Game 3: There’s No Place Like Home (Alone) Again
So this is my living room
Sometimes, going home can be a good idea.
It can be familiar, warm, safe and inviting. In Montreal, we invite you and the thousands of people to an event called the Conference Final. It was game 3, the Canadiens have returned from a scoreless rout in Philly and are hoping for some loving from the family.
Game 3: I decided to head down to the Bell Centre to check out the Fan Jam again. It had gotten bigger since I saw it the first time weeks before. It was a celebration in the streets, fans dressed in their jersey best, painted to the nines. Smiles and eyes as wide, the band on stage playing cheesy tunes to the general masses. It felt like a wedding reception.
Note to self: don’t ever hire a band mainly consisted of white boy funk. Nothing better than a white dude singing Kayne West. Really Bell Centre, Really!
Also no one can drink in front of the Esso Station on the cheap as before. Too many cops now, too many cops in the downtown in fear that anything can spark a riot.
It was bittersweet as the Fan Jam feels like a party you’re not quite invited to. Everyone gets to go watch the game in the arena, I go in search of a bar.
The only two other things that are sad is that I’ve not gone to a game or a playoff game ever. I don’t have the luxury to buy tickets. The other sad thing is that I always end up with no one to go with.
Such as in the case of tonight. Because of the lackluster play in the last while, I’ve been abandoned to watching the game by myself. Yep, it was too much to deal with not scoring a goal and being down 2-0. I chose to watch the game on my own at Brutopia. I had a feeling things would turn around, I’ve seen this before.
It was like that with last year’s Pittsburgh run, they came back twice in 2-0 deficits. And they won it all. So there could be a realistic chance.
Reality is that Andrei Markov was not coming back at all. He had surgery Wednesday. Out for six months. Someone on the D had to step it up.
For one thing, not Ryan O’Byrne, he came back after being sat out for three games. He played the first shift, took a stupid penalty and was sat for the remainder of the game.
Maybe go back to scoring in your own net.
Let’s be realistic, Michael Leighton is not a great goalie as they are perceiving him as, he’s a big guy with pads on. Eventually the Habs will break him.
And they did as Cammalleri finally popped that Philly cherry. Man,was he ever relieved. So was the entire city. The half empty bar with it’s few strong hold fans let out a roar.
Later on Pyatt got one…wait, goal review….got a goal. YES!
You can see the momentum on the ice, fewer mistakes, clean passes. PK Subban still speedy throughout the game. Roman Hamrlik reappeared and had his best outing in weeks. Two assists, the best one was the pass to Gionta and of course, his rumble against the other Philly sh*t disturber, Scott Hartnell. What a number against the ghetto Goldilocks.
As we were leading, people decided to finally show up to the game. By the third period, a couple people who finished a summer class I knew showed up to see if Halak can keep the shutout.
Nope, another francophone score! The theme continues of Quebec players lighting up between the pipes.
We broke Leighton in a big way, Halak had a good outing. He now looks like a goalie again. The Bell centre crowd was brutal to the 2nd rate, 3rd string goalie. Even worse when chanting “Pronger sucks” as Chris Pronger rumbled against Spacek. It was more like dance with because of the size difference.
The Canadiens came back and came back big.
I walked on my lonesome (as the crew I was with took the metro home). Ste Catherine St was closed off for a few blocks for the wedding party to spill onto the street. It was a sea of red strolling down with big eyes and smiles. A dixieland band were busking in the middle of Crescent entertaining the fans, even the riot cops.
Ah, only in Montreal you can do this. And be followed home by a heliocopter.
Before I close off, a shout out to the facebook group BBQ with Kirk Muller. They now have reached more than 200 members in a short time. If the Canadiens are close to reaching the final, I think Kirk Muller can show up to a BBQ.
Also, as game 4 looms and there will be a game 5, everyone is welcome to experience this. This is rarest playoff run in years, we were supposed to have been swept a few weeks ago against Washington.
I can give it to you by the numbers: Calgary was 14 years between Stanley Cup finals, Edmonton 12 years, Ottawa have done this once in their short NHL life and the closest Toronto has been has been is three conference finals in 17 years.
This is Montreal’s best chance at a Cup since the last one, 17 years ago.
Most of us were young for that run, either in middle school or grade school. I recommend that you take in a least one game, one experience on Ste Catherine St. It’s kind of special because it doesn’t really happen that often. Or ever.
If you can’t afford beer, there will be someone that will offer you one. No one will be left behind. Someone will save a spot at the bar, on the couch. Someone will text scores or write a blog about the experiences (yeah, I threw that in there).
I will be at the Bifteck Saturday as I have to run from work to watch. You’re all welcome to come, have some of my beer and watch. Think of it as being at my house.
Fun times at home. Oh yeah.
