News Article: Toronto Star: "The Leafs vs. Habs rivalry is over — and Montreal has won"

[yoyo999]

You're driving around Toronto with a Montreal Canadiens flag on your car and are a fan of the team. Obviously youre going to get a response and feel more of a buzz. To say NHL playoffs are getting more of a response in Toronto than the NBA is ridiculous. Also demographically Raptors fans are younger and more urban. Not the type of people who are driving around with flags on their car.

That buzz is among the raptors fanbase and not the city/region. I said the raptors had their fanbase and I didn't deny people cheer for them but really you think there is a 'huge buzz'? I guess we just have different definitions of what that entails.

There are more hockey and NHL fans, then there are Raptors fans in the area. If the leafs were in the playoffs this would play second fiddle. People still talk Habs, bruins, penguins, red wings, blackhawks....they follow the league, they follow the sport, they understand it, they follow the players, in some small cases played with them and grew up down the street...There's an energy about hockey that blooms playoff pools where people who have never watched a game want in, putting up flags of other teams, and pay attention to teams they otherwise wouldn't, make series predictions, stanley cup predictions. In some cases that raptor fanbase overlaps into hockey. The other way around, not so much.

 

[S Bah]

What has Montreal done recently? Both cities won their last championship in 93 and have been average since. Most people on this forum probably don't even remember that. Both cities have a team in the playoffs right now but do you really think either is going to actually win anything other than round or 2 at best.

It's been 68yrs between SC's together maybe some co-operation (trades) that can actually benefit both teams, then possibly Canadian fans can see a Stanley Cup Final with two Canadian teams. Saying Edmonton & Calgary get their teams back into SC form, and a Toronto - Montreal series would be great for both cities & provinces. I don't mean to leave out any Canadian cities, same for Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

Go Habs.
Finish off Stamkos !

Congrats on beating my Leafs again this year.
As most other years.

47 years and still waiting.

Smart move getting rid of Marois !

La Belle Provence looks better and better

Thanks man 21 yrs. and waiting isn't anything to brag about either, I'm sick of seeing the SC go to USA cities every year even though most of their players are Canadian.

Courageous guy, Leaf fan supporting the Habs... I like that.

Thanks!

More people should try being civil, we're all Canadians, supporting our citizens earning money playing hockey. Our Sport.

A Toronto newspaper being negative about a loosing team? How original! I remember reading an article about the Leafs after they won three in a row that said that "giddiness sets in". After three wins in a row. Journalists, in Toronto, or Montreal, are fair weather friends. The team wins and they can do wrong, they loose, and they are idiots. Like hfboards. The Canadiens are a convenient counterpoint because we are in playoffs and winning. Nothing new here.

It's really sickening how these Newspapers can spin BS about any topic, talk about jumping on and off the bandwagon, same goes for a great portion of fans on HF no doubt. So many fans have never played any sports and they think that judging players in one game, carries over the season or that scoring is the only good thing. If you go to a game live try watching the guys that do all of the backchecking and keeping scorers off the scoreboard and defensive 200 ft players as well.

Montréal is hockey crazy. Isn't Canada the same ? Other championships don't count ! Hockey is our religion.

This is the truth and their are millions of great fans in Canada, which is why we are the Olympic Champions the last couple of Olympics. Three cheers for all of those great people that support our teams and bring home the Gold.

 

[CrAzYNiNe]

Are you really comparing the Alouettes and Impact to NBA and MLB franchises? It's not the same thing.

Obviously this is a tough sell on a hockey forum but basketball is huge in Toronto. There is a major playoff buzz in Toronto like it or not.

Like it or not, if the Leafs were in the playoffs, Raptors fans would be the only ones watching. Now you have all of Toronto because they have nothing to do.

 

[Mathradio]

The Leafs have one rival left - and that sure isn't us. Detroit!

 

[Beatnik]

''the last time they met in the playoffs was 1979. ''


I hope we will play them in playoff soon. There is not a big rivalty for now but with a good serie it could come back huge.

 

[FF de Mars]

The Leafs have one rival left - and that sure isn't us. Detroit!

True. I think it's where it's going. We'll keep Boston; and Toronto will have Detroit. Btw, game 4, TB's jerseys do look like Leafs jerseys.