A special win turns ugly in Montreal
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 | 08:32 AM ET
We saw the absolute best and the absolute worst of Montreal tonight.
Hours ago, a wild crowd helped will the Canadiens to a Game 7 victory over Boston. As former Prime Minister Jean Chretien, Quebec Premier Jean Charest and Liberal leader Stephane Dion begged for camera time, the team’s real fans energized the building. Words cannot explain what it was like in the Bell Centre.
As Carey Price said in the postgame, when your legs get tired in the third period, the noise inspires you to keep going.
Then, the game ended and the hooligans took over. Just outside of Hurley’s, the terrific Irish pub on Crescent Street, sat a charred police cruiser. Windows smashed, up on blocks, it was one of a reported five destroyed in the aftermath.
When we walked back to our hotel, it was obvious that crowd control was a potential problem. Traffic was at a crawl all around the building, while the sidewalks flooded with fans. But that’s no excuse for what happened.
As the cars burned, riot squads turned people away from St. Catharines Street. Several journalists and a couple of hockey people were told they simply could not get to their hotels. It would be better to go somewhere and wait. (Needless to say, that group chose a bar.)
There were similar outbursts here in 1993. Vancouver had a brutal riot in 1994. But those explosions came after the Stanley Cup Final. As one Montrealer said, "This is only the first round!"
Several locals were embarrassed as the carnage unfolded, knowing it would be a stain on a beautiful city’s reputation.
You always hear the same thing: These aren’t real hockey fans. Real hockey fans wouldn’t loot a store, burn a patrol car, or toss a brick though a window. But sports fans can be such an angry group that sometimes I wonder.
Undoubtedly, stars like Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev, and popular francophones, like Francis Bouillon and Steve Begin will be recruited before the next series to perform a public service. They will be plopped in front of a TV camera and asked to tell fans to control themselves.
Hopefully, the idiots listen, because those who rioted tonight ruined what should have been a special celebration.
Les Canadiens sont la.
And it’s about time. If they win in Round II, let’s hope the losers stay home.
==
Biggest problem the Canadiens face going forward: that Boston handed opponents the blueprint to beat Montreal. The Bruins showed that your best defence isn’t played in your own zone, it’s what you do from the blueline out.
They made an important tactical adjustment after Game 1, making sure their dump-ins didn’t get to spots where Carey Price could play them. Instead, Boston pounded Montreal defencemen. Mike Komisarek (who came in injured) and Alexei Markov (who everyone believes is injured) took especially hard bodychecks. With them constantly looking for onrushing forecheckers, the quick, first-pass breakout did not happen. And, anything that slows down the Canadiens is a bonus for the opposition.
The second tactic was choking off the neutral zone. It’s the second area where Montreal can gain speed, but Boston made it very difficult to get through there. Often, a team will have to give up puck possession, dump it in and aggressively attack. That didn’t happen for much of the series, although it changed in Game 7. The Canadiens tried to carry the puck, which wasn’t working.
They’re also going to have to figure out how to get the seam pass working on the power-play because Boston rendered it useless in round one.
==
Zdeno Chara had a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He’ll need surgery.
Claude Julien did an unbelievable job in the series. It’s typical of what he did all year.
Lots of talk about the Canadiens' great young players. Well, with Lucic, Nokelainen, Sobotka and Kessel, Boston’s not bad, either.
Quietly, Josh Gorges was Montreal's most consistent player in the series.
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About the Author
Elliotte Friedman is the host of the CFL ON CBC. Prior to being named host in 2006, Friedman worked on the CFL on CBC broadcasts for the three seasons as a sideline reporter. A Toronto native, Friedman is well known for his additional work on Hockey Night in Canada, as well as his presence on the Torino 2006 Winter Games telecasts as a hockey reporter. Prior to joining the CBC, Friedman worked at The Score network and was widely regarded as one of the best reporters in the country. Friedman used his reporting skills to break stories and file feature reports for high profile events including six Stanley Cup Finals, four Grey Cup Championships, two World Series and one Olympic Games. He is also a regular on the nationally syndicated Prime Time Sports radio telecast, hosted by Bob McCown.
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Comments
yvonne
kelowna,B.C.
The habs beating the bruins is what it is all about. How do we know if the FANS were responsible for the riot. It could have been the usual suspects taking the perfect time to do this stupity! True hockey fans celebrate in good,clean fun. DON'T BLAME THE TRUE FANS.
Posted April 22, 2008 05:19 PM
Dan in Montreal
Montreal
Riots come and go people. That's not the big news here. What's potentially scandalous news is the Canadiens "now we make an effort, now we don't" strategy of play. Was anyone a little suspicious after Montreal lost and lost and then suddenly MUTILATED the Bruins last night? I was. As a Habs fan, I'm happy they won - but I wouldn't be surprised if the big advertisers somehow had an influence in the sudden slow-down in the Canadiens' winning streak. I mean, Ford's ad investments go a lot farther if the series goes seven games. Sorry, but the whole thing stinks in my opinion. So many times in this series the Habs simply stopped playing.
Posted April 22, 2008 05:03 PM
db
OLE, OLE, OLE...as for moving the team to hamilton or winnipeg are you out of your mind Tony C...lolololo. If Habs skate and use their speed they will be tough to handle. What ever happens its been a great year and they have such a great future unlike Toronto, Ottawa,Buffalo, Vancouver, LA, Nashville,Islanders, Florida,Tampa, Atlanta, etc,etc,etc.
Posted April 22, 2008 03:30 PM
Alex
I don't know. People in Montreal live each day as though it were the last, and going to Game 7 with the Bruins made everyone go a little crazy. Let's not be too hard on the rioters.
Posted April 22, 2008 03:22 PM
Sandra
haileybury
I am not a Habs fan but I did want to see a couple canadian teams make second round and found myself cheering for them. How awful for the people of Montreal and the fans, to have their city and reputation dishonoured by a group of complete idiots.I do hope that tapes will be scrutinized and the hooligans arrested and made example of.
Posted April 22, 2008 02:54 PM
Tony C
Oakville
They booed the American anthem before the game and they ripped downtown apart after the game, nice city. I hate to see what they might have done if the NHL had suspended their best player before the playoffs began...Oh right, we've seen that too. Move the team to Hamilton or Winnipeg, people are less emotional in either of those places.
Posted April 22, 2008 02:27 PM
Matthew
I wouldn't worry too much about rioting in Montreal anymore, once the Rangers send them to the Golf Course, there wont be any need for those type of shenanigans.
Posted April 22, 2008 02:21 PM
Geoff
Montreal
The only thing this proved is that organized vandals in Montreal are very opportunistic. This had nothing to do with hockey. The real fans (like me) had long left the Bell Centre and were home when these hooligans left a black mark on our beautiful city.
Please, let's leave this junk out of the sports sites and leave it to crime reporters.
Posted April 22, 2008 12:37 PM
mark peters
The Bruins' downfall in this series was their Achilles heal all year: the inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities. In the first period of Game 7, the Bruins totally outplayed Montreal and had three glorious scoring opportunities but didn't get the puck to the mesh.
Agree with Friedman that Boston had the blueprint to defeat Montreal but they lacked the scoring punch. And in today's NHL, if you don't score, you don't win.
Posted April 22, 2008 12:14 PM
Phil
Vancouver
KLM wrote: "it pains me to think what would ever happen in toronto if the leafs finally made the playoffs and succeeded..."
When the Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series, over a million fans partied up and down Yonge Street, and I think the only damage done was a broken street lamp. Take that for what you want, but I have to think there'd be less of this animalistic behaviour out of Torontonians.
Posted April 22, 2008 11:47 AM
KLM
Toronto
it's when things like this happen when you question what a "real" hockey fan is....
what does rioting show? looting stores and burning cars is the work of angry idiots who should be in protest of something... but the canadiens won... so what the hell?
i've never understood it... montreal in 1993 and vancouver in 1994... these goons need to be taught a lesson - riot police should have all the right to exact any kind of force necessary to keep these goons from roaming the streets... it pains me to think what would ever happen in toronto if the leafs finally made the playoffs and succeeded...
Posted April 22, 2008 11:25 AM
Cory
Typical Montreal fans...1st round and there's mayhem. Getting a little too carried away, not thinking and a little too cocky.
If they lost, there'd be no Montreal left.
Definetely a black mark on them.
Posted April 22, 2008 10:20 AM
Geoff
Montreal
Couldn't agree with you more! I was at the game last night, and took in the absolutely unbelievable atmosphere. But I can't understand the mentality of idiots who decide that a hockey game is a good idea to burn cars.
I grew up in the late 70's and 80's, when a first round victory was automatic. We never saw "celebrations" like that. I don't mind honking horns and high-fiving; after all, it's been too long since the Habs have been this good. But let's keep it civil Montreal.
Les Canadiens sont la!
Posted April 22, 2008 09:54 AM