Fans Speak: Favorite Habs Moments Since Lockout

Steven Ellis

12 years ago

OAKVILLE, ON — I didn’t really follow hockey much before the lockout. In fact, when I did watch hockey, I watched…the Leafs.

(Photo by: Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

What was I thinking?

Once the lockout finished, I became more interested in the sport. I also navigated my brain to the right direction: I became a Habs fan.

But the Habs post-lockout haven’t even come close to the Habs of the prehistoric days. There have been years full of misery, minus the 2010 playoffs and sending Craig Rivet to San Jose for Max Pacioretty and Josh Gorges.

I couldn’t remember too many great moments in the last few years regarding the Habs. So I asked you, on Twitter, what your favorite Habs moments since the lockout have been? I got some interesting responses.

Here they are:

My opinion: Jaroslav Halak’s run in the 2010 playoffs. Wow. Was that something. Being a goalie nut, anything goalie related excites me. The way the calm, focused Halak handled the pressure just amazed me. Also, Carey Price’s debut in 2007 got me excited knowing we had a future superstar ready to dominate at the highest level.

All Habs Prospect Expert Robert Rice: Montreal brings down Pittsburgh, Round 2 of the 2010 playoffs.

CTV writer Brian Wilde: For me it has to be the win over the Pens in Pittsburgh in game 7 of the 2010 playoffs. My cameraman was having a hard time containing his glee in the locker room. After the game, he was stoked. And for me it meant another round of doing what I love doing and that’s covering a NHL team. I always say I am not a fan of the Habs but I am a fan of my life and my life is pretty darn fun when the team I cover is in the final four. The work is intense but it is joyous work when the Habs are doing well in the playoffs. 12-15 hour days but awesome.

Hockey House writer Mike Gomez: Koivu returning to Montreal for the first time as a Duck.

All Habs Managing Editor Chantal: The night Brodeur broke Roy’s record for most wins at the Bell Centre. Roy was there, Habs lost, but the fans stayed and gave Martin a standing ovation. I thought that was the best display of sportsmanship ever. I was proud. Habs fans get a bad rap sometimes but that night, they did everything right.

TheHockeyHouse.net writer Jared Horner: I’ll go with finishing first overall few years back (2007-2008 regular season.)

All Habs Feature writer Habsterix: The firings of Martin-Gauthier and the hiring of Bergevin felt like a breath of fresh air.

All Habs Spanish Writer Robert Pereira-Tomé: The historic comeback against the Rangers. (The Rangers were leading 5-0 with just over 35 minutes to go. The Habs, for all of the achievements in their storied history to date, had never come back from a five goal deficit before. That all changed in 2008).

Habs fan Karen: Let me think about that. Off the top of my head it would be the Centennial night…all of it :)

All Habs Creative writer Effie: My all time favourite post lockout Habs related moment was the greatest comeback….Feb 19, 2008.

Habs fan Caleb Dane Lazara: The great comeback against the Rangers in 2008.

Habs fan @Habs_Retweet: The #Habs historic comeback against the NYR on February 19th 2008

All Habs Translator Karine: The 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs minus the Game 5 of the Habs/Flyers series. It was the first time I’d watched hockey without 1) falling asleep and 2) being bribed. Even though the ending sucked, it’s still my favorite Habs memory as a whole.

All Habs Writer James Stephan: Okay this is going to kind of sound cynical and evil but I have to say the following:

5. When Jacques Martin was fired

4. When Lars Eller had that ridiculous 5 point night

3. When Subban gave Brad Marchand the hit of his life

2. When Pierre Gauthier was fired

1. When the Habs actually did their homework for once and hired a solid candidate in Marc Bergevin.

While these aren’t full blown events such as the 5-0 comeback they still remain my top 5 Habs Moments post lockout. I am thrilled to see Bergevin come in because its the most optimistic I’ve ever felt with this management staff, and I truly feel the turnaround has begun. Optimism is creeping its way back to Montreal and these last few months have been a breath of fresh air, and it is likely that this upcoming draft will make its way to my top 5 Habs moments post-lock out.

Hockey House Graphic Designer Jackson Scarrow: Either the ’09-’10 playoff run or Pac’s return.

Laura Kenney: Halak winning two game sevens.

Mathieu Desrosiers: Centennial game against the Bruins, 5-1 victory with a Cammalleri hat trick.

Melisa Rešidović : It’s hard to pick just one. you have Koivu’s return to MTL, you have the comeback from 5-0 down, you have the comeback in the 2010 playoffs, finally winning a game in Vancouver just to name a few.

Julian Di Raimondo: For me it’s Koivu’s return to Montreal. I will never forget that game.

Franco Carollo :When we traded Craig Rivet for Josh Gorges and a pick that turned out to be Max Pacioretty (Waiting for someone to say that!)

Greg Calci: The retiring of Roy’s number after the years of bad blood.

Orenzo Porporino: Centennial game, Koivu’s return, Eller 4 goal night, 5-0 comeback, 2010 playoffs… Even though we haven’t won a Stanley cup, there have been a lot of great moments :)

Andrew Figueiredo: When the Habs took out the Capitals in 2010.

Charles Pearson: Last game of the season this year, beating the Leafs at the Bell Centre.

Daniel Rick Harker: Finally having Emelin come over from the KHL and show us he was well worth the wait