I know for a fact that there are people like me who would cheer for a Canadian team including the Leafs to go all the way into the Playoffs. I know Pete you're not the first and the last that despise the HABS, like I know there are some here that feel the same way about TO.
Well, I'm not one of those.
I'm from Montreal-La, where there's huge spores that explode at times lke these during the Playoffs and turn Habs fans into uncontrollable crazy creatures. In by uncontrollable, I mean the best comes out in most of us, and like the worst in the few of us. But like someone put it before, which place/City/country doesn't have its beautiful and its ugly side. Remove hockey for a minute, and we can start comparing locations, and the debate can go on forever. On a cultural side I can only say this of Montreal, It's always been a City of cheering and festivities for as long as I can remember, so wherever you heard that Hab fans don't celebrate until they win the cup, now that's total bull crap (even if that came from our News or from some drunken fans) we should know better than to pay attention to an unreliable source when its stinks full of it.
I never had prejudice against other fans and I don't think I ever will but I know some of the HAB fans that do, and for that I feel shameful. Sometimes, I wonder why not avoid all that, and forget about supporting hockey or even watching it. Still, something stronger calls to me. I respect rivalry. Rivalry is good for the sport. But when it comes down to hating an entire hockey team over it, or even the City in rare cases, that sounds more like the dark side of the sport love rising.
But the way I see it some may seem to love hating the Habs or any other team, so bring it as much as you may want. It can only mean more negative thinking for those who keep thinking that way, which is nothing I wish in the first place.
And Saying that HABS won't win is no better than saying that HABS will win. Let's just say may the best win. HABS were not the favorites of this series to begin, but they've come this far anyway. Teams study their opponents during the playoffs and before facing eachother, so if what you're saying that HABS have played it the same way is true, then the Penguins would have had enough time to rest and would've been able to stategize better. Say what you want to say about their gameplay, I've heard other fans trash the Montreal Canadiens YEARS BEFORE THIS SERIES, and when it was the good ol' years of Roy, Svoboda, McPhee, Smith, heck, Gainey, Carbonneau, we still had a great team to that day, probably one of the Best Montreal teams that I know we ever had.
We know that we don't have the same team today, and not as good probably (or least we thought), but I'd be plain stupid not to cheer for my own when they need us: GO HABS GO