by Bobby Coles

Created on: April 15, 2008

Ole, ole, ole. This is the chant that has replaced "Na,na,na,na, hey, hey, goodbye", and is used to serenade the opposition once Montreal gains the lead, no matter how early in the game. Montreal is on a quest for their 25th Stanley Cup Title, far and away the most ever in the National Hockey League. Standing in their way is the need to win 16 games. That necessity has been reduced to 12 after withstanding the onslaught of the Boston Bruins.

During the 2008 NHL playoffs, the true mettle of the Montreal Canadiens will be tested. In the opening round, their foe was the Boston Bruins, a team that Les Habitants vanquished with relative ease throughout the course of the regular season. Montreal did win this series, and then progressed to Round 2.

The Montreal Canadiens are a gritty bunch of players with youthful exuberance on their side. Led by the impeccably talented Alexei Kovalev, a core group of veterans interspersed with raw rookies have taken the NHL by storm. Playing as the most consistent team this season, losing three games in a row but once this season, Montreal always stayed in the thick of the Eastern Conference race, eventually prevailing atop the division.

Philadelphia poses a minor threat to the second round success of Montreal. The Flyers lack the speed and finesse to compete night in and night out with the superior Canadiens. Montreal shall overcome the Flyers in five games, succumbing just the once.

Rookie goaltender Carey Price, who was promoted to the starting goaltender with the trade deadline dealing of Christobal Huet, has blossomed into a remarkable young goalie under the scrutinizing eye of Montreal mastermind Bob Gainey. Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Markov and Mark Streit have led the charge offensively of late, in addition to the sublime Kovalev, and Mike Komisarek has led the defensive attack. Role playing lunch box personnel like Bryan Smolinski, Tom Kostopolous and Steve Begin continue to grind out shifts, wearing down the opposition and even contributing the odd offensive tally.

Montreal has regained some of the glory of years past, and the city of Montreal, which is a hockey hotbed, have rejoiced and are wildly supporting this group of talented and speedy young players.

Once Philadelphia is defeated, inevitably, by Montreal, the Canadiens will then move on to host whomever comes along next, wither the New York Rangers, or the Pittsburgh Penguins. The glorious tradition of the Canadiens will act as motivator

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