The Montreal Love-In Continues
By Eric Rosenhek
It was an incredible spring for the Montreal Canadiens.
The Habs, assumed by many to be pushovers, surprised everyone by eliminating the President’s Cup champion Washington Capitals. They followed that up by knocking out the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Jacques Martin’s crew captivated their fans; reigniting a passion that was inspired by phenomenal goaltending and 100 years of history.
But believe it or not, the Canadiens’ playoff performance only accounts for one-third of the organization’s success this spring.
Montreal’s minor league affiliates, the American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs and the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, enjoyed their own prosperous playoff runs.
The Bulldogs posted their best regular season record in club history, finishing with 115 points and a North Division title. Hamilton drew the Manitoba Moose for the first round of the AHL playoffs. The ‘Dogs took control of the series by winning the first two games, en route to a six-game victory over the Moose.
In the second round, the Bulldogs faced another Canadian counterpart: the Abbotsford Heat. With the series tied 2-2, Hamilton picked up a crucial game five victory on the road. This was followed by a 4-0 shutout in game six, as Hamilton advanced to the Western Conference final.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 series lead against the Texas Stars, only to watch the Stars tie the series with back-to-back overtime victories. Hamilton maintained their composure by beating Texas in game five, 3-0. However, the Stars refused to go quietly, picking up their third overtime win in game six.
This led to the pivotal seventh game on May 26. Despite having P.K. Subban and Ben Maxwell in the lineup (both spent the majority of the playoffs with Montreal), it wasn’t enough to defeat the Stars. Hamilton jumped out to 2-0 lead, but Texas scored four unanswered goals, clinching the series and a spot in the Calder Cup final.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones (who are jointly operated by Montreal and Nashville) are basking in the glory of being the newly crowned ECHL champions. However, the journey to the Kelly Cup was not a smooth one.
Cincinnati finished their season with 91 points, well enough for fifth place in the American Conference.
After beating the South Carolina Stingrays in a back-and-forth, best-of-five series, the Cyclones needed seven games to beat the Charlotte Checkers in the second round. This pitted the Cyclones against the Reading Royals for the conference final in what turned out be a classic series.
Reading jumped out to a 3-0 series lead and it looked like the Cyclones were finished. But Cincinnati refused to give up, coming back to tie the series.
This set the stage for a dramatic game seven on May 12. Just like the Philadelphia Flyers, the Cyclones completed the impossible comeback after narrowly beating Reading, 1-0.
From there, Cincinnati made short work of Idaho Steelheads, winning the league final in five games and capturing their second Kelly Cup in three years.
Sure, the Canadiens may have failed to win hockey’s top prize, but there are plenty of reasons for the organization to be proud. A strong showing by the parent club and minor league affiliates will certainly present a positive outlook for the future.
It also provides a sense of confidence for Habs fans, who – given that it is Montreal – will all likely have high expectations next season.
