Habs Win Home Opener In Nail Biter Against Bruins

The Montreal Canadiens and their alumni celebrated the start of the team's 100 season in usual Habs fashion with a salute to the team's 54 Hockey Hall of Famers. Former Canadiens greats Emile "Butch" Bouchard and Elmer Lach dropped the ceremonial first puck as the team began the home schedule of its centennial season.

The 88-year-old Bouchard (who rose from his wheelchair and stood to drop the puck) and 90-year-old Lach were on hand along with past legends Jean Beliveau, Dickie Moore, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer, Guy Lafleur, Bob Gainey, Guy Lapointe, Steve Shutt, Larry Robinson and Dick Duff as the team unveiled the Ring on the wall above the last row of seats in the upper bowl.

The game itself was great, as Montreal jumped to a quick 3-0 lead on goals by Alex Kovalev, Saku Koivu and Maxim Lapierre in a little over 3 minutes late in the first period. Newcomer Georges Laraque made his Montreal debut and fought Bruins forward Shawn Thornton 2:28 into the first period, immediately after the Canadiens' new enforcer stepped onto the ice for his first shift. "I know all you guys are surprised at how long it took but I'm pretty sure that this year the seven seconds will be beat a couple of times, so get used to it," Laraque said with a laugh.

The Bruins didn't give up and clawed their way back into a tie after Marc Savard scored the Bruins 3rd goal of the game with 47 seconds remaining after Carey Price missed the puck as it took a weird hop off the boards behind the Canadiens' net out front where Savard snapped the puck into an empty net. That set up overtime which was scoreless, so they went to the shootout to decide it.

Carey Price turned aside Phil Kessel, Patrice Bergeron and Michael Ryder in the shootout, while Tim Thomas stopped Andrei Markov on Montreal's first attempt, but was beaten by Alex Tanguay for the winner. "It feels good," said Tanguay, acquired from Calgary in a draft day trade in June. "You know, I'm nervous, I'm still nervous, still trying to find my way with the team, trying to get my momentum and trying to get in the groove."