HERE AND THERE
The Montreal Canadiens went Duck hunting last night and came away with a 4-1 victory over Anaheim. Michael Bourneval, Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta, and Raymond Bourque scored goals and Carey Price was excellent in nets, stopping thirty-one of the thirty-two shots he faced in the Habs’ win. Plekanec also had two assists and was named the game’s first star.
How the Ducks had managed to lose only two games this entire season prior to last night’s loss at the Bell Centre is difficult to fathom given their ineptitude last night. The Canadiens, on the other hand, losers of two straight games before last night’s big win, managed to put three good periods together for the first time in their last three games. Excluding a few minutes during the first part of the third period when the Canadiens appeared to be back on their heels, they produced a good, solid, all-around effort. Ducks’ net minder Jonas Hiller, taunted by some fans especially later in the game, did not have a good night allowing four goals on only twenty-five shots.
After giving up what turned out to be Anaheim’s only goal of the night, his first of the season scored by Patrick Maroon, in the ninth minute of the final frame making the score 3-1, the Bourque goal, scored about three minutes later proved to be the back-breaker as far as a possible Ducks’ comeback was concerned. A good, solid all around effort by the home team gives the Canadiens twelve points in ten games, good for a fourth place tie with Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens entertain the San Jose Sharks (8-1-1) at the Bell Centre Saturday evening.
The Montreal (soccer) Impact play the inept Toronto FC in the Big Onion on Saturday afternoon while the Montreal (football) Alouettes travel to Guelph to play Hamilton in a neutral site tilt also scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
In college football, both McGill and Concordia wrap up their respective seasons on the road. McGill (3-4) travels to Lennoxville to play the Bishops Gaiters (5-2) while the Stingers (0-7), looking for their first win of the year, are in Sherbrooke to play the Vert et Or. In another tilt, the Laval Rouge et Or (7-0) trying to round out another perfect season, are on the road at Universite de Montreal to play the Carabins (2-5). All games will take place on Saturday afternoon. I plan to head off to the game between Laval and Montreal.
Zeroes: Mike Duffy, Patrick Brazeau, Pamela Wallin, Stephen Harper, Justin Trudeau (no substance, all style), the weather in cold and windy Montreal, the American hard right, the G.O.P., the Tea Party, Don fucking Cherry, Andrew Coyne, Hamilton signal-caller Ray Burris, Pauline Marois, Bernard Drainville, Francois Lyse, Richard Bergeron, Denis Cordere Jonas Hiller and last but not least the Canadian Senate.
Heroes: ObamaCare, Barak and Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, the American Democrats, Carey Price, Tomas Plekanec, Francois Beaulieu, Michael Bourneval, Michael Holland, the Habs’ “energy line” of Alex Galchenyuk, Lars Eller, and Brian Gallagher, Raymond Bourque, Alouettes’ quarterback Troy Smith, S.J. Green, the the Als defense for holding Hamilton to a measly five points, Loren Lann, Aron Black, Arleen Solomon Rotchin, Wendy Abbott, Danny Scwartzberg, Suzie Epelbaum, and the three Jeremys – Cymet, Frank and Richler, and last but not least, Jack Todd.
See you Sunday. Have a good week-end. Peace out.