Back-slapping new coach sparking Canadiens

A fire set two weeks ago in the hallowed hall of hockey on St. Catherine’s Street burns with an intensity rarely seen in professional sports. The flames flickered for a while – 59 minutes and 59.2 seconds to be exact – and then exploded in a wildfire that has electrified all who love the game.

The fired-up Montreal Canadiens, the Habs of St. Catherine’s street, are back.

The Canadiens cruised to a 3-1 win Tuesday night in Boston, their sixth victory in a row. Legendary goalie Patrick Roy was superb, as only Roy can be, stopping 38 of 39 shots; their scoring machine was working well; and the enthusiasm of their new coach, an old Canadien, was infectious.

Two weeks ago, the Habs were on their way to their worst season ever, outscored 22-4 in five games and widely regarded as the National Hockey League’s worst team.

Then, on the heels of a management shakeup, Montreal Magic.

The turning point came on a pretty play at the end of a frantic drive against Toronto in the sixth game of the season.

There was a scramble in the Toronto end as the seconds ticked away. A cross-ice pass skittered through a tangle of Maple Leafs and a shot found the net. That goal, at 19:59.2 of the third period, rattled the rafters of the old Forum and stirred the souls of the Montreal faithful. After five humiliating losses, a mediocre training camp, and a season that all Canadiens want to forget, Montreal emerged from the depths of despair.

There was bedlam on the Forum ice, bedlam in the stands and bedlam in the living rooms of hundreds of Montreal fans tuned in to Hockey Night in Canada, the Canadien Broadcasting Corp.’s sports program that reaches hockey enthusiasts across North America.

For those who have cheered long and loud for the Canadiens for a generation or more, the Oct. 21 turnaround evoked memories of 1979 when Montreal met Boston in a Stanley Cup semifinal regarded by many observers as one of the greatest hockey games of all time.

Two Canadiens broke loose in overtime, a letter-perfect pass skittered scross the ice and Yvon Lambert buried the puck behind Bruins goalie Gilles Gilbert. The Habs’ No. 10, the man who set up the play, bolted into the air and flew into the arms of teammates who had finally solved the riddle of Boston’s stalwart goaltender.

His joy knew no bounds that night in 1979 and it was boundless a dozen nights ago when his center, Pierre Turgeon, scored the goal that brought the Canadiens back. In a television interview after the game, a beaming new coach clutched the puck like a youngster who just scored the winning goal in his first pee wee game.

Montreal management chose well when it reached into the broadcast booth of a French-Canadien radio network and tapped Mario Tremblay as the new head coach of the Canadiens. As a player, he set a fire in Montreal with his infectious enthusiasm. As a coach, the tradition continues. Tremblay is a hand-shaker, a back-slapper, a spirited cheerleader, an anomaly in a world of stuffy coaches who scowl from their perches behind the players’ benches.

After Tuesday’s game, Bruins defenseman Ray Bourque said of Montreal: “They got out of the gates real slow, but found new life with a new coach…It looks like they may have the piano off their backs.”

A lack of depth and size may be a problem for the Canadiens as the season wears on. But the spirit is there thanks to player-turned-broadcaster-turned coach Tremblay. If adrenalin is any factor in victory, this team is headed for the Stanley Cup.

Herb Cleaves is a NEWS’ copy editor.