Game Day: Toronto, Montreal and the thrill of history

Players change, the years march forth, but rivalry is crystallized by time.

And if the last century is a reliable guide, tonight's game will be filled with nail-biting excitement and raw emotion. Because when Toronto and Montreal face-off on a Saturday night, when Hockey Night in Canada flickers into living rooms from coast to coast, these teams play no other kind of game.

The Habs have emerged as a powerhouse this season. The Leafs, riding a two-game winning streak, will have their gloves full. And the Bell Centre will be a madhouse as fans for both sides exchange cheers and chants and taunts.

Speaking of history and milestones, tonight marks the NHL's 50,000th game. It is also Brian Burke's 1,000th game as a general manager. And if all of this wasn't enough to set the mood, the Leafs have made the trek to Montreal this weekend with their fathers.

Final score predictions? Let's hear them.

I will simply point something out. Right now, Nikolai Kulemin, Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur are on a tear. And heading into this season, each of them scored more lifetime points against Montreal than against any other team in the league.

The same goes for Tomas Kaberle. Make of that what you will.

***

I was in a cab yesterday when news broke about Pat Burns.

"He was the best – the best," said the driver, shaking his head as the AM radio crackled with the bulletin. "This is very sad."

After a lengthy and courageous battle with three different cancers, Patrick Burns died yesterday and the hockey world lost a first-class ambassador and one of the greatest leaders the game has ever known.

What can you say about Burnsie?

For an entire generation of Leaf fans, he was the first coach we associated with "winning." He wasn't just a bench boss who changed lines or called time-outs. He was as much a part of the team as any of the players we worshipped.

As his illness advanced, Burns became more reflective.

Last March, while delivering remarks for the announcement of the Pat Burns Arena now under construction at Stamstead College, he said this:

"I probably won't see the project to the end, but let's hope I'm looking down on it and see a young Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux… I know my life is nearing its end and I accept that. As for my career, I always said to my kids, 'You don't cry because it's over, you're happy because it happened.' That's the main thing. I'm happy it happened.”

As the cab snaked along Yonge Street in traffic, I looked out the window and felt a tremendous sadness. But I also felt a tremendous gratitude: We should be so happy Pat Burns happened to us.

And so when I think of Burnsie, I will forget the illness that took him too soon and instead remember his contagious smile and zest for life. I will remember the way he defended his players the way a lion defends its cubs.

I will remember the way he smirked and muttered to nobody in particular one night in Chicago after Jim Cummins was taking liberties with the Leafs and then found himself receiving end of a Tie Domi smackdown.

I will remember the way he charged across the bench to get at Barry Melrose. I will remember the way he once patted Wendel Clark on the helmet with a tenderness that bordered on familial. And I will remember the way he pumped his fist while grinning and glancing upwards toward Cliff Fletcher after the Leafs between Detroit in a Game 7 none of us will forget.

A video that was released after that season was titled The Passion Returns. Pat Burns, as much as anyone else, was responsible for returning this passion to Leafs Nation.

In advance of tonight's game, and with a heavy heart, I leave you with this video of Burnsie's memorable return to Montreal all those years ago:

 

 

PHOTO: TONY BOCK/TORONTO STAR

Comments

[Pyramid Power]

God bless Pat Burns. What a great man and great coach. How he battled that insidious disease for more than seven years is a testament to what a battler he was, and perhaps maybe how he was able to motivate his teams to do battle as they did.
Fitting he perished the day of a huge Leafs-Canadiens tilt.
I hope Ron Wilson gives the guys a rousing speech before this game in honour of the memory of Burnsie.
Gotta have this one tonight to move back to .500!
Canadiens are a tough team this year, but we got them in Game One of the season on October 7th. Gotta get them again!
Our record against Montreal over the past decade has been amazing. Will have to look it up again, but posted it on these pages before.
Price looked pretty vulnerable on at least one Nashville goal on Thursday night in a 3-0 loss. Hopefully he gives up a softie or four tonight.
Would love to see Kessel go wild tonight! And hopefully Kaberle has a big game for Toronto. He often does against Montreal. Find a way Leafs!
Win one for Pat Burns!

GO LEAFS GO! GAME ON!

[Vinay Menon]

@Pyramid Power: Thank you for updating tonight! Will need your updates more than usual as I'm at an event right now...

[Tom]

2nd period and habs haven't scored against the Leafs yet (16 minutes left). I am surprised.

[Tom]

Nevermind.

[Pyramid Power]

1-0 heading to the third. Tough shortie to give up by Halpern.
Gotta have the win tonight Toronto!
Go win it in the third.

Need to play better and somebody needs to rifle a clutch goal to tie it. Hold the fort Giggy.
GO LEAFS GO!

[Pyramid Power]

Sorry. Hold the fort Gus!

[Moe Green]

On a night honouring Pat Burns both teams played a game that he would have enjoyed mightily. The Leafs were held in it for much of the game by superb goaltending by, wait for it: Gooooooose! Though not tested as much, Price was stellar as well.

There was plenty of end-to-end rushes and great defense by both teams. If not for a fluke short-handed deflection on a Leafs powerplay in the first and an inadvertent assist by Komisarek, this game would have gone to OT tied at shutouts.

WTG Leafs for making this game a thriller and WTG for not giving Montreal the glory of an easy home win. The Canadiens played great especially their defense. This is a very good team. Though Montreal was the better team, this game with a bounce or two goes the Leafs way.

Trouble now is Tuesday's tilt against Dallas is a very much needed win for the points and to maintain confidence. Sorry for the hat-trick jinx sports fans, maybe Kessel will redeem me against the Stars.

VM Replies: The, ah, "Goose-egg" is your fault. Also, did Hal Gill make those kind of defensive plays when he was here? I must have missed them.

[johnnyk]

Habs-Leafs pales beside Habs-Broons. Hasn't been any rivalry for over 40 years now. Leafs don't excite Hab fans.

VM Replies: 40 years? Come on, now. Anyway, with all the draft picks, Habs-Broons is kind of like Habs-Leafs.

[Moe Green]

Not excited johnnyk? What game were you watching? The fans sure seemed into it to me. I was on the edge of my seat for a game that could have gone either way. Gill was insane VM and no, not in my memory. There were some awesome defensive plays on both ends of the ice. Say what you will about the game but don't tell me the Habs' fans weren't into it and didn't care about beating the Leafs. They always care about the Leafs even if they wont admit it in public.

[Moe Green]

I know this will sound a little ridiculous to a Leafs' fan, but this was a game the Leafs could afford to lose. Just like the previous two were of the must-win variety, so is the next game versus Dallas.

You can't win them all and while a win would have been an excellent step towards respectability in the conference, a loss at the Bell Centre on such a emotion-laden occasion, with the home squad flying high and having been previously shut out, was nothing to be ashamed of. What will be shameful is a lackluster performance in their next game.

Thanks VM for reminding me of what Burns brought to our Leafs and the game of hockey. I can only add that if there is an after life I'm sure Burnsie thoroughly enjoyed the game tonight and was really moved by the loud and heartfelt standing ovation and the honest flow of emotion from all those who knew him.

[Pyramid Power]

Really busy this weekend and sorry for the lack of updates Vinay. Brief break now.
Tough loss but did not see a second of the game. From what I have read from e-mails from gloating Habs fan friends in Montreal the Leafs played fairly uninpspired hockey and did not generate too much offence. What a pity!
Who are the 'Broons' johnnyk? Oh, you mean the Boston Bruins!
Canadiens and Leafs are to hockey what your Red Sox are to the Yankees. Hockey's longest standing rivalry.
If you think our rivalry with Montreal and the two solitudes ever dies or goes dark it does not because of the fans.
Also the Leafs have enjoyed a lot of success that fans with very short memories seem to forget. Four conference final appearances since 1993.
Your Broons are not even close to matching that, and have five Stanley Cups overall. The Leafs have 13 Stanley Cups overall, and sadly, Montreal blows the NHL away with 24.
In 1967, Toronto was only one Cup behind Montreal. Then Sam Pollock went to run the show in Montreal, and we saw the results he got along with Scotty Bowman and awesomeness.
Toronto got two criminals named Stafford Smythe and Harold Ballard to run our team into the ground for decades. And then MLSE and a little success. Not enough though.
Anyway, your team has not won Stanley since 1971. Four years after Toronto. I would not ever come on to a Leafs fan blog and talk smack about the Broons. Wow!

[Robert]

As much a coach in life as a coach in hockey. There was only one Burnsie!
Great tribute last night in Montreal, something they do with class and distinction.

[Hoofheartz]

Habs/Leafs, early season game, I'm ready to throw the remote at the TV on the 1st stinking hab goal. Funny thing is, when Komisarek laid that tape to tape pass on Cammalari's (sp?) stick, I had nothing to say and no emotion left. Do you think Leaf fans are so used to plays like that one that they resign themselves to the fact that it's bound to happen at some point during the game?

[Leaf shredder / Kid Delicious]

Johnny K....we Habs fans have many rivalries. The Bruins...for sure. The Leafs also but the best rivalry I can remember in my lifetime...and I'm 44, was against the Nordiques. Those really were the days. The Bruins were a very close second but we didn't play the Leafs very often back then. They were in the Norris (is the poorest) division while we were in the Adams.
Ironic that the video above (the Leafs beating the Habs) was from '93. Our last cup!
The Leafs were a very good team back then....if things were different, who knows?
I want the Nordiques back in the league. Tornto, Montreal, Quebec and Boston. Couldn't get any better for hockey fan.

[Moe Green]

Yeah Kid Delicious. I remember those heady days in the 90s. I remember the final that HAD TO BE but wasn't. You know the Leafs would have taken that final to seven games don't you? It would have been special whatever happened and a real war the casualties of which would have been decades of rivalry that wouldn't have faded to this day. I want the Quebec Nordiques back as well. How about the Winnipeg Jets, the North York Canadians AND the Hamilton Steelers. I bet Halifax could support a team too. Watch out for these Leafs, we'll be fiery rivals again the first time we meet the Habs in the playoffs.

[leafland'r]

Mr. Pat Burns: it was your turn at the Leafs' helm that made the highlight years for the blue and white since 1967.
Thank you and may fans respectfully speak of you in years to come.

[Pyramid Power]

Was dismayed that Kaberle's Dad decided not to make the trip over from the Czech Republic, but Grabovski's Dad came all the way over from Minsk for the Dad's tribute and game Sat. nite.
Probably some lingering bad feelings re Kaberle's father slamming Wilson to some extent last summer.
Big big game again for Toronto tonight at home against the Stars.
Have caught a couple of Stars games this year. Seem to be a much better team with Turco gone.
Dallas lost in a shootout 4-3 to the Avalanche at home on Saturday night to move to 10-7-1 on the season. Had won five straight at home until then.
Hate to say it but Ribeiro has played quite well for the Stars so far this year from all reports. Don't like the guy at all.
Brenden Morrow and Whitby native James Neal have eight goals each for Dallas, and the always charming Steve Ott will be gracing us with his presence at the ACC tonight.
Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson have also posted some good numbers this year for a somewhat solid team.

And the big story: The Return of Andrew Raycroft! Lehtonen played on Saturday night so I wonder if Stars coach Marc Crawford will start The Razor Blade as in he made me want to slice and dice myself during his tenure in Toronto.

[johnnyk]

Hey guys, I'm 63 and trust me the Leafs haven't excited anyone in Mtl since I was in uni. Agree, the Nords were a great rivalry but I'd forgotten them. Dryden said in his book there was nothing better than facing da Broons on Sat. night.
I didn't say Saturday's game wasn't entertaining. It was but only because some Leafs showed up to play not because of the "rivalry".

[johnnyk]

da Broons, aka the Bostons (Mordecai Richler's term).
Go to beantown, they call them da Broons.
Good blog, guys!

[johnnyk]

Pyramid power,
da Broons aren't my team, never were. I'm from Rosemount! If you're from Ml you'll get that.
I like the rivalry, though. And I especially liked it in the 70s. Habs and Broons played two great playoff series all the way back in the 50s, one where The Rocket scored the greatest playoff goal of all time. Not in the playoffs, but Rocket got suspended for bashing da Broons' Hal Laycoe with his stick back in '55. The hate goes back before some of you guys were born.

[Nik Culoman]

Dear Mr Pat Burns, Thank you for the memories! You brought the glory and the prestige back to this storied franchise. You coached our team, in the manner you lived life...By your terms.

May God bless you and your family. Thank you once again for the memories!!

[johnnyk]

It was a nice tribute to Mr. Burns, not overdone just right. He must have been quite a guy to inspire such feelings in four different NHL cities.

VM Replies: Agreed. Montreal is in a class by itself when it comes to these kinds of tributes.