It didn’t take very long for the usual parade of idiots to say that the Canadiens were too small after the Boston Bruins took the lead last night.
From the EOTP twitter account, I noticed self proclaimed “NHL stats freak”, Frank Dumais (@NHL_Stats) going on about how the Habs being too small was costing them the game.
I asked him point blank, which small Habs player was a liability on the night? He refused to answer, then asked me which one was dominant, to which I replied, Brendan Gallagher, who in my opinion was the best player on the ice for Montreal last night. I then pointed out that he didn’t answer the question, then Gallagher set up Max Pacioretty’s tying goal, then David Desharnais scored the game winner, then Frank never replied to me again. Heh.
Yet even after the win, there are cries in Montreal about the need to add a fighter. Did no one pay attention to the score? Or the flow of play? Did the Bruins win because they were tougher than the Canadiens last night? Well no, they lost, and they lost because they tried to be tough. Zdeno Chara took himself off the ice for 17 minutes, and the Canadiens took advantage, putting two goals behind Tuukka Rask.
Although just in case you think I’m being unfair to Habs fans, calling them stupid, let’s take a look at the homers in the Boston media! You know how you can tell someone is a brutal, completely idiotic homer? When Mike Milbury looks brilliant by comparison. Watch Mitch Felger make a sexist remark and get told by Milbury:
Claude Julien did a great job of wagging the dog after the game, claiming that the Habs embellished on, not some plays, but on every play that resulted in a penalty against the Bruins. He went on a giant rant about how the Canadiens are everything that’s wrong with the game today.
Whether or not Julien believes this is up for debate, but what he’s done is a John Tortorella special. No one in Boston is talking about how the Bruins lost in their own barn against a team that started their backup goalie, they’re talking about how the Bruins are victims to referees and diving. It doesn’t matter that it’s true, Julien has shifted the focus.
The Boston Bruins were beaten by Peter Budaj.
Peter Budaj.
Peter Budaj.
Peter Budaj.
Sorry, the spirit of Randy Tieman came over me for a second there.
The Alexei Emelin crosscheck on Tyler Seguin should have been a 2 minute penalty, the refs missed that call, let’s be clear about that. However Chara’s reaction lost the game for his team, and he should have a hearing with the NHL for jumping Emelin, but he won’t. Be satisfied with the win.
That said, the notion that Emelin isn’t allowed to crosscheck someone because he has metal plates in his face and can’t fight is patently absurd. Emelin is no angel, but he’s also not a dirty player. Emelin has 19 minor penalties in 89 NHL games. He had no major penalties until Chara jumped him last night.
There is nothing in hockey like the Habs and Bruins. Only two more guaranteed games this year. Looking forward to it.
It’s kind of sad to be honest, that no one in Boston is talking about the game, because it was a great game.
For excellent coverage of the game from the perspective of a Bruins fan, read this piece piece on Stanley Cup of Chowder.
