Habs 5, Booins 1: One does not simply walk into the Bell Center and collect 2 points!

Richard: "Bet this guy doesn't know what a hat trick is, eh Dickie? In our day....."

If you missed the ceremony tonight because you were too busy complaining about the previous two games or planning your latest rebuilding scenarios: you are not a Habs fan. No one gives up, no one surrenders, and NO ONE throws a party like the Habs. And frankly all the other teams were looking at this thinking how they will match it when their Centennial comes around.

How amazing was it to see all the old greats skate out onto the ice for some fun with Dryden (with Price's brown pads from last year) in nets on one side and Roy in nets on the other, in full gear, all smiles, having the time of their lives. Reading the lips of a lady the camera catches says it all: "Oh my god."

How awesome was it for super Habs fan Viggo Mortensen to come out and introduce his favourite player, Guy Lafleur (who was suffering from a bad flu and was rumored to not be there), while wearing his Lafleur jersey.

How amazing was it when Rhino stood next to Butch Bouchard as his number was rising, pulled the jersey off his back and gave it to great man? On a scale of 1 to 10 it would be 100. We were all thinking he'd take number 8, considering he was being groomed to be the next Komisarek, but instead he picked 20. Now the token journeyman will need to find a different number!

How amazing was the GIANT team picture? Gomez was almost peeing himself with excitement, Jaro was chatting it up with Nilan, Price looked ready to explode, Big Brother K had a big smile on his face while Little Sergei had no idea what to do, Cammy having a laugh with Dickie Moore and Henri Richard...

And when the Montreal Symphony Orchestra played the anthems, the crowd did the singing for both anthems.

It's too bad Pricey's lovely mask will be only worn tonight. If he could get himself something similar...the blue Dryden bullseye on the red mask at least... It's really his best one yet. And the 1909 C logo on the chin makes him look all captainy.

Tonight was a good night for Habs fans everywhere and great moment for hockey. Here's to the next 100 seasons!

WHO WANTS SOME CAKE?! BOOYA!

ON CLOUD 9!
- PLAYOFF HOCKEY!
- A night off did the body good for Price. Ever see a man do the splits like that?
- Hat trick #2 for Cammy. Marry me? But wow to the person who tossed a Bruins jersey onto the ice. Expensive much?
- Serg! A big man fell on his knee and he might be hurt... Just as he and Gomez were heating up... Coach even had him on the PK, including the epic 5-on-3.
- I still have no idea what Spacek did to cause the 5-on-3 but I guess Moustache McCreary was trying to help the Bruins win considering he was missing a hell of a lot of penalties on their side and calling the 2 minutes for playing hockey the other way. This is why we missed Hal Gill's long stick and long legs.
- Speaking of which, HMCS Hal Gill cruised back in and launched a missile aiming right for Metro's stick. Great goal for two great human beings.
- Thoooooooooooooooooomas...
- Hey Bruins, when will you realize Tuukka Rask is the better goalie? He's essentially their Carey Price. (They're camp buddies too).
- Young master Pacioretty worked his ass off tonight.
- Bergeron, even when you're on the 4th line you still manage to fuck up a breakout but you are better as a forward.
- In this wussy pansy new NHL if you play with a little BITE and your name is Tomas Plekanec, you get a double minor. Maybe you should tell Krejci to stop cheating on his faceoffs and get out of his way if he can't take the rough stuff. Or HAHA YOU GOT BEATEN BY A LITTLE GIRL!
- What's a Bruins game without Savard comlaining about something, like an offside.
- The crowd never quieted.
- Bruins looked shocked to see the Habs come on like gangbusters. Maybe that's the plan? Suck a few games, lull the opposition into thinking they got an easy win coming and BAM kick them in the shins and steal their lunch money.
- Final minutes of play Habs played keepaway like we used to see them do when they were shutting down a win.
- Perhaps the Ghosts were waiting for Lach and Bouchard to return to the rafters?
- And the Habs saluted the crowd, I wish I was there...

I dare say this game is filed away into the next Greatest Moments DVD? I need to post this quote because it's absolutely lovely:

"We all played inspired hockey," said Price. "There were a lot of faces here I grew up watching.

"We really wanted to win this one. We were pumped up watching the guys out there and chatting with vets who won championships. We wanted to win for them as well. We're all pretty proud to be Canadiens tonight."

What a kid. Scotty Bowman gave him tons of praise during intermission too (NO YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM, CHICAGO!).