It’s hard to know what exactly all these players who marched in blue-white-red uniforms were thinking, beyond the speeches of the occasion where everything was said in terms of art. So as not to hurt anyone.

The story? Of course, we know him. The seniors? An ongoing inspiration. The importance of organization as a vehicle of identity for Quebec society? Obviously.

However, and this is quite understandable, it always remains more difficult to understand a local reality when a person is not necessarily immersed in it from the earliest childhood.

The tribute to Guy Lafleur, Sunday night, is revealing. More than nine minutes of ovation in front of a jersey on the giant screen. Twice, house announcer Michel Lacroix was delayed for people with no intention of suppressing their cheers.

A sober, emotional night of salute, full of history. According to some veterans in the press aisle, an ovation comparable to what Maurice Richard received on the night of the last game at the Montreal Forum.

What could have entered the heads of CH players in this long minute, too young to remember the skill of the great man? The solemnity of the moment, its intensity is likely to have little effect.

If they didn’t know what CH was for the province of Quebec, I think they already knowoverthrown Martin St-Louis.

It is really desirable. Since there is nothing wrong with Arizona, Columbus or San José, the stars that grow there are rarely an integral part of a society’s identity.

Owner Geoff Molson himself said on Friday, the day of Guy Lafleur’s death: Quebecers feel the team belongs to them. And the players act as a leash between the two.

Even yesterday, in Ottawa, we really played for him. We said Quebec needed us to surpass it. He is very important to the province so we want to play good hockey so that the province will mourn, explained Samuel Montembeault after the match on Sunday night.

Everyone knows who Guy Lafleur is. It was a special moment. All along, I have the motton. That was pretty strong emotion. In 20, 30 years, we will talk about it again and I will remember itadded Mathieu Perreault.

There was electricity in the air. The 12 CH alumni present sat right behind the team bench. For Alexander Romanov, for example, Montembeault said, the image is strong. This is also a quick little lesson in the history of flannel.

At the end of the game, Brendan Gallagher gathered his teammates under the banner of the famous No. 10 so that they may all salute him, cling to the air, one last time.

A big act of respectapproximately Martin St-Louis.

The coach explained the importance of the legacy left by the players in their careers, the passing of the torch, the learning of decency and leadership in this league with specific codes. Gallagher containing these values ​​according to the coach.

” Every man who has experienced it tonight feels it. The moment on the bench during the ovation, there isn’t a guy who can’t experience that with intensity. It was an incredible moment. “

You don’t want to ignore that you’re playing for the Canadiens. The group with the greatest history. There are sweaters on the ceiling, you want to pick up the torchlaunched Nick Suzuki, a man expected to take over it, for sure.

We need to take inspiration from this person, because the ice game is pretty sad. Have you ever been told that the Canadiens lost 5-3 against their eternal rival, the Bruins?

This was the ninth consecutive defeat, all at the time of regulation, and CH had a total of 49 of its kind. The old dismal record, reached in 2017-2018, was 40.

Things are bad at the Bell Center. Worse than ever in history, in fact, making the paradox of this celebration even more painful, is this commemoration of one of the greatest organizations, if not the greatest, at the exact moment when, in 113 years of history, the team reaches the bottom.

Guy Lafleur would not hesitate to say all the good things he thought of in this edition, without hesitation.

So if it wasn’t his ice genius, may these players, linked despite everything to the same logo, be inspired by his values, his charisma and, most of all, his accessibility , his humility. We know how to dream.

This will likely make it easier to dissolve the sad moments in the great history of this small team.

So many

Patrice Bergeron, to whom his coach Bruce Cassidy offered to stay in Boston to rest, finished his night job with two goals and one assist. Before the match, Quebecer mentioned that he would not want to miss tonight. It has nothing to say, he missed nothing, and he deserves to be the first star of the game.

The referees had an evening difficult, Perreault’s faith. One of his simplest decisions was to offer a penalty throw to Erik Haula on an alleged Mike Hoffman infraction that looks like he made the best defensive withdrawal of his career.

Haula… scored after first missing the puck the first time he swung. But because he didn’t touch it, he was able to undo and resume the sequence. Montembeault remained sad.

I didn’t quite understand what was going on. I don’t know the rule that says he has to brush a puck so it doesn’t count. Marchand, last year against the Flyers, did the same thing and it didn’t count. I wonder what’s going on. Even the people started shouting. He also doesn’t understand, I think. It’s really weird, but I still have to resist it.

Josh Anderson, for his part, seemed energized at the pregame ceremony. One goal, eight shot attempts, five body checks and all verbal fights with Derek Forbort and other Brad Marchand. A great way to get rid of his awkwardness lately.