Final score: Bruins 4, Montreal 2
Chara/By S. Bradley
MONTREAL — It’s amazing what can happen when Zdeno Chara and the Bruins offense return on the same night.
Most importantly, the Bruins turn a disaster into a series.
Starting the night down two games to none in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with Montreal, the Bruins jumped out to a 3-0 lead and hung on for a 4-2 victory at the league’s most hostile venue, the Bell Centre.
The Canadiens now lead the series 2-1 with Game 4 set for Thursday in the same venue.
Boston had scored just one goal total in the first two games. Chara missed Game 2 with dehydration.
Here’s a quick glance at the box score:
•The disappointing Bruins’ first line turned things around, as David Krejci and Nathan Horton both scored. Rich Peverley added the third goal and Chris Kelly scored into an empty net.
•Tim Thomas stopped 34 of 36 shots, including 14 of 15 in the wild third period.
•The Bruins’ penalty kill was 5-for-5 with just two shots on net allowed during shorthanded situations.
•Boston blocked 22 shots, led by Andrew Ference with four. Ference also picked up a fighting major coming to the defense of Johnny Boychuk after a high hit by Ben Pouliot on the forecheck.
My 2 cents on Edwards-
His color commentary makes me excited to watch Bruins games. On a network intended for New England, I don’t think it’s outrageous to have a homer calling the game. Most of us in Boston love his excitement, and I couldn’t imagine watching a game without his Edwards-isms.
There’s a difference though. Paying fans can do what they want. Canadiens fans have a whole list of chants and cheers they do.
Boston fans do some kind of Rick Flair “Wooo” or something after a goal. These are paying fans. That’s their business.
Jack Edwards is a play by play analyst/sports broadcaster. He’s supposed to be telling us what’s going on on the ice. Half the time, he isn’t even accurate and plays up the Bruin wayyy too much. There are nights where he’s the only guy in the room that thinks the Bruin won the fight (he must be that guy at Hockeyfights.com that voted for Krejci vs. Pouliot…)
I watched quite a few of his calls today. It isn’t just Habs fans, Edwards homers every call against every team.
It’s interesting. Edwards does go off the deep end some times (and last night was pretty extreme), but the first couple of games I thought he was actually pretty even in his distribution of comments. A couple of times I had to mute the tv because he sounded so excited after Montreal goals… (in that regard I kind of prefer the style of the Detroit color guy, who always just goes “uh oh” right before something bad happens… I find that funny for some reason).
Anyway, I think most would agree that Brickley is a pretty different guy when doing NESN broadcasts v. when he does ones for Versus, even if the Bruins are involved. And that is because, as other posters have pointed out, one is a regional broadcast whose audience are regional fans, and the other is national tv, where fans of both teams are likely to be watching.
I can understand why Habs fans would be irritated with them for sure, and it is a little embarrassing at time… but hey, criticizing them for it is a little like if I went to the Bell Centre and got mad at the crowd for singing “Allez Allez Allez.” It just comes with the territory. If I don’t like, I can just stay home. Or put in earplugs.
All local networks have broadcasters that are locally biased. That’s what the audience wants to hear, as has been stated. As far as homerism goes, through that lens, he doesn’t tend to downplay a bruins violation so much as he plays up the opponent’s violations or borderline plays. There’s a definite difference between him and other local broadcasters. Part of that might be Brickley as well, who is great to listen to, and there is a definite reason Brickley does so much national broadcasting.
Edwards is entertainment, nothing more. He’s only saying what a lot (not all) of Bruins fans are thinking, and getting us all riled up in the process. I don’t need some even-keeled boring guy limiting his words to saying exactly what my eyes are seeing. What would be the point?
It’s fun….he goes overboard a few times a game, but we aren’t idiots and we know when it’s “Jack being Jack” out there. All the more to talk about.
My fav from last night was shouting “Get Up” to Hamrlik’s sad attempt to milk a hit and get a call from the Refs.
Classic.
Ben,
You’re losing me here. Based on homerism, what does Bob Cole say that approaches any of the petty things Edwards is saying?
I don’t really hear the Cole bias personally. He might have a Canada bias, but not a Canadien bias. To us, the moment it’s a Toronto personality, we know we’re not getting a fair shake. The habs have many rivalries, and the Toronto one is just as intense when they have a decent team. Now if only we could relocate one of those crappy empty arena American teams to Quebec city…then it’ll be like the good old days.
RD yes Bob Cole is just as bad if not worse. Mostly because he is on a national network not a province based one. National networks play by play should not sound biased and it did. To compare NESN to CBC is apples to oranges. RDS/or the french CBC is a closer comparison.
I do enjoy your level headedness though for a supporter of the Habs it’s refreshing.
WermDog… Thats why you put him with Bergy and Marchand like I stated. Have you not seen Kelly HE’S a defensive liability 5-5.
Bob Cole is from Toronto… and you guys are seriously dishonest if you are comparing Bob Cole to Jack Edwards. Edwards is a disgrace to broadcasting with his homer take on the bruins.
“What a chump”
“One of the greatest dispointments of talent in national hockey league history”
“Ferrence gets the takedown, no surprise”
Now, don’t just wear your Bruins goggles…would Bob Cole say anything remotely close to that?
I found another one where he picked on Alex Henry for fighting Thornton. “He has nowhere near the goal scoring resume”
For the record, in that fight, Thornton (a forward) had all of 12 career goals. I mean that observation doesn’t even make much sense when you consider Henry is a defenseman…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbFkAnrEvLg
So what is his deal? Does he think Homer calling a match is part of the entertainment package?
Anyways, it took me 5 minutes on google to realize he’s the laughingstock of the league…I guess he’s still better than gramps up in Buffalo…
First Line did not produce again.
Ben- Seguin is a liability. what are you going to say when he gets burned defensively and the smurfs score?!
RD: Tell that to Bob Cole…he loves the Canadiens…big kiss fest last night
It could have been 4-0 if Thomas didn’t let in his softest goals of the year hes the best in the league but lord that wasn’t pretty goals
First line did NOT come through, Bergeron assisted on both goals during line changes!
I’m no fan of Glyder, but he has not been the weak link this playoff series. Hell, he’s been better than Lucic! If you really want to sit someone, sit Kelley, he looks a little overwhelmed and has not been making great offensive or defensive plays. Sure he gets an empty netter, but so don’t most players in that situation. Not sure Seguin would be useful though. He’d be cold and would probably be heavily targeted by the habs early in the game, causing him to be less effective than Kelley would have been. I think the kid will be ready in a year for this sort of world, but he was barely ready for the regular season this year.
The Kid should play and Ryder should take a hike. When Ryder gets the puck he usually makes one good move and then its a give away. It is most definetly time foe Seguin to play.
Great two periods hockey got it done. I think Milan is ready to finally show up for game 4
RuggedRyan I still think Seguin should play but not over Ryder. I have never said that. Seguin over Kelly yes. I know he got a “goal” but the en doesn’t count. I think the speed in the third needs an offensive threat from someone other than Marchand. Rex to the third line and Seguin to the second. Thats what I would like to see. But I’m not a coach nor will I ever be so I’ll leave it up to the experts but that is my humble opinion. Timmy had a good game. A couple should have saved ones but he made up for it in the end. Great saves in the late third.
RD I was watching the CBC version and it really seemed as though the play by ply being done was biased as well. They got excited when the Habs came close but seemed almost disappointed when Boston scored. Things like hopefully Montreal can get back in this. Stuff like that. And for a “national” station to do that is well you know. Yes I’ll give you that Don Cherry uses the words “us” and “we” alot when speaking about the Bruins… but that’s just Don.
It might be suspendable…the league will decide. Looks like the elbow hit him high. Thankfully he took it well.
Something though, how the hell do you guys get by with those 2 clowns doing your play by play? They take it so personal that it sounds very bush league…
Great win, no doubt. The boys need to bring 60 minutes worth of hockey to the rest of the series.
Where are the folks who wanted Ryder and Thomas out this game? Guess we would have won 6-1 had Seguin and Rask been in the game.
Great win by the boys tonight – love the effort and heart by all. Big goals by some key guys that needed them tonight, too. Good to see Chara out there and giving it his best. Nice for Andy to stick up for Boychuk. Pouliot should get 1-2 games for leaving his feet and targeting Boychuk’s head with his elbow. I hope the league reviews that penalty tomorrow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpFjEv8V2h4
Thoughts on the hit, MK?
Last comment – need more out of Looch on Thursday.
Great effort tonight, especially on the PK. Ryder out, Seguin in w/ Bergy….Please Claude I beg you!
No booo birds yet?!?! gotta have faith people!!!