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Montreal Canadiens advance

The Montreal Canadiens continue to be the feel good story of the Stanley Cup playoffs. That is unless you are a fan of the teams the Habs have eliminated this year. New on that list are the big bad Bruins — who fell victim to Montreal’s speed Wednesday night in game seven.
They have to get past the New York Rangers, and then the Western Conference champ to do so, but it can happen.
There is a significant connection to Hamilton as a number of former Bulldogs are now full time Habs.
This area is dotted with Hab fans who wear their colours proud, but given their proximity to Toronto, do it selectively. But with all other Canadian teams out of the way, and most of the American ones as well. Local Hab fans are more visible than ever.
Spring has brought a strange sight in southern Ontario. Montreal Canadiens fans. They are walking our streets. They’re working in our offices. You probably know one. And after beating the regular season champion Boston Bruins in game 7, the Habs are dangerously close to something improbable.
CHCH Producer Don is a huge Montreal fan: “Its absolutely shocking. I still can’t believe it, If they go 8 and 6, 8 and 6! They win their 25th stanley cup.”
Producer Don from CHCH’s Morning Live is a true believer — doing his part by wearing a hab jersey every day since the playoffs began: “I think that me along with the millions of other true believers, it does help. We sorta ink the cosmic balance in getting the team off on the right foot.”
You might say that getting off on the right foot started in Hamilton. Bulldogs fans remember a 19-year old Carey Price leading the team to the 2007 Calder Cup. It wasn’t long ago when P.K. Subban was lighting up Copps Colesium. In fact, 10 of the current regulars on the Canadeins played for the Bulldogs.
Even though the Bulldogs are affiliated with the Habs, this part of the world tends to be leaf country. So I asked a few Habs fans, why should leaf fans cheer for their team?
Chris Jordan: “If it were the other way around, I’d be a Leafs fan. Like if the Habs weren’t in, I’d be goin’ for the Toronto Maple Leafs.”
Aprigio Camero: “Because we are brothers. It’s always good to get, when Montreal goes out, I go for the Leafs.”
Steven Craig: “We’re the only Canadian team in there, let’s face it, we’re Canada’s team. You know it and I know it, everybody else knows it even the Leafs fans know it.”
Though they may be the only Canadian team left, not everyone is welcoming Canada’s hockey fans.
Producer Don said: “We don’t want Canada embracing the Montreal Canadiens. We’ve done it as the underdog, we’ve done it by ourselves, for the first two rounds. Stay away, stay away, don’t change the luck.”
After last night’s game Prime Minister Harper tweeted: “Great to see a Canadian team finally take out the Bruins in a game 7. #GoHabsGo”
That’s an obvious reference to the Leafs third period collapse in game 7 last year.