Monday, April 28

Carey Price: Let's Not Get The Crown Out Too Early

A head to head matchup yesterday as teams from two cities battled it out to see who could have the most classless fans in the NHL. Who are our contestants? (Ooooo, I'm so nervous!)

In THIS corner, the fans who boo O'Canada - because if any country deserves a good booing, it's Canada - The fans who chant pro American slogans in support of one of their players [a Canadian] yes, it's the fans of the Philadelphia "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" Flyers. Aaaaand in THAT corner, the fans who pointlessly started the anthem boo war, the fans who boo francophone's who dare play somewhere else, the fans who, when they say you have a hot car, literally mean that you have a hot car, the supporters of the Montreal "I Fought The Law" Canadiens!

Traditionally its taken a lot to outdo the animals who populate the tundra that is the Philadelphia sports scene, but somehow a pocket of Habs fans take it on this one. It'll be very interesting to see how they respond once they get back to Montreal. They have a real opportunity to show everyone up and be all awesome and cheer the shit out of the Star Spangled Banner and not go nuts and loot the nearest La Cage aux Sport, but, you know, you just gotta earn that trust.

As for the game, Patrick Roy Carey Price was beyond awful and was chased from the net after a second period where he looked like a scared 20 year-old with the hopes and dreams of a natio... sorry, a small group of Quebecois and Moose riding on his shoulders. I don't know which of those goals he looked worst on, maybe the Richards, maybe the Umberger (I told you about Umberger, didn't I), which he just looked at helplessly as the game winner just sailed by him. This came about from a terrific Flyer forecheck where the Habs fucked around in their own end looking as weak as their goalie. The opposite of all this being Quebec native son Martin Biron who looked great and brilliantly murdered Saku Koivu on the breakaway. Biron looked like he was playing playoff hockey, Price did not. You just know that as we speak, thousands of Pennsylvanians with the ability to photoshop are making up pictures of Price with a beach ball behind him.
Lastly, I don't know about the rest of you, but in that second period, it occured to me to wonder what would be happening on the ice if Sundin had allowed the trade of himself for Higgins + a 1,2 and 3. How differently would the Habs look with Sundin's everything just playing with the puck down low. I mean, who gives a shit, but I did think about it.