Opening teasers to this one let us know that we’re in for a whole lotta action and scuffling and throwing of helmets and swearing and ACTION.
January 27 in Brossard. Last week was a sh*tty one for the Canadiens. We reminisce about coach Michel Therrien’s last presser following the 5-0 shutout by the Capitals, where he spoke of how they will respond to adversity and show what they’re made of. The boys are in good spirits on the ice despite the bad last few games. At the team meeting in the video room the next day, the players respond well to Therrien’s “Let’s f*cking compete” charge ahead of their next game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
In the dressing room before the game, Therrien also warns them that he doesn’t want to see Carolina net minder Khudobin “seeing any f*cking puck tonight”. Puck drop with Carey Price in nets, and the boys show up to play. Brandon Prust opens the scoring for the Habs and Gallant thinks it’s “about f*cking time”. He then coaches Brendan Gallagher on the next play, and guess who gets the next goal? Yeah! 2-0 Habs.
At intermission, backup goalie Peter Budaj laughs about how Ruutu didn’t want a piece of Douglas Murray, to which Murray just laughs. Josh Gorges does some speechifying with the usual obvious advice, and is it just me, or does Prust have a look on his face like, okaaaay, Josh. Anyway this episode has another “Here we go here we go!” by Josh on their way back out to the ice.
In the second, Max Pacioretty scores the Canadiens’ third goal of the game to Carolina’s none. One of the posts helps Carey out on a shot and then he grabs a puck out of the air. The Habs are flying all over the place and then it’s Travis Moen’s turn to ring a post. Gallant assures Moen that it’s eventually gonna happen.
In the video room, JJ Daigneault watches back video of … himself, being interviewed by Marc Denis of RDS. And once again, Gorges tells the team to play hockey in the third period.
In the third, everybody tries to do everything. But guess what? After a piece of crap previous week, Pricer gets the shutout and the Habs have finally figured out how to score. The dressing room is elated more than anything, and Carey walks in to many shouts of approval.
For the recent Bell Let’s Talk day to raise awareness for mental illness, the Montreal Canadiens did their part by having their gorgeous wives hand out “Cause pour la Cause” bracelets before the game, and afterward Josh Gorges, all cleaned up, signs autographs and takes some pictures with a few lucky fans.
It’s January 30, and the Habs are on their way to Boston for the game against the Bastards. Davis Drewiske skates to get ready to regain some playing form after a lengthy injury. JJ and head athletic therapist Graham Rynbend check him out. Drewiske’s been skating for three weeks now so it’s likely he’ll be seeing some game action soon.
Game time. Peter Budaj is in nets. Alexei Emelin opens the scoring for the Habs, and George Parros is on the ice for it! Everything is happening. Max Pacioretty drives to the net and gets another, but the period ends with a Bruins goal. Oh and with 9’11” macho man Zdeno Chara trying to twist 4’6″ Gallagher’s head off from behind at the Boston net.
At intermission, this time it’s Parros giving out advice and I don’t care if he does because who wouldn’t want to listen to a super-genius? Therrien comes in to echo Parros’ exact sentiments, and also to tell them to “attack those guys, attack those guys, attack those guys.” I approve.
Third period. Bruins starting to play with frustration which usually does not end well for them but always makes me afraid since that one time that one guy attempted murder on Max Pacioretty. Murray is matched up with said one guy and handles himself quite nicely, and gets kudos from the bench. The Bruins be Bruins and start playing (more) dirty and get warnings from Parros to watch themselves. Brian Gionta scores to make it 3-1 and Boston pulls Tukka Rask from the net. “Nouveau gardien, même résultat.” Daniel Briere scores another for the good guys, and it’s now 4-1. And Budaj continues to stand tall in his net. The third is uneventful and Budaj wins. Two good games in a row for the Habs, demonstrating great character after that other dismal week.
On January 31, Carey Price gets ready to make a young fan’s dream come true. Young Maxim Boucher developed cancer at the age of 13 months that recurred at the age of nine. His dream is to shoot pucks at Carey Price. Maxim first gets to meet Marc Bergevin, Marc makes him sign a standard player’s contract, completing the experience and making him an official member of the Canadiens’ family. Maxime’s parents, Jean and Josée, get their boy ready for his big moment: meeting Carey. Carey gets dressed and gets Maxime’s background from Stephane Waite. The two meet Maxime finally, and Waite asks him if he knows why Carey is so good, to which Maxime responds, “Because he has a good coach?” Carey laughs. With Waite coaching Maxime on how to beat Carey, Maxime does easily. Glad the Canadiens signed him.
February 1. Game day against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The boys are in the video room with the coaches and all I can think about is how fundamentally disinterested Lars Eller always looks. And he may not be, but he sure looks it, and I don’t like it.
Puck drop, and both teams have shown up to play. There are hard checks, and Brandon Prust gets into a fight, and Carey Price stops a penalty shot, and Douglas Murray threatens to rip someone’s head off. Entertainment, check. The first period ends scoreless. The boys are frustrated, and there is much stick-throwing as they file into the dressing room.
In the second, that rock/pit/stomach thing happens, and P.K. accidentally puts the puck into Carey’s net. TBL congratulate each other like it’s something they did. TB goalie Bishop comes way out of his net to have words with Prust, and we don’t know why. They get into it. Everybody comes out to pile on/break it up. End of the second, and P.K. smashes his stick on the dressing room wall and Prust laughingly explains that Bishop came after him because Prust told him he’d take his head off. So touchy, that Bishop.
In the third, the Lightning try everything to double their lead but Price isn’t having it. Briere ties it up. The Habs try everything to get the lead but it’s not happening. Price gets scored on in overtime and everything sucks, except that we get an important loser point.
In the dressing room, we see something I have never, ever seen before: Price loses his cool. He hurls his gloves at the wall, and then his helmet, three times. Who can blame him – although I’m sure he doesn’t blame his teammates but himself because I LOVE HIM.
