Proud to Love the CH!

As I write this, my heart is broken. I'm not sure why this year's exit from the playoffs hurts more than others. Maybe it's because I, like so many other Habs fans, truly felt like this was our year. Time and time again, the experts counted us out. But look at what we did. We swept Tampa. Who besides us Habs fans saw that coming? Heck, I don't think any of us saw that coming. And then there was Boston, who experts said we would not get past. And look what happened. Our boys battled hard, gave it their all, and prevailed. But then the unthinkable happened.

Chris Kreider, who I will now forever despise (yes despise), ran into Carey Price. Some will say it was accidental (which I do not buy for even a fraction of a millisecond), others that it was on purpose (which I fully believe), doesn't matter. The point of the matter is, that (looking for a nice word here but failing) whether Kreider was tripped or no, he ran into Price, reinjuring him and taking him out of the series. You have to believe he knew what he was doing. He could've stopped. People (read: Rangers fans) said his momentum carried him into Price. I call BS on that. Everyone knows that they teach you how to stop when you're learning to play hockey. Kreider has a history of running goaltenders. Ask Craig Anderson or Marc-Andre Fleury. The Rangers knew that the only way they'd advance would be to take out a hot goaltender like Price.

I'm not making excuses though. A team can simply not win when they're not scoring. And sadly that's what cost our beloved Habs their season and a chance at Lord Stanley. They were closer than they ever have been in years though, and gave their fans something to believe in. No cup this year, but I'm okay with that now, as hard and bitter a pill that is to swallow. Their time is coming. I know that in my heart. And look at Tokarski, that kid has a very bright future. There's no telling what the future holds, Habs fans, but I'm sure a Stanley Cup is not far away!

No Laughing Matter

I've tried to bite my tongue, really I have. I have tried to give the Boston Bruins and their fans the benefit of the doubt in these 2013-2014 playoffs, but 5 games in, I can no longer hold in the thoughts that have been swirling around, lest they leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

Those of you who know me know of my distaste for anything Boston. But nothing makes my blood boil more than the actions of the Boston Bruins, both in the regular and post season. And what makes it even worse is that the majority of Bruins fans condone such behaviour, stating that the team is just gritty, and that it's okay to do what they did because it gets in the heads of their opponents.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't mind a good on-ice tussle. A bit of chirping, sure. It's as much a part of the game as scoring goals and winning face offs. We as hockey fans have come to expect it, whether watching from the comfort of our own homes or in the arena. But when gritty crosses the line into dirty and dangerous, that's where I cross the line. I'll also be the first to admit that my team isn't perfect. Have they gotten away with some things that they should've been penalized for? Definitely. But so has every other team in the league at some point. But nowhere is this more evident than with the Boston Bruins.

Case in point, Game 5 between the Boston Bruins and Montréal Canadiens last night, when with less than two minutes left to the game, and his team winning, Shawn Thornton took the opportunity to squirt water in the face of Habs defenseman P.K. Subban. Not once, but twice. In doing so, he impeded the vision of Subban, which could've (but luckily didn't) result in injury. P.K. was upset, and rightly so. Afterwards, in a post game interview, he stated that if it had been him who'd done it, it'd be talked about for days. I couldn't agree more.

I see many Boston fans saying today that P.K. is a p***y and should suck it up. I see others saying that it was just a joke, and that a bit of water never hurt anybody. I see terms like baby and whiny bitch being tossed about, but to be completely honest here, I'm failing to see where any of this is funny. Let's say the situation were reversed, and it had been P.K. who had squirted Thornton twice with water from the bench. Would Boston fans think it was funny then? Probably not. In reality, they would probably be irate, much like Habs fans are today. They would be calling for his suspension, and would want his head on a silver platter.

The truth of the matter is that what Shawn Thornton did was dangerous, no matter who he did it to. And I think what bothers a lot of hockey aficionados is that this happened during play. Not in a scrum or a stoppage in play, but during an actual play. In matters such as this, it feels dirty and dangerous for such an act to occur. Let's see how you'd feel if you were in that players shoes and couldn't see, Bruins fans. Because honestly, you and your whole fan base sicken me right now.

In my opinion, what Thornton did was reprehensible. He is a grown man (at least in size, if not in brains), and should be ashamed of what he did, because impeding another player's vision by squirting water in his face is childish, and has no place in the game. Geez, what's next? Whoopee cushions?

NHL, get your shit together. Because player safety is no laughing matter. The only thing that is are your so called punishments. Do you think this will change Thornton's goonish behaviour? Cause I've got news for you- it won't. He'll do it again and again and again, just like Marchand diving and Lucic's spearing dudes in the nuts.

But that's another rant for another time.

A love/hate relationship- Habs/Bruins rivalry

For almost as long as there has been professional hockey, there has been a rivalry between the Montréal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins, with the two teams facing off for the first time on December 8, 1924. And there's no bigger stage for such a heated rivalry than the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And with the two teams embroiled in yet another intense battle (their 34th playoff series), there's no better time to talk about what I think added fuel to the fire of this modern day rivalry.

The incident I'm referring to of course, is the one that is etched into the minds of many devoted Habs fans, the Chara hit on Max Pacioretty (look that up on YouTube) when at 19:40 of the 2nd period of a game played on March 8, 2011, Patch was drove into the stanchion near the end of the Boston Bruins bench. For several moments after, Pacioretty lay motionless on the ice, where he would be lifted off on a stretcher and brought to the hospital. Chara, for his part, was assessed a 5 minute major and game misconduct for his actions. Upon further review of said play, the league decided on no further action on him, deeming what happened to be a "hockey play". The next day, it was revealed that he (Pacioretty) had a fracture to the 4th cervical vertebra (C4), and a severe concussion.

When Annakin Slayd, in his 2011 Habs anthem " MTL Stand Up" (can also be found on YouTube)  said "if that's a hockey play, then hockey must change / Wanna be proud of our sport, not ashamed...", the words resonated with a lot of Habs fans. After nothing was done about the very obvious headshot to Max, many fans felt ashamed of the league. How could it be a "hockey play" when a young man almost had his career ended? What kind of message was being sent to the rest of the league about headshots? The league was (and still is) trying to eliminate headshots from the game, and a more severe punishment here (i.e: a suspension) would've sent the message that this was something that they were not going to tolerate. But instead, as we all know, nothing was done, and headshots continue to be an issue.

I think the lack of punishment is what added fuel to an already very heated fire. Many fans were outraged that the league could let someone get away with what he'd done. Many wanted blood, and rightly so, but the cries of fans were all for naught. 5 minutes and a game misconduct, which to many seemed too light a punishment, a slap on the wrist, if you will for a hit that caused such a serious injury. And then Mark Recchi saying the injury wasn't as serious as everyone thought, and that Max had been embellishing?  You're kidding me right? What does he know about spinal injuries? When did he get his degree?

What a joke.

I think what bothers me the most in all of this is that I see some Bruins fans saying "I wish he'd hit him harder." What would make a person say that? Is your hatred so intense that you would wish harm upon another human being? I understand the Habs/Bruins rivalry is a much heated one, but there is something wrong if you want another human being to be hurt.

I won't say I hate the Bruins, but my dislike is a strong one, only for their style of play. There's an intent to injure there, and all I can do is hope and pray that there's never another repeat of that very frightening incident back in March of 2011.

Go Habs Go! 

Not So Black & White

Imagine this- you're a hockey player and you've just scored an important goal, saving your team from the jaws of defeat. For a moment, you are on top of the world, and what do you do? You celebrate it of course. Sadly though, people get on you for it, say you're showboating, and all for one simple reason- the colour of your skin.

Showboating

Such is the case for former Norris Trophy winner, P.K. Subban. He's known for his joyous celebration of key goals, and has admitted that in the heat of the moment he doesn't think anything of said celebrations. And while there is no doubt that sometimes he might be a bit over the top, there is no need to bring race into the picture. If he were not a man of colour, would we even be having this discussion? Probably not. In fact, one of his team mates, Alex Galchenyuk did something similar at an earlier point of the season. While it was indeed enthusiastic, nobody dared say that he was showboating.

Yet time and time again, whenever Subban celebrates an important goal, I see people say that celebratory antics such as his don't belong in the NHL. But, and I have to ask this question: why is it okay for the Alex Ovechkins and Sidney Crosbys of the league to celebrate when they score, and not P.K. Subban? It just makes no sense. There's a huge double standard there. Why tell one player that its wrong when you allow others to do it?

It's not okay, and that's something that needs to change. We should be ashamed that this is still an issue in 2014. Is a player any less talented because he's not Caucasian? No. If we the fans don't stand up and say we oppose others using such vulgar language, then nothing is ever going to change. Future generations of hockey players shouldn't have to face the stigma that today's players face. Heck, the players of today shouldn't have to deal with it either.

F****** N*****

Who cares about the colour of a man's skin? Not me. I say let them play, and let's stop judging them on how they look and focus more on what really counts: whether or not he has the skills to play the game. P.K. Subban is one of the most talented and skilled players to ever put on the CH of the Montreal Canadiens.

Yet after last night, after he scored the game winning goal in double OT against Boston, Bruins fans pelted the ice with trash and beer cans, among other things. And on Twitter, there were roughly some 17,000 racist comments made towards him. Um excuse me, are they blind or something? Their top line features a mixed race player in Jarome Iginla. And within their system is a very talented young goalie, Malcolm Subban, the younger brother of the very guy you level racial slurs towards.

Even if you didn't have these players, how is this even remotely okay? What voice in your head told you this was okay? I understand not liking a guy, hey that's natural. But there is absolutely no need to call him what you did. If I were a part of your fan base (and I thank God I'm not), I would be ashamed that anybody could say that shit! Makes me wonder if you were ever taught "treat others how you want to be treated" or "if you can't say anything nice, dont say anything at all".

Because if you were, it's a lesson you need to relearn!

Cheap Shots & Karma

Cheap shots. There's a whole variety of them. But there are none that bother me more than hitting a guy between his legs, his family jewels if you will. Its probably the worst place you could hit a guy (being a female, I'm not sure how much pain this causes) if you wish/wished to do him any harm. Yet there are those out there who are trying to defend one such cheap shot that happened last night in the 1st Round Matchup in the Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings.

For those of you who haven't heard, Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins brought his stick up between the legs of Detroit's Danny Dekeyser, effectively hitting him in the family jewels. While Detroit went on to win the game 1-0 and take a 1-0 series lead, I'm sure that's of no comfort to the poor guy who was on the receiving end of a cheap shot from arguably one of the cheapest players to put on an NHL jersey.

Yet there are those out there who will defend such antics simply because "it's the playoffs." Are you kidding me?  How can anyone, and I do mean anyone, defend the actions of Milan Lucic last night? That stick between the legs was a dirty cheap shot, with the intent to injure. If this guy had the very same thing happen to him, you can sure as hell bet that he would be calling for the other player's head. And so would the majority of fans that support the team he plays for.

Some would say that if such a thing had been done by a member of my favourite team, that I would defend such an action. Well let me tell you this, I wouldn't. And do you want to know why? Its because I was raised to know better. I was taught that hurting another person is wrong. There is only one time that it is okay to hit another person, and that is when it is done in self defense. And at no point during that play last night did Milan Lucic look in any way threatened.

But because its a Boston player, of course it wasn't dirty, right Bruins fans? That's what I've been reading. Just a quick browse of comments on the incident, and I saw comments like "Its the playoffs,  the ends justify the means" and "I didn't say it didn't hurt, but its not suspendable". Are you guys even serious right now? In what way, shape or form is it okay to deliver a cheap shot to another human being? Yes that's right, human being.

There are people out there who seems to forget that these guys are human beings- sons, brothers, cousins, uncles, fathers, godfathers, etc, who play the game for a living. Hockey is not who they are, rather the job they get paid to do so they can support their families. They go out there night after night, putting their bodies through things most of us couldn't even dream of doing. All for our entertainment. And yet some of you will say cheap shots, slew foots and the like are okay. I've seen some people justify head shots, and I'm blown away. And not in a good way. Head shots most often lead to concussions. But that's another rant for another time.

For those who think this kind of behaviour is justified, I urge you to stop and think about it. I mean really stop and think about it. I'm not a parent, but I can't help but think  "would you allow your son to do this and then say it wasn't dirty?" I would certainly hope not. You'd teach him that what he did was wrong, and then you would give him what punishment you thought fit the offense that he committed.

So why is a hockey player any different in this situation? He's not. He is a human being, the same as you and I, and just as we are taught that we have to learn from what we did wrong and be punished for it, so should he be. Its because he has gotten away with such things because the league has turned a blind eye to it (eye exams, anyone?), that he continues to do so. Let's put a stop to this before he does something even worse. If kids see that he gets away with it, soon you'll see this sort of thing trickle down to younger players. And that's not the image hockey needs.

NHL, I hope you do the right thing here. But if you don't, there's always karma. And I heard she can be pretty nasty.

Up 2-0 and Feeling Good.

So, game 2 went last night in Beantown between the visiting Montreal Canadiens, and the home team Boston Bruins. This was an important game for the Bruins as they needed to win, and avoid going down 2-0 in the series, heading back to Montreal.

Shortly after taking the pre-game skate, it was announced that the Bruins Captain (also their best defenceman) would not be playing in the game due to dehydration. He was dizzy, and didn't feel well, and ended up being scratched and had to sit out the game.And it didn't take long for the Habs long to take advantage of the hole left by Chara.

Just 43 seconds into the game, Mike Cammalleri, one of the hotter players for the Habs in last years miraculous playoff run, which lead then just a couple games shy of the big dance, put a goal past Tim Thomas. 1-0 Habs.

Then at 2:20 of the same period, Mathieu Darche scored just 6 seconds into the Habs PP, to put his team up   2-0, and with Carey Price playing the way he is, a 2 goal lead is more than enough for him to win it.

The Bruins would finally solve Price later that period, and cut the score to 2-1, but before too long, Yannick Weber, who was inserted into the lineup due to Andrei Kostitsyn's injury, would restore the Habs two goal lead. Weber certainly made the most of this opportunity to play.

The Bruins are going to need to dig deep if they stand any chance in coming back in the series, but this writer seriously doubts that the Bruins are going to be able to win 2 of 3 at the Bell Centre. MTL leads the best of 7 series 2-0.

MTL Stand Up, Annakin Slayd

Montreal for life, Les Canadiens forever!