Bruins 5 – Canadian 3 | In memory of Guy

(Montreal) When he was young, Guy Lafleur used to stir up crowds. Now, even from beyond, he is still able to do the same thing.

Good players come and go, but legends are forever. Early Sunday evening, after a nine-minute ovation at the Bell Centre, number 10 passed into this very selective circle of immortals. Of those who are remembered even without having seen them, of those who deserve tears and songs and applause, of those who deserve to be heard forever, even if they are no longer with us.

The final score was 5 to 3 in favor of the visitors, the Boston Bruins, but from this evening of April 24, 2022, these are not the numbers that we will remember.

What we will remember is another number: 10.

“After an evening like that, if there were players who didn’t know what the Canadiens represent in Quebec, I think they know it now,” explained Martin St-Louis.

At some point, at the start of the third period, the people at the Bell Center started chanting Guy Lafleur’s name over and over again. Then, at the last siren, as the 21,105 spectators began to leave, Brendan Gallagher asked his teammates to skate under the 10 banner hanging from the ceiling, where the numbers of the immortals are displayed forever. One by one, the players greeted with the stick the one who has been missing since Friday, but who will never really disappear.

“It’s a mark of respect,” added the Montreal coach. I’m glad Brendan did that, because Guy deserves that respect. If the guys can take anything away from it, it’s probably that Guy, from what his former teammates have all told me, was a good player but also a good person. It is something that is priceless. »

We had to play hockey despite everything, after this endless ovation – the announcer Michel Lacroix had to do it three times before being able to get everyone to the national anthem – , after these tears and these memories passed and ironed on the giant screen, images of a blond Demon who thwarts Ron Low here, who thwarts Denis Herron there, with the same elegance as always.

Sometimes players try to convince themselves that a game is just that, a game, because there are 82 in a season. It was not possible to do that this time.

“I’ll remember it all my life, that’s for sure,” noted forward Mathieu Perreault late in the evening. There were a lot of emotions in this pre-match ceremony, and I was starting to get the motton… it was very special to be able to experience that.

“I didn’t know what Guy Lafleur was able to do as a player, it was before my time… but you can watch the games, the Stanley Cups, on video, and you can understand that it takes character to get to that. Guy is a legend, and as a player, to be able to evolve in the same environment as him, it’s very special. »

And this result, now? That’s the hardest part about legends who, like Guy, inevitably have to leave, always too soon: you can’t replace them like you can replace a bike or a coat. Yes, the good old days are far behind, forgotten somewhere in the corridors of this former Forum turned shopping center, and Guy will not return, any more than Maurice or Béliveau, who must currently form a whole club up there.

At the start of the evening, while the Cournoyers, Lamberts and other Lapointes were wiping away tears behind the bench, shaken by the departure of their friend and the images of better weather that paraded on the ice and on the screen, the youngest , those who now wear that blue, white and red that they once wore, could only stare at the number 10 banner from the heights, perhaps wondering if one of them, one day, will be able to reach such peaks.

The torch, that of the poem In Flanders Field of John McCrae, quoted many times in the glorious history of this club, seems only a vague memory, especially following this other defeat, a ninth in a row.

“This tribute to Guy was so magnificent, and we would have liked to win this for him, explained goalkeeper Samuel Montembeault. We saw all the elders before starting the game, it’s so special to see so much history before our eyes…”

At the end of the evening, the Bruins left, the Canadian and his fans too. But again and again, in the heights, we could hear these cries, these same “Guy! Guy! Guy! », which echoed incessantly. Like the sound of a legend that doesn’t want to die. Like the sound of a legend that will never die.

In details

Price will miss at least two games

Carey Price was out of uniform against the Bruins and will not be traveling with the team for Wednesday’s game in New York. “Maybe” he will play the final duel of the season on Friday at home. Cayden Primeau was therefore called back urgently on Sunday afternoon. Price has missed most of the season after going through a long and painful rehabilitation necessitated by knee surgery. He returned to action on Friday, April 15 and has since secured four starts in eight days. He has allowed six goals in each of his last two outings, Thursday and Saturday. Head coach Martin St-Louis said the team wanted to give him “rest.” “He played a lot of games for a guy who hadn’t played” all season, he added. Asked if Price had seen any regression in the condition of his knee, St. Louis said he would have to “talk to the medical staff” to find out more. “We hope he will be ready on Friday. »

Haula got hot

Three curiosities followed one another in the first period. First, Mike Hoffman made a sublime defensive play against Erik Haula, who escaped. Then the referee ruled that the streak deserved a penalty throw, even though Hoffman had barely touched the Finn. Finally, Haula went straight without touching the puck by dashing to the center of the ice. He was able to turn back and take the disc, which he would have been prohibited from having touched it initially. “To be honest, the arena was so loud I didn’t even know if the referee had whistled,” Haula said after the game. Thank God I scored, because we can quickly move on. “He returned to the bench under the mockery of his teammates, especially those of Brad Marchand. “He hoped that I touched her [la rondelle], because it has already happened to him and he no longer wanted to be the only one! Would he be responsible for bringing up this footage from January 2020 without watching it? Obviously not.

Bruins emotions

Although the pre-game ceremony honored an athlete who had done great harm to their organization, Bruins players and coaches were frankly impressed with the tribute and the reaction from the crowd. “The fans have been incredible,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy. They continued to applaud, again and again, and that was good. I’m proud to have been there, even if it’s a sad day. It was a nice tribute. “It was crazy,” added Erik Haula. I had never attended such an event. We all understood how important Lafleur was for the community and for hockey in general. I consider myself lucky to have been there. Cassidy was asked if he feared a penalty for having too many men on the ice late in the game. He immediately understood the reference to the 1979 semi-final match, during which Lafleur tied the game 4-4 late in the game. “That would have been something, huh! he launched. Our attackers were changing well, but I found our defenders a bit messy. In the end, history did not repeat itself.

They said

Rising

Mathieu Perreault

In a very limited role (only 7:36 of playing time), he managed to serve a perfect pass to Nick Suzuki, for the goal that gave hope.

Falling

Jeff Petry

Two assists, it is true… but once again, the game was much too soft in defense.

The number

10

Because on this special and emotional evening, there can’t be another number than that.