Με τρελλά κορναρίσματα στους δρόμους και πυροτεχνήματα στους ουρανούς οι Μοντρεάλερς γιόρτασαν χθές τη νύχτα την νίκη των Canadians εναντίον των Pittsburgh Penguins, που ήταν οι περσινοί πρωταθλητές στο χόκεϊ επί πάγου.
Ετυχε να βρίσκομαι κι εγώ στο τιμόνι και πρέπει να πώ ότι λύσσαξα στα κορναρίσματα καθώς είδα τους συμπολίτες μου επιτέλους να δείχνουν ψυχή. Ψυχάρα έδειξαν και οι παίκτες της ομαδάρας του χόκεϊ Καναντιέν, οι οποίοι παρότι μετρούν πολλούς τραυματισμένους συμπαίκτες τους έπαιξαν ένα παιχνίδι έξυπνο με αποτέλεσμα να εκτοπίσουν στους προημιτελικούς την ομάδα της Ουάσιγκτον Κάπιτολς και τώρα τους Πιγκουίνους του Πίτσμπουργκ.
Φανατίζομαι για το Μόντρεαλ ρε γαμώτο, γιατί διαπιστώνω πως ύπάρχει κι εδώ πάθος που εκδηλώνεται, πάθος που ξεδιπλώνεται στους δρόμους, παλμός και τρέλλα για το χόκεϊ επί πάγου!
Να μας ζήσουν οι Καναντιέν, που μπορεί και να κατακτήσουν το Πρωτάθλημα φέτος. Και τότε θα καούν τα κάρβουνα!!! Ολεεεεεεεεεεεεεεε Ομαδάααααααααααααααααααρα!!!!
Τζουστινάκι σε παροξυσμό
MONTREAL — Thousands of jubilant Montreal Canadiens fans poured into the downtown core on Wednesday to celebrate the team's stunning elimination of the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
Many of the fans exchanged high-fives and boasted the team will continue its brilliant play all the way to its first Stanley Cup since 1993.
Their beloved Habs were actually 750 kilometres away, disposing of the mighty Penguins in Pittsburgh with relative ease after trailing 3-2 in the series.
The flag-waving crowd was as euphoric as the 21,000-odd fans who had crammed into the Bell Centre and created an eardrum-rattling eruption of joy as they watched the 5-2 victory on a giant screen.
People tossed red-white-and-blue jerseys onto the ice surface in Montreal as the final buzzer sounded. They spilled out into the streets chanting, "We want the Cup! We want the Cup!"
Riot police smiled warily as they watched the scene.
The standing-room-only crowd at the Bell Centre had snapped up tickets to see the game on the giant screen the instant they went on sale.
They leapt to their feet, with strangers exchanging high-fives as the Habs extended their incredible playoff run, which began with a first-round victory over the top-seeded Washington Capitals.
Fans cheered at each image of the puck being cleared from the Habs' zone. They roared every time it entered Penguins territory.
And the sight of Mike Cammalleri pumping his fist after a second-period goal literally prompted them to bow in the direction of his flickering, digitized likeness.
Their loudest boos? Those were triggered by the scene of superstar Sidney Crosby complaining to the referees, pleading for a penalty after he was wrestled to the ice.
Up next for the Canadiens in their first conference final in 17 years will be either the Boston Bruins or the Philadelphia Flyers.
An area was set up by the city for a tailgate party around the Bell Centre, with a DJ and refreshment stands.
And the team had one message for Montrealers at a joint news conference earlier with the local police: please behave. The city has a history of hooliganism after particularly emotional Habs games.
"I know our fans will have fun but in respect and dignity," said Habs legend Rejean Houle, who also acted as team spokesman at the news conference.
An ebullient Houle predicted the Habs would win the game 4-2.
While police and Houle appealed to Montrealers' civility, they were also backing it up with some muscle.
"Our objective is clear: to ensure the smooth handling of the spontaneous festivity after the game," said assistant police chief Denis Desroches.
Desroches expressed hope for a Habs win, and he said police didn't expect more trouble than usual because many families would be attending the game screening.
Police also noted there are about 2,000 security cameras in the downtown area and many people with cellphone cameras, something that helped them identify and round up vandals after the last hockey-related riot in 2008.
Police announced plans to close off a hunk of downtown Ste-Catherine Street and the deployment of officers on foot, bicycle, motorcycle and horseback.
A helicopter would hover overhead and plainclothes police would mingle with the crowds to augment the large contingent of officers in riot gear that would flood the streets.
The canine squad was also being deployed.
Two command posts were also set up for commanders to co-ordinate the police response.
Montreal has a history of hockey-related violence.
Cars were burned and downtown stores were trashed and looted after the Canadiens beat the Bruins in 2008 to advance to the next round of that season's playoffs.
There were also riots after Stanley Cup wins in 1986 and 1993.
One of the most famous riots was in 1955 when Habs great Maurice Richard was suspended and fans took to the street to cause such havoc that Richard had to make a public appeal for calm.
Police said hockey and football games have the potential to lead to riots, judging by past experience in Montreal and other cities.
They said three types of people are usually swept up in the rowdiness -- fans who want to celebrate, people who are drawn to the area of the celebration and get drunk, and thieves who want to profit from any vandalism.
Police said hockey fans don't deserve the blame for any of the looting or vandalism after major Habs wins in recent years.
They say none of the people they arrested in 2008 had tickets to the game
