Shows what getting a good goaltending performance can do though. Halak made key saves and the offense was free to do its thing without having to push to comeback from softy goals. Great game today, now the job is to keep the momentum rolling.

Well, the good news is that with 24 games left on the schedule, Montreal is showing signs of life. Our offense seems to be back on track resting on the shoulders of the players we had imagined it would at the beginning of the season. Kovalev seems to have found some renewed vigor after his two game time-out. Plekanec has started lighting the lamp for the first time in 60 games. Andrei Kostitsyn has battled recent adversity to become the team’s first 20 goal scorer (now with 22). The win in Ottawa showed that this team has regained some confidence and can win games with their speed, skill and hard work. The addition of Mathieu Schneider to the blueline on the powerplay has ignited the team’s man advantage to the tune of 7-12 since he arrived. The one aspect of our game that so crippled this team’s ability to win throughout the first 55 games has once again become one of its most dangerous weapons. But for as many burgeoning positive signs there are still huge question marks surrounding the team. Can Carey Price regain the confident form that allowed Bob Gainey to trade Cristobal Huet at the deadline last season? Is Jaroslav Halak capable of playing consistently enough to handle the goaltending duties if Price’s play continues to slide? After Andrei’s 22 goals, our next highest totals are Plekanec (15), Kovalev (14), Koivu, Tanguay, D’Agostini, Lapierre (10) – Will the Canadiens have another 20 goal scorer by season’s end?

Now for the really bad news. For all of the pomp and celebration surrounding Montreal’s centennial celebrations, the team currently sits in 5th place with 69 points. And while that doesn’t sound terrible it is only 2 points from 9th place Carolina. And while there are still many games to play, Montreal’s schedule is very tough. Our next games are against Vancouver, Philadelphia, San Jose and Buffalo – all of which are playoff teams who want the points as much as we do. 13 of our remaining 24 games are at home which is good considering our record on the road has been so terrible this season. It is clear that every point is going to be crucial from this point on. There is no guarantee that Bob Gainey is going to be able to make this team better as we sit 8 days from the trade deadline. Last year Canadiens fans watched Marion Hossa go to Pittsburgh. Gainey isn’t the only GM looking at the small pool of available players and so it will be key that the players already on the roster be the ones who buckle down and turn this season around.