Posted in Bruins History May 1st, 2007
Flashback 1990: Bruins eliminate Canadiens in Round Two
Here’s part two in the 1990 flashback series: the glorious elimination of Les Habs in round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Written by Globe stalwart Kevin Paul Dupont, his enthusiasm is barely contained. And who could blame him? We’re talking the Canadiens here. The team whose “CH” jersey is to the Bruins what the “?” insignia is to Batman (unfortunately though, the Caped Crusader’s got a better history over the years against HIS opponent). Story courtesy of Factiva.
THE KO PUNCH WESLEY SCORES WITH 1:13 LEFT AS BRUINS SEND CANADIENS PACKING
Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff
28 April 1990
The Boston Globe
© 1990 New York Times Company. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All Rights Reserved.What must they be saying this morning in Quebec? After all, they don’t have the word “jinx.” The closest they can come in French is “mauvais sort,” which, loosely translated, comes out a “bad thing,” something on the edge of voodoo.
Hey, mon ami, close enough, right? Wouldn’t you like to see — wouldn’t you pay for — a little voodoo in those CH shirts of red, white and blue? Mauvais sort. Ho, boy, say it three times before you go to bed tonight and perhaps the curse will last to the year 2027.
Suddenly, the Montreal Canadiens are getting their taste of mauvais sort — with a raspy Boston accent — in the playoffs.
Last night it was Glen Wesley’s shot from the left circle, off a Garry Galley rebound from the rear glass, that kicked the Canadiens out of the playoffs and propelled the Bruins to the Stanley Cup semifinals.
Wesley’s goal, with 1:13 to play in regulation, snapped a 1-1 tie and pushed the Bruins on to a 3-1 victory before a sellout crowd of 14,448 at the Garden. Cam Neely added an empty-netter with five seconds to play and the decibel level nearly rocked the roof off the rickety old dungeon on Causeway Street.
Did you hear it, Ken Dryden? How about you, Guy Lafleur? Tell Yvon Lambert it’s a lovely spring on the Charles, will you?
The victory gave the Bruins a 4-1 series triumph in the best-of-seven Adams Division finals. They will now face the Washington Capitals — 2-1 winners over the Rangers last night in overtime — in the best-of-seven Wales Conference finals that begin Thursday night at the Garden. The Bruins are now but eight victories away from their first Cup since 1972.
“I saw the puck go toward the net, and then the twine move,” said Galley, describing Wesley’s winning slapper from the left circle. “And then I saw him jump and I said, ‘Boy, that looks familiar to me.’ ”
Galley was the Game 2 hero in OT when he closed down from the right point and popped in a Craig Janney relay for a 2-0 series lead. He knew the feeling, all right, even if this wasn’t overtime, even if it wasn’t his shot.
Galley began the play with a long slapper that went over the head of goalie Patrick Roy. Roy’s head and chest became the Bruins’ No. 1 shooting priority early in the series, and it was no mistake that the series-ender was aimed at his noggin. Galley’s shot made a loud clack off the rear glass, leaving Roy in the net not knowing where the rebound had gone. Out it came to the left circle, where Brian Propp took a swipe.
“I don’t think Roy knew where it was,” said Propp, who fanned on his chance to be the hero. “If it hadn’t bounced over my stick, I would have had a chance to put it away. I saw a lot of net, but . . . ”
But here came Wesley, acting on instinct, and acting on what the coaching staff has told the Boston defenseman all year long. When there’s a chance, take it. Wesley closed to near the faceoff dot and, no surprise, went high with his winning slapper.
“You can’t afford to gamble too much late in a 1-1 game,” said Wesley. “But we know, every time we get an opportunity to pinch in, we have to take it. They had two forwards sucked down low, and I just had to take the opportunity.”
Pfft. Right there, at 10:26 p.m., maybe it finally ended. The Montreal jinx. The Bruins went from 1943 until 1988 without beating the Canadiens in the playoffs. And now, after losing again to their nemesis last year, they have done it twice in three years.
Mauvais sort. Mauvais sort. Mauvais sort. Stand on tiptoes in the shower and sing it so they can hear you up there in Chicoutimi. Twice in three years. They don’t know sufferin’. Let ‘em know you mean business. Let ‘em see mauvais sort in big black-and-gold letters.
The Bruins were the first to get on the scoreboard, with Randy Burridge beating Roy with a blind backhander from the right circle at 10:00 of the first period. It came shorthanded, with Greg Hawgood in the box for elbowing.
But the Canadiens tied it on a two-on-one break-in that rookie Stephan Lebeau buried off a Mathieu Schneider relay to the slot. After 40 minutes, it remained tied. After 58:46, it remained tied until Galley cranked up the big shot that sailed high over Roy.
“It was great to do it here, and it’s great to have it done,” said Galley. “I thought we played well in the first period, sat back a little oin the second, and then played our best hockey in the last 10 minutes of the third. But we got it done. Down and dirty, we got the job done.”
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