So We Should Stop Doubting Montreal Now, Right?
May 13, 2010 - 12:23 am by TheRiot
By now you know the news: The Montreal Canadiens pulled off their second upset of epic proportions in the Stanley Cup playoffs Wednesday by toppling Pittsburgh, 5-2, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Not exactly the way Sidney Crosby and the boys wanted the franchise’s last game in historic Mellon Arena to go down. But that’s a different, less fun story.
What’s much better is what the Canadiens are actually up to.
Nobody, naturally, expected them to get out of the first round as an eight seed against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
But there was goaltender Jaroslav Halak, stonewalling one of the most potent offenses in the league and its top scorer. Halak practically willed Montreal to a series win.
With Pittsburgh waiting everybody wrote the Canadiens off again.
Halak deserves a lot of the credit. He stood tall way too many times to count. But you don’t beat two of the league’s best teams — and its top two players — without a little more than that.
Or a lot more.
Brian Gionta has been great. Same goes for Mike Cammalleri. Same goes for big, veteran defenseman Hal Gill. Same goes for everybody. A team doesn’t go on the road and beat the defending Stanley Cup champions without contributions from everybody.
So what does it mean moving forward? Who knows?
Philadelphia won at home Wednesday to force a Game 7 at Boston. The Bruins are banged up and the Flyers have all the momentum. Could we see a Philly-Montreal final in the Eastern Conference? Absolutely.
And we’d put our money on Montreal. Who’s to question them now? Who’s to question Halak? Not us.
17 Responses to “So We Should Stop Doubting Montreal Now, Right?”
Montreal isn’t the best team in the NHL but they definitely got hot at the right time and that is all that counts. They have looked absolutely amazing at times and Halak seemed unbeatable in the games that they’ve won.
By Michael Christopher on May 13, 2010
If they played teams in the West they would already have been long gone. If they make it to the finals and play the Hawks or the Sharks Cinderalla will get their butt handed to them.
By James McCartney on May 13, 2010
coach or not to coach. bylsma and crew had no answer to the habs entrance into their ice. also the pens would seldom take the puck to the goal and shoot it quick, they wait for everybody to come before shooting”shoot the damn puck before goalie and others arrive. one more thing the habs forced the pens to the side of goal and never gave them center ice. nobody there for rebounds ever,i wonder if they would abandon rebounds in basketball i doubt it.where’s the great bylsma and coaching staff when they see this.why don’t they try something to counter?
By Mike Briggs on May 13, 2010
what is so interesting all these so called experts always have doubts and bad mouth without having any knowledge of hockey shoul dbe fired from there jobs for not just bad prediction but earning rediculous money to be on Tv or even bad mouth Canadiens.
By sean on May 13, 2010
The whole reason the Habs beat the Pens is because of the Habs Goal tender. He played the best of all the players in the series. He made some impossible stops. He deserves all the credit, because lets face it the Pens had way more scoring chances than the Habs. I will say look out next year the Pens will be back looking to win Lord Stanley’s Cup.
By Mike Trautman on May 13, 2010
I was talking about Halak as he deserves to have his name said. I haven’t seen playoff goaltending like that since Patrick Roy and/or Tom Barrasso. He is a brick wall just like the one painted on his mask. The Pens had 10 or 15 great scoring chances last night that he stopped amazingly. The Pens played great offense last night but just had poor defense and goaltending. I am not making excuses for them like refs or anything, they lost fair and square.
By Mike Trautman on May 13, 2010
I THINK THAT ITS TIME FOR U PEOPLE AND THE OTHER TEAMS TO RESPECT US THE MONTREAL CANADIANS WE’VE PROVED THAT WE ARE THE BEST AND I CAN SMELL IT FROM HERE ….OUR 25TH STANLEY CUP!
LES CANADIEN JUSQU’AU BOUT!
By J-F on May 13, 2010
James McCartney, I have to say I see some bias there. If you asked anyone a month ago, do the Habs have any chance of beating the Capitals OR the Penguins in a series, 90% of people would have said no. I see no additional reason to doubt them against the Hawks or the Sharks.
By Geoff on May 13, 2010
here is to all you fans that said montreal is nothing,well here they are in the eastern finals, i say they are something stronge……. always a hab fan, no matter what happens
By frank larose on May 13, 2010
No matter what happens in the Semi or Final, the Montreal Canadians have already won the Cup. Seriously, no one, not even us die hard Habs fans thought they had a chance. Then Washington happens and we all go crazy but still less than half probably thought the Habs would beat the Pens. DO WE DARE TO BELIEVE? Man I am soooo used to getting my heart broken. I grew up watching them win over and over and over (Go Dryden ! ! ! ). Either way, I am one PROUD fan ! !
By Steve M on May 14, 2010
I’ve been a habs fan since the days of Gump Worsley, Rogatien Vachon, Yvan Cournoyer and Jean Beliveau (late in his career). I can’t help but to think of 1971, when a Habs team that missed the playoffs in the previous season upended the “Big Bad Bruins” in the first round and beat the heavily-favored Black Hawks in the finals. What everyone remembers is Ken Dryden’s goaltending. No one expected the kinds of performances he turned in. But, as with this year’s team, everyone is playing a role. Back then, there were the Mahovlich brothers, Cournoyer and Henri Richard.
From his seat in the Canadian Parliament, Dryden couldn’t legislate a better performance out of the Canadiens!
By bookbabe on May 14, 2010
I’m a diehard Redwing fan but the Habs have always been my favourite team from the East. I even named my second son (he’s 16 now) after the great Patrick Roy. I love the city too, Montreal is an awesome city. We always get treated so well when we go there. Go Habs! I hope you get to skate the cup this year. See you at the HoF!
By OldGregg1964 on May 14, 2010
I agree completely with Steve M’s post…as a die hard Canadiens fan since 1990…I am celebrating their unlikely success but as each new series begins…Im afraid to believe….afraid to hope….because over the last 20 years….their playoff history hasnt been the best…but this year all I can say is “Why not??” Why not beat the Presidents Trophy winners…why not beat the defending Cup champs….why not advance to the Stanley Cup Finals?? Bleu, Blanc et Rouge…Go Habs Go!!
By Brian V from Baltimore on May 14, 2010
Go Habs,
The Ghoasts have been awakened! If the effort is put forth “they” will support you. So keep working hard and believeing in yourself and you also will reap the rewards of the past greats. Toll the bell in the Bell center between periods and keep the “Ghoasts” awake. Believe, it WILL happen Again. Another Cup Will come. Viva Le Habitant Du Montreal!!!
The time is near!!!
By Gary Arva on May 14, 2010
My comment is in reference to James McCarthy’s response posted on May 13th. First, I am a die-hard fan favoring the west as well. I don’t believe and think that any team in the west would or could of come back from a 3-1 deficit against crosby & cup champs or Ovi & president’s cup winners to be in qtr finals. No way..I’ve been watching and playing hockey for 30+ yrs and MTL has the IT factor as of right now. Seen IT too many times. The momentum could change but the pressure to close is on any team that faces them giving MTL the advantage to go all the way.I hate to disagree and hope that the west prevails. But, Halak plus a team that is firing on all cylinders equals success and the difference. We all know that Brodeur, Roy, Osgood, Ward and Fuhr have been known to take control of series. What an exciting year to be a fan. Good luck MTL,?, SJ and CHI.
By Mark Thompson on May 14, 2010
DONT EVER,EVER DOUBT LES HABS, SO MAYBE THEY DONT HAVE THE ROCKET, BOOM-BOOM, ETC. ANYMORE BUT THEY LEARNED THEIR GAME FROM THESE GREATS, AND THEY SHOULD NEVER BE COUNTED OUT.
By J.Beliveau fan club founder on May 14, 2010
I have been a motreal fan along time seen players at boston garden ken dryden guy lafleur robinson and many more I enjoyed shouting Les Canadien cest las go habs
By raymond hamel on May 15, 2010