What. An awesome. Night.
Last Wednesday, I won tickets to the November 1st hockey game between the Habs and the Panthers.
Thing is, I already HAD tickets to that game, as my friend MG had invited me.
So basically, I went with MG, while giving JB and a friend of hers, M-something, my tickets. Amusingly enough, they were in the same row, just 8 sections away from each other.
We all met up for dinner (well, we were going to meet at 5:45, but JB was late and M was waiting at the wrong restaurant) and we all had a great pre-game dinner, just talking and laughing. MG told some embarassing stories about me, JB was delighted and I was blushy.
We practically RAN to the Bell Centre, and though JB and M were delayed because of M's backpack, MG and I ran up to our seats and settled in just as the puck dropped. :D
Within five minutes of game time played, we were up 2-0.
It promised to be a great night.
At intermission, with the score 2-1, we went and found JB and M and chatted together and placed Canadiens stickers on our faces and laughed and then scurried back to our seats.
MG and I noticed that the two people to our right were, shockingly enough, not there. At all. Through the whole period, which ended 3-2.
At intermission, we went to get JB and M and dragged them back to our seats and the four of us settled in to watch the third period together.
JB sat between me and M, and MG was on my other side, and we were all happily chatting and watching the game and then Florida scored.
MG was sad. I was annoyed.
Then we got two penalties and it was a 5 on 3 for Florida for over a minute, and JB was giggling at my "oh shit, oh shit, we're gonna die, now", because hello, FIVE MINUTES LEFT in the third period, it's TIED and we're down by two men!
She stopped giggling at my reaction when Florida scored the go-ahead goal.
MG looked like she was going to cry.
I was most unhappy. JB scratched my head in time to the 1-2, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, LET'S GO cheer, though, which, well, cheered me immensely. ;)
Despite being unhappy with the goal, I was not about to give up. I cheered even harder, yelling at the top of my lungs (I am now somewhat hoarse) and JB and MG and M all got into it.
With under a minute in regulation, we had a power play, we pulled Theodore and we had a 6 on 4 and then, with 8.1 seconds to go, Steve Begin scored the equalizer.
THE ENTIRE BELL CENTRE ERUPTED IN JOY.
MG was, strangly, hugged by the dude to HER right, so I grabbed JB and we hugged in celebration for a few moments, before I grabbed MG and JB grabbed M and then we all put our arms around each other and screamed at the top of our lungs and cheering "GO HABS GO" and "BE-GIN", "BE-GIN"! (which doesn't sound like "begin", but more "Bay-Zhay". I know, French names are weird.)
8 seconds of play in which nothing happened, except the crowd cheering at the announcement of Begin's goal and then a minute break before five minutes of four-on-four overtime. We were still in this! We could still win! It was ELECTRIC.
Jose Theodore made a couple nice overtime saves and then we got a power play in overtime and MG turns to me and says "The only thing I like better than 4-on-4 hockey is 4-on-3 hockey!"
And then Michael Ryder scored the winning goal for the Canadians and AGAIN, the Bell Centre erupted.
It was an incredible experience. The team is GOOD, these days, the fans are totally into it, we can come back from being down in the game with eight seconds left... it's amazing. It's nothing like it used to be, lacklustre with bored fans. Hockey these days is really exciting, and anything can happen. With 5 minutes to go in the third, being down by a goal, that's when people used to just go "oh. We're going to lose." and we WOULD lose.
Not so last night.
I love my Habs, and seeing them play hard, not give up and come up with the win, with two of my good friends with me, was amazing. :D
I now need to study for my Italian test. :)
Thing is, I already HAD tickets to that game, as my friend MG had invited me.
So basically, I went with MG, while giving JB and a friend of hers, M-something, my tickets. Amusingly enough, they were in the same row, just 8 sections away from each other.
We all met up for dinner (well, we were going to meet at 5:45, but JB was late and M was waiting at the wrong restaurant) and we all had a great pre-game dinner, just talking and laughing. MG told some embarassing stories about me, JB was delighted and I was blushy.
We practically RAN to the Bell Centre, and though JB and M were delayed because of M's backpack, MG and I ran up to our seats and settled in just as the puck dropped. :D
Within five minutes of game time played, we were up 2-0.
It promised to be a great night.
At intermission, with the score 2-1, we went and found JB and M and chatted together and placed Canadiens stickers on our faces and laughed and then scurried back to our seats.
MG and I noticed that the two people to our right were, shockingly enough, not there. At all. Through the whole period, which ended 3-2.
At intermission, we went to get JB and M and dragged them back to our seats and the four of us settled in to watch the third period together.
JB sat between me and M, and MG was on my other side, and we were all happily chatting and watching the game and then Florida scored.
MG was sad. I was annoyed.
Then we got two penalties and it was a 5 on 3 for Florida for over a minute, and JB was giggling at my "oh shit, oh shit, we're gonna die, now", because hello, FIVE MINUTES LEFT in the third period, it's TIED and we're down by two men!
She stopped giggling at my reaction when Florida scored the go-ahead goal.
MG looked like she was going to cry.
I was most unhappy. JB scratched my head in time to the 1-2, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, LET'S GO cheer, though, which, well, cheered me immensely. ;)
Despite being unhappy with the goal, I was not about to give up. I cheered even harder, yelling at the top of my lungs (I am now somewhat hoarse) and JB and MG and M all got into it.
With under a minute in regulation, we had a power play, we pulled Theodore and we had a 6 on 4 and then, with 8.1 seconds to go, Steve Begin scored the equalizer.
THE ENTIRE BELL CENTRE ERUPTED IN JOY.
MG was, strangly, hugged by the dude to HER right, so I grabbed JB and we hugged in celebration for a few moments, before I grabbed MG and JB grabbed M and then we all put our arms around each other and screamed at the top of our lungs and cheering "GO HABS GO" and "BE-GIN", "BE-GIN"! (which doesn't sound like "begin", but more "Bay-Zhay". I know, French names are weird.)
8 seconds of play in which nothing happened, except the crowd cheering at the announcement of Begin's goal and then a minute break before five minutes of four-on-four overtime. We were still in this! We could still win! It was ELECTRIC.
Jose Theodore made a couple nice overtime saves and then we got a power play in overtime and MG turns to me and says "The only thing I like better than 4-on-4 hockey is 4-on-3 hockey!"
And then Michael Ryder scored the winning goal for the Canadians and AGAIN, the Bell Centre erupted.
It was an incredible experience. The team is GOOD, these days, the fans are totally into it, we can come back from being down in the game with eight seconds left... it's amazing. It's nothing like it used to be, lacklustre with bored fans. Hockey these days is really exciting, and anything can happen. With 5 minutes to go in the third, being down by a goal, that's when people used to just go "oh. We're going to lose." and we WOULD lose.
Not so last night.
I love my Habs, and seeing them play hard, not give up and come up with the win, with two of my good friends with me, was amazing. :D
I now need to study for my Italian test. :)