On Patrick Roy night, as the Habs retired #33 for their legendary former goaltender, the Bruins played the role of spoiler, sending 20,000 Quebecois home unhappy, and very very quiet.
Fittingly, the game ended as Bruins' goalie Tim Thomas stopped Saku Koivu's shootout bid. The night 33 went up to the rafters, Thomas stopped 33 shots.
Not surprisingly, the Canadiens were helped by the men in striped shirts. They got away with interference away from the puck about a dozen times in the 1st period, particularly Georges Laraque on Milan Lucic. A hand pass in the offensive end was ignored. Andrei Kostitsyn clearly dove on a Marc Savard hooking penalty, but it wasn't called. And in overtime, they had 5 skaters on the ice instead of the allowed 4.
Surprisingly, the Canadiens played a very physical game in the 1st, while maintaining their up tempo and fast-paced style of hockey. The Bruins never looked comfortable until Montreal seemed to get tired playing both super-physical and super-fast. Which is funny because it was the Bruins who played Friday night, not the Habs.
Milan Lucic was the prime target of boos from the Montreal fans, which made his 2nd period equalizer that much sweeter. He received fewer boos after that.
Lucic's goal was the result of two things: Phil Kessel's blazing hot speed, and Milan's ice cold veins. Georges Laraque had been fucking with him all night trying to pick a fight. But a player like Lucic doesn't fight in 0-0 games. He's too smart to put himself in the box for 5 minutes, or get an extra 2 minute instigator penalty. Lucic kept his cool, scored a goal, and didn't fight Laraque. Which is good news for Georges, because Michael Komisarek is still out 5 more weeks due to Lucic's fists.
The B's are 2-1-1 against Montreal this season, and sit alone atop the Eastern Conference with 32 points.
The Bruins play the Sabres in Buffalo Wednesday night.
-The Commodore
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