DODGED A BULLET…NEED TO DIDGE TWO MORE

4 point MN drop, leafs no go drop, leafs blow-out loss, HABS win against Division anc Conference leader, HABS 1 point our of 1st in Division and Conference…I would qualify that as a superb night. As much as I admire Kovalev and appreciate what he does for the team, I think it’s time he got suspended. As far as I know sticky tape on the ones stick is disallowed by the NHL standards. Both goalies played a great game, but Huet had one more superb save than his Swiss cheese counter part.

We played and reacted through the first two periods as if we were a superior team playing a sub 0.500 team. You could see it in every shift (yes even Koivu’s line) and you could feel the confidence oozing from the bench. At the very end of the second and the third, for some reason we got spooked. The important lesson here is that the players are beginning to TRULY believe they are a #1 team, and this will go a long way in pushing us up the short list at the top of the standings. Furthermore, if we can keep building up on this confidence and momentum (which has been building for 5-6 weeks now since our slump) come playoff time the HABS will be more than legitimate cup-contenders.

Now with all this warm fuzzy feeling building up in our guts, let me bring everyone down to earth once again. We have two extremely difficult games coming up. On Thursday we will be playing against a potent Leafs team. Not only do they notoriously come out extra motivated against us regardless of their season, but after having been humiliated 8-0 last night (:lol:…sry can’t help but laugh there) they will have more motivation than a pregnant chick running towards the ice-cream isle in a store.

As if that wasn’t enough, we play the Sens again on Saturday, who could very well have beaten us last night, plus they will have Daniel Alfredson in the line-up who averages a goal per game against us. We cannot afford to let our guards down in either game, seeing as we’re in such a pivotal moment in the season, playing against key opponents. I find it hard to sit here and confidently expect 4/4 points, but as a believer in the legitimate cup-contender calibre of this team, I believe that the team can do it, and if anything the odds are slightly in our favour.

Let me reiterate to everyone that it is up for debate whether the HABS are cup-contenders, or legitimate cup-contenders (with a more than decent chance). But one thing is for sure, IMHO it is beyond discussion whether the HABS are at the least cup-contenders. Anyone who believes the HABS won’t make the playoffs or don’t have a chance in heck to make a run at the cup is living in delusion (if that’s the case lay off the bottle ;)).

Based on player interviews, we all know at the very least a hand-full of key players believe the team is a legitimate cup-contender. It’s time the rest of the locker room, fans and media jumped on the bandwagon. Bob Gainey has built a champion team, and the future is now. Expect strong playoff performances for at least 3-5 years. Expect a run for Conference championship, above 0.650 hockey, and recognition as a top NHL team for at least the next little while. Jump on board and believe people. The view is great up here.