Yes We Can

You can see it here in the faces. There are young and old, rich and poor. They are English and French, Latino and Asian and Native American.
In 13 days, 13 short days, we will have the opportunity to tell everyone that are tired of business as usual. We are hungry for the playoffs and we are ready to believe again.
The playoffs will not come easy, partly because we have fine candidates in this race, fierce competitors who are worthy of our respect and admiration.
As contentious as this race may get, we have to remember that this is a race to the playoffs. The hardest part is still to come.
So this will not be easy. Make no mistake about what we’re up against.
We’re up against mighty teams, struggling teams, and desperate teams. But we are also up against ourselves.
We know that the undue influence of a negative and sensationalist media is part of the problem and this race is our chance to say that we are not going to let them stand in our way anymore.
We must all rally around a common purpose, a higher purpose.
We’re up against years of bitter fans, boo-birds and negative journalists. They will tell us that we can’t do it. That we don’t deserve to make the playoffs.
That’s the kind of attitude that is bad for our team, it is bad for our city, and this is our chance to end it once and for all.
We’re up against the idea that it’s acceptable to say anything and do anything when our team struggles. But we know that this is exactly what’s wrong with the fishbowl media. This is why people don’t believe what the talking heads say anymore. This is why they tune out. And this race is our chance to give Montrealers a reason to believe again.
I have seen what Montreal is and I believe in what this team can do. That is the team I see. That is the team you see. But now it is up to us to help all Canadiens’ fans embrace this vision.
Because in the end, we’re not only against the ingrained and destructive habits of the sensationalist press, we’re also struggling with our own doubts, our own fears, our own cynicism.
The reward we seek has always required great struggle and great sacrifice. And so this is a battle in our own hearts and minds about what type of team we want and how hard we’re willing to work for it.
So let me remind you that this race will not be easy. There will be setbacks and false starts and sometimes we’ll make mistakes.
This playoff race is about the past versus the future. It’s about whether we settle for the same distractions and drama that passes as fandom today or whether we reach for common sense and innovation, shared sacrifice and shared prosperity.
There are those who will continue to tell us that it cannot be done. That we cannot have what we’re looking for, that we can’t have what we want, that we’re peddling false hopes. But I see children wearing the bleu-blanc-rouge, I see car flags flapping in the wind, I see eyes glued to screens, fingers crossed in bars, living rooms and the Bell Centre, I see STM buses proudly proclaim: GO HABS GO!
So don’t tell me that we don’t want this. Don’t tell me that we can’t do this.
Yes we can. Yes we can make the playoffs. Yes we can.
Yes we can finish the season strong. Yes, we can seize our future. And as we leave this season with the wind at our backs and take this journey into the post season with the team that we love we will carry one message – the same message that we had when we were up and when we were down, that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we will hope.
And when we are met with cynicism and doubt and fear and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of being a Habs fan in three simple words –
Yes, we can.
Thank you Montreal. I love you.