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Saturday, October 9, 1999
Life of Brian
Savage fires hat trick as Habs hand Flames 4-1 loss
"Excuse me, madam," said Kaufmann, loudly, tapping the woman in the seat directly in front of him on the shoulder, "but would you mind putting on your hat?"
Well, if last night's show didn't exactly send 'em out humming the tunes, at least nobody stormed the box office demanding their money back.
But geez, fellas, that ending still needs a major rewrite.
The Flames fell to their third straight defeat, this time 4-1, and in the process were handed a Savage beating.
That'd be Savage, as in Brian.
Savage scored three goals, a Craig Darby snipe snuggled in between, to push Montreal to its first victory of the young season. Calgary does a freefall down an open elevator shaft to 0-3 and already storm clouds are gathering.
These aren't the Habs of yore; or of lore, of course. That classic line "From failing hands we hand the torch ..." has never been truer, in a skewered sort of way.
So the fabled bleu, blanc et rouge needed last night's available booty as much as the locals. And they got it, on the strength of more timely goaltending, and more telling touch around the net.
For Calgarians, last night was certainly a mixed bag.
There was joy at the news Jarome Iginla had signed a three-year $5-million US deal earlier in the day; concern that Derek Morris had been taken to hospital for X-rays on his previously bruised hand, the injury suffered during a scrap with towering Habs defenceman Craig Rivet.
Montreal put the outcome out of reach at 7:48 of the third period, a Brathwaite miscue -- backhanding the puck off the boards in clearance -- winding up on Savage's stick for an easy goal, the Habs' third.
The visitors lunged in front at 9:17 of the second, Savage's third try from the side of the net, a backhander while on his knees, found its way up and over the fallen Fred Brathwaite -- the understudy called on to change the fortunes of this team.
Poor little Freddie, diving to his right, had absolutely stolen a goal off Savage a heartbeat or two earlier, swatting the puck away with his catching mitt.
Calgary, to its credit, didn't dally in answering back.
The game-tying goal started at the Montreal blueline, Phil Housley threading a pass through a maze to Jeff Shantz. Hackett made the initial save but Shantz slapped the puck across the face of the crease where ex-Hab Valeri Bure chipped it in.
Montreal, to its credit, didn't wait until the intermission to regain its lead.
That strike came from Darby, fronted but not tied up by Housley, who slapped a Trevor Linden pass from behind the Flame net off Brathwaite's left pad and just over the goal line.
These two sides fighting over the puck is sort of comparable to watching Don Knotts and Tim Conway wrestle for the homeliest girl at the dance. During warm-up, in fact, press-box odds weren't prohibitive on a scoreless tie. But at least there was passion, if not precision, in the evening's entertainment. Big Igor Ulanov delivered the most telling body shot, sending Steve Begin spinning like a gyro-top with a Where The H--- Did He Come From? shoulder check.
Everyone, it seems, is predicting the Canadiens haven't a prayer to qualify for the playoffs for the second straight season, a humiliation hockey's proudest franchise hasn't suffered since the '20s. They're all banged up. Came in having scored only two goals in two games, butt-ugly even by Calgary standards.
But, as we've come to realize here, you mine hope wherever and whenever it comes available.
GAME OVER
MOLSON CUP THREE STARS:
1. Brian Savage, Canadiens. Torched the Flames for three goals, capping the hat trick with an empty-netter.
2. Jeff Shantz, Flames. Set up Calgary's only goal.
3. Saku Koivu, Canadiens. New Habs captain set up a trio of goals.
TURNING POINT:
Seven minutes into the third, Savage's second goal of the night deflated a spirited comeback attempt and put the Habs up 3-1.
SAVE OF THE GAME:
Standing at the side of the goal crease and facing an open net, Savage was stoned by a diving Fred Brathwaite. Alas, seconds later Savage converted his second rebound and the visitors went up 1-0.
HIT OF THE GAME:
Midway through the game, Igor Ulanov laid all 210 lbs. into Steve Begin at centre ice, sending the rookie flying.
FIGHT CARD:
* Wade Belak and Scott Thornton dropped the gloves early in the first but no punches were thrown as the two grappled for close to 30 seconds.
* After Marc Savard was speared by Jim Cummins and then blindsided by Craig Rivet, Derek Morris stepped in to take on Rivet. He may have tied the fight but he won over his teammates.
* Belak got into it for the second time in the period, this time with Turner Stevenson. Another draw.
NOTEWORTHY:
Brathwaite made his first start of the year after Grant Fuhr got the nod in the first two games ... Announced attendance was 16,512, although there were a shocking amount of empty seats considering it was Montreal's only visit of the season ... Belak racked up 22 minutes in penalties in the first period alone ... After his fight, Morris left the game and went to the hospital for x-rays on his hand ... The Habs entered the game with just two goals in two games ... Making his first appearance of the year since suffering at concussion due to a pre-season hit by Oleg Saprykin, Cummins was tossed from the game early on after spearing Savard ... Flames scratches included Rene Corbet, Toni Lydman, Cale Hulse, Tyler Moss and Robyn Regehr.
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