That’s that. Habs gone after five games, losing 6-1 to the Ottawa Senators, and now what are we supposed to do? Cheer for another team?
It’s a game of inches, and if Colby Armstrong had hit the back of the net instead of the post on a shorthanded breakaway, the boys would have tied it at two and who knows what would have happened. But shortly after, Ottawa scored while shorthanded and the death knell was sounded for the bleu, blanc et rouge.
I hope all those Sens fans who used to be good Habs fans are happy.
Now it’s all over. Lockers will be cleaned out, goodbyes will be said, and guys will go north, south, east, and west. And we’re left floundering and scratching ourselves and flicking channels with a tired remote.
I hate when this happens, and I wish they’d quit doing this to us. Habs eliminations are always such a downer. And if it’s bad for us, imagine what hard-core Leaf fans must go through.
It’s not a surprise, I suppose, that the team fell short. Serious cracks began in April, when a key defenceman went down, and goaltending, without warning, became surprisingly inept.
On April 6, in a game against those dastardly Bruins, with just ten games remaining, Alexei Emelin decided to put himself in the way of a human freight train named Milan Lucic, and just like that, was lost for the season. With Emelin gone, the team suddenly became softer and less of a danger for approaching enemy forwards, and a team becoming softer in the last month of the season before playoffs is pretty well the second worst thing that could happen.
The first would be mediocre goaltending.
Carey Price’s goals-against soared, and his save percentage dropped as the season wound down. And as Price’s play dipped, the team in front did too. Even now there’s an all-points bulletin out for Michael Ryder, missing in action, along with David Desharnais, who wasn’t much help at all over the final stretch.
Some players were disappointments, the team’s month-long collapse was a disappointment, and the elimination is a disappointment. But they gave us such great hockey for two and a half months, they were exciting and so much fun to watch, and absolute light years from the dismal bunch of a year ago.
The kids Gallagher and Galchenyuk became key guys, and Brandon Prust showed what a true team player is with his willingness to stand up to bigger foes. Prust also helped guide the kids along, and was just a terrific and inspirational addition. Thank you New York.
And of course P.K. Subban is magnificent. There’s no denying.
The future is bright for the Habs, and I’m proud of them. Second best in the Eastern Conference, fourth in the entire league. A complete turnaround from a year ago.
So many great nights, in such a short period of time, beginning on Jan. 19th, and ending now as they bow out to the Ottawa Senators, a team that is mighty lucky they had a tremendous goalie keeping them in it.
The Only Random Note of the Night:
If you’re ever looking for something to read, I’m here year-round and have been for five and a half years now. I think it could be a fine way for you to spend quality time on the toilet, for example. And don’t forget, my site is rated by my wife as the best in the world. So how could you go wrong?
Thanks to everyone for riding the Habs train with me this season. It was mostly fantastic. But again I remind you – I’m not going anywhere, so c’mon back.
