Celebratory cocktails turned conciliatory and police and tumbleweed were far more prominent on a sombre Red Mile than chanters, hive-fivers and flag-wavers.
With high hopes of sealing a Game 7 win, fans poured into local establishments around the city anxious to watch the hometown club reel off their second win in a row — but it wasn’t to be.
A disastrous second period put the Flames behind the eight-ball in Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to San Jose in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs’ first round and a standing room only crowd of more than 600 at Melrose on 17 Ave SW hissed, fired F-bombs and an odd proverbial tear rolled down cheeks, rippling across lager and Jed MacNeil hung his head in disbelief.
“My heart’s ripped out of my chest, man,” he said. “I thought this was money in the bank.”
“On paper, I don’t think we had what it took to go all the way,” offered Rick Lage from beneath a flashing Flames inspired snowmobile helmet that took him 31 months and nearly $11,000 to construct.
With nothing left to celebrate, downtrodden Flames fans negated to reach the depths of debauchery put on display by Canadiens fans Monday night after Game 7 victory glee in Montreal spilled into a Ste. Catherine St. riot where 16 people were arrested.
