The obvious headline for tonight's game is the return of Jaroslav Halak to his old stomping grounds in Montreal. Also making a return is Matt D`Agostini, but that is less reported. Additionally, David Perron is from Sherbrooke, Quebec, so this is a homecoming for him, too. There's no shortage of ink on what this means to them. There's an extra source of motivation in playing your old team that traded you away, or in front of friends and family. Hopefully, that doesn't cross the line into distraction. Jaro's composure has been one of his strengths so far, so I have faith that he can keep it all in perspective. Jaro, D'ags, and Perron just need to channel that into their efforts.
The Boys Are Back In Town / Thin Lizzy
Due to technical difficulties, I was not able to upload an .mp3 as usual, so instead you'll be treated to the live version via YouTube below.
The Enemy: The Habs are last in the NorthEast Division, and 12th in the Eastern conference; the kind of results that led to the 12/17 firing of Jacques Martin. Since taking over as interim head coach, Randy Cunneyworth has led the team to a record of 3-6-0. A rough start, to be sure, but that includes two wins in a row leading into tonight's game, where they hope to make it 3. Hopefully, Cunneyworth can speak *hockey* well enough to make speaking French irrelevant. Oh, right.
Their scoring is led by Tomas Plekanec and Erik Cole, each with 30 points. Cole also leads in goals, with 17. Seventh on the team in points is former Blues prospect Lars Eller, with 17. Although, weigh that against the fact that 5 of those points came in one game. The real duel will be between the pipes, where Halak will be facing his old teammate Carey Price. So far this year, Price has posted a 2.45 GAA / .910 SV% stat line and a 15-14-7 record.
Further Reading:
Blues vs Canadiens coverage
Final Verse: The game starts at 6:30 PM St Louis time, with the GDT coming along around the same time. The broadcasts are on the usual outlets; Fox SportsMW for TV, and KMOX 1120 AM for radio. Until then, this is your pregame warmup. Gather here, talk French, talk Hockey, and make fun of nutty Habs fans, of which there are many.
Thin Lizzy The Boys Are Back in Town 02 Live @ The Rainbow Theater 1978 (via SeanDeRebel2008)
BONUS VIDEO: I dunno if Freddie had to take a French test before wearing this cap, but the song rocks:
LGB!
-CrossCheckRaise