The dream is still alive, if barely, but the dreaded step-sister, Drizella, has a toehold on Montreal’s glass slipper.
One by one the few remaining Canadian teams – first Ottawa Senators, then Vancouver Canucks – dropped out of the Stanley Cup playoffs, leaving the final-playoff-spot Montreal Canadiens to serve as the country’s Cinderella team.
Monday in Philadelphia, that sweet story of spring 2010 – a team with new owners, new general manager, new coach, new players and no captain coming back to defeat, first, the best team in hockey in Alexander Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals, and then the defending Stanley Cup champions in Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins – could come to a sudden end.
The Philadelphia Flyers have now won three games, the latest a dispiriting 3-0 defeat at home for the Canadiens on Saturday afternoon. One more victory would mean the Flyers take the best-of-seven series four games to one.
As the total score in the Philadelphia wins stands at 12-0, a pumpkin would be an unfortunate but appropriate symbol for the end of this team’s invitation to the spring ball.
It would mark a sad moment for Canadian hockey fans hoping for a triple-crown in the national game: a Canadian-franchise Stanley Cup joining the men’s and women’s gold-medal victories at the Vancouver Winter Games.
No Canadian team has won the Cup since these same Montreal Canadiens last achieved the feat in 1993. That 17-year drought, however, is nothing compared to the Flyers, who have not won the Cup since 1975.
Nor, however, are either equal to that of the Chicago Blackhawks, who Sunday defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-2 to sweep the Western Conference series final. The Blackhawks – like Montreal an Original Six team – have not won the Stanley Cup since 1961.
Montreal’s loss Saturday afternoon was somewhat surprising, given that the team had won 5-1 only two nights earlier on the same home ice. That the Canadiens appeared so listless may have to do with the abhorrence most Canadians feel for NHL-scheduled games on treasured late spring afternoons, in this case a long weekend, merely to appease NBC, the American network.
Those Canadians who felt they had better things to do with their Victoria Day Saturday afternoon were fortunate in that they missed a game largely worth missing.
In a series in which whatever team scores first goes on to win, Montreal elected to play a second period so dreary – getting outshot 13-1 – that the 21,273 in attendance at the Bell Centre knew the game was over even before the third period began.
“Our second period was tough," admitted Montreal defenceman P.K. Subban, who found it tougher than most. Subban was directly responsible for Philadelphia’s second goal.
“That’s, I think, where it happened," added Montreal’s leading scorer Mike Cammalleri, who could not add to his 13 goals so far in the playoffs.
Philadelphia, on the other hand, played a simple, programmed game and got goals from Claude Giroux, on a partial breakaway and Ville Leino, on a clear breakaway. Giroux later scored a second on an empty Montreal net.
“We’re facing elimination," said a disappointed Subban, “but we’ve been there before."
“We know we’ve got to stymie that," Philadelphia defenceman Chris Pronger said of Montreal’s proven ability to come back, “and put our foot on the throat."
“We all know that the last one, the fourth one, is the toughest one to win," forward Simon Gagne said when his Flyers landed back in Philadelphia Sunday afternoon. “We’re a perfect example – we came back from a 3-0 lead."
That particular feat, against Boston Bruins in Round 2, tied an NHL record set by the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and matched by the 1975 New York Islanders.
In some ways, the Flyers are every bit the hockey fairy tale Montreal has been made out to be. They backed into the playoffs courtesy of a shootout with the New York Rangers in the final hours of the regular season. And they have kept coming from behind.
The Flyers, curiously, have even more Canadians on the ice than does Montreal – and just added two more with the return of Jeff Carter of London, Ont., and Ian Laperriere of Montreal from injury.
As well, the Philadelphia attack is largely the story of three fleet and skilled young francophones who are remarkably reminiscent of the famous “Flying Frenchmen" of old: Daniel Briere of Gatineau, Que., Simon Gagne of Ste-Foy, Que., and Giroux of Hearst, Ont.
But is still not the equal of the story the Montreal Canadiens will carry into tonight’s critical match, not for most Canadian fans who had desperately hoped for a rare shot at the one sports trophy that means most to them.
“Why, it’s like a dream," Cinderella said. “A wonderful dream come true."
“Yes, my child," answered the Fairy Godmother, “but like all dreams, well, I’m afraid this can’t last forever."
But it doesn’t have to be forever.
Just a while longer.
