You smell that? That’s the tension in the air travelling through the city of Montreal following Saturday night’s Preds and Habs game.
The Nashville Predators defeated the Habs in a shootout at the Bell Centre in P.K. Subban’s second time back in Montreal by a score of 3-2.
During the game, Gallagher and Subban pestered each other all game. Gallagher went to throw a hit on Subban behind the net and missed. The Delta, B.C., product notched his 20th goal of the season and had to let P.K. hear it. Naturally, the Montreal media asked Gallagher and Subban about their little rivalry and if there’s any bad blood.
P.K. saw some blood alright, as the physical altercations got verbal during the post-game scrums.
Here’s the full post-game scrums from the former Habs teammates. Click the arrow to hear P.K.
If you frequent hockey Twitter, then we don’t have to tell you some of the vitriol some Habs fans were directing at Subban during and following the game.
What’s obvious is that Gallagher is sick of talking about P.K., and that’s understandable based on the amount of discussion Subban generates in the city of Montreal. The two were matched up all-night long, so it’s only natural that two competitors are going to feel a little bad blood towards each other.
On the ice, Subban had a poor performance with a couple horrendous turnovers and defensive miscues. But, at the end of the day, the Preds walked away with the two points, and Subban sits third in defensive scoring with 43 points (15 G, 28 A) in 54 games this season on one of the stronger teams in the league that looks destined to make another playoff run. The Habs have lost 33 of 51 games this season, sit third last in the Atlantic Division and will be watching P.K. play in the playoffs this spring.
So, was P.K. really that disliked in the Montreal dressing room? Or was it just a select few that exaggerated the whole situation?
No matter what side you're on, this rivalry doesn't seem to be going anywhere in a sport where rivalries have deteriorated.
