Two years ago I told the story of the bet my wife and I have. If the Leafs win, a Leafs flag flies over our house. If the Habs win, a Canadiens flag flies over the house.
When I wrote the story things were pretty even. The Leafs flag had been up 618 days over the Habs 560. Then things all went to hell:
| Montreal Canadiens | Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Days Flying | Season | Days Flying |
| 2008-2009 | 65 | 2008-2009 | 117 |
| 2009 Playoffs | 11 | 2009 Playoffs | 0 |
| 2009-2010 | 145 | 2009-2010 | 49 |
| 2010 Playoffs | 44 | 2010 Playoffs | 0 |
| 2010-2011 | 37 | 2010-2011 | 151 |
| 2011 Playoffs | 18 | 2011 Playoffs | 0 |
| 2011-2012 | 46 | 2011-2012 | 142 |
| 2012 Playoffs | 0 | 2012 Playoffs | 0 |
| 2013 | 2 | 2013 | 53 |
| 2013 Playoffs | 12 | 2013 Playoffs | 4 |
| 2013-2014 | 94 | 2013-2014 | 102 |
| 2014 Playoffs | 43 | 2014 Playoffs | 0 |
| 2014-2015 | 186 | 2014-2015 | 0 |
| 2015 Playoffs | 31 | 2015 Playoffs | 0 |
| 2015-2016 | 187 | 2015-2016 | 0 |
| 2016 Playoffs | 0 | 2016 Playoffs | 0 |
| Total | 921 | Total | 618 |
It has been 1,016 days since the Leafs last beat the Habs. Only counting days it could be up (when the last team to play plays it’s final game it comes down), the Canadiens flag has been over the house for 447 days. Over 1 year of the bloo, blech, and retch (holy shit I’m clever) out front of my house.
We have neighbours who must think we’re only Canadiens fans. My youngest has had two birthdays with the Habs flag shown off to his friends. Our mail carriers, plow drivers, couriers, bus drivers, and jerks who use our street as a shortcut and blast down it doing 60, all think we’re Habs fans.
Me oldest asks me after every game “Can we put the Leafs flag up now?”. Every time I must say no.
This must end now.
Yes the Leafs are 2-2-3. Yes the Habs are 6-0-1.
Well this year we have something we didn’t the past two seasons.
We have Auston Matthews.
He’ll save us.
He’ll score five to get us the win.
.....please?
