The Habs have it

It seems that fans of the Montreal Canadiens have discovered this little old blog of mine. How do I know? That's easy. As the latest Hound Central 3.0 poll wound down, there was a last-minute push in picking the Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup.

That's not to say, though, that it was a landslide. It seems, too, that other visitors felt that another team, one not made available within the poll's choices, would end the season skating laps with hockey's hallowed hardware lifted to the heavens.

I was a bit surprised, too, that the Detroit Red Wings, who finished the 2007-08 regular season with the league's best record, didn't fare better in the poll. Then again, winning the Presidents' Trophy, which the Red Wings did for the sixth time, does not automatically guarantee success deep into June. Just ask the Buffalo Sabres.

Who's going to win the Cup? It's hard telling. Montreal does appear to be pretty stout, especially with rookie goalie Carey Price doing his best imitation of another rookie goalie who once led the Habs to the promised land. Still, though, I'm sure folks in other corners of the hockey universe, especially those in Pittsburgh, might beg to differ.

Question: Who will win the Stanley Cup?

Montreal Canadiens: 23 out of 49 votes cast (46.9 percent)
Another team: 17 out of 49 (34.7 percent)
San Jose Sharks: 4 out of 49 (8.1 percent)
Ottawa Senators: 3 out of 49 (6.1 percent)
Detroit Red Wings: 2 out of 49 (4 percent)