As has been well documented, all four of the first four games of this series have been won by the road team. Obviously, there were some extenuating circumstances in a couple of cases (like Zdeno Chara's illness), but that doesn't change the fact that the road team has played the better hockey in this series. Maybe both teams feel like they play better when they have no distractions, or when they can feel like the world is against them. Whatever it is that is causing this phenomenon, it's in the best interest of the Boston Bruins to reverse it tonight against the Montreal Canadiens.
Canadiens Vs. Bruins, Game 5: Will Home Ice Finally Be An Advantage?
This series has heated up after Andrew Ference gave the middle finger to the Montreal fans, but his defense might upset people more than the action himself. I'll let the man speak for himself:
“I was pumping my fist...I’m not giving anybody the bird or anything like that. [It was] an unintentional bird that I obviously apologized for. It wasn’t meant to insult anybody, especially a whole row of cameras in the Bell Centre and the fans sitting there.”
True story: Once in elementary school, I got suspended because the principal saw me flip off a kid. I told him that we were playing basketball and that it was an accidental part of the follow-through on my jump shot. He didn’t buy it. This is essentially the exact same thing.
For more on this game, Canadiens fans should check out Habs Eyes On The Prize and Bruins fans should head over to Stanley Cup Of Chowder.
There are a lot of coaches who, when interviewed on television, will talk about intricate strategy. In the cases of Jacques Martin and Claude Julien, the message has been simple. Something along the lines of “We just need to play hockey.” Indeed.
With the game tied up at 2-2, there’s no debate that this one is massive. The winner of this game will have an obviously gigantic leg up in the series. Here’s to hoping both teams go out and “play hockey.”
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