Montreal Alouettes quarterback Jonathan Crompton hands off to running back Brandon Rutley during action against the B.C. Lions in the CFL Eastern Semifinal game in Montreal, Sunday, Nov.16, 2014.Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press
Losing is supposed to sour the mood, and the common pro-sports construct dictates those who are able to smile through it and whistle a happy tune are not the sort of people you want around.
By that narrative, the Montreal Alouettes should have been a very gloomy bunch indeed in the middle of August.
Limping along at 1-7, the Als looked a sad shell of their former selves – the brutal start reminding everyone that the off-season retirements of quarterback Anthony Calvillo and lineman Scott Flory neatly snipped the final ties with the dynastic team of the early 2000s.
"It wasn't a lot of fun … but we managed to keep our sense of humour," said coach Tom Higgins, who yes, is smiling now.
If it's true that teams take on the personality of their coach – a debatable premise, but it works for the purposes of this yarn – then Higgins typifies his squad's approach as it girds for the Eastern Final in Hamilton this weekend.
The Als are a relaxed bunch, mostly because they understand they weren't supposed to be here.
"Our players are excited. Nobody at the halfway mark thought we'd be anywhere where we're at today. We're a pretty darn good football team today, and I like our chances," Higgins said.
That excitement has sometimes bubbled over: Receivers S.J. Green and Duron Carter provided bulletin-board fodder in Steeltown with all their talk of booting behinds and you-can't-cover-me, which has added a little dash of heat to the encounter.
Despite the evident contrast with Higgins's mild public persona, the trash-talking is consistent with the Als' long-standing idiom – the golden boys that the rest of the league loves to hate.
Former Montreal receiver Jamel Richardson, a brilliant pass-catcher and the club's last Grey Cup MVP, may be gone (released in camp because of a knee injury) but his brash legacy clearly lives on.
Higgins said his main challenge this week has been to ensure his team doesn't get too hyped up.
To that end, he said he and his coaches have been "planting a couple of seeds" throughout the week to remind their charges to keep their energy and emotion for game day.
Rookie quarterback Jonathan Crompton could be forgiven for feeling the pressure of a chance to reach the Grey Cup, but he insists he isn't, and that his focus is trained only on the details of his preparation.
"The mind-set is good; we're in the East Final so we should feel pretty good about ourselves, just like Hamilton's going to feel good about themselves," he said.
This has been a successful season for the Als by any measure, but they're not in any mood to settle for making the playoffs and winning a game.
Montreal hasn't played in the Grey Cup since 2010, and hasn't gone five years without appearing in the big game since the franchise was reborn in 1996.
To win against a Hamilton squad that has yet to lose in its new home at Tim Hortons Field (they beat the Als in the last week of the regular season), Montreal will have to do what it did against B.C. in the Eastern semi-final – dominate the line of scrimmage, run the ball – and then some.
The ball-carrying tasks will likely fall to Tyrell Sutton, who has recovered from a leg injury, and former Tiger-Cat Brandon Rutley, who gained 98 yards in a 50-17 romp over the B.C. Lions in last week's semi-final.
"We have to remain confident in our running game and gain territory on first down," said centre Luc Brodeur-Jourdain, the linchpin of an offensive line that has allowed only 9 sacks in the last 10 games. "It's a huge challenge, but this is what we've been playing for all year."
Running on the Ticats is no simple proposition – they have the top run defence in the nine-team CFL.
On the plus side, the Als' secondary is arguably as fearsome, and will constitute a stern test for Hamilton quarterback Zach Collaros.
The Als clearly hope their pass rush will be the key to blunting the Ticats; the front seven, already bolstered by Gabriel Knapton's return from injury last week, will also feature interior lineman Alan-Michael Cash (calf strain).
"Everything starts up front, and we want to get after them fast, we want to establish our presence and play tough off the bat. Just let them know we're there," said Knapton, who recorded nine sacks this season. "It's going to be a hostile environment. I like that, I have fun in that, but we're going to have to strap it up. It's going to be smash-mouth football. I'm going to enjoy it."