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Canadiens Fans Keeping Hope Alive

ByLissa Albert|

CANADIENS Fans Keeping Hope Alive

The Montreal Canadiens will play Game 5 in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals this evening, and are on a challenging mission to become only the 5th team in history to come back to win a series in which they were 0-3.

Can they do it?

The eternal optimist in me says “why not?” After all, records were meant to be broken, history happens all the time. Of course it’s a challenge – but it wouldn’t be playoffs if it were easy to do.

Fun Factoid: Of the 4 times in which a 0-3 deficit has been overcome, it’s happened twice in the past 5 years (2010, and 2014). Does this mean a trend? And if so, why shouldn’t the Habs take advantage of it?

So, the Habs have 3 more chances to play the way they did in Game 4, the way they had been playing in Games 1 and 3 (which didn’t end in victories but which were very close – oh, those lucky bounces!), and show not only their opponents, but the hockey world – and most importantly, their fans – that anything is possible.

The bandwagon has been bouncing this series. Those who have jumped off in tough times – after each of the 3 losses, even before Game 4 had gotten underway – are trickling back.

And that’s okay – this fan base has its ups and downs, and only the stalwart, sometimes-blindly optimistic, and die-hard fans remain throughout. Emotions affect everyone differently.

Personally, I never understood not watching a Habs game out of frustration or resignation. I’m with this team till the end. I’m almost obsessively superstitious about not watching a game.

Glad to see that on Twitter, there are more like me than not; fans to the end. But I understand the frustration of those who can’t.

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Who among us watched Game 3’s denouement without sitting in stunned silence? Who among us hasn’t used the word “shock” after Tyler Johnson‘s goal beat the final buzzer?

After that, I saw many on Twitter just giving up. Like not wanting to even hear about one’s ex in a painful dispute, they wanted no part of any further hurt, wanted their emotions protected and their hearts to heal.

But Game 4 changed much of that. I see a resurgence of incredible hope today. And like anything we do, that hope soars when the almost-impossible becomes not only attainable, but achieved. Game 4 was that Achievement. Capital “A”.

Game 5 is a huge advantage for the Habs. Home at the Bell Centre, 21,286 roaring fans greeting the hometown heroes, and though home ice didn’t work for them in the first two games, for various reasons, the Thursday-night win was the biggest morale booster ever.

May 7, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry (26) is congratulated by defenseman P.K. Subban (76) after he scored a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period in game four of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Knowing they have beaten this team makes it a brand new day.

I believe the pendulum of confidence has swung heavily back toward the Habs and is carrying momentum with it. After all, they didn’t just beat the Lightning, they slaughtered them. They didn’t just win a hockey game, they owned it.

And they got an 8-game gorilla off their collective backs. As the team celebrated their Game-4 victory, their first over the Lightning in 2014-15, it’s safe to say that King Kong left the building.

Knowing they have beaten this team makes it a brand new day.

Listening to post-game interviews, it’s blatantly clear that the team is feeling the confidence – without any of the entitlement – that this game is theirs to win.

And as fans, our support of them is paramount.

I’m looking forward to the game – not just the puck drop and three exciting periods in which I’m confident the team will prevail. But also to the warm welcome, the cheers, the adulation only Habs fans can impart to their team from every seat in the house.

As PK Subban said, “Best fans in the league.”

And more than just optimistic, I’m proud to be among them.

Enjoy the game, and don’t forget to check out Rob Elbaz’s pre-game notes here.

And a preview of Game 5 here:

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