Habs Stunner: Your 5-Point Guide To Coping With Game 3’s Loss

May 6, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Montreal Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty (67) looks on against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period of game three of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

An hour left to Game 4 – with all the hopes and dreads it hold – and computer problems have delayed my ability to post a reaction to the still-painful events of almost 24 hours ago.

But as always, my thoughts:

It’s been written, countless times, post-game. The Habs’ loss in Game 3 was a stunner, a shocker, a heartbreak, a heartache – the list goes on.

And it’s all true.

So what can I add?

Well, at first, I couldn’t – with a computer that decided to die a day before this all-important game, I actually had the best “excuse” to not face the repercussions of Game 3’s ending.

But, just like the Habs, I will always find a way to overcome adversity. So I’ve jotted down some thoughts, some coping strategies, some enlightenments I’ve found soothing, and some pet peeves.

Like everyone who was glued to the game, my hopes were high. Like everyone, they began to dwindle – but only slightly – as the clock (that now-cursed, evil time-clock) counted down.

Hopes soared when the incredible Brendan Gallagher scored what was probably the best birthday gift he could have given himself. That is, for a short-lived 9 minutes, 55.9 seconds.

And then – the epitome of shock.

I’d experienced disappointments in playoffs in the past. But it just seemed as though, with social media all reacting to the events on the ice, I was part of a universal gasp.

You get the picture.

Desperately looking for a way to digest what had happened, I avoided rather than faced it. I knew I had to write something – not just because it’s what I do, but perhaps even as a cathartic release.

So I’ve decided to offer a 5-point guide on how to cope with what happened. Based on what I’ve read online, heard on radio, discussed personally and agonized within, perhaps this can help others trying to “deal”.

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