm whatsoever.

8:30: Kovalev scores and the crowd is going insane. Brisebois gets an assist.

8:32: Patrice Brisebois scores. I take back what I said about the power play. Weber gets an assist. Marc who? Markov is not in uniform tonight, but nobody complains.  

8:38: Gregory Stewart is hardly hit, and the Habs get another man advantage. If Brian McCabe was watching, he might have a little smile after that hit!

8:39: They try—Tanguay, Koivu, everybody—but the Bruins refuse the access.

8:44: Koivu slips on Chara’s stick, and another PP comes for the Habs. One of the CKAC commentators wonders if Koivu did not let himself fall. Well, he has got to do what it takes! He is paid $4 million for God's sake! I'll break my own leg for that pay-cheque!

Commercial break.

8:47: Guillaume Latendresse scores, and it is 3-0 for the Habs. The crowd is louder, singing “Guy! Guy! Guy!”. Higgins and  Tanguay get an assist.  Tanguay wears No. 13. Reminds me of someone...ah, sweet Sweden!

8:50: Kovalev is on a breakaway, but Fernandez says no.

8:54: High sticking by Higgins. The Black and Gold goes on a power play.

9:02: Hooking on Ryder. Saku Koivu is guilty! But the second comes to an end.

3-0 for the Habs. But they were known to have meltdowns in the third last season. We will see how it goes tonight.

9:21: Third period starts. The Bruins' power play resumes.

9:23: It is the return of the Jedi—oops, the Captain! No goal yet for Boston. I start to wonder if Halak is not too underrated. We all talk about Price and his amazing saves, while Halak might get his second shutout in a row tonight.

9:28: The commentator says Ryder is nervous. Oh, really? Did he say it himself, or did he just send you a note? Those assumptions about the players' feelings always crack me up.

9:32: Tic tac toe, and Zdeno Chara scores on the power play. Amazing play. I’ll also take back the shutout story about Halak. The crowd boos, but the Bruins come to life. This is when they should send Hedley’s Never too late. The atmosphere is heating up, feels great.  

9:38: Chara is not happy, but the referee calls an interference on Plekanec. Wideman protests, everyone has something to say. 

Still, the crowd goes Ole Ole. Isn’t that something taken from soccer fans?

9:40: 'Got to give to Cesar what belongs to Cesar: great penalty kill by Boston on this one.

9:47: Three minutes of play left to score two goals for Boston, but the crowd is already celebrating. Not so fast, anything is possible.

9:50: Manny Fernandez is out of the net; a few efforts here and there—but it is too little too late. The crowd sings Na-Na-Na, Goodbye and is standing.

Halak finished the game with 34 saves, and Patrice Brisebois was named first star of the game. I know, it is still preseason, but a Montreal-Boston match up is always a great hockey game! The season should be intense between the two teams.

The latest post-game update: D'Agostini and Stewart have been assigned to Hamilton.