Viewpoint

If I remember correctly the last time Montreal won the Cup it was with a rookie goalie who now sits in Commons.

Contrary to popular opinion lightning can strike twice in the same place

Hi Scott, I have always enjoyed your comments and editorials for many years now and most times your bang on. I just find it curious how often people (especially sports writers) continually stick to old traditional beliefs from previuos years. For example, for as long as I can remember Montreal has been known as a fast team and Boston as a slow hitting team. However if one closely studies the present teams Boston is just as fast or My belief a faster team this time around. Sure Montreal has some great speed but really study the new Bruin team they also have plenty of team speed, stereo typing has to stop this year.
Now in net, yes I too think Carey Price is the real deal and that position continues to be the corner stone for Hab strength.
Keep up the great commentaries.
Kind regards, Rex.

Being a Habs fan is tough most days, but lately it has been tougher. The sweat vicotry in Game 7 in 2004 against the Bruins when we were 8th seed was a golden moment. What comes around goes around, and it may be our turn to suck it up. I don't think we've lost a game we should have won in this series, tonight could be the night. I hear the Pope is around? Perhaps we should request a special prayer. We may need it. Go Habs Go.

CBC Sports..sorry I forgot to include my location..''On the Rock''byes!! Regards..B.R.

As a die hard Montreal fan all my life it has been painful to watch such an exciting team during the regular season endure the cold, hard reality of what it takes to win in the post season. Decked out in Bleu, Blanc et Rouge every night I sit and hope and pray for somebody to step up and dish out what the Bruins are serving up. The Bruins have simply been the much better team since the opening game waltz and they deserve a ton of credit. It'a amazing that what happened in game one has totally disappeared outside of maybe Game five. Even the older Kostitsyn was playing the body on a banged up Chara in Game One but has run scared ever since.Kovalev cross checked Chara before scoring his highlight reel goal on Thursday night and has since gone south. This is a young Montreal team that has the god given ability to win a big game tonight and we should know in the opening five minutes of their fate. Watch for Kovalev's body language folks. Hopefully the Captain won't have to carry the load on his already broad shoulders and wonky ankle. Wearing the Tri-Color is an honor that in the glorious past has been bestowed by heart, grit, determination and Pride. May the Torch be lit again ''Ce Soir''.

Don't you mean that this guy won the Elmer Fudd award. These know nothing commentators really tick me off. To even suggest that Carey Price is slightly responsible for the losses is proof you don't know anything about the game.
Any real Canadian hockey fan that has watched this series would say you have a rookie goaltender that will probably go down as the greatest goalie in NHL history as long as he gets out of Montreal because if he stays it's him against the other team, he's on the ice alone.
The team infront of him has no heart, no guts and doesnt deserve to wear the jersey let alone play with the likes of a Carey Price. Even if Montreal wins tonight it will take me a long time to get over the shame what I saw this series. The only thing more upsetting about the lack of effort by the Habs is the way the know it alls were so quick to point the finger at Carey Price. The biased play by play calling by a TO fan that made you wonder what game he was watching, and comments between periods by explayers that were never as good at their peek as Carey Price is right now.

Finally a clasic match up goig to seven games. Old time hockey now boys. The bottom line, who will win? The team that wants it the most.

"Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole....Go Bruins, Go Bruins"!

Well for which ever team comes out on top it will have to depend on the Ref's. They have totally decided the out come in both western conf. and Eastern Conf play offs this season. I will give them credit for being consistant though. Consistantly not calling penalities and calling phantom calls instead. Play offs this year are a total joke as far as I'm concerned I am sure that some of these ref's ahve been paid off. I think next year since the players can be fined. The referee's as well should be fined for bad calls after the games they can review all there calls and take it from there. This way next year we won't have all these bad calls and the Ref's will actually do there jobs better.

Usually I go for any Canadian team after the Canucks when it comes to playoff time, but as a Bruin's fan also, I would love to see Boston win the cup this year. And oh ya, a little bitter-sweetness to give-it to all the Hab-fans who are attacking Don Cherry, our national icon who happens to speak English and not French tsk tsk...
Go BRUINS Go

Unfortunitly I'm in a non hockey world and have to depend on the web for info. Habs ought to win but who knows... Bruins are playing over their heads and can they keep it up? Regardless of who wins they might not get through the next round unless they all shape up. Looks like things are going to turn into an upset this year. ;)

The Price is Wrong

Price has played well for his 1st playoff experience in all but one game (Game 5 loss), but the Habs have learned a lesson, skill and speed can win regular season games but will not win EVERY playoff game. The Bruins have shown grit, systems, and adjustments....all things that the playoffs are made of. Take the season series away from both teams and Bruins would have 93 pts and the Habs 88 pts, very interesting as it shows that that was the difference between the teams this season.

By the way GO BRUINS

The comment from Pakenham is intellectual magic.
Indeed, the Habs should have won the series in four games. And I should have been their goalie.

Scott, you have made a rather bad mistake here. As a hockey analyst you should know quite well that Carey Price has not been the reason Montreal lost those games at all. The problem has been a total breakdown on defence and defensive play in front of him. No goalie can expect to do well when his defence is letting the other team walk right up to him on numerous occasions. Shame on you for trying to pin this on Price. He's the best player we've had this whole series. Remember, Brodeur wouldn't have been nearly as "good" as he is without that narcoleptic neutral-zone trap defensive style of the Devils (and Scott Stevens) in front of him.

well, I rarely do this but today is a different day...
looks to me like the Canadiens will have to start playing playoff hockey soon if they are to beat the Bruins. They've been dragging their feet all series long and are essentially playing regular season type of hockey right now. When you're in the post season, you crank it up a notch or you play golf. As for the Bruins, they seem to understand this. Clearly the Habs are more talented than the Bruins this year, but hard work usually pays off in the end and now we've got a 3-3 series. A lot of ink has been spilled over Price's inexperience, nobody's mentioning the coaching staff playoff experience. To me, the issue is players motivation, and that comes only from one place, behind the bench. Again, the Bruins understand this.
I guess the better team will end up winning tonight.

While Boston demonstrated fancy stick handling during the last game, the lack of creativity in their strategy was an insult, not only to Montreal's defense, but specifically to the 'rookie goalie'. I hope Montreal exhibits more ability in being able to keep control of the puck, if not for the win, at least for the dignity of their fans.

Although I really like Guy Carboneau, I feel he has been out coached in this series by Claude Julien. His usage of Koivu was suspect in a few instances and you have to question whether he is motivating the players. Price will be fine tonight, but will Kovalev lead? Someone has to light a fire under this team, and the coach better come up with a dandy pre-game speech tonight.

Optimus Price will shine!

Before the series began, I thought the Habs would only need 5 games to dispose of Boston. But since Game 2, the Bruins have really been the better team.

Scott, in addition to your comments, I would add that the majority of Montreal's forwards simply hate the physical game. That may get you through the regular season, but doesn't cut it in the playoffs. We'll see what this team is made of tonight, I suppose.

Say what you will...This has been some of the best hockey I have witnessed in sometime...The playoffs are those few games in a players hockey career that its not just about the money & endorsements, there is pride and bragging rights on the line, which cannot be purchased at your local Lexus dealership. We have 3rd and 4th line guys ( who is this Kessel anyway ) playing each shift as if it was going to be his last and then we have starters ( like Mr.Kovalev ) who sometimes shows up to play hockey and sometimes doesn’t. This can be said for each of the 16 teams in the 2008 playoffs. However, what separates the winners from the losers is guts, determination, giving 110% each of the 1 ½ or 2 minute shifts and a whole lot of luck. For this matter of fact, it really is anybodies game.

This truly is the best game in the world…….

Well now, if the Canadians go down and Washington makes it to the 2nd round, I wouldn't want to be in Montreal Tuesday morning!! It looks like Price is making rookie mistakes and it may end up costing them the series. Which one of him will show up tonight?

i think that the habs should have won it in four games

To Paul,

What do you mean 40 years. If you were a real Bruins fan you would know that in the late 80's beginning of the 90's Boston won 3 out of 4 series vs MTL.

By the way, you haven't won the series yet.

Tonight will be a classic no matter who wins.

If it goes to OT I will probably suffer a heart attack.

Utter disaster is a gentle way of putting it...

Like that GSP guy, the Habs have to come out with all they've got relentlessly until the game is out of reach for the Bruins. Then, they have to go back, lick their wounds and really really do a collective "test of conscience" to sort out their demons and get ready for the next round.

Come on Habs... let's do it!!! Go Habs Go

Well Montreal fans.How does it feel!HOW DOES IT FEEL!I have endured forty years of watching the Bruins go down to the hands of the Canadians.Now the shoe is on the other foot ,with the possibility that the Bruins could be moving on to the next round.Good luck.Winner takes all