MONTREAL — As the final seconds clicked off the Bell Centre clock Saturday, Alexei Emelin stood over a fallen James van Riemsdyk, the imprint of his stick likely having left an unwanted black-and-blue souvenir in the back of the crumpled Maple Leafs forward.
In the end, Emelin’s cross check — which certainly didn’t go over well with JVR or his teammates — was the final jolt of pain on a night full of it.
Yes the Leafs turned in a valiant effort in a 2-1 loss to the Canadiens on Saturday. And yes, had Habs goalie Carey Price not performed like, well, Carey Price, this result might have been a more positive one for this young plucky team.