I agree with this, but in a latter day kind of way. Yes, MTL fans & media have always been certifiable, much of which has to do with a contentious relationship toward English speaking Canada. MTL fans & media may have viewed themselves as superior, but always with a chip on their shoulder (this last is familiar, no?) Exhibit A: The Rocket.
What we've seen in MTL the past 20 plus years is a grotesque inversion of the greatest franchise in NHL history.
I saw all of those unbelievable MTL teams in the 70's -- often up close, as we had season's ticket's at the old Olympia -- and know the prior history well. Every other club in the league hated them for the same reason: they were in a class by themselves.
They're on the upswing, and I suspect they're going to leave behind some of the stuff we've seen.
It's interesting how often teams embody the towns, and the fan base, they play for. Look at us; look at MTL. We all know what it means to be a Flyers fan, and celebrity culture of NYR. We see TO, and take pity. (Pity? The Toronto Maple Leafs Present Day = The Boston Red Sox, pre-2004, media & fan base. The most perfect analogy I'll ever conjure.
)
But I digress,