Once Again, Stupidity Prevails: Habs / Bruins Breakdown
STATUS UPDATE (3:42 pm): According to the NHL and the VP of Hockey Operations, Mike Murphy, the reasoning behind the ruling,
“After a thorough review of the video I can find no basis to impose supplemental discipline. This hit resulted from a play that evolved and then happened very quickly — with both players skating in the same direction and with Chara attempting to angle his opponent into the boards,” continued Murphy. “I could not find any evidence to suggest that, beyond this being a correct call for interference, that Chara targeted the head of his opponent, left his feet or delivered the check in any other manner that could be deemed to be dangerous.”
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Status Update (3:30pm) According to the Boston Bruins via Twitter: “@NHLBruins: The NHL has informed the Bruins that there will be no fine and no suspension for Chara. The Montreal Canadiens at their fans will not pleased when they get word of this. Follow me on Twitter @JohnnyBertolo
STATUS UPDATE (2:30pm): According to Renaud Lavoie of RDS, “@renhockey Pacioretty: neck fracture-out 2 to 4 weeks only for that injury. He’s got a plastic cast around.”
According to Pacioretty’s agent, Alec Shall, via twitter, “@aschall21 Max sounds like himself. It is going to be a lot of work to heal and rehab, but his will power is one of his strengths.”
Remember, Pacioretty did suffer a concussion on the play. He must be evaluated numerous times before he’s given the green light to return. Stay updated Follow me on Twitter @JohnnyBertolo
STATUS UPDATE (12:38pm): Max Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion and a non-displaced fracture of his 4th cervical vertebrae. The Montreal Canadiens will continue updating his condition. Follow me on Twitter @JohnnyBertolo for further details.
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In the legendary words of one Jeremy Roenick, “NHL, wake the f$%k up”.
Last night’s Montreal/Boston tilt was supposed to be a celebration of the game. Finally, skill and speed had once again trumped over thuggish goonery and intimidation.
The Montreal Canadiens had returned to respectable form following last month’s abortion of a game in Baaaston. In the eyes of its fans, the Habs completely outworked, yes you heard me, OUTWORKED, their slower, braindead opponents to perfection and the B’s simply couldn’t handle it. 
The Modern day Canandiens showed flashes of the 1970’s Habs against their longtime, bitter rival. As much as the Bruins slashed, hooked, punched and cheated their way to an advantage, the Habs were equally up to the task, just simply executing better.
The Habs were not going to allow a sequel to the “Bedlam in Beantown” unravel on Bell Centre ice. Even when jackass Johnny Boychuk was headhunting early on in the 1st period, it was Ryan White who stepped in and made Johnny Boy’s face look like Tom Pyatt’s following last month’s fight with Gregory Campbell (without the help of an elbow pad I might add).
From that point on, you knew the Habs weren’t f$%king around. After the Habs notched goal, after goal, after goal, after goal, the Canadiens and their fans were preparing themselves for a good old-fashioned Tuesday party in downtown Montreal. The champagne was chilled; people couldn’t wait to talk about Lars Eller and his first two-goal night in the NHL, or Andrei Kostitsyn extending his point streak to seven games, or Gionta’s 24th, or Wiz’s Wizzer from the point.
Enter Lurch… 
This 7-foot former butler from The Addams Family somehow lucked his big carcass into a contract with the Bruins after he was left for dead in Ottawa. Under the guise of Claude Julien (who bears a striking resemblance to Hank’s neighbour, Bill Dauterive, from King of the Hill, thank you Habs blogger Kyle Roussel for the laugh), Chara has been transformed into one of the most dominant defenders in the game and simultaneously one of the worst dressers (even by Slovakian standards) on the planet.
Exhibit A
Ever since Max Pacioretty scored the overtime winner against Boston and shoved Chara following the goal to celebrate with his mates on January 8th, 2011 a huge target was automatically painted on the back of the PacMan. The Bruins had focused their collective hatred for the Habs on #67 and viewed him as the next big threat in the MTL/BOS rivalry.
Exhibit B
During the clown show in Boston last February the 8th, Chara showed his pettiness by slashing Pacioretty on his calf and watched has he slowly skated back to the Montreal bench. If this were Babylon in 1011 BC the 2nd Sealed Dynasty would throw the case out citing the classic argument, “An eye for an eye” or in this case, “A love-tap for a love-tap”. Finito, finished, done, move on.
Exhibit C
If that’s not intent to injure, then the Quebec government is run by some of the smartest, most talented people roaming the Earth. Following the game, after Chara cowered to the back of the Bruins bus to escape the ever-glaring Montreal media eye, Lurch emerged and spewed forth his reasoning behind the hit “…very unfortunate when I pushed him that he leaned & jumped a little bit & just hit the glass extension”
Yeah and I’m pretty sure JFK assassinated himself using the magic bullet and an invisible gun. What a crock of sh%t, he knew where Pacioretty was, he knew he was off-balance and vulnerable and the f$%ker shoved him anyway. The act was so premeditated, the NHL has three games worth of footage to cycle through before making an educated decision regarding Chara’s fate.
So now the Bruins and Chara play the waiting game as Lurch will sit down with another NHL VP clone, Mike Murphy, who will surely evaluate the hit on the after effects of Pacioretty rather than the intent to maliciously end the guy’s career.
Bravo NHL, Bra-F$%king-Vo! —
Digits…
Carey Price was brilliant, again, stopping 30-of-31 shots to preserve the win for le bleu, blanc et rouge. Price improves his career record against the B’s to 13-3-2.
Lars Eller certainly had a better outing this time against the Bruins, scoring two goals and finishing the game plus-1. Last time Eller played the B’s he was lined up with Gomez and finished the game -4.
Andrei Kostitsyn extended his point streak to seven games and has assisted in six straight.
James Wisniewski scored his 8th goal of the season with a blast from the point.
Captain Brian Gionta scored a rather easy goal on Tukka Rask following much confusion in the Boston crease.
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Tuukka Rask certainly had a night to forget. Filling in for the injured Tim Thomas (Hand), Rask allowed four goals on 26 shots and finished the game with a .846 SV%. Lifetime against the Habs, Rask is an unflattering 1-5-1.
Hab Killer Milan Lucic got the lone goal for the B’s late in the 3rd period. In his last 9 games, Lucic has six goals and six assists and leads the B’s in the scoring category with 29 and tied for second on the team in points with 50.
Etcetera
Habs are back on the road, travelling to St. Louis to play last year’s Carey Price, Jaroslav Halak, on Thursday. We will have a full evaluation on Max Pacioretty’s condition and a MTL/STL preview tomorrow on JB.com Follow me on Twitter @JohnnyBertolo Please leave Comments. Laters!
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