Bruins 4, Canadiens 2 (OT)

It was a little over a minute a minute after Horton scored the game-winner when I realized that I hadn't been breathing since the goal was scored. I was that excited, that relieved, that exhausted.

Now to the game. It was far from pretty for either team. Or for the refs. There was finally a goal scored while the Bruins had a man advantage. Unfortunately, it went the wrong way. The Canadiens dove a few times, got a few calls, but were eventually hurt by a dive. Then one of the Bruins' leaders made a silly mistake, the Habs capitalized, and to Overtime it went.

But it was Nathan Horton, a newcomer to the playoffs, who scored the winning goal. He scored 3 times in the series, and was the only first-liner to really imprint himself on this series. In the regular season, when Horton was scoring, the Bruins were nearly unstoppable. When he slumped, they had to grind games out. In other words, he's a key to the Bruins' success.

Beating the Canadiens is just extra sweet. Not only is it a rivalry with tons of history, but the Canadiens play a completely different style of hockey from the rest of the NHL. Habs fans bitch and moan about other teams playing dirty, not "playing hockey the right way," then the Canadiens dive and flop like a bunch of Brazilian soccer players. That's not hockey being played the right way. It was perfect justice that Hamrlik dove to steal a call, and Kelly took advantage of the 5-on-4 to score.

PK Subban is a hell of a hockey player. But his diving is just an embarrassment. He's a strong dude. Yet David Krejci apparently can manhandle him. So can Gregory Campbell. It's just sad to watch a talented player like that resort to such childish tactics.

While I'm thrilled to eliminate the Canadiens, there's still plenty of room for improvement that needs to be addressed by the time the Flyers series starts. The Power Play actually got worse last night. Not only did they fail to score, they allowed a goal.

The nature of the shorthanded goal was what pissed me off. The Bruins struggled with entry, so they tried a gadget play. Seidenberg's supposed to back-pass to Recchi in the center, which will cause the Montreal defenders to stand up at the blue-line. But Montreal was going to yield entry. There was no need for the trickery. And it was incorrectly timed anyway. The pass came too early, Recchi couldn't handle it, and Montreal tied the game with a shorthanded goal.

The Bruins are the first team to ever win a 7 game series without scoring on the Power Play.

Bergeron's penalty was also inexcusable. 180+ feet from his own net, late in a game, with a 1 goal lead, he doesn't need to be flailing his stick around like that.

The first line needs to show up. The big players need to make big plays. Krejci is useless. He had another golden opportunity tonight, with half a net to shoot at, but his backhander went way over the crossbar. Lucic made a smart pass to find Horton for the game-winner, but he's still floating, still waiting around for something to happen. He needs to make things happen. He used to seek contact. Now he's almost avoiding it.

The Power Play and first line need to contribute. The defense can't afford anymore giveaways. The Flyers are better than the Canadiens. Much better. Sure, the Flyers' goaltending is questionable, but their forwards are relentless. The Canadiens were dangerous on the PP and on the counter-attack. The Flyers are ALWAYS dangerous.

I'll revel in this victory for a few days. But the Flyers are next. Improvements need to be made. Meanwhile, the Canadiens can...

-The Commodore

Bruins 7, Canadiens 0

The Bruins didn't just kill the Canadiens, they took their souls.

When these teams have met this season, the game tends to be decided early. That trend continued. The Bruins were in charge from the drop of the puck. The Power Play struggled with entry, but once they took the zone, they stayed there. The Bruins simply wanted it more.

Everyone contributed (except Ryder). Gregory Campbell atoned for his mistakes in the New Jersey game with a rare 3-on-5 goal. Horton looked like a scorer again. Peverley was a few inches here and there from a multi-point night.

The defensemen played well in all three zones, smothering the Canadien forwards, and contributing on offense. Like Chara with 3 assists. Kaberle with his first goal as a Bruin. McQuaid scored, as did Boychuk, who was in playoff form all night.

Then there's Thomas, who only had 24 stops to make, but some of them were pretty big in the 1st period. And some of them were pretty difficult in the 2nd and 3rd. 8th shutout of the year for Timmy.

The Bruins didn't do much wrong last night. It was a Flawless Victory, with Campbell's 3-on-5 goal the Fatality.

You had to be pleased with the Bruins putting in maximum effort for 60 minutes. Actually, 60 minutes and 2 seconds, because that's when Seguin shot the puck at Auld after the buzzer.

So let's enjoy this big win over our ancient rival. But come Saturday, this is in the past. Bruins host a team that actually has a heart. They're called the New York Rangers. That's another potential playoff preview.

-The Commodore

Beat Montreal

You have to appreciate the zealous enthusiasm Canadiens fans show for their team. But they sometimes go too far beyond sports fandom and it just rubs me the wrong way. It pisses me off. So whoever wins tonight's Game 7, either the Bruins or Flyers, I hope they go on to throttle the Canadiens. I hope that those cheese-eating, wine-swilling sons of surrender monkeys up North get swept and embarrassed. Twatreal fans are a bunch of babies and pussies, just like their teams.



Wednesday, they had 21,000 fans packed into the Bell Centre to watch the Canadiens play in Pittsburgh. That's pretty cool. Then they all took the streets and celebrated. Still fine, but also pushing it a bit. It's the 2nd goddamned round of the playoffs. Then they started rioting, and looting.

Canadiens fans and Quebecois identify with their team as a sort of National Representation. Quebec isn't technically its own country, but its inhabitants (Les Habitants) are kind of like Southerners in the US. They're part of our country, but they're also part of their own sub-country. A nation within a country, like the Welsh in Great Britain, or Bavarians in Germany, Catalan in Spain, and so on. So they feel like the Canadiens represent them as a people. Hence the nickname: Habs (which is also what the descendants of French settlers are called). And that's all well and good. But what do they do to celebrate their Provincial Team's victory, what should be a glorification of French Canada? Attack and steal from the businesses of other French Canadians!

Fuck that shit!

Imagine if USA won the World Cup, and us Americans celebrated by burning the flag.

And then there's how those classy Montreal fans treat our national anthem...



Compared to how we here in Boston treat the Canadian anthem...



Even Philadelphians, who boo everything, don't disrespect their anthem...



All I can really say to these Quebecois cunts is to just get over yourselves. You riot after winning a 2nd round series. You riot after winning a 1st round series in 2008. You wanted to murder Kyle McClaren for what he did to Richard Zednick. I remember Montreal papers fabricating bullshit stories about Zednick being comatose and/or having a broken vertebra after that hit.



And why is it that playoff games played on Canadian ice see about 800% more debris throwing? A bad call goes against the Blackhawks, and people boo. But against the Flames, and beer cups, hot dog wrappers, all sorts of rubbish gets tossed onto the ice.

But most Canadians are tolerable. It's just the French Canadians, specifically the ones that wear a CH on their chest.

So let's say tonight the Flyers are up 4-1 with 2 minutes remaining, I hope the Garden starts chanting "Beat the Habs!" As much as I hate the Flyers, Philadelphia, Philadelphians, really the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; I don't wish them any particular physical harm, just emotional misery. Montreal and their Canadiens, on the other hand... Well, let's just say I would love to see Montreal destroyed by a blizzard, or see the St. Lawrence River flood, then freeze over, encasing all the Qebecois and Habitants in an icy mass grave, sort of like the Egyptians in The Ten Commandments, but colder.



-The Commodore

B's Be Back in Business, Baby

Last Monday I was cautiously optimistic after an 0-1-1 weekend. So as you can imagine, I'm thrilled after a 1-1-0 weekend. With an OT loss Saturday and a shutout win Sunday, the Bruins have collected 4 points in 4 games. The sun isn't high in the sky just yet, but it's starting to peak over the horizon.

I'll focus more on Sunday's 3-0 shutout win over Montreal because it's much more pleasant to write about.

It was a game of firsts. The first Bruins victory since January 14th. Adam McQuaid scored his first NHL goal. And Blake Wheeler got into his first NHL fight.



It wasn't an epic debut for Wheeler into the world of fighter, but just the fact that he felt scrappy enough to drop the gloves, and was actually the only one in the fight who threw a punch, is a good sign.

Tuukka Rask is the hot goalie, and you have to ride him while he's hot. I'm still not completely sold on him, but the results don't lie. Besides, goaltending isn't this team's biggest concern, so why not let Rask play until he starts losing?



David Krejci left the game early with an undisclosed injury. The good news is that the Olympic Break commences soon. And honestly, I'm not going to miss Krejci's ghostlike presence on the ice, or lack of presence. He might be available for Tuesday's game in Buffalo.

To be perfectly frank, I was hoping Krejci would be out for a few weeks. Ryder too. I'd much rather have a forceful line with Sobotka and Bitz out there. Krejci's looked fine his last few games, but he's been lacking in every department all season long.

The Bruins bring their roadtrip to Buffalo Tuesday, then Tampa Bay Thursday and Florida Saturday. Then it's Olympic time. Hopefully a strong series of games will give the B's some positives to reinforce over the break.

-The Commodore

Canadiens 2, Bruins 1 (SO)

It's hard to be happy after losing 3 straight. I guess I feel like Barack's White House spinsters when they talk about the country losing jobs, but losing them at a slower rate. You hate to lose on home ice, in the division, against a team as mediocre as the Canadiens. But at least you scored, and at least you stole a point.

This team isn't built to win in overtime or in shootouts. And even when Phil Kessel wore black and gold that was the case. Last year, the B's won shootouts because Thomas would make incredible saves, and the law of averages would catch up to the opposing netminder.

The Bruins put 42 shots onto Carey Price. To be honest, few of them were very good. The Bruins looked desperate for a goal tonight, trying to get a junk goal off a rebound or deflection, rather than simply trying to beat the goalie.

A perfect microcosm of the Bruins' offensive woes came in the 2nd period. On the power play, Tim Thomas made a great up-ice pass to Paille on the offensive blue-line. It was a perfectly placed pass from a goalie with clear European long-ice experience. But Paille couldn't handle it cleanly and hit a Bruin at the side of the crease. Instead he opted for a pass to the slot, which was defended well, and nothing amounted to it. Paille wouldn't be on the ice at all (nearly 16 minutes of ice time) if not for injuries, and as solidly as he's played in Boston, he messed up what should have been a goal.

The Bruins better build on whatever momentum they gather from this OT Loss, because the division leading Sabres come into town Saturday night.

-The Commodore

Bruins/Canadiens Preview

For the 32nd time, the Bruins meet the Canadiens in the playoffs. Think about that. 32 seasons have ended for one of these teams, with their rivals jubilantly celebrating in their face. And in this lengthy history between the two, it’s been the Canadiens who have come out on top. 23 of the previous 31 series have ended in Montreal’s favor. Think about that, the Bruins have played 83 seasons, and 23 of those (27.7%) have ended harshly with a Canadiens’ celebration, and thousands of Québécois singing "Ole!" That’s why Bruins fans like myself cannot stand the Habs.

Well, that’s one of the reasons. I’m only 24, so I don’t exactly remember the 1930 Stanley Cup finals, or the stretch from 1984 to 1987 when the Habs beat the Bruins in 4 straight opening round series, winning 12 of 14 games. There’s a deeper source of the hatred between the B’s and Habs.

The Canadiens and Bruins have two very different hockey philosophies. Thuggish players like Cam Neely and Milan Lucic are worshipped by B’s fans, and vilified by Habs’ supporters. Up in Quebec, they adore slick, refined soccer players who can skate, but shy from violence. Bruins fans hate these pesky guys. To summarize: a Bruins fan will go nuts for a big hit, a Canadiens fan will go crazy for a nice pass. Both fanbases and franchises have irreconcilably different perspectives on how hockey should be played. Not only do they loathe how the other plays the game, but they cannot even respect it.

Two verbs are vital to describe Montreal’s preferred style of hockey: To dive, and to turtle. The Canadiens know how much referees are awestruck by their Stanley Cup banners, and their diehard fans, and their haunted rink. They’ll take advantage of this to get their vaunted power play unit on the ice as often as possible. Dive, embellish, exaggerate, flop, whatever it takes.



They’ve also recently started to provoke-then-turtle, a strategy worthy of Sean Avery. A great example of this tactic is about 3:45 into this highlight reel from the Bruins-Canadiens game on April 9th. I recommend watching the entire video to see how entertaining yet brutal this rivalry has become:



But things have become more complex then simply the Big Bad Bruins vs. Le Club de Hockey Canadien. The Bruins have speed to go along with their muscle. They can pass the puck and finish the play with perfect touch. They were 2nd in the NHL in goals scored. Last year, the speed and agility of the Canadiens was enough for them to beat the Bruins in 7 games. This year, the Bruins are both tough and tricky. That’s why they went 5-0-1 against the Canadiens in the regular season, and that’s why they’ll win this series.

The Bruins have the best goalie in Tim Thomas, while Carey Price’s stock has depriciated. The Canadiens cannot outmuscle the B’s. But the B’s have the personnel to keep up with the Habs‘ desired pace. Phil Kessel has lightning speed, 36 goals under his belt, and he’s red-hot; as demonstrated by his hat-trick Sunday evening. The Bruins’ first two lines can skate circles around almost any team in the NHL, unless that team is really big with tough forwards (See: San Jose. Those are two things the Canadiens desperately lack.

What Canadien is going to stop Milan Lucic? Which Hab will tangle with Shawn Thornton in the corner? How many Montreal players will plead for restraining orders against Zdeno Chara once this series is over?

Montreal produces some very pretty girls…



But 20 of the uglier girls will have nothing to do but cry in a few weeks.



Bruins in 5.

-The Commodore

Nous Possédons Montréal

(that's French for "we own Montreal")




Last year, the Bruins lost 10 straight to Montreal. After yesterday's 3-1 victory, they're 4-0-1 against the Canadiens, clinching the season series with 9 points out of a possible 10.

The Canadiens were wearing hideous throwback jerseys that looked more like standard prison issue than hockey sweaters. But I'll give Carey Price props for sporting dingy looking old school brown pads.

The Canadiens also honored their history of cheap shots, dives, and soccer-style hockey with their play on the ice. Thankfully, their power play is an impotent unit. The Bruins killed a 4:30 stretch of penalties in the 2nd, including extensive 5 on 3 play. Saku Koivu's embellishment helped earn one of those 5 on 3s.



It's amazing how often Tom Kostopoulos was allowed to hack at Tim Thomas's glove as he covered the puck. It's amazing that Ryan O'Byrne elbowed Chuck Kobasew in the head with 4.9 seconds left in the 3rd, and he'll only get the minor penalty for it.



There's nothing to like or respect about the Twatreal Canadiens.

But there's a great deal to love about the Bruins. Shawn Thornton started the game with a fight and wound up with the winning goal. Guys like Byron Bitz and Stephan Yelle contributed with an assist each. Zdeno Chara was +2. He's +4 against Montreal this season. Savard's empty netter was his 20th of the season. He had 15 last year.



The Bruins travel to Philadelphia Wednesday night. The Flyers are the only Eastern Conference team the Bruins haven't beaten. They're also the only Eastern Conference team the Bruins haven't played.

The Bruins have an 18 point lead over Montreal in the Northeast Division. The Bruins are the first NHL team reach the 80 point mark. And the icing on the cake, Guy Carbanneau benched Alexei Kovalev early in the 3rd period for not being a team player. God I hate Kovalev.

-The Commodore

Why I Love the Bruins and Hate the Canadiens

Tim Thomas standing up for teammate Aaron Ward...



And Chipchura fighting with a visor protecting his face, and still losing the fight...



Bruins @ Islanders, tonight at 7 on NESN.

-The Commodore

Bruins 3, Canadiens 1

No Phil Kessel... No Milan Lucic... No Patrice Bergeron... No Marco Sturm...

No fucking problem.

The Bruins were 0-8 against Montreal last year. They're 3-0-1 this season. Yet another inspiring performance, this time missing even more of their top tier talent, the Bruins handled the hottest team in the NHL, winning 3-1, and extending their lead in the Northeast Division.

Tim Thomas had one of the best games of his season, showing those ballot stuffing Quebecois clowns what an All-Star goalie looks like. Not only did he stop 34 of 35 shots, he punked Andre Kostitsyn after Kostitsyn boarded Aaron Ward. It says something about this team when even the goalie fights for his teammates.





The other big night came from Zdeno Chara, who had two power play goals. Both times he snuck in close and used his cannon of a shot to beat Jaroslav Halak, who actually had a phenomenal game between the pipes. Chara spent the rest of his 32 minutes of ice time breaking up plays and decking the Canadiens when they weren't paying attention.

There was one fight, which really demonstrated how fruity the Habs truly are. Mark Stuart got a little bit chippy, so Canadien Kyle Chipchura dropped the gloves and challenged him to fight. Here's the thing, Chipchura wears a plastic visor over his face, so Stuart couldn't land a clean hit on Chipchura's mug. Stuart, cleverly, started slapping Chipchura on the back of the head before finally ripping Chipchura's helmet off.

David Krejci had the 3rd Boston score, the product of Montreal's late desperation. He, Michael Ryder, and Blake Wheeler have been relentless lately. Krejci has 3 goals and 4 assists in his last 3 games. Ryder's scored 10 goals in the last 15 games, and added an assist tonight.

Montreal WAS 9-1-1 in their last 11 before this game. The Bruins have clinched at least a tie in the season series against Montreal. Montreal had 9 players riding point streaks coming into this game, they now only have 3 players with scoring streaks. The Canadiens have not won in Boston since April 15th.

The Bruins are now 12 points ahead of Montreal in the Northeast Division, and 11 points ahead of Washington in the Eastern Conference. They visit the lowly New York Islanders Thursday night. The Islanders have the worst record in the NHL.



-The Commodore