The "Disgruntled" Habs Fan? Not So Much These Days...

There is a movement in the education system to “teach to the standardized test”. In other words, the government creates tests and gives hints as to what the format looks like. The goal, as far as I can tell, is for the government to prove their education policies work. In September, teachers are strongly encouraged to formulate their lessons in math and literacy around the test. The school can then lure potential students to enrol based on the test results. Regardless of your political affiliation, it does beg the question as to whether or not these standardized tests are a true reflection of a child's academic potential. As a parent, are you more concerned with the artificial success of a 3-hour math/literacy test or would you rather your child be prepared for real world success after high school graduation?

The NHL regular season and the player stats within are akin to the standardized test. They offer a mere snapshot of success. Even the NHL awards are based on the regular season. Ask any player if they want to win the Art Ross or the Conn Smythe. Ask any team, would you rather win the President’s Trophy or the Stanley Cup? Lastly, ask the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leaf players if they would sacrifice some regular season points for a playoff run?

Their players got their cookies in the regular season, but the Habs pounded them into crumbs and fed them to Youppi! when it really mattered.

First of all, any Habs fan or media member who said they saw this coming is a liar. I try to be a rational Habs fan (oxymoron?) and, in doing so, I have been labelled the Disgruntled Habs Fan. If we are going to be honest, at what point in the regular season did this team give its fans (morons and rational ones) a reason to truly believe this playoff run was possible? Marc Bergevin told us over and over to wait for the playoffs, but no one believed him.

The team got off to a 7-2-1 start, but they do that every year. So that cannot be pointed to as an indication that a playoff run would come.

The team fired their head coach, assistant coach and goalie coach. The power play was anemic, the penalty kill was unreliable, and Carey Price got hurt again. None of this can be pointed to as an indication that a playoff run would come.

The Senators forgot the season started, the Flames melted themselves, and the Canucks were a train wreck. The fact the Habs made the playoffs felt more like it was due to the ineptitude of the bottom 3, not the Habs' dominance over them. None of this can be pointed to as an indication that a playoff run would come.

The inner turmoil on the team didn’t give rational Habs fans any hope. A week of COVID really hurt the team as they had to play way too much hockey in too little time. Jonathan Drouin’s leave of absence, Chiarot missing 6 weeks with a broken finger, Carey Price’s concussion, Gallagher’s broken hand, Weber’s broken hand, salary cap issues keeping Caufield out of the line-up, Paul Byron placed on waivers 3 times, Kotkaniemi’s struggles, a rookie head coach, and Youppi! having to wear a COVID mask should have taken this team down. None of this can be pointed to as an indication that a playoff run would come.

During the regular season the Leafs and Jets were a combined 13-6 versus the Habs. The Leafs looked too fast and skilled while the Jets looked too big and experienced. None of this can be pointed to as an indication that a playoff run would come.

Lastly, I keep hearing how weak the North Division is. In philosophy, the Law of Contradiction states that if something is true then the opposite of it is false. The Leafs were good when they were up 3-1 in the series; are they bad all of a sudden? The Jets were a juggernaut when they swept the Oilers; are they horrible because the Habs beat them? If the division really is as weak as some people claim it to be, what does that say about Toronto and Winnipeg going forward? You cannot say the Habs got lucky while the Leafs and Jets are okay. Seven games is more than enough of a sample size to prove who is better. There are more forked tongues in the media than at Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo. The Habs earned the 2 wins and are in the semifinals due to merit, not the unravelling of the Leafs and Jets.

I have been very critical of this roster and, up until the last 2 weeks, justifiably so. Furthermore, it would be very hypocritical of me to suggest patience when it comes to players like KK, Caufield, Suzuki, and Romanov, while on the other hand demanding a change at the GM position before these 4 players can prove their mettle. Bergevin deserves credit. If he takes heat when this team under achieves, he deserves accolades when they over achieve. (Speaking of heat, how about that custom-fit red suit?)

The Habs were not supposed to beat the Leafs, but they did. The Habs were not supposed to beat the Jets, but they did.

Now I am hearing they have no chance against Colorado or Vegas.

Marc Bergevin and his red suit have us believing otherwise!

Waldo1947 | The (Not So) Disgruntled Habs Fan