The Once

 

     In Newfoundland, when you ask someone when they intend to get something done, you're very likely to be told "the once." When are you coming over? The once. What time are you serving lunch? The once. When do you plan to mow the lawn? The once. "The once" means right away, or at least as soon as possible. 

    Among Canadiens fans nobody wants to say too much too soon, but the pundits are inevitably dragging out the old "no Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since 1993" complaint and asking the annual question "When will the drought end?" Now, for the first time in a very long while, Habs fans might be tempted to answer "the once." 

    This year feels different. Even getting to the Cup final in 2021 felt like something of a mirage. Covid protocols, weird time of year, no fans...it just seemed all so artificial. The run to the conference finals in 2010 was a lot of fun, but every win was a bit of a miracle for a badly-outmatched Habs team. This time, the Canadiens are true competitors with every expectation of proving themselves.

    In the relative calm before Game One of the second round of the playoffs anything is possible. The slate is clean, the series is there for the taking, the confidence and optimism are high. It's anybody's game, so why not Montreal's? They have skill, goaltending, good coaching, players who've stepped up their games and have learned a lot in the Tampa series about how playoff hockey is done. They look like a team that can contend...and maybe do it the once.

                           🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒🏒

    There's a folk trio based in St.John's called The Once, named after the old saying.

    They've traveled the world, won a bunch of awards and are known for their gorgeous, three-part harmonies. They wrote a song a couple of years ago called "Gonna Get Good," and it says a lot about the hope around this team.

    "Well the easiest things aren't the things that you need

    And if I'm honest it's never the problem it seems
    And you'll never believe
    But you should
    That it'll never get easy but but baby
    Its gonna get good."

    This second-round series with the Sabres, which could be the first of many confrontations between the two surging young teams over the next decade, will not be easy. Buffalo had a better record than Montreal during the regular season overall, but the head-to-head matchup was as tight as the playoff series against Tampa.

    Each team had two wins and two losses in regulation. Each won once on the road and once at home. Both teams had a total of 13 goals scored over the four games. The Sabres are a well-balanced, well-coached team who promise to give the Canadiens all they can handle. 

    On the other side, the Canadiens are fast and dynamic with a first line bursting to break out. They've got a tight bond in their dressing room, a hot goalie and a mostly healthy roster. They're set up to give the Sabres all they can handle.

    Either team could benefit from the capriciousness of the game bringing weird officiating, funny bounces and freak injuries. The gap between them is thinner than a runway model on a diet. Whatever happens, this is going to be a very fun series and, who knows? A week from now we could be willing to say out loud this Canadiens team might actually win a championship the once.

    The album featuring Gonna Get Good is called "You Win Some You Lose." It's a good philosophy to adopt while waiting for the next chapter to begin.

    It'll never get easy, but baby, it's gonna get good.