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A Fairy-Tale at the Bell Centre, As Habs Make History Against the Rangers |
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No matter how long you’ve been a Canadiens fan, the game that was played last night has got to be among the top 3 you’ve ever watched. I’m lucky to have the latitude here on hockeybuzz (that I wouldn’t necessarily have for a mainstream publication) to editorialize and bring the fan perspective into what I write. No matter who you are in the media, whether you’re Red Fisher, or Yvon Pedneault, or Bob Mackenzie, there’s no escaping the fact that you start out in this business as a fan, and despite your obligation to be impartial, and stoic in the pressbox, you cannot silence the fan inside of you that wants to scream, and holler, and succumb to the emotion of history being made in front of your eyes.
When I spoke with Yvon Pedneault this morning, I asked him if it was the greatest game he’s ever called. “It’s certainly up there.” Yvon has been covering the Canadiens for long enough to pass judgment on the quality of any given game, but he compared this one to a night where the Canadiens trailed Boston 5-1 in game 2 of the quaterfinals, in Ken Dryden’s rookie season, back in 1971. The Habs came back and won 7-5. The Forum had it’s mystique, and of course was home to the greatest hockey ever played in the sport, but somehow I doubt it ever got as loud and intense as the Bell Centre did last night, as Yvon described it to me. “This team came back in the game, because the fans showed how much they cared. Throwing those ‘Go Habs Go’ signs on the ice, as Mike Komisarek was sent to the box for his penalty on Mara, was a much needed wake up call, and it showed the team that they were being supported…we have the greatest crowd in all of hockey.” He furthered his statement by telling me about his discussion with Sam Rosen (New York Rangers broadcaster) who claimed he’d never seen a more unbelievable crowd in his life, a thought Rosen transgressed to the New York fans watching the broadcast.
In the Canadiens rich history, never had they come back from such a large deficit, and certainly never in the time frame that they accomplished it in. This game was so unbelievable it may as well have been a fairy-tale.
Starting with Michael Ryder, who broke out, scoring two goals and assisting on a third. Not to mention drawing a penalty in the third period that reinforced the belief that the Canadiens were going to do the impossible, and win this game. Though Ryder wasn’t credited with a hat-trick in this one, he may as well have been. Three goals came off of Ryder’s stick, and the boost he gave the team with his efforts, is certainly not to be discounted. I could single out Alex Kovalev as well, who fought through a major shut down effort by the Rangers in the first half of this game, to score two huge goals when it mattered most. Saku Koivu scored the nicest shootout goal of the season, as Cristobal Huet who has struggled tremendously in these situations, stopped two shots, and forced Jagr to miss on the third. I could single a few others out as well, but the truth is that every player, from Gorges to Begin, from Komisarek to Latendresse, from Bouillon to Markov, from Lapierre to Streit, from Plekanec to Sergei Kostitsyn, played a part in making this as complete of a team victory as any we’ve ever witnessed.
This was an emotional night for any fan, but imagine how it feels for the players of the Montreal Canadiens who could certainly empathize with the New York Rangers, having been through what they felt, earlier on in the evening. To surrender 5 goals unanswered is a haunting feeling to say the least, and it’s an incredible thing to be on both sides of that feeling in the same game!
This is a very young team, with key veterans in place. Though they may not have the playoff experience of the Senators, or Ducks, or the Red Wings, experiences like last night will play a huge role in their ability to face the toughest situations in any playoff environment.
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Here come the rumors…
Bob Mackenzie did a report last night that was as straightforward as we’ve ever seen from him. He made an absolute statement, saying that Michael Ryder and a draft pick were on the table for Calgary’s Alex Tanguay, and that the deal was only being held up by another deal Calgary is trying to work out. It’s no secret, that much like Bob Gainey, Darryl Sutter is heavily pursuing an “impact” player, to push Iginla over the edge. We’re talking about Sundin, and Jokinen, the two biggest names on the market. Mackenzie went further to say he believes Gainey will be the biggest player on deadline day, as he has his finger on the pulse of three potential deals for the biggest names on the market.
Michael Ryder couldn’t have picked a better game to breakout in, and with 4 points in his last 2 games (three of which were goals) he has undoubtedly raised his value. We are 6 days away from the deadline, entering the most exciting part of the season. Whether the Canadiens are at the top of the conference, or in the middle of it, every game from last weekend’s through early April, and beyond, is a playoff game. When you consider how the Canadiens have faired thus far, a Stanley Cup isn’t out of the question; something that clearly hasn’t been lost on Bob Gainey, who admitted yesterday, he is indeed shopping for an “impact” player.
The Pittsburgh Penguins come to town, as the hottest team in the league as of late. Sidney Crosby has been vigorously working towards a comeback, and could possibly suit up as early as Thursday. Pittsburgh has certainly been a force to be reckoned with, even without Crosby’s services. There’s no denying the Canadiens and Penguins have built up a special rivalry, and this one promises to be another nail-biter.
More to come…
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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