Montreal Canadiens Down Boston Bruins In Home Opener
The Montreal Canadiens gave their fans plenty to cheer about in the first game at the Bell Centre this season. The Habs started the year with a 3-1-0 record on a four game road trip, finally playing their home opener tonight against the Boston Bruins.
The two teams met in last year’s postseason, with the Canadiens coming out on top in a hard fought seven game series. The series was best remembered for the way Milan Lucic of the Bruins threatened to kill Montreal Canadiens winger Dale Weise and defenceman Alexei Emelin.
Surprisingly, Lucic would make an even more (less?) ceremonious exit from tonight’s contest.
Oct 16, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Jiri Sekac (26) scores a goal against Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (40) during the second period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Bruins hulking defender Zdeno Chara opened the scoring for Boston when he tipped in a David Krejci point shot on the power play nine minutes into the first period. Lucic would get a second assist on the goal, which was the first point on the season for the Bruins winger.
Just over two minutes later Max Pacioretty would get the Habs on the board, banging in a rebound on a David Desharnais shot after an impressive rush up ice with the man advantage.
Brendan Gallagher gave the Habs their first lead of the evening when a Desharnais tip landed right on his stick, and behind an outstretched Tuukka Rask who had no chance after the redirection by Desharnais.
The lead would not last long as the Bruins third line of Loui Eriksson, Chris Kelly and Carl Soderberg would combine to score a pair of goals to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead with 8:30 to play in the second period.
Some strong pressure from the Habs third line of Lars Eller, Jiri Sekac and Rene Bourque led to the Canadiens tying the score on Sekac’s first career NHL goal. Just over a minute later, with the Habs continuing to apply pressure in the Bruins zone, a nice pass from Tomas Plekanec to P.A. Parenteau resulted in a one timer goal that gave the Habs a 4-3 lead heading into the third period.
Oct 16, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Canadiens former goalie Ken Dryden hands the torch to Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) before the game between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
A strange bouncing puck midway through the third period gave the Canadiens a two goal cushion with 12:43 to play. Desharnais won a faceoff deep in the Bruins zone, and Emelin quickly passed it to Pacioretty in the high slot. His shot fluttered in the air and hit Gallagher in the chest before landing behind Rask in the Bruins net.
Rask’s night was over, and though the Bruins pulled within one on a Simon Gagne goal, who was playing his first NHL game in over a year, the Habs held on for the win, and added an empty netter from Parenteau.
Lucic tried to make good on his postseason promise to Emelin with 1:20 to play in the game, and was sent to the penalty box for boarding the Habs defender. After Parenteau’s goal to seal the two points for the Canadiens, Lucic exited the box in full toddler who just had candy taken away mode. He berated the officials and about any Canadiens player within earshot.
The 26 year old was handed a ten minute misconduct for acting like a 26 month old and removed from the game. Video following the game clearly shows Lucic making a very lewd gesture to Canadiens fans when he entered the penalty box, and then “taunting” them by imitating raising the Stanley Cup over his head.
Lucic has won the Cup once in his career, but must have forgotten that Montreal has won 24, and knocked his Boston Bruins out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring.
It was a hard fought battle between two rivals, and once again in the battle between the Canadiens and Bruins, the Canadiens came out on top and their fans couldn’t be happier to collect two points.