Leafs 3 - Capitals 2 -- Six Points Out
I spent the weekend in Montreal, and while it may be located in La Belle Provence, the cabbies that crossed my path were nothing but ugly to those who did not speak the language and even less cordial to those who inquired about get dropped of at a bar that showed the Toronto Maple Leafs game.
It all began in the Hotel leading up to the game, clinging to the possibility that our cable was coming from a dish feed; drinks were absorbed right up until puck drop. The swilling stopped when the CBC presented the opening draw from the building that was steps away from where I was staying. A change of plans instantly took place as the party was moving to anywhere with a Satellite.
Having to get ready to go out for the night, to then having to wait on everyone else to finish, I was left with no choice but to watch the battle between New Jersey versus the Habs, it was blaspheme, but it was hockey. After a commercial break, viewers were interrupted by an out of town update from the Verizon Center. Personally, it was as if I was having an out of body experience witnessing for the first time a live update from a Leafs game, 1-0 Capitals, who else but Ovechkin to throw the first dagger. It was back to the Montreal and Jersey game that remained scoreless after one. We ended up all still at the Hotel until just after the start of their second, when we were again interrupted for another out of town update, Sundin resting at the top half boards, winds, fires, Antropov in front with an impressive tip 1-1. I bolted from my seat, I was feeling Supersonic, I finished my …th gin and tonic, and hollered for the group to get moving to get ourselves to a tv with the Leafs game on it.
We jumped into a cab and told him the name of the Bar that our concierge recommended. In good spirited fun, we explained to the cabby how it was necessary to get us there quickly because we intended to watch the Leafs game, it was only after we circled the Hotel for a second time when I knew something up. I reiterated the fact that we seemed to be traveling in a loop when the driver smirked back, it was then I saw things - so much clearer - once you— were in the rearviewmirror. This was nothing new for Montreal cabbies as I had experienced similar instances in the past, but in the past they had at least brought me to my proper destination. When this cab finally stopped, before I could reach for my cash, in true Montreal fashion the driver made us aware that we are supposed to tip, normally I am a great tipper spending many years in the service industry, but after this ride I decided to flip this jerk a twoonie. He took the twoonie, then opened his door, got half way out only to yell taber-something, and chucked my twoonie across the street while giving me the stink eye. I responded by loudly making him aware that he would eventually find it with all the circling he does.
Laughing off the cabbie and time wasted, I was happy that we arrived at our destination, or so I thought. The front entrance was littered with Habs shirts, toques and sweaters worn by smokers getting their fix, I made my way through the crowd and got inside to see even more fans with their eyes glued to the many screens, each one showing the Canadians game on what seemed like hundreds of plasmas, big and small, scattered throughout the ceiling and all the walls. Beautiful, and I mean beautiful girls everywhere were serving the drinks, but unfortunately they too were all wearing Canadians jerseys. Was it all a bad dream? Was this really happening? Could I of all people actually be at a place like this? I had to get a waitresses attention, and while first wanting to propose marriage to my new found Juliet, I decided to play it cool and forgo my proposal to ask if it was possible to have just one television show the Leafs game, she said she had to speak to her manager, and even before I could even smile at the Gionta effort to make it 1-1, word was it was not possible to change the channel. In disgust we bid adieu and high-tailed out of there and hailed the next cab.
After a sincere explanation of not knowing where to go, we stated to the new driver how we just wanted to catch the end of the Leafs game. We explained to the cabbie the events that had just unfolded, and with compassion asked if he could accommodate us seeing as how we were fellow hockey fans and proclaimed to have no ill will towards Canadians fans or the people of Montreal. It didn’t work because before I could finish my story it was then we made our first circle; I bit my tongue and was hoping for the best when he changed direction only to pull up a to a bar actually located inside the Bell Center. In a drunken rage, I sputtered “nous sommes français! nous parlons le français!”, two of the few French sentences I knew, and continued to ridicule and scold the driver in English for the lack of class and respect he had shown towards us.
I told the taxi to take us to crescent street and he would be lucky to get a fare let alone a tip, we exited the cab and went into the bar Thrusdays hoping to have more luck. All screens were again showing the Montreal game, we went to a corner TV with no one watching and asked the bartender if we could watch the Leafs game, he complied and began flipping the channels, we responded with a round of drinks and a fat tip. The bartender flipped through the channels three and four times over, with no sign of Captain Mats or the Blue and White, the bar then erupted with the Canadians taking the lead with what were only minutes to go in their game. I then came to the disappointing conclusion that I missed the game and wasn’t going to catch any of it; my only hope was that the Devils/Canadians ended in regulation and CBC would switch over.
4-3-2-1 buzzer, the Montreal Canadians held off the New Jersey Devils 2-1. The feed miraculously switched to the Leafs game, and the score I knew went from 1-1 to the Leafs leading 3-2 with 58 seconds left. The bar erupted again, or maybe I interrupted the bar with a huge yEEEAHH! Watching the Leafs hold off the Capitals in the final minuet was a great sight, we all worked so hard to ultimately accomplish that moment, I loved and lost, fought through bigotry and ignorance, but most importantly never gave up to see the Leafs hold off a surging Capitals team in what was a tough, road, must win, to tie them in the standings.
The win was an excellent kick-start to the night and rest of the weekend, which all and all ended up being another great adventure in the city of Montreal. Although I was thoroughly disgusted in the events that caused me to miss an opportunity to catch the full Leafs game, I can honestly respect Montreals passion displayed for their own team. I will never forget my Hockey Night in Quebec, which will all but ensure my next visit to Montreal to include a Leafs @ Canadians Live game.
It all began in the Hotel leading up to the game, clinging to the possibility that our cable was coming from a dish feed; drinks were absorbed right up until puck drop. The swilling stopped when the CBC presented the opening draw from the building that was steps away from where I was staying. A change of plans instantly took place as the party was moving to anywhere with a Satellite.
Having to get ready to go out for the night, to then having to wait on everyone else to finish, I was left with no choice but to watch the battle between New Jersey versus the Habs, it was blaspheme, but it was hockey. After a commercial break, viewers were interrupted by an out of town update from the Verizon Center. Personally, it was as if I was having an out of body experience witnessing for the first time a live update from a Leafs game, 1-0 Capitals, who else but Ovechkin to throw the first dagger. It was back to the Montreal and Jersey game that remained scoreless after one. We ended up all still at the Hotel until just after the start of their second, when we were again interrupted for another out of town update, Sundin resting at the top half boards, winds, fires, Antropov in front with an impressive tip 1-1. I bolted from my seat, I was feeling Supersonic, I finished my …th gin and tonic, and hollered for the group to get moving to get ourselves to a tv with the Leafs game on it.
We jumped into a cab and told him the name of the Bar that our concierge recommended. In good spirited fun, we explained to the cabby how it was necessary to get us there quickly because we intended to watch the Leafs game, it was only after we circled the Hotel for a second time when I knew something up. I reiterated the fact that we seemed to be traveling in a loop when the driver smirked back, it was then I saw things - so much clearer - once you— were in the rearviewmirror. This was nothing new for Montreal cabbies as I had experienced similar instances in the past, but in the past they had at least brought me to my proper destination. When this cab finally stopped, before I could reach for my cash, in true Montreal fashion the driver made us aware that we are supposed to tip, normally I am a great tipper spending many years in the service industry, but after this ride I decided to flip this jerk a twoonie. He took the twoonie, then opened his door, got half way out only to yell taber-something, and chucked my twoonie across the street while giving me the stink eye. I responded by loudly making him aware that he would eventually find it with all the circling he does.
Laughing off the cabbie and time wasted, I was happy that we arrived at our destination, or so I thought. The front entrance was littered with Habs shirts, toques and sweaters worn by smokers getting their fix, I made my way through the crowd and got inside to see even more fans with their eyes glued to the many screens, each one showing the Canadians game on what seemed like hundreds of plasmas, big and small, scattered throughout the ceiling and all the walls. Beautiful, and I mean beautiful girls everywhere were serving the drinks, but unfortunately they too were all wearing Canadians jerseys. Was it all a bad dream? Was this really happening? Could I of all people actually be at a place like this? I had to get a waitresses attention, and while first wanting to propose marriage to my new found Juliet, I decided to play it cool and forgo my proposal to ask if it was possible to have just one television show the Leafs game, she said she had to speak to her manager, and even before I could even smile at the Gionta effort to make it 1-1, word was it was not possible to change the channel. In disgust we bid adieu and high-tailed out of there and hailed the next cab.
After a sincere explanation of not knowing where to go, we stated to the new driver how we just wanted to catch the end of the Leafs game. We explained to the cabbie the events that had just unfolded, and with compassion asked if he could accommodate us seeing as how we were fellow hockey fans and proclaimed to have no ill will towards Canadians fans or the people of Montreal. It didn’t work because before I could finish my story it was then we made our first circle; I bit my tongue and was hoping for the best when he changed direction only to pull up a to a bar actually located inside the Bell Center. In a drunken rage, I sputtered “nous sommes français! nous parlons le français!”, two of the few French sentences I knew, and continued to ridicule and scold the driver in English for the lack of class and respect he had shown towards us.
I told the taxi to take us to crescent street and he would be lucky to get a fare let alone a tip, we exited the cab and went into the bar Thrusdays hoping to have more luck. All screens were again showing the Montreal game, we went to a corner TV with no one watching and asked the bartender if we could watch the Leafs game, he complied and began flipping the channels, we responded with a round of drinks and a fat tip. The bartender flipped through the channels three and four times over, with no sign of Captain Mats or the Blue and White, the bar then erupted with the Canadians taking the lead with what were only minutes to go in their game. I then came to the disappointing conclusion that I missed the game and wasn’t going to catch any of it; my only hope was that the Devils/Canadians ended in regulation and CBC would switch over.
4-3-2-1 buzzer, the Montreal Canadians held off the New Jersey Devils 2-1. The feed miraculously switched to the Leafs game, and the score I knew went from 1-1 to the Leafs leading 3-2 with 58 seconds left. The bar erupted again, or maybe I interrupted the bar with a huge yEEEAHH! Watching the Leafs hold off the Capitals in the final minuet was a great sight, we all worked so hard to ultimately accomplish that moment, I loved and lost, fought through bigotry and ignorance, but most importantly never gave up to see the Leafs hold off a surging Capitals team in what was a tough, road, must win, to tie them in the standings.
The win was an excellent kick-start to the night and rest of the weekend, which all and all ended up being another great adventure in the city of Montreal. Although I was thoroughly disgusted in the events that caused me to miss an opportunity to catch the full Leafs game, I can honestly respect Montreals passion displayed for their own team. I will never forget my Hockey Night in Quebec, which will all but ensure my next visit to Montreal to include a Leafs @ Canadians Live game.
posted by LEAFER at
12:43 PM
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