By Caitlyn Golem, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

OWEN SOUND, ON. — The Montreal Canadiens are a good team with many fans. I feel that the best way to gauge the team’s current success, besides looking at statistics, is to get the fan’s point of view. A lot of fans tend to be easily swayed by small things and have a difficult time focusing on the big picture, so I found individuals who know the sport inside and out. I interviewed Canadiens’ fans, Blake Jesso and Alyssa Scott.

Starting from the beginning, what got them hooked on this beloved team?

Blake grew up in the Habs’ environment with his dad being a fan of the team. It was sort of forced upon him but he still conducted his own research once he was old enough to form his own opinion. The more he learned, the more he enjoyed their past. He doesn’t focus on that though as he is hoping to make future memories when they win the Cup. He feels the team is full of good sportsmanship and that is what he’s all about.

Alyssa was born into it as well – sort of. Her mother was a Bruins’ fan and her father a Habs’ fan so she was a fan of both until 2007, and Carey Price. She was honest in saying that what first caught her interest in Price was the way he looked, but what kept her hooked was the way he played. She was impressed by his calmness and how seemed to fit so naturally in the crease. Price makes it look so easy.

The Montreal Canadiens have a rich history. Twenty four Stanley Cup wins certainly makes people turn their heads, but fans need consistency. They can’t dwell in the past forever. What exactly does it takes to win the Stanley Cup and do the Habs have it? It is very debatable and everyone has a different opinion. So what do Blake and Alyssa think?

Blake tries to be optimistic but can’t help seeing the imperfections, “I think the Habs have an unbelievable goalie and great defense. I however don’t feel that they have fully addressed the size issue as they are still too small defensively. They have lots of skill but get pushed around a lot which makes it hard to really play their game. They do fight hard, but need more players with hearts like Gallagher. They need to use having such a good tendy to their advantage and get him some goals. He will hold his own.”

Alyssa had a similar opinion as to what it takes, “A little bit of luck, consistent scoring, amazing goaltending, and good defense. The Habs’ scoring needs a bit more work but more good luck might balance that out. I think they could do it- there’s always a shot.”

So do the Canadiens really have what it takes to win it all? The answer is nobody really knows. You could look at the statistics and make an educated guess based on that but when it comes to the playoffs, anything can happen. That’s the beauty of it. One single bounce or call by the ref can make or break someone’s chances of winning.

Sure having good players, staff and a reliable system are all key, but having all those things does not guarantee you the Stanley Cup. Alyssa was right when she said it takes luck, because it really does. One other important component is balance. Everyone focuses on the fact that the Canadiens don’t score as much as other teams, but they allow so many less goals than other teams that they don’t have to score as many to win a game. As long as they can find balance in their offense and defense then scoring shouldn’t be as important as everyone is making it- assuming they can score at least one.