2007-08 Montreal Canadiens
Montreal looks like a very good team on the surface, and they have a great track record to fall back on – but the question marks this club has are undeniable. Montreal has not seen premium scoring in a while. They have also placed a lot -maybe too much- on club captain Saku Koivu. In 11 seasons , Koivu has only broken the 70 point barrier only twice. Montreal also allowed defenseman Sheldon Souray, second in team goals, to go. While the rest of the fans scratch their heads, Les Canadiens need all the help they can get from goaltender Cristobal Huet.
Previous Seasons
When you're holding Montreal Canadiens tickets, you can't help but expect th best in NHL hockey. The Canadiens have delivered success and dominance more often than any sports franchise in history. But with the Canadiens out of the Stanley Cup picture for over 10 years, the Bell Centre is long overdue for a champion and itchy fans are looking for their Canadiens ticket to deliver the goods soon. At forward, Saku Koivu who produced 14 goals in his last campaign, is expected to improve. Mike Riberio, who made huge leaps in 2003-04, will be a pivotal player. If Riberio can repeat or improve on his 20 goals and 45 assists, it may be another great years for fans with Canadiens tickets.
The Montreal Canadiens have an astonishing history of success. Between the year 1916 and 1993 the Canadiens racked up an amazing history of winning in the NHL, bring home the Stanley Cup 24 times. Montreal also can boast of winning the Stanley Cup five years in a row between 1956 and 1960, and four years in a row between 1976 and 1979. From 1975 to 1982, Montreal won Division Championships in seven straight years. That run included 35 trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, 13 appearance in the Conference Finals since 1968, and 33 Division Championships. Altogether the Canadiens have given Montreal hockey fans 77 trips to the postseason. Few professional sports franchise can boast of a record of winning seasons that comes anywhere close to that of the Canadiens.
The Canadiens 1993 Stanley Cup came on the heels of a season that saw Montreal finish the regular season campaign at 48-30-6. Facing a fellow Canadian franchise in the Quebec Nordiques, the Canadiens stumbled early, dropping the first two games in the series. Home again in Montreal however, the Canadiens found their footing, evened the series at 2-2, and extended their winning streak to 4 by claiming the next 2 games and the series. The wins just kept coming as the Canadiens rattled off another four games to extend their streak to eight and advance to the Conference Finals against the New York Islanders. Montreal emerged from that series by winning in 5 games. Next opponent: Wayne "The Great Getsky" and the Los Angeles Kings.
It was a Stanley Cup Finals with some controversy. As the Canadiens dropped the first game and were in danger of losing the second in the series, a protest over an illegal stick by Canadiens head coach Jacques Demers altered the course of the game and Montreal managed to hang on for an overtime win. With momentum in their favor, the Canadiens went on to post wins in the next 3 straight games, including 2 in a hostile Los Angeles, and bring home their 24th Stanley Cup.
For the fans who buy Montreal Canadiens tickets, there's only one way to improve on 24 Stanley Cups. Win a 25th. The Canadiens have a huge advantage with Theodore at goal. He can make up for a lot of mistakes on the ice. In his second outing as a full time starter, Theodore won the Vezina Trophy and the Hart Trophy. His presence at the net make the Canadiens contenders all by itself.
