Difficult to know exactly what all these players who marched in the blue-white-red uniform think exactly, beyond the speeches of the occasion where everything is said in the rules of the art. To not offend anyone.
The story? Of course, we know her. The elders? A constant inspiration. The importance of the organization as an identity vehicle for Quebec society? Obviously.
Nevertheless, and this is quite understandable, it always remains more difficult to grasp a local reality when one has not necessarily been immersed in it from one’s earliest childhood.
The tribute to Guy Lafleur, Sunday evening, was revealing. More than nine minutes of ovation in front of a jersey on the giant screen. Twice, house announcer Michel Lacroix was interrupted for the crowd who had no intention of stopping their cheers.
A sober, emotional tribute evening, steeped in history. According to some veterans on the press aisle, an ovation comparable to that received by Maurice Richard on the evening of the last game at the Montreal Forum.
What could go through the heads of the CH players during these long minutes, all too young to remember the great man’s prowess? The solemnity of the moment, its intensity must have had its small effect.
If they didn’t know what the CH was for the province of Quebec, I think they do now
dropped Martin St-Louis.
It is indeed to be desired. Because no offense to Arizona, Columbus or San José, the stars who grow there are rarely an integral part of a society’s identity.
Owner Geoff Molson said it himself on Friday, the day of Guy Lafleur’s death: Quebecers feel that the team belongs to them. And the players serve as a cord between the two.
Even yesterday, in Ottawa, we really played for him. We said that Quebec needed us to get through this. He was so important to the province that we wanted to play good hockey so that the province could mourn,
explained Samuel Montembeault after the match on Sunday evening.
Everyone knows who Guy Lafleur is. It was a special moment. All along, I had the motton. Those were pretty strong emotions. In 20, 30 years, we will talk about it again and I will remember it
added Mathieu Perreault.
There was electricity in the air. The 12 CH alumni present sat directly behind the team bench. For Alexander Romanov, for example, said Montembeault, the image was strong. It was also a quick little flannel history lesson.
At the end of the game, Brendan Gallagher gathered his teammates under the banner of the famous No. 10 so that they all salute him, stick in the air, one last time.
A big gesture of respect
estimated Martin St-Louis.
The coach then elaborated on the importance of the legacy left by the players in their career, the passing of the torch, the learning of decorum and leadership in this league with very specific codes. Gallagher embodying these values according to the coach.
« Every guy who’s been through this tonight is feeling it. The moment on the bench during the ovation, there isn’t a guy who can’t experience that with intensity. It’s just an incredible moment. »
You never want to take it for granted that you play for the Canadiens. The team with the greatest history. There’s the sweaters on the ceiling, you wanna grab the torch
launched Nick Suzuki, a man who will be expected to seize it, precisely.
We will have to take inspiration from this man, because the game on the ice is rather sad. Have you been told that the Canadiens lost 5-3 against their eternal rivals, the Bruins?
That this is a ninth defeat in a row, all in regulation time, and that the CH now totals 49 of its kind. The old sad record, reached in 2017-2018, was 40.
Things are bad at the Bell Center. Worse than ever in history, in fact, which makes the irony of this celebration all the more scathing, this commemoration of one of the organization’s greatest, if not the greatest, at the exact moment when, in 113 years of history, the team reaches the bottom.
Guy Lafleur would not have hesitated to say all the good things he would have thought of this edition, without a doubt.
So if it is not his genius on the ice, may these players, linked despite everything by the same logo, be inspired by his values, his charisma and, above all, his accessibility, his humility. We can dream well.
It would probably make these sad moments in the great history of this now small team much more digestible.
A lot of
Patrice Bergeron, to whom his coach Bruce Cassidy offered to stay in Boston to take a well-deserved break, ended his evening’s work with two goals and an assist. Before the match, the Quebecer mentioned that he would never have wanted to miss this evening. It’s nothing to say, he did not miss anything, and he deserved the first star of the game.
The referees had a night difficile
, faith of Perreault. One of his haphazard decisions was to offer a penalty throw to Erik Haula on an alleged Mike Hoffman infraction that looked like he had made the best defensive withdrawal of his career.
Haula scored…after initially missing the puck the first time he swung. But since he didn’t touch it, he was able to take it back and continue the sequence. Montembeault remained crestfallen.
I didn’t quite understand what was going on. I didn’t know the rule saying that he had to brush the puck for it not to count. Marchand, last year against the Flyers, did the same thing and it didn’t count. I wondered what was going on. Even the crowd started screaming. He didn’t understand either, I think. It was really weird, but I still had to stop it.
Josh Anderson, for his part, seemed to be energized by the pregame ceremony. One goal, eight shot attempts, five body checks and all the verbal fights with Derek Forbort and other Brad Marchand. A nice way to shake off his recent torpor.
