I know it’s been a hard year, Habs fans. What started as a season full of promise has turned into a season we would all soon like to forget. Here are a couple of ways to help you get through the last few games without a sharp rise in your blood pressure.
1. Complain
I think we are pretty good at discussing our disappointment during a good season, but this year Habs fans have been out in full-force. From disagreeing with lines, utilization, and lack of communication from management on the status of injured players, the complaints keep rolling in. While it’s fine to air your grievances, keep in mind that yelling at the Canadiens‘ social media account really isn’t going to get you the right kind of attention.
2. Find a hobby
Hey, the off-season is approaching, so maybe its high-time you find a new hobby to help you through it. With warmer weather en route, consider taking up golf or tennis. Better yet, skip sports altogether and just head straight for knitting.
3. Make fun of other bad teams
There sure are plenty to choose from with a few noted insults that seem to do the job:
Toronto Maple Leafs – Were you even alive the last time your team won the Stanley Cup?
Ottawa Senators – No, really, Dion Phaneuf totally deserves to make more per season than Erik Karlsson.
Edmonton Oilers – Another top draft pick won’t save you from yourselves.
Florida Panthers – ‘Draft and develop’ never wor…wait
4. Embrace the tank
The good news is, the Habs have the potential to draft a decent pick if they continue to lose games this season. While it’s generally not in an athlete’s M.O. to not give their all during each competition, as fans, we can use this as the positive when their best efforts simply aren’t good enough. Or something like that.
5. Bandwagon
We discussed your bandwagon options already. Like most hockey fans, even when my team doesn’t make the post-season, I watch the playoffs. It is the time of the year when the best of the best square off, old rivalries are renewed and new rivalries are born. I love playoff season, and this year won’t be any different. There are some great options, so long as you can get over the fact that the Habs won’t be one of them.
6. Acceptance
Once you get through the first few stages of grief, you can accept that this season is best left in the past and look toward the future. We have many players currently in their prime playing years: P.K. Subban, Max Pacioretty, and Carey Price to name a few.
We have a solid prospect pool full of amazing, young talent: Charles Hudon, Nikita Scherbak, Artturi Lehkonen .. the list itself is extensive. And some prospects were given the opportunity to impress the Montreal brass this season: Michael McCarron and Sven Andrighetto, for example, have done just that.
Each player holds a set of positive attributes and contributes to the team in his own way. With the draft just around the corner, the Habs management team will look to add a few more key pieces. While its true that their effectiveness depends on their development and future utilization, the good news is that we are fortunate to have a team filled to the brim with talent and promise.
So with that, let’s do our best to enjoy the last few games of the year. Lord knows we will be asking if it’s ‘October yet’ within days of the last puck drop.
