The Maple Leafs/Canadiens rivalry is over—and we lost, apparently
You know the old Leafs/Habs rivalry? The most enduring conflict in the NHL? The sporting world’s plainest articulation of our nation’s fundamental Anglo/Franco tension? The fundamental antagonism animating all playground arguments for decades? Canada’s own Springfield vs. Shelbyville? You know that thing? Well it’s over. And the Leafs lost.
So says the Star’s Kevin McGran, anyway. And after the Canadiens’ 4-0 Stanley Cup win over the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, he has a point. With the wide-eyed disbelief of an 18 year-old Ontarian ambling Montreal’s wonky cobblestones during March Break, drunk on Belle Gueule and messy chicken sandwiches, McGran lays out how, exactly, Montreal has managed to get the edge on Toronto, which is a very silly place to live indeed. And it’s not just a matter of hockey. It’s a matter of everything. From his column:
From bagels to bistros, smoked meat to poutine, cycling-friendly roads to restaurant-friendly sidewalks, Montreal has Toronto beat. Mayors? Theirs is only controversial once in a while. Alcohol—if you’re into that sort of thing—is available in corner stores. Joie de vivre? Well, it’s a French phrase, isn’t it?
So what do you say, gang? Should we all move to Montreal? La Vie Montréal has an okay ring to it, n’est-ce pas?
