My thoughts on the mockery that hockey has turned into in Montreal.

This picture demonstrates the Canadiens' season overall.

Tonight, as the Canadiens will face-off against the Atlanta Thrashers, I hope they'll know how to spell HUGE, because that's how huge tonight's game is.

With the Leafs putting the Caps away 3-0 a few days ago, the Canadiens find themselves in the 10th spot, 2 points behind the Leafs for the 8th and final playoff spot and 1 point behind 9th place Carolina.

With the way the Habs have been playing recently, it makes me wonder if Guy Carbonneau has thrown them all in the dressing room, pulled out his board, took the cap off the Sharpie pen and scrawled down the misery the Canadiens have dug themselves into.

Yesterday, while at the Eaton Centre, in Montreal, I was proudly wearing my Canadiens jersey and had my jacket open on purpose, just to let everyone see the team that was the second best in the East 2 months ago and that have stumbled so badly.

How badly the common ignoramus asks? Let's just say the Canadiens have now dropped to a double-digit position in the East and the worst part about it is that the majority of their next 14 games are against Northeast division teams, namely the Bruins and Leafs, who are both making a push to put the Canadiens in the cellar and pull ahead in the standings.

I sometimes wonder how I can put up with this? Year in and year out, it's the same story, start off absolutely great, greater than people predicted and then slowly fade away into the New Year, like"the experts" always saw coming.

"Too good to be true" was the most common one.

What? You didn't see it coming? Well, I have to admit, neither did I. I seriously thought this team was for real, that we were Cup Contenders, that this is our year, and look how stupid that sounds now.
I was lost in that unique Canadiens euphoria, one which seldom affects other teams' fans as much as Habs fans, that brings me to 7th heaven and when we started losing, I came back to the place where the sad reality existed: Earth.

When I talk to people about the Canadiens, I usually get a snicker in the face before they register what I told them. Worst of all, I get the same damn excuse over and over...the Canadiens suck, you see, I told you this would happen.

I'm also sick and tired of these so called "fans"who give up on their team after it endures a slump, in this case, a lengthy one.

After a win, it's like: Oh yeah, the Habs are good...and after a loss, you probably guessed it: Oh, the Habs suck, they won't make the playoffs, blah, blah...

God, now I hope this town also realizes how important Cristobal Huet is to this team, as they now have no-bona fide number one and in danger of falling out of playoff contention, that could possibly kill them.

I still have faith, and I hope you Habs fans do too...

GO HABS!

Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.