Adversity Is Straw That Stirs The Canadiens’ Drink

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There was something strangely familiar about the Montreal Canadiens‘ start to Game 6 on Thursday night.

In most cases, seeing a rookie netminder allow three goals on three consecutive shots would lead to a reasonable amount of anxiety.

But if there’s one lesson the Habs have taught us throughout the course of their expertly-executed rebuild, it’s that this team needs a measure of adversity before they’re at their best.

Think of it, if you will, as the hockey version of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

They only reveal their strongest form, the Megazord, once their backs are against the wall.

A slightly less nerdy metaphor would be the Incredible Hulk.

He grows stronger the longer he takes a sustained level of punishment.

Okay, that was just as nerdy, but you get my point.

It wouldn’t be Canadiens hockey if there was not a point in the first period in which fans question whether the last four years were simply a fever dream.

And yet, despite watching the Habs chase multiple leads in the first period, there was a shared sense of calm among fans on Thursday night, a rarity in sports, even more so in Montreal.

It’s evidence of a shared conviction in the cause, not just between fans and the team, but also between the skaters and their rookie netminder, who has clearly been the team’s most valuable player through 12 playoff games.

This is all part of the learning process, and logic dictates that the Canadiens will eventually be capable of winning a game, or rather motivating themselves, without facing an uphill climb.

But as it stands, the Habs have mastered uphill climbs well enough to be considered favourites at the upcoming Tour De France.

Hyperbole aside, it’s not necessarily a recipe for success, at least not in the long term, but it has armed the Canadiens with a very interesting and powerful weapon as they attempt to become the fourth and final team to qualify for the Conference Finals.