April 17, 9:30pm ET

Greetings from the Bell Centre where with just under 12 minutes left in the game we finally have an internet connection and the Bruins finally found their scoring touch. About my 3-1 Habs prediction, uh yeah had that one reversed. It’s 3-1 Bruins here and this place doesn’t know what hit them. Give the Bruins credit, they never give up and they have a chance to bring it back to Beantown.

And yes, thus far Chara has proved me wrong. He came to play! But he's trying his best to prove me right. Dumb roughing call at... Yikes! Marco Sturm shorthanded goal. 4-1 Bruins and the Bell Centre is emptying out!
Are you kidding me?

I just may be back here Monday. Be ready McKibbin's!

Until post-game...

Slainte,
Murph

April 17, 6:30pm ET

Greetings from Montreal, as we prepare for Game Five at the Bell Centre with Montreal on the verge of advancing to the second round of the playoffs. This would be the Habs’ first time in the second round since erasing a 3-1 deficit to, none other than the team they own a 3-1 lead on now, the Boston Bruins. The fact that Bruins Head Coach Claude Julien was behind the bench for the Canadiens during that miraculous comeback in 2004, has been brought up by players and media a like, but also shrugged off by just as many, as a “separate” series.

That may well be true, but one cannot underestimate Julien based on that comeback and his ability to get an undermanned and let’s face it, under-talented Bruins squad this far. While Montreal Head Coach Guy Carbonneau dismissed the idea that his team could get caught up in the anticipation and excitement of possibly eliminating the Bruins tonight, make no mistake this could be the hardest game of the series. Ask any playoff veteran and they will tell you that elimination games are the toughest.

However, based on the calmness and focus of this Montreal team this morning, I see them finishing the job tonight. The Bruins need to score the first goal if they have any chance but based on the no-shows of captain Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard at the morning skate, I don’t see how this team can believe they have a chance. If their supposed “leaders” aren’t showing up to face the music in a elimination game, then why will the rest of the team?

Don’t give me this malarkey about not wanting to answer questions regarding former President and GM of the Bruins, Harry Sinden revealing Chara has a rib injury and Savard isn’t a clutch player in this Dan Shaugnessy column in the Boston Globe yesterday...

Big deal that Harry said it like it is! I disagree with his comments on Savard, because he’s playing with a broken bone in his back but this is the playoffs and Chara and Savard shouldn’t be hiding when their team could be eliminated!

That’s why this scribe sees a 3-1 Montreal win with an empty-netter to finish things off. Then the main question won’t be did Sinden tip the Habs off on the Chara injury but will this city survive the celebration? Hopefully for the men in Blue these amazing fans don’t get too crazy. Let’s just say I’ll be cabbing it to the Bell Centre shortly as a car with a Massachusetts license plate may be a target!

As I write to you right now, I’m sitting on the patio of Foufounes Electriques (a dive for any true fan of punk rock and $2.25 Boreale, my favorite Quebec-brewed beer). Oh did I mention it’s 25 degrees Celsius and this city is alive! This is playoffs baby! Montreal in the spring, game day skate at the Bell Centre, writing and beers in the sunshine and in a few hours the loudest start to a game you will hear so far in this playoff season!

Oh and by the way, McKibbin’s Pub on what could bee a raucous Bishop St. with our good friend and bartender Steph Lamontagne who said a Guinness has my name on it!

Until the first intermission..

Slainte,

Murph