Pride can come in many different forms, and last night it came in the form of civic pride, painted Canadien red, white, and blue. What can be said about a city where the fans fill up the Bell Centre while their team is playing in another city just to watch their hometown heroes on the big screen as they soak in a fanatically frenzied atmosphere?
Montreal pride was on public display last night, and what a beautiful sight it was; from the legions of fans with their faces painted the Habs tricolours, to the Canadiens CH logo shaved into people’s heads, as well as massive flags waving, cars honking, and singing in the streets as people marched down St. Catherine street. The Montreal Canadiens have not won the coveted Stanley Cup prize as of yet, but from last night’s celebrations all over town, one can be forgiven for thinking they did.
As each series propels the Habs closer to the ultimate hockey treasure, so does the level of intensity present itself in a city known for its capability to throw a good party. The Canadiens were not favoured to make it this far in the playoffs, but like the “little engine that could,” they have kept on chugging, earning respect and gaining confidence with each passing game.
In order to keep on winning, I believe the Habs need to keep doing what they’ve been doing in their previous series – and that’s to be aggressive by hitting, checking, and playing offensive-style hockey. The team is quick and has a good roster of power forwards, so the Habs need the likes of Pacioretty, Vanek and Bourque (among others) to keep crashing the net while also forechecking and not waiting back on their heels in the defensive zone.
The good thing, though, is when the New York Rangers do skate into our zone, they will meet the likes of Markov, Subban, and Price, who have proven to not be the most gracious hosts and will certainly shut them down. My prediction for the next series is the Habs in 6.
The wonderful thing about all this is the sense of togetherness amongst the residents of our fair city and beyond. I personally received congratulation messages from friends in Vancouver, Toronto, Philadelphia, Miami, and even Marbella, Spain.
From whatever language people speak, to the colour of their skin or religion practiced, it doesn’t matter when it comes to Montreal’s unifying “religion”… that of Habs Nation, where we worship every game played, pray for wins, and celebrate in the festival of victory. So to PK Subban, Carey Price and the rest of the entire team, we say thank you for making Montrealers feel proud of our city, and know that we are behind you every shot of the way in achieving your goals.
#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
Bottom image from: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
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