GO HABS GO

So probably most of you don't follow hockey and don't care, but Habs Fever is going strong in our city right now. I've got it, so you're stuck with me talking about it!

Having just barely squeaked into last playoff spot (8th in the Eastern Conference), the Montreal Canadiens promptly faced the 1st-place Washington Capitals and their star Alexander Ovechkin. Our goalie Jaroslav Halak stepped up (53 saves in one game!), as did our star scorer Mike Cammalleri, and we bumped off the Caps in the 7th game. Moving on to 4th-place (and last year's champs) Pittsburgh Penguins and their star Sidney Crosby, the Habs have now made it once again to Game 7. If we win tonight to unseat the Pens and move on to the Eastern Conference final (likely against Boston)...well, the city is going to go nuts. (Here's hoping that the riot isn't too bad...)

Unlike in 2008, when we were in first place going into the playoffs and expected a Stanley Cup win, this wasn't supposed to happen. Rather than be disgusted by the second-round Game 5 loss suffered by the supposed-to-win 2008 team, this city is humbled by the spirit and never-give-up attitude of the underdog 2010 team. We are treasuring every victory, every goal, every save made by Halak, and we are with Les Boys no matter what.

Habs fans are probably the hardest in the whole NHL, but truthfully I don't think that anything brings this city together like cheering on Our Montreal Canadiens. It's awesome when you see businesses flying the Canada flag, the Quebec flag, and the Habs flag. The spirit of Montreal!

So have some Habs-style Lady Gaga:

And a feel-good Habs pride song in which we hope that this year will feel a bit like '93 (the last time the Habs won the Cup):

GO HABS GO!!

THEY DID IT!!

Final score: Montreal 5, Pittsburgh 2, and Crosby and the Penguins are headed for the golf course! Halak was his usual awesome self, especially in the third period, and it was just...wow. Also great to see Gill back (Pittsburgh had been attempting to systematically eliminate all of our defencemen, beginning in Game 1 with Markov, who still isn't back) and putting his 6'7 self in Crosby's way.

The game was in Pittsburgh, but the Bell Center here was sold out ($7.50 to watch the game there on the big screen with ~25000 other fans). I don't know what downtown looks like right now, but it's probably insane.

When the game had been over for a couple of minutes, the phone rang. It was my parents' number, and I figured it was Da because he tends to call his daughters after important hockey games XD. Good thing I have caller ID, because when I picked up the phone all I heard was "HALAAAAAAK!!!" I LOLed. XD I love my Da.

(The joy is tempered somewhat though by the tragic loss of a family of four when their home suddenly collapsed into a sinkhole on Monday night. The entire family had been watching Game 6 together in the basement when they were buried--so quickly that at least two of them did not even have time to get up off the couch. So terrible and frightening. (This incident also meant many phone calls to our department from reporters at a time when anyone who even remotely specializes in such things is off in the field.) One minute your family is enjoying the game, and then the next minute...)

But the Habs play on, and now we will face either Boston or Philly in the conference final. We have scores to settle with both teams (Philly eliminated us in 2008, Boston did it in 2009), but we have a long-standing playoff rivalry with Boston and that matchup is what most Habs fans are looking for. Boston was up 3-1 in the series, but Philly just won and has tied up the series, forcing a Game 7 on Friday. Not sure why they're one game behind us, but hopefully Les Boys won't get cold waiting for them to catch up!