It's Memorial Day in the United States, but the hockeyworld turns today tonight to Canada....
Sometimes, it feels like there are 29 teams in the NHL...and then there is Toronto and Montreal. Two epic hockey cities, whose franchises feel as old as the sport itself..
It has been a very long time since either the Canadiens or the Leafs have been a significant player in the postseason....Lets face it...These are our Yankees and Red Sox, Cowboys and Steelers, Lakers and Celtics (ok I am old...).And sports are better when the classic teams are involved...
The NHL is absolutely better when the Leafs and Canadiens are contending. The rub here has always been tha these are two fanbases who don't accept rebuilding years well, or at all...
The Leafs tried it. They broke it down. They allowed "the pain" and they got really bad for several years. After not being "bad enough" to get Stamkos or Tavares through the draft, they got even worse and were in contention for McDavid...finally landing Auston Matthews....and Marner along the way...They then went for the big coach with Babcock. They became a playoff team, but couldn't shake Boston...The Leafs as they sit now....they are a very good team and if they stay the course they will be contending for years to come....
The Montreal Canadiens DON'T rebuild. They never broke it down. With Carey Price they always were competitive, so they pushed it and as a result they haven't gotten the top draft picks that Toronto has gotten...something I honestly respect the franchise for doing...They have had top make actual smart moves and develop talent... But it has taken too long...at least according to sources close to ownership...The pressure from ownership is obviously mounting on the GM and the coach and some of the resulting day-to-day decisions have felt very odd and suspect...almost desperate......especially involving who has dressed to skate in this series..
Kotkaniemi and Caufield didn't even start the series that they have played major roles in extending to 7 games. Its kind of hard to spin that...
I predicted this to be a Leafs in 5 series...And it almost was..
Game 5 and 6 both went to OT and the Leafs were one shot away from ending this, but despite the Leafs clear advantages in talent, and the Canadiens very chaotic approach to the lineup, these teams have each won 3 games and it all comes down to one more battle.
The Canadiens ghosts are VERY much alive in Toronto's head right now and while its is easy to say ALL the pressure sits on the Leaf players tonight there is more to this story. The Montreal Canadiens aren't the kind of team that plays the spoiler. The Montreal Canadiens are in it to win it.
What Happens if Toronto Wins?
A Leafs victory for Toronto would be a giant exhale throughout Leafs nation and put the team finally into the second round with the pressure of NOT winning a playoff round in their past. It would be great to see what this talented team could do without the weight of the world on them.
A Leafs victory for Montreal in 7 games would not be as devastating as it might have been in 5 games. By extending this series to 7 games, the Habs front office may have done enough to keep them around...but my sources still say that could be a coin toss.
What Happens if Montreal Wins?
A Canadiens victory tonight would send shock waves through the Leafs organization the likes of which we haven’t seen in some time. I would not expect them to blow things up, but the GM job could be on the line, and for sure the future in NET for Toronto would be completely re-examined this off-season. The Leafs have gotten great play from Campbell, but it won't be remembered very long if they lose here...The fanbase will look hard for a proven winner and I could very much see a goalie like Marc Andre Fleury become the focus.
For the Habs, a victory would be justification of the bold moves made by Bergevin. The Canadien fanbase would praise the team and I really feel they would take out Winnipeg in round 2....
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