By DAVE STUBBS, The Montreal Gazette
http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/index.html
May 12, 2010 3:05 AM
Jean Béliveau recalls the live penguin in this urban igloo, but not his historic goal, the winner in the Canadiens' 2-1 victory over the Penguins on Oct. 11, 1967, to open the Civic Arena.
It's worth revisiting today, the final time the Canadiens will play a game in the 49-year-old building known since 1999 as Mellon Arena. And if Montreal defeats its host tonight in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal, it will be the Penguins' final game here, too. The team is moving to the Consol Energy Centre next season.
Don't think that Pittsburghers aren't aware of the possibility of arena opening and closing losses to the Habs more than four decades apart - the first absorbed by a new team, the second by the defending Stanley Cup champions.Béliveau's 1967 goal is part of Penguins lore, and it was a milestone - Goal No. 400 - in Béliveau's Hall of Fame career.
It came 53 seconds into the second period of the first NHL game played beneath the so-called Igloo's retractable domed roof, a short backhand that eluded Pittsburgh goalie Hank Bassen.
Five years ago, Béliveau placed the puck for auction with Montreal's Classic Collectibles. The six-ounce disc of memorabilia attracted 21 bids and sold for $3,277.55 U.S.
A weathered strip of adhesive tape across the Converse puck marks the goal's significance. On a display plaque made later, Pittsburgh is misspelled with one t and the single assist is celebrated with "1st Period Ass: Cournoyer," unfortunately suggesting that the Canadiens' Roadrunner was a donkey in the game's first 20 minutes.
"I don't remember the goal, but I remember the ceremonial faceoff," Béliveau said yesterday. "There was a live penguin in the corner and it was sliding left and right on the ice." The Penguins had a breathing namesake as a mascot, the bird succumbing to pneumonia early in the team's life. With five others, this city joined the NHL through expansion for the 1967-68 season, doubling the league to 12 teams.
The first home game was attended by 9,307, a reasonable crowd for a midweek match, if 2,700 below capacity.
Pittsburgh's Frank Sevcik was an usher that night and for more than six years at the arena. His memories of Béliveau's goal were cued Monday when the Canadiens legend appeared in the stands on the FSN Pittsburgh telecast of Game 6, unintroduced by the network.
"They made a short announcement and gave Jean the puck," Sevcik said yesterday of Béliveau's opening-night goal. "If I wasn't working, I'd take an old 8mm movie camera and film. Your teams back then were awesome - Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer, Jacques Lemaire, Frank Mahovich. ...
"I was ushering one night, working Section D-9 before the arena expanded with balconies, and (former coach) Toe Blake starts walking up the steps, looking above me at the control booth for the entire arena. He has it in his mind it's the press box. I explained to him that the press box was below, on the B level. But Toe was sure." In their 92 regular-season games at the Igloo, the Canadiens had 45 wins, 32 losses, 13 ties and two overtime losses. They outscored the Penguins 321-278.
Their only playoff meeting before this season was the 1998 conference quarterfinal; the Canadiens won that in six games, two on Igloo ice.
The first goal in the arena - built for $22 million in 1961 for the city's Civic Light Opera company - came shorthanded, unassisted by the Canadiens' Gilles Tremblay at 17:29 of the first period. Pittsburgh's Andy Bathgate spoiled the shutout bid of Montreal goalie Rogie Vachon at 7:06 of the third period.
No matter the win - his team outshot its hosts 39-36 - Blake was less than pleased.
"You couldn't print what I thought about their play," the coach told the Montreal Star's Red Fisher. "The way we played, we'd finish last in the old section. We wouldn't make the playoffs in the new section." (In fact, the Canadiens would go 42-22-10 that season and win their 15th Stanley Cup, in only one game over the playoff minimum.) The club arrived back in Montreal at 2 a.m. and Blake had his players on practice ice early in the morning. One game into the season.
"I'm glad it's out of the way," Béliveau said that night of No. 400. If I do not score, pretty soon everybody starts mentioning it and the pressure starts to build. But this was not a good game for us, not good at all." Yesterday, from his home in Longueuil, Béliveau marvelled at this year's Canadiens, and was delighted to be watching "playoff hockey at its best.
"I can feel the desire in the Canadiens players," he said. "Everyone is working his hardest and the team is performing very well, especially considering all the injuries they have faced.
"I don't think Pittsburgh wanted a seventh game. I played quite a few and the stress is something very special. It's not handled the same by each player and I believe the Canadiens have put the pressure back on the Penguins.
"What a great job (coach) Jacques Martin has done, finding solutions." Béliveau played seven Game 7s during his career, going 4-3, and won two Stanley Cups in series that went the limit.
His name remains scattered through the Canadiens' playoff record book: most points (176); second in goals (79) and assists (97), fourth in games played (162) and even fifth in penalty minutes (211). Five seasons in a string of six during the 1960s, he led or was tied for the team lead in playoff goals.
Tonight, Le Gros Bill will be in front of his television pulling for the team whose jersey he pulled on in 1953 and has never taken off.
"The noise in the Bell Centre has been beautiful," he said. "The crowds have been outstanding. Some are surprised the Canadiens are still fighting so hard, but I can feel the passion in the players and the fans. (Tonight), we're going to see a great game." And Béliveau hopes it's the final contest at the Mellon Arena not for one team, but for two.
dstubbs@thegazette.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
No comments:
Post a Comment