Montreal Canadiens followers settle for defeats simpler than they did again within the day.
Certain, for those who take heed to TSN 690 after a foul loss, there would be the callers freaking out, shouting that everybody from senior administration to fourth-liners needs to be fired. However the bar has been lowered.
Till 1980, if the crew didn’t win the Cup, the season was a failure. Then via till, say, December 1995 — when Patrick Roy was booted out of city and the crew went right into a 25-year droop — you needed to win a collection or two for the season to be successful.
At the moment, if Lane Hutson makes a pleasant play and Cole Caufield scores a magnificence, followers will settle for going dwelling proud of a loss. Look, the final Cup win was 32 years in the past. So in case you are youthful than 40, you don’t have any thought what it feels wish to be dwelling in a metropolis of hockey champions.
Everybody mentioned the Canadiens may by no means do an actual rebuild as a result of the supporters had been too impatient for that. However that’s exactly what Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes did and followers had been completely high-quality with it.
Now, the crew is on a four-game dropping streak and most proceed to consider the youngest crew within the league will just do completely properly this season. I’m a bit extra nervous. Hey, I’m not saying the sky is falling (as a result of I’ve mentioned it too many instances earlier than, haha) however certainly there may be trigger for concern.
Let me rely the methods. Their two goalies are close to the underside of league numbers-wise. Patrik Laine, Kayden Guhle, Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach have long-term accidents. New addition Zachary Bolduc has gone stone chilly. Nick Suzuki doesn’t look his traditional self and lots of assume he’s taking part in harm. Noah Dobson hasn’t regarded significantly good over the past week, notably on the facility play. Talking of the facility play, it’s been positively brutal for a number of video games, with completely no creativity.
Insiders are suggesting that GM Hughes is working the telephones in search of assist from the 31 different groups. However as analyst Marco D’Amico mentioned on BPM Radio Tuesday, the issue with that’s there are too many groups trying to purchase and too few groups promoting. One of many rumoured gamers Montreal is all in favour of is Nashville Predators centre Steven Stamkos, however the Cup-winning veteran is off to a horrible begin in Music Metropolis and hardly appears to be what the CH wants.
I nonetheless assume the Canadiens can rebound from this skid, largely as a result of this younger squad has proven nice resilience prior to now, notably in final season’s exceptional late-season dash to make the playoffs. However all just isn’t rosy.
Nonetheless, attempt telling that to the followers. I talked to people at each the unique McLean’s Pub and Maison Publique McLean’s earlier than and throughout the recreation towards the Columbus Blue Jackets Monday and I couldn’t discover anybody even remotely nervous.
Steve Ross was with household and buddies earlier than the Paul McCartney live performance on the Bell Centre. He’s initially from Montreal, however lives in Kennebunkport, Me., and has all the time remained a hardcore Habs fan. I requested if he was off the bandwagon.
“No method,” he mentioned. “There’s too many good gamers down in Laval and this provides a shot for different guys to come back up and get their title in there. The coach will get them again. The facility play, there’s no net-front presence. Slaf has go up there and pucks will bounce off his butt or no matter. I nonetheless place confidence in them.”
His pal Tom Dorval — “I don’t assume I have to spell that” — additionally stays upbeat. It’s not that dangerous, notes Dorval, a former Montrealer who lives in Whistler, B.C.
“You might all the time be a Maple Leafs fan,” he mentioned, with amusing. “You keep in mind final 12 months, when issues had been dangerous round Christmas after which they got here again after the 4-Nations? They’ve it in them. They’ve an important captain. I believe they’ll flip it round, little question.”
William Ducasse mentioned he nonetheless believes in Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes, “however they simply want a bit increase in confidence.”
James Fraser, initially from B.C., can be preaching persistence.
“I grew up a Canucks fan, so I’m used to tough weeks,” mentioned Fraser. “It’s up and down. So long as they’re enjoyable to look at, so long as they work arduous, that’s all that issues.”
Myriam Rousseau, a really enthusiastic fan who was cheering her crew at Maison Publique, mentioned it’s nonetheless early within the season.
“The Canadiens, not solely are they superb gamers, however they’ve coronary heart. So I believe they will go far,” mentioned Rousseau. “They’ll completely bounce again. Even this recreation that we’re watching now, towards Columbus, you may see there’s totally different chemistry with the totally different traces.”
She was referring to move coach Martin St. Louis’s resolution to maneuver Bolduc to the highest line with Suzuki and Caufield and demote Juraj Slafkovsky to the second line alongside Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov.
“I believe it’s superior to shake issues up,” mentioned Rousseau. “It makes everybody a bit extra pumped for the sport. We now have extra vitality.”
After we had been speaking throughout the second intermission, it was 3-1 for the Blue Jackets. Then within the third, the Habs stormed again with objectives from Josh Anderson and Hutson to power additional time and finally a shootout. Certain, the Habs ended up dropping within the shootout, however they battled again and confirmed the form of chutzpah the followers had been speaking about.
bkelly@postmedia.com
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