Of course there's always the threat from an attack by, say, a giant space dragon

... but mostly the section of it that operates out of Boston. 

Dear Hockey, its Fans and Journalists,

Come on guys.  

I know that hockey is a particularly intense spectator sport.  I know that its fans have a nasty habit of taking it too seriously.  I know that Boston has a very different sports culture than Montreal does.  Still, a modicum of tact, please and thank you. Two days ago, your team won.  They were better than my team and full credit to them for that.  You've certainly earned the right to advance to the next round. 

However, would it kill any of you to win with half a shred of dignity?  Seriously?  Every article, interview, comment and tweet I've seen, heard, or read out of Boston somehow suggests that they won a brutally difficult series over a team that lied, cheated, and faked injury in otder to get the calls they wanted.  I'm sorry, but that's just not how it was. 

While I understand that it's the playoffs, and it's professional sports and trash talk is a requirement, some of the things I've been reading, from players and media professionals as much as from fans, made me squint.  Diving?  Yeah my team sometimes does that, but when you look at the injuries sustained by the Canadiens this playoff series: sprained knee (4 weeks) , dislocated shoulder (probably surgery) , fractured tibia (who knows); and I could go on, it's obvious that the days of flailing around the ice to get a call, only to laugh in the enemy's faces are long over.  Would it have made folks happy to have every player who went down, and then got up again helped off on a stretcher?  Didn't think so. I seem to remember a time when falling to the ice and badly hurting yourself, only to get up again to prove that you hadn't died got you thunderous applause in any arena, anywhere.  Coming back to play on a separated shoulder, we called that "grit".    

Maybe I missed something, but the way I remember it in hockey land, the only way to get any respect is to play with two broken legs and a ruptured kidney. 

I'd like to see a little bit of the respect for people who hurt themselves and get up again come back.  Everywhere. 

Sincerely,
Me.

P.S.  I tried.  I tried really hard not to bring Jack Edwards into this.  I failed.  For the record, if you want to howl taunts at the opposing team, buy a ticket and sit in the stands, don't sit at a television network desk and pretend to be a credible journalist.