Boston Musings and In-Game Scribbles

My English is as good as yours, I just write these in a stream-of-consciousness mode that I insist excuses me from small things like rules of grammar or general etiquette. Let’s call it conversational English, hopped up on beans. You know what kind of beans (no, Carl Mellesmoen, not the magic ones)

Boston 2 at Montreal 1 (SO)
Preseason Game

Musings and In-Game Scribbles are a “live blogging” of the game that are compiled, typed, really, during the game and edited and posted shortly after the game.

En Français, on dit, match préparatoire.

And they’re going to honour Patrice Brisebois tonight.

The season is back.

Club école is another new term for me this season. Houde says it in reference to players who have to return to the minor-league affiliate (Hamilton Bulldogs).

Well at least RDS didn’t clean house. Demers, Crete et Joel Bouchard sont ici.

Scott Gomez looks Indian. He’s got the A on and he’s bald. Saku doesn’t have to endure interviews anymore, eh.

Joel Bouchard’s dress shirt reminds me of a seventies Sept-Iles pediatrician’s look. Light blue. Grim.

And here come the new commercials. O-yoy.

The anthem. And another familiar face; Charles Prevost-Linton.

They have a crystal cup ready for Patrice before the game starts. The Jean Béliveau trophy. It’s a recognition of community leadership.

And now, a Brisebois video montage. This crowd booed him fiercely near the end of his first stint with the team. Won’t tonight.

They’re playing Take Me Home by Genesis. And now Patrice Brisebois comes out in a suit, preceded by Jean Beliveau. Beliveau is calm as usual.

Sixteeen of his eighteen seasons were with Montreal. He could have played one more year. Let’s see how the blue line corps does without Frankie, Dandy and Breezer this season. All gone.

Kirk Muller makes the effort to walk over and shake Brisebois’ hand.

Tim Thomas in front of the net. His save percentage is under 0.800. Yah, it’s one game played but it ain’t 0.930 and never will be again.

First Period

We start. Halak is in net for Canadiens.

AK46 is on with Gomez and some number I haven’t registered yet.

Now Plekanec’ line is on. D’Agostini is there. O’Byrne and Gorges are the defence pairing.

Flow is all interruption and slugs. Slow.

Lot of new numbers on the ice. Will need a program for a few games, I imagine.

Hitting starts to increase. Gregory Stewart delivers a solid high hit deep in Boston territory.

The skating and urgency remain light.

Markov is not dressed for tonight.

I had to change my desktop background and it’s strange not to see it when I glance at the screen while typing. It featured Bouillon, Koivu and Dandenault from sky on high. A beautiful shot. The interim background is non-sports.

Maxwell coasts down the left side and nearly scores as Thomas makes an odd-angle exit from the net. Sergei drives down shortly thereafter and gets a point-blank shot off. Thomas is the point of a triangle on this one and there is no chance for SK.

Crowd bubbles and starts to froth.

Gomez is just as dangerous in blue as he was in Devil Red. He cruises up from the Bruin end line looking, looking, like Ribeiro used to do. Nobody comes near him. Nothing results this time but it’s nice to have him in Montreal. He is a guy that gave me quease.

Ford. Still trying to convince us to pollute the environment. With the same commercial. Go solar already.

Et la voila, monsieur Claude Julien. Bouchard is down by the Habs’ bench and giving us some of the finer details. It’s good to see. Familiar.

Why does everyone have to wear suits?

Why?

Oh my god. Gill is brutal. Well, what did I expect? Stickhandles like a peewee. Passes like a bantam dude. Great.

O’Byrne fires it in offside. Not a great choice. Whistle and the crowd boos when the refs neutralize a potential fight between Stewart and a Bruin.

Gomez knows how to neutralize forwards on the back-check. Traps a Bruin on the boards in the corner to Halak’s left. Gomez is taller than I thought.

Cammalleri is wearing thirteen. Gill comes in to keep a possession alive. Great shot and great choice in moving up.

Tricky long shot from D’Agostini in the high slot. Thomas has trouble with it and it deflects into the corner.

My intensity seems to be at a preseason level, too. I’m more interested in figuring out BBQue’s online menu than I am in keeping up with the play. It’s bizarre to be back into it after so long.

Fight.

Stewart versus Lefebvre. It’s hard to believe this fighting stuff is real when one goes five months without seeing one. When I was a kid, I’d heard about racism but didn’t really believe something so stupid could exist. Til junior high. Then I was told about it quite frequently.  Oh, quite frequently.  (We’ll leave city names out of this one, city names like Calgary)

Baggard est fini. Lovely. Pinkish-red fade-splotches on Lefebvre’s jersey. Julien is smiling after a comment from one of his assistants. Julien and Karlo Berkovich could be twins. Sorry, Karlo. Well, at least you guys share the good quality of being stand-up guys. Right? Karlo?

Holy coal, Gill is slow. Say it like an irritated nine-year old. Sloooow.

There’s Michael Ryder. One of the guys I still have great fondness for despite his exodus from the team. Man, the Bruins are standing around a lot.

And it’s as if the Habs are playing on a hot ironing board. No traction.

Is the ice bad, too?

Halak should be number one. Price will be the end of Gainey.

Jaro has some new pads. Little sliver knives of red midway up the pads. Both pads. Dominant white. Very nice.

Been reading Dave Feschuk’s book; Leaf Abomination. Highly amusing. Reads like a tragicomedy. I’m sure if I was a Leaf I would feel more like Eddie Van Halen when he watched Spinal Tap for the first time. He said he almost cried several times; it was so painfully close to home.

I wonder what a book co-written by Darcy Tucker and Tie Domi would sound like. It’d sell, anyway.

Andrei Kostitsyn makes the most dangerous-looking rush of the evening thus far. Move fails but he was hustling,folks. Period ends.

First Intermission (No Score)

Boy, was I ridiculously glad to type that bit “First intermission”. Now I’m almost crying (sentimental windbag). It sucks to lose Koivu and Kovalev but it’s great to see the team again.

Patrice is on with Demers and Crete. He’s looking less sad than at the press conference and crystal presentation. Poor guy. He’s had some tough times in Montreal. I’m glad he’s getting some props now.

Brisebois is wearing his ring (son bague) and he and Demers share daps.

Brisebois says that he respects the Canadiens decision not to make an offer. He says he respects that nobody in the NHL made him an offer. He sounds and emotes as if he may be getting into a better place with the whole thing. There’s little doubt he could contribute but as Yzerman said a few years back, it’s a faster game now with the rule changes and more of a younger man’s game. On the other hand, with the advances in nutrition and knowledge of physical fitness, some careers will benefit. But it’s true, the speed of the game has changed.

Well, hearing these voices in my living room, the RDS on-screen graphic-change sound-effects, the sounds of the game…. a sense of normalcy has been restored to this life. And we are officially no longer eliminated. NOthing like a new season to scrub that playoff grout off the cold tile.

And the new Stephen King short story collection helps, too. I’m a fall kinda guy. Halloween, chilly industrial, the Grey Cup, the onset of a Canadian winter. You know.

Second Period (No Score)

Well. It’s about scoring goals ain’t it. I wonder what my first viewed goal of the season wi!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got interrupted typing that

by a goal!!!!

GOOOOOOOAAALLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok. Now I know what it will feel like. My neighbours might feel the need to contact me.

One, zero.

Sergei Kostitsyn. I didn’t see what happened. Plekanec wheeled in front, I looked down and then I looked up and the puck was in the net.

WHY am I SO happy? This is a form of crazy.

Montreal 1, Boston 0.

I love my team. Laughter of joy. This all shouldn’t be public knowledge. What a feeling, though.

No wonder we watch this game.

Action resumes with a bit more zip on both sides. I cringe in a little lightning bolt of brief sadness as I realise I’ll never get to see Koivu or Kovy score for us again. It always added to the joy of a goal.

But Montreal goals still matter, it seems. (Scream Like a Goal). Tomas was in on it and that is a good feeling.

Veggie burger, wedge fries, veggies and dip and garlic bread arrived from BBQues moments before the goal. It’s la saison preparatoire. I’ll share my menu.

Maybe some numbers should be retired just because they’ve been used by SO many dudes. Like number six. Who’s THAT guy.

Well, this goal feeling is just not going away. This off-season was a process in understanding a team in pause. Now I’m remembering that watching hockey is actually entertaining. Fun. Who woulda thought. Guess I’m getting even deeper into the mountain.

Games are the sky.

Halak’s neck shield is bigger than last year’s. It’s huge. Plastic bib.

I like it. Safety first!

Recchi is still playing. Brisebois is not as fast as he used to be.

Recchi looks fast, though. He’s still dangerous.

Bruins looking huge in the slot. Or is it Habs looking small? Gill ain’t small. Conan the Ontarian. Sounds good but he’s from Concord, Massachusetts.

I seriously thought Laraque would be gone this season. I like him but he missed so many games and has such a big contract that … well, maybe Bob had a big walk-and-talk with Georges by the river or near the mines or something. You know, like with Kovie.

Bruin power-play.

Canadiens nearly score short-handed. Metropolit has quietly made a place for himself on this team. He cues the two-on-one that should have resulted in a shot on goal. Gorges followed up and from behind the net failed to rap the puck in front.

Gill’s long reach is quite the advantage. He knocks the puck ahead while wheeling around behind. I haven’t seen something like that since Robinson was around.

I have a sudden fearful notion: Am I going to end up liking Hal Gill? Am I going to end up LIKING Hal Gill?

Hmmm.

Man, I wouldn’t want to have a crowd booing my mistakes at work. Then again, I wouldn’t mind some cheering, either. And a highlights package I can mail to prospective clubs.

Halak makes another springtime save. Wow. Why oh why oh why …. ah, never mind.

What we may see is a trade of Halak for some old reliable dude.

You know, the Leafs are all high on ex-Bruin Phil Kessell but they’re hoping like all the CFL teams who took a chance on Michael Bishop that the past will not dictate the future. In this case, it will. And Bishop is a much nicer man than Kessell. Kessell’s CFL analogue is more Kerwin Bell than Michael Bishop. Yah, yah, people change. I get it. Check in with me next season and I’ll admit it if I’m wrong.

Pierre Houde remarks that Thomas is being “vintage Thomas”. In French we hear “a la Thomas”. Neil Lumsden loved saying “vintage” fill-in-the-CFL-player blank.

Vintage James Hood.

Second Intermission

KISS commercial in French. I’m starting to understand why some folks get stuck in a decade. Comfortable, true. But you gotta find out what’s good NOW, folks. Stop dissing Twitter and buy a Good Charlotte album sometime. Even that’s old school. Yes, I still love KISS, Karlo.

I forgot about this guy in the suit. He’s a good analyst. Francois Bouchard, I think. How do the good analysts at RDS put up with the morons? Diplomacy? Tact? Grrarrgh.

My sister held a roast for me recently (I’m not kidding). She announced (in an artificially amplified voice) that I am verbose. Haven’t done this musing thing for five months but I think she might be right. A key rule in writing or communicating is “less is more”. I’m hoping that more is more. Or more is enough. Or enough is kind. Or something is nothing. Never mind.

They tell us that Anti-Chambre follows the program. Well, I gave them a full year. I am now going to skip it guilt-free. If I want sinister clowns and huffing neigbours, I’ll join Archie Bunker’s gothic, travelling circus (he keeps emailing me to join and I keep refusing).

They interview some French guy right before the third. He’s wearing a towel over his crest and somehow in my supper-distracted stupor I assume that they’ve cut to an Ottawa game to interview someone.

Turns out he was a Hab. And the interviewer was Joel Bouchard. Match preparatoire.

No idea who he was. He was French and he had at least one seven on his arm. The towel blocked nearly all.

Third Period

That stupid 100th anniversary logo is on the ice. It’s nice and all. It just needs to go. It’s making an embarrassing spectacle of itself. And of the team. And of us. Les partisans. Pretty nice logo, though.

Ryder to Stuart. Goal.

I haven’t learned to like goals against, though. Great pass from Ryder. Had to hike his right arm up a bit. There should be a term for that in hockey. It’s like when you have a bunch of packages under your arm and you have to unlock the front door. Limited torsion pass?

Boston 1, Montreal 1.

Puck-off-post clink noise echoed because the crowd volume dropped as quick as a glass falling on a waterbed.

Gill is just huge. He looks artificial, he’s so tall. He’s about six-seven. Chara (who is not playing tonight) is six-nine.

Bruins hit the post. Action resembles a normal game now.

We see the replay and Halak was fortunate that it didn’t bounce back in behind him.

Steve Bégin! Is in the booth. He, too, is bald. Why don’t old announcers go bald? Al Michaels. Bald. James Duthie. Bald. Matt Dunigan. Bald. John Madden. Bald. Barack Obama. Bald. Oh, wait.

Bégin is a pleasant surprise to see. He has a charm that melts candy bars. And other things. Wonder what he’s like in real life.

The Canadiens community is like a neighbourhood of Aunties (Indian Aunties, Jewish Aunties, name one). You can’t go anywhere in the city and get away with anything. Well, I’m sure it feels that way some days for these players. Recognized in malls, libraries, dark bookstores. Who knows. Steve Bégin could wander around New York for weeks and not get noticed.

Gomez’ game face is really different from his pre-game relaxed demeanour. I forgot how much of a killer he really is. On the ice. He makes me think of one of those gentle giant d-lineman who’s “an animal on the field” that one often meets in football. And they really do undergo a true transformation. Some guys can just unlock. Gomez is one of them.

With Gomez, it’s the fierce concentration that exhibits itself. He’s a red dwarf closing. Heat of a star.

Ten minutes left in the period. Houde remarks that the team is far more disorganized right now. Benoit Brunet adds that they are turning the puck over a lot more now.

I’ve never really seen AK46 carry the puck from his end line to his circle and make a short pass. That’s got to be Martin’s influence. AK46 looks as awkward doing it as Seattle Slew would’ve hauling a milk cart. Hey, it’s gotta be done.

That short pass breakout game needs more skating but means less turnovers than the “let’s wait for someone to get open deep and fire it long” approach.

Sobotka takes out Halak. Halak’s mask is on the ice. Gill should just take him out. What’s he for, then? How come everybody becomes a peacenik when they join this team? I mean that’s all Gill’s got, anyway. Give it. Show it. (yes, I’m anti-fighting but Halak’s immobile onthe ground and they haven’t shown the replay so it’s guilty before innocent).

Halak is up and ok. Man he was prone there. Prone. Like an otter trying to fool a Kodiak.

Well, I’m glad he’s ok but let’s see the replay; fook this Dodge truck shite.

It could have been an accident. Sobotka’s face seemed to indicate such.

We see the replay. Total accident. Fine. I stand corrected. Why do people stand corrected? Can I sit corrected? Can I dance corrected? Maybe in honour of Saku and Kovie, I’ll just cry corrected.

Just under seven minutes left.

Not enough goalies are wearing white-dominated masks. Probably marks up too easily. Black pucks and all. Say…. ok, I won’t say it.

(white pucks)

Just under six minutes. Lotta boring back and forth. Speed is increasing, though. Plekanec is playing well. He hustles.

Mr. Power Skating 2008 (Lats) has the puck and is not outracing anyone. Then he tings someone accidentally on the way around the net and get two minutes.

Penalty kill. Our best penalty-killers, Begin and Koivu are gone. I haven’t seen Lapierre tonight and Markov, as I said before, is also not dressed. Plekanec and Metropolit are probably the best two of who we have tonight. One or two of the new guys might be as good or better but I woudn’t know that. Yet.

No penalty. LOL … Well. Match preparatoire. Or maybe équipe école. I can’t remember the term.

Pyatt (Taylor’s younger brother) is 22 and getting a lot of ice time this exhibition season. Haven’t got an opinion on him yet.

The action is a casual flow. Boston keeps trying long passes and failing. Montreal is getting stopped inside their blue line.

Now Andrei Kostitsyn takes a hooking penalty. Houde says it’s in the vein of last year. What timing. With about two minutes left.

Two-thousand phone calls.

Some kid is grinning like Donald Fagen behind AK46, just behind the glass in the penalty-box. About five years old. Hilarious.

The ice is still white. (thorough reporting)

Just under fifty seconds and Boston can’t set up. I suddenly remember that Gretzky stepped down today. What’s he going to do next?

Montreal is messing up the Boston advantage. Gomez is the main man. Crowd is losing it over Gomez’ efforts. Enjoy it while you’ve got it, bud.

I miss Saku.

Game will go into overtime.

Overtime (1-1)

It’s very strange to see Jacques Martin behind the bench. He’s got the same mannerisms as he had with Ottawa. I find him very endearing. Avuncular.

Well, with fifteen minutes of hard drive space remaining (to record this game), I, too have a sense of urgency that is good enough for regular season. I record so I can review for insights. I’m not selling these games to rebels in Madagascar.

Gorges is on with O’Byrne. D’Agostini on with Metropolit. Now I miss Carbonneau. It was always fun seeing what he’d concoct for these periods.

Now we get to discover the Mind of Martin. Mind of Mencia.

Habs take a flag. Tripping.

Aag.

About a minute left. D’Agostini called for the infraction. Boston pressures. Halak saves our eggs. For now.

Whoah!!!!! Halak!

Leg pad.

Four on three.

Halak again.

Well.

Whistle.

Great performance from Jaro.

Bruins PP continues. And I was wrong. There are still two minutes left in this period. Halak is moving very well. When does he not.

Has he improved? Man, if he has a breakout season, things may get very interesting.

Boston gets called for too many men.

I’m laughing. I never thought I’d get to type that live. Well, too bad it ain’t game seven of something. More like game seven of the silly season.

Plekanec moves differently in front of the net; (more motion, more readjusting and jockeying for a good spot) when Gomez occupies the phone booth (the double line off the middle of the faceoff circle). My guess is that Plekanec believes he is more likely to get a pass from Gomez than from Kovalev in the same set-up.

Montreal gets some good chances, two separate ones from Plekanec but no goals. Plekanec is positioned more aggressively than I’ve seen him in similar contexts.

Period ends and we go to the shootout.

We luvz the shootout. Luvz it. Don’t we. Don’t we. Isn’t this drama, Lorna? THIS is DRAMA. Suspense!

Shootout (1-1)

D’Agostini. Stopped. Nothing shot. Just a quick short low one. Hoping to surprise Thomas, perhaps. Come on. It’s Tim Thomas. You can’t just beat him like a seven-year old. He’s an athlete.

Halak stops Wheeler.

Plekanec. Yes. Beats him. Misses the net. Urrgh.

Bergeron. Beauty goal. Beauty English.

Gomez. Stopped.

Bruins win. Not the greatest hands on that shot from Gomez.

Boston 2
Montreal 1 SO

HDS Stars: Halak, Gomez, Thomas
RDS Stars: Bergeron, Halak, Thomas

(I decided not to watch Anti-Chambre and be guilt-free about it and I won’t watch. But I caught the opening bit and Patrice Brisebois’ sentiments at his retirement press conference were shown. Very moving. If you get a chance to see this press conference, do. We leave so many things in life. So many people.)

Related posts:

1. One Year Ago, May 4
2. Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins
3. Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins
4. Montreal Canadiens Versus Boston Bruins
5. Who Should Stay, Who Should Go
6. Boston Game Two, Musings and In-Game Scribbles