This Win was for Pat Burns: a Leafs VS Habs retrospective
Normally there would be a bar review however I’m making an exception this entry.
Last Friday, Pat Burns, former Canadiens and Leafs coach, passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. He lived the way he dealt with his disease: always fighting. He was a coach that never gave up, the kind of man when your team in down and entering the 3rd period, will do whatever it takes to come back and win it.
This is why this Leaf/Habs match-up was significant. Both teams that have once been under the helm of Pat Burns wanted to win this one for the coach who would never let them quit. However, the Habs would give him the win as this game was in his backyard. Pat Burns grew up in St Henri, not too far from the Bell Centre but steps away from his old haunt The Montreal Forum.
I was little when Burns coached the Canadiens (1989-92) but vaguely remember his face on my TV. I was years away from becoming a hockey hardcore however I recall seeing glimpses of Canadiens games. I would see fights and a goalie by the name of Patrick Roy in amour painted in red, white and blue. My memory of Pat Burns is of him on the bench, yelling. Yelling at his players, the referees, anyone that got in his way for the win. Stubborn as Hell but producing winning results. A trip to the Stanley Cup final in his first year.
I got to know him better during his Leaf years. Dressing sharply, making Doug Gilmour a better player and the time he left the bench and was heading towards the LA Kings bench fuming in rage in the 1993 Western Conference final.
He had the fire in his belly necessary to be an outstanding coach in the NHL. Passionate coaches, love them or hate them, will get under their player’s skin and want them to be at the top of their game.
As for the game itself, because of having a photography gig at M for Montreal, I was only able to catch glimpses of the game. But I was able to see what the guys at the Bell Centre did to paid tribute, a video montage along with a beautiful photo projected on centre ice followed by an ovation then moment of silence (when the Leafs are in town, the last thing you would hear at the Bell Centre is silence).
Very respectful.
I left my house to go to the Metropolis gig right after Don Cherry’s stirring tribute, caught the 2nd and for the third time this season walked into a goal, this time by Halpern. His head on right after the hit two games before, the “h” was back but now the “D” in the PhD line was a scratch. Darche was making room for Yannick Weber, defense needed the extra man.
This was the kind of game that Pat Burns would have wanted, passionate, defensive, all work and no play. It’s shows that hard work can pay off. The Canadiens so far this season, despite the odds and with skeptics and hockey analysts doubting them, have been proving that hard work, team ethics and pure confidence can produce wins.
That was a great pass from Mike Komisarek to Cammalleri… if he still played for the Habs. If Pat Burns still coached the Leafs he would have been fuming. Not as mad as goalie Gustavsson dropping the F-Bomb all over Montreal. He played solid between the pipes in place of Gugiere however guess what: another Carey Price shutout!
Seriously, in Montreal if you’re not watching the game, you somehow have the game following you from place to place. Metro stops, twitter feeds and the occasional text will keep you in the loop.
If Pat Burns were to coach the Habs today I’m sure he would stir the pot on why Lars Eller hasn’t gotten a goal yet. He would not tolerate players like Sergei Kostitsyn (he would have been shipped out sooner) and not tolerate the 3-0 loss to Kostitsyn’s current team the Nashville Predators.
He knew that a dependable goalie is key to the team. A note was given to Carey Price from assistant coach Kirk Muller (another ex-player of Burns). Even when he’s not coaching, he’s still an influence. The same he did to Price was what he did for Patrick Roy, Felix Potvin and Martin Brodeur.
He deserves the Hall of Fame, shame on them for not allowing him in towards the end of his life. His influence is still around the league and in arenas like Montreal. May his guidance and his passion for the game not be forgotten.
the sweet taste of victory
Shout outs of the week: Big shout outs to anyone who didn’t make fun of Jaroslav Halak’s goal in his own net. Halak let in a beauty of a goal against Detroit. We had a laugh about it but no taunts on Facebook. Hopefully if Carey Price has an off game we won’t berate him either. Respect your goalies, they can’t always be on the ball.
Shout out also to this cupcake design at the Cupcake Camp at the Queen Elizabeth hotel this past Sunday. Over $31 thousand were raised for Kids Help Phone hotline. The Canadiens will always have an influence, even in baked goods.
