I forgot why I hated...

Over the past few years I have forgotten why I hated the Montreal Canadiens.

Without the Adams division and a league with acceptable rules I sort of forgot why I hated those fucking Montreal assholes. I forgot the experiences I had in highschool where I was teased and ridiculed for cheering for the Bruins, who hadn't won a playoff series against those cocksuckers in 44 years. Before the Senators (who I hate with a passion) EVERYONE cheered for the Canadiens in Ottawa supported byt he fact that even when they shouldn't have, they seemed to win the Stanley cup...by going through the Bruins.

I just plain forgot why I hated them so much. Sure at playoff time it kind of came back, but that was a game time feeling, not a passion like I now have for the Senators. Why did I hate them so much?

Well, I just fucking remembered.

I watched the game review of the Bruins 6-5 win tonight on RDS (French TSN in Canada). Yeah it was broadcast in French, so what, I understand and to a degree speak French. This wasn't a language issue, this was a bias issue. I know, home broadcasts are supposed to be bias, but the Canadiens seem to have the market cornered on "our shit don't stink".

What I forgot about these assholes and their fucking fans was the goddammed excuses. I forgot about the fact that no matter how bad they were they were still the best and should have won every game they ever played. The only reason they lose is because someone fucked them out of a penalty, or a call of some kind. They don't get beat other teams get lucky.

So in reviewing the Bruins 6-5 victory over the Canadiens tonight our friends at RDS had the following comments (translated/interpreted by me of course)

Bruins down 1-0 in the first, Murray scores to tie it up.

"Bruins tie it up with a lucky goal" - Huet had terrible positioning on Murray at the side of the net and Murray banked the puck in off of him. Good work down low, nice hole left by a goalie who was out of position, player takes his shot and scores = lucky goal

Bruins take the lead in the first 2-1 when Strum scores on a partial break to make it 2-1

"Huet makes the save, but the puck trickles over the line. 2 Bizarre goals give the Bruins a 2-1 lead."

Strum recieved a great pass, split the 2 Canadien defenders at the Blue line skated in and took a blistering shot that Huet got some body on, but couldn't stop = Bizzare goal

Bruins go up 3-1 in the Second

"Bruins go up 3-1, but not without the help of a strange defensive play by the Canadien defense".

Donovan trails in Savard, gets a great pass and scores after the Habs defense lobs a clearing pass that gets intercepted by Savard. Savard pulled three players to him in front, dropped a beauty pass to Donovan who hammered it home. They capitalized on an opportunity. = 3-1 but with help

Bruins go up 4-1 on a shorthanded goal by Primeau

"Good decision by Carbonneau to pull Huet"

Basically they had no excuse, except that Huet was terrible in the last few games and it was essentially his fault that the Habs were now down 4-1.

Habs make it 4-2 on a questionable penalty call on Stuart (this will come in to play later). Good quick passing, Thomas was just out of position (AGAIN) they scored.

Habs make it 4-3 annoucers credit Carbonneau's pulling of Huet and a "strategy" to move a position player.

At 4-3 Murray had a partial break, but was hooked from the blue line until his shot. No penalty. That is why I hate the new NHL, I don't know what is and what isn't a penalty. Even the announcers scrambled for excuses and danced around that penalty and said that "the ref judged that Murray was still able to get his shot off sufficiently to cancel the penalty". That says to me "we got away with one".

At 4-4 at the mid mark of the 3rd the Bruins make it 5-4

"Bruins get another lucky goal as a low shot is redirected off a Canadien defenders skate and goes in past a screened Abisher"

Bruins work the screen perfectly, shoot into traffic and get a goal. There were three players directly in front of the goalie, Stuart kept the shot low (like your supposed to) and scored = another lucky goal. They controlled the puck in the offensive zone, moved the puck like it was a powerplay and scored...Lucky.

On yet another powerplay of questionable origins the Habs scored to tie the game at 5-5. Were all the powerplays bullshit? No, but 2 powerplay goals, don't foget that.

I'll stop with the play by play here to save your eyes, but the Bruins Brad Stuart scored the winner late, but there was an reason.... I mean an excuse.

Stuart cross checked Ryder in the leg in the Defensive zone, the Bruins went down the ice and scored the winner.

In the Bruins first loss of the seaosn to the Habs, they blew another big lead (all they seem to do this season, thank Thomas for that, but I can accept that he is all we have) and with the game tied and less than 2 minutes to go in the third the ref called a phantom penalty (honestly it was the worst "new rules" call I have ever seen) and the Habs scored the powerplay winner with 1 second to go. No joke 1 second, powerplay, my ass. So with that in mind, I think that regardless of the call, the Habs earned this loss. They didn't deserve their first win, so why should they get another because of some bullshit penalty? The ref was right there last night and he didn't see anything wrong. Was it a penalty? Stuart hit the puck carrier. It was a cross check, but it was on the thigh in a downward motion, so I can see how a ref would let it go. It looked weird and I personally haven't seen many leg crosschecks from a player standing up (good way to break a leg) at speed, away from the boards. If the Bruins had not have scored this would not have been an issue. Had they scored 1 minute later, no problem, but I am sure that goal would have been lucky too.

That is the real problem with the league now. Teams count on a powerplay, they expect it and complain when they don't happen at key moments. Fucking Bettman.

The Bruins blew a 4-1 lead and a 5-4 thrid period lead and won the game, but if not for 3 lucky goals a missed penalty and bad goaltending the Habs would have won. Are they serious?

The Bruins scored 6 goals on 18 shots. The Habs scored 5 on 39. Should the Habs have won? They were at home and took more shots, but they also had to rely on a powerplay to stay in the game and took a stupid late penalty and they came up short.

Did the Hab announcers say they got lucky at the 2 minute mark with a boarding/interferece penalty behind the Bruins net that wasn't called? Nope. Did they say the blew their chance to tie it up with a stupid too many men penalty in the last minute because even down a man they outplayed the Bruins? Nope.

So I now remember why I hate the Habs. 18 years ago when the Bruins finally beat the Habs in the playoffs, we had Ray Bourque's blood capsile for a high sticking major (god i love that dirty little cheat) and Michael Thelvin breaking Stephen Richers arm (what a slash!) as the excuses for the not win (they never lose). Not upgraded goaltending (Moog/Lemelin) and a pretty good team (that made the Stanely cup final), nope. If Richer had of played they would have won. After that loss I had to listen to "how many cups do you guys have?" They never fucking lose.

So you see, I now remember why I hate these guys. When they lose, they still don't really lose. I never thought I would say this, but "scoreboard fuckers!". See you in the playoffs assholes.