It’s true that teams strive to attain hometown advantage in order to gain the upperhand in a tough series, and last night’s two games involving the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames were perfect examples of a team who needed to hear from their fans to turn the momentum of the 2-0 series deficit they both faced. Despite the obvious presence of supporters in both the Bell Centre in Montreal and the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, only the latter benefitted from the noise, perhaps partly due to their demeanor.
The Calgary Flames were able to fight off the Chicago Blackhawks for the first time in the series, cutting the lead to 2-1, when Rene Borque scored an ugly goal to put them ahead by one late in the second — a lead the Flames would not let go of. And of course, the “C” of Red was in full force that night, cheering on their boys in Cowtown to propel the team to the win. Unfortunately, for the other Canadian team on the ice that night, things didn’t turn out so well, especially without thanks to the fans.
In the Bell Centre, the night opened with a roar of “boos” in an unlikely and disrespectful place: the American National Anthem. Believing they were supporting their team — and that the anthem represented the opposing Boston Bruins — the fans in Montreal made their voices heard much to the chagrin of home team GM Bob Gainey.
“I feel like there’s a confusion there with our fans,” says Gainey. “They feel like booing the anthem is supporting our team, in that the anthem represents the Boston team. And I think if they could separate those two things, then we could respect the anthem of the United States of America and they could still participate loudly in whatever way they want to disrupt the Bruins.”
The show of “support” from the fans seemed to have been counter-intuitive to the Habs’ efforts; the Boston Bruins delivered a 4-2 loss to the Canadiens’, possibly inspired by the anthem-antics that began the night. Although Montreal has one more chance to begin making up lost ground in their current 3-0 series deficit, they will definitely need their fans to rally behind a cheer that will actually motivate their struggling team. As for the Flames, their fans seem to have already found that secret to success.
Both teams hit the ice once again in game 4 on Wednesday.
Tag: Montreal Canadiens
Infamous crowds to play large role in a pair of Game 3’s
Two Canadian teams. Two different series. Two well-known, hockey-crazed crowds. With their teams on the verge of falling into that uncomfortable spot between a rock and a hard place, the fans in Montreal and Calgary know exactly what their role will be in each team’s Game 3 tonight: the all-important “sixth man.”
There is no doubt that the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames each have a diehard following — the Canadiens, being of the original six, have a long history in the sport and have generations of fans to support them. The Flames, while being a younger team than the Habs, have become known for their fan support and the infamous “C” of Red, the name given to the awe-inspiring sight of the entire Pengrowth Saddledome filled with fans clad in red. Both teams are currently stuck in a 2-0 deficit in their respective series, with little to be happy about in their struggling performances. However, coming back home may carry the momentum of the series in their favor thanks to the noise and support of their fans.
“This building is loud, and it can definitely shift the momentum,” says Calgary forward, David Moss. “This city is waiting for a win. Hopefully, by doing that tonight, we can kind of spark this thing, get everyone behind us, and start rolling.”
While not known for it’s visually stunning fan support, the Canadiens are home to a large stadium that never ceases to sell-out, the stands brimming with Habs fans dressed in their red, white and blue. The noise generated from the crowd following each big hit, poor call, or highlight-reel goal can be intimidating for the opposition, and tonight in both the Bell Center and the Penngrowth Saddledome, it will be the “sixth man” watching the game that will make or break these two Canadian teams’ chances of righting their wrongs from the first two games.
Infamous crowds to play large role in a pair of Game 3's
Two Canadian teams. Two different series. Two well-known, hockey-crazed crowds. With their teams on the verge of falling into that uncomfortable spot between a rock and a hard place, the fans in Montreal and Calgary know exactly what their role will be in each team’s Game 3 tonight: the all-important “sixth man.”
There is no doubt that the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames each have a diehard following — the Canadiens, being of the original six, have a long history in the sport and have generations of fans to support them. The Flames, while being a younger team than the Habs, have become known for their fan support and the infamous “C” of Red, the name given to the awe-inspiring sight of the entire Pengrowth Saddledome filled with fans clad in red. Both teams are currently stuck in a 2-0 deficit in their respective series, with little to be happy about in their struggling performances. However, coming back home may carry the momentum of the series in their favor thanks to the noise and support of their fans.
“This building is loud, and it can definitely shift the momentum,” says Calgary forward, David Moss. “This city is waiting for a win. Hopefully, by doing that tonight, we can kind of spark this thing, get everyone behind us, and start rolling.”
While not known for it’s visually stunning fan support, the Canadiens are home to a large stadium that never ceases to sell-out, the stands brimming with Habs fans dressed in their red, white and blue. The noise generated from the crowd following each big hit, poor call, or highlight-reel goal can be intimidating for the opposition, and tonight in both the Bell Center and the Penngrowth Saddledome, it will be the “sixth man” watching the game that will make or break these two Canadian teams’ chances of righting their wrongs from the first two games.
Montreal fail to capitalize in opener with Boston
Original six and long-time rivals, the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins, opened their first-round series last night with a game that seemed to defy everyone’s expectations. Talk of a role reversal from last years post-season faceoff between these same two teams followed the players around every day leading up to the game; in the 2008 playoffs, Montreal was the favored team against a struggling Boston. This year, top-seeded Boston displayed their dominance of the opposition throughout the regular season and look to continue the trend going into — and coming out of — the series with Montreal.
Although Boston won 4 to 2 over Montreal — in a game that saw a total of 67 combined shots in regulation time — the game itself surprised many Bruins fans as Montreal displayed their determination in the second period, tying the game at 2 before the end of the second, and applying pressure Boston’s end throughout. Despite Carey Price’s efforts in net, Boston managed to go ahead by a goal on a power play in the third, and added one more in the empty net for good measure, destroying the Canadiens’ hopes of winning after coming back from a 2 – 0 deficit.
The Canadiens, having outplayed Boston, couldn’t capitalize on their chances and fell to the mighty Bruins, trailing in the series by one. If Montreal can continue their level of play and finish in front of the net, they have a chance of upsetting the second-best team in the league on Saturday when they face Boston in Game 2.