Brendan Gallagher completely capsized Game 5 of the series between the Flyers and the Canadiens. He was the one who set the tone for the game, he who inspired his teammates. Great emotion.
Brendan Gallagher will now inspire his teammates in another way. Fractured jaw, popped teeth, he will be absent from the rest of the series.
The 11 will not be on the ice to ignite the powder. Is it possible for another to take over? That he is a source of inspiration in another way? Can Jesperi Kotkaniemi do it? Without tearing off an opponent’s head and being kicked out of the match?
If not who? It takes an attacking player. It is always an attacking player who sets the tone for a match. How many times have I seen Scotty Bowman meet up with Mario Tremblay, Doug Risebrough and Yvon Lambert? When he wanted it to brew. However, he had to leave Guy Lafleur, Jacques Lemaire and Steve Shutt on the bench.
Do you remember Guy Carbonneau, Chris Nilan and anyone on the left wing? Nilan was an ace to make a mess of an enemy coach’s game plan.
Gallagher was a Mario Tremblay or a Chris Nilan on Wednesday night. He would probably have deserved a penalty or two in the first few minutes of the match alone. Double-failures, lashes, insults, he distributed them in profusion.
But he won his bet. Show Kirk Muller that he was grossly wrong by sticking him on the bench in third in the previous game. And lead his team to a peak of emotions. Good and beautiful emotions. Those of the winners.
WHAT HAPPENED ?
We do not know anything about what happens with the Canadian in normal times. Imagine in the playoffs. Imagine in a bubble away from journalists and Renaud Lavoie.
The latest footage of Tuesday night’s 2-0 loss showed Brendan Gallagher drily responding to a question from Guillaume Lefrançois: “I’m fine,” Gallagher said about his health and fitness.
Did Kirk Muller feel the need to talk to him on his way back to the bubble? Or did Gallagher ruminate on his humiliation and rage on his own, or in the company of a teammate?
Kirk Muller is a man of experience. He knew without a doubt that he had to let Gallagher think about what had happened on his own. There isn’t a player who would be able to have a candid conversation with a coach in this situation. Not the same evening, that’s for sure.
How did he find sleep? By chatting for a few minutes with his girlfriend? Or by going through Instagram,
Facebook et Twitter ?
How was his morale when he woke up? I assume that the Canadiens players have a dining room organized by the National League. Gallagher must have taken a seat at one of the tables without paying much attention to the others. Lost in his fierce desire to make Muller swallow his mistake. Gnawed by the rage to win this team he cares so much about.
The rest of the day was spent resting. And to the care of the multiple ailments that afflict the players.
When he arrived at the locker room, I was convinced Gallagher was silent. Or that he was content to answer at least the questions or remarks of teammates. When a man prepares to take justice into his own hands, he doesn’t want to proclaim it loud and clear in advance. It is inside that it happens. Between mind and soul.
After a minute of play, we knew what Gallagher had in the guts.
HOW TO BRING THE EMOTION?
The Canadiens went to bed last night knowing that their leader in Game 5 would not be in a duel tonight.
They are pros. They know the Pittsburgh Penguins won big private games from Sidney Crosby. And Brendan Gallagher is not Sidney Crosby.
They know it is the rage, the heart and the determination that they are losing. Not necessarily exceptional talent and brute force.
Talent can hardly be replaced. But rage, heart and determination, each of them can bring into a match. If everyone is just a little more hungry, just a little more, the difference can be huge. Not obliged to shout “rah rah rah for Gally”, just to get high a little more than necessary and Brendan Gallagher will have directly contributed to two victories of the CH.
It’s still something.
Disturbing Carey Price
All the attention has been paid to Brendan Gallagher, but the one who made the difference is again Carey Price. During the first period, we could feel the nervousness settling in among the Flyers players. There are the stops and there is the way to stop the pucks. Price was stable, sovereign, miserly of the smallest opening. It was going to be a long evening.
Alain Vigneault and especially Michel Therrien know Carey Price. Beneath a placid exterior, Price has fire in his veins. I think Therrien is going to advise the attackers to go for it like never before in Price’s goal. To get him out of this concentration which takes him to a peak never reached in his career.
Shea Weber and Ben Chiarot are going to have to clean up. Quick and strong. By taking the mop with both hands.
In the notebook
If I were Marc Bergevin, I would remind the CH players how good they are in their Toronto bubble. I would threaten them that a loss to the Flyers will bring them back to the blocked, closed and hole-filled streets of Montreal. They’re going to do it, the GPS will blow up, they’re going to be late because of the bike paths, their blondes are going to storm. Better to stay in Toronto as long as possible. Anything except the streets of Montreal.
The ultimate move would be to make them play a video of Smiling Val.
Hi! Hi! Hi!
Canadian in Sept.
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