Game 5: Boston (March 17, 2015)
March 18, 2015
Arrived in Boston early to enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Ran into Washington Capitals back-up goalie Phillip Grubauer at the airport, and he obliged for a picture holding the 30games-30nights jersey.
Enjoyed a great lunch at the Summer Shack, which included Boston Clam Chowder and an “Irish Feast.”
Headed off to the game early, to get a picture of the Bobby Orr statue, and to make sure we were in our seats for the pre-game skate at the TD Gardens. There were lineups at all entranceways an hour and a half before game time, the lineups extending to outside the building, on a night where the temperature was hovering around the freezing point. It’s a slow process to get into your seats, with the slow moving lineups, and security measures in place. It is to be expected though, especially in view of the terrorism attach which took place in Boston approximately two years ago.
I was very excited to see my favourite anthem singer, Rene Rancourt (tied with Lauren Hart from Philadelphia as my favourite), who’s finish of the anthem pumps up Bruins fans for the game ahead.
There is an energy level in the TD Garden which exceeded the energy levels experienced in the first four games I attended. The Bruins are an original six team, and winners of five Stanley Cups, the most recent win taking place in 2011. Before the game was two minutes old, the Bruins fans were chanting “Go Bruins Go,” and when the Bruins scored the first goal of the game, the ovation exceeded any of the 13 home team goals scored at the previous four games attended.
With the game taking place on St. Patrick’s Day, the crowd was dressed in a mixture of the Bruins colours (black and gold) and St. Paddy’s Day green, and the fans were having a great time.
Buffalo battled hard, knotting the game at 1-1, and for those fans who think the Sabres are tanking it to get a top draft pick, my observations at this game (and last night’s game in Buffalo) were/are to the contrary. The game went to overtime, then shootout, so for tonight’s game, the “luck of the Irish” was not bestowed on the Bruins, who went down in defeat, losing 2-1 to the Buffalo Sabres.
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