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Montreal has not misplaced a sport away from house in additional than a yr and gamers credit score their head coach with instilling a profitable mindset.
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Veteran receiver Nate Behar, one of many latest Alouettes, instantly observed the palpable distinction throughout his first highway journey with the workforce in early August.
It was the supreme confidence and angle of his teammates, Behar remembered, as they boarded their chartered flight to Hamilton. Even with backup quarterback Davis Alexander making his first CFL begin for the injured Cody Fajardo, no one wavered.
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“We didn’t miss a beat. I don’t suppose there was a single point out of what occurs if it’s shut,” mentioned Behar, who signed with Montreal on July 20, following stints at Edmonton and Ottawa. “Supreme confidence. The idea within the constructing was so very clear.
“You need to consider in your self,” he added. “I’ve been on groups the place you could possibly really feel the spark exit; that gentle of perception exit when issues didn’t go properly. One of many massive issues right here is supreme confidence.”
The Als simply defeated the Tiger-Cats 33-16 that night time and so they haven’t misplaced a sport on the highway for greater than a yr — their final defeat coming in Toronto on since Sept. 9, 2023.
As Montreal prepares to fulfill the Argonauts Saturday night time at BMO Discipline, it carries an unimaginable 10-0-1 document relationship again to final season — Gray Cup included — into the competition. The closest the Als have come to dropping a sport got here two weeks in the past on Sept. 14 at Calgary, an extra time tie in opposition to the Stampeders. And Montreal overcame an early 10-point deficit that night time. Final Saturday at Ottawa, the Als grew to become the primary workforce this season to defeat the Redblacks at TD Place.
Street to the Cup
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In a world the place skilled groups try and win their house video games and cut up on the highway, the Als (6-0-1) are the one CFL workforce with a profitable document on the highway. Collectively, away groups have gone 24-37-2 (.397) this season.
What Montreal has achieved is nothing in need of exceptional. However no one inside the group — gamers or administration — is stunned.
“Folks know the way I really feel. I don’t need to lose a sport,” mentioned middle-linebacker Darnell Sankey, 29, one of many workforce’s quite a few leaders. “Is it stunning we haven’t misplaced on the highway? No. We shouldn’t. I’m knowledgeable. I don’t need to lose any video games. I need to be first in the whole lot I do. That’s how I’m. The individuals on the workforce know. Different guys purchase into it, too. We consider we’re the perfect.”
The Als’ success is an amalgam of many issues, clearly beginning with the roster normal supervisor Danny Maciocia has assembled; one which has continued profitable regardless of quite a few accidents. But it surely goes past that.
The work ethic instilled by head coach Jason Maas is infectious. No element is simply too small to handle on the apply discipline.
“We’re led by the perfect coach within the CFL, not to mention professional sports activities,” Sankey mentioned. “He does an awesome job of instilling a profitable mindset. Extra importantly, a brotherhood. Of all of the groups I’ve been on, that is undoubtedly the closest.”
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Behar, who performed beneath Maas at Edmonton in 2017-18 throughout his first tenure as a head coach — one which didn’t finish properly — additionally credit him for the Als’ success.
“With out talking in poor health of anyone else, coach Maas is authentically himself,” Behar mentioned. “He’s nice at connecting storylines. He’s an unimaginable communicator. That’s the place I’ve seen him develop essentially the most since I had him. He’s himself, so passionate and might talk properly. That’s a very highly effective combo.”
Saturday’s sport would be the third straight on the highway for Montreal. And with one other bye within the schedule subsequent week, the Als will go 38 days with out a house sport in a gate-driven league earlier than internet hosting Ottawa on Oct. 14.
The CFL, and by extension commissioner Randy Ambrosie, did the Als no favours this season, giving them three consecutive house video games in July, when it’s more durable to draw followers throughout summer time trip, and solely three house video games after Labour Day. Groups hope for a extra equitable cut up.
“I used to be disenchanted that, regardless of the numerous efforts and discussions I had with the league, we weren’t capable of provide you with a model of the schedule to get at the very least 4 house video games after Labour Day,” Als president Mark Weightman mentioned.
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The Als ended coaching camp and needed to open the common season at Winnipeg — a Gray Cup rematch — then play a second consecutive highway sport in Edmonton. The workforce didn’t keep out west between video games.
In a nine-team league, the schedule will at all times be imbalanced, with many groups affected. The Als are considered one of 5 groups taking part in three straight on the highway this season. And whereas the Argos do it twice, Toronto has few obtainable dates at BMO Discipline, the place soccer membership Toronto FC has precedence. It’s not unusual for the Argos to supply the CFL with 12 potential dates for his or her 10 properties video games.
The Als virtually definitely gained’t go undefeated on the highway this season. In the event that they don’t lose at Toronto, they have to journey to B.C. for a sport Oct. 19 5 days after internet hosting the Redblacks, a situation that’s completely unreasonable and infrequently results in accidents. Conversely, Ottawa performs at Toronto that very same day.
How troublesome would it not have been to schedule back-to-back video games between the Als and Redblacks?
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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