Everyone’s feeling light, just as things are about to get heavy. The Canadiens have the fortune of playing 14 out of 28 nights in February. The competition will be fiercer than it’s been all season. There is so much at stake. With the playoff picture hardly settled, this promises to be one of the wildest finishes to a season, we’ve ever seen.

Tonight marks the beginning of a new era in Montreal. For the first time in over a decade, the buzz is no longer focused on ‘just making the playoffs.’ The Canadiens are healthy, in good spirits, and of course, 6 points out of 1st place in the East. There is hope these Habs can move forward, as they’ve taken great strides thus far. Media moguls who didn’t believe they had a sniff at success this season, are now beginning to wonder whether the Habs will play even better in their last 33 games than they did in their first 49. Pierre McGuire and Mitch Melnyk both let Montrealers know yesterday afternoon, that they are believers.

Here’s what we know:
The Canadiens have managed to gain the second most points in the East, thus far. They have had great play from Kovalev, Plekanec, Kostitsyn, Markov, Komisarek, Hamrlik, and their third and fourth lines have gotten the job done. Cristobal Huet has certainly been good so far, but we’ve all seen him play better. He hasn’t been leaned on nearly as much as he has been in the past. Not to say he’s not playing enough, it’s just far less often that he needs to go out and steal a game.

What will happen if Saku Koivu, Chris Higgins, and Michael Ryder wake up? What will happen if Montreal surges at home for the rest of the season? What will happen if Cristobal Huet starts playing like the Cristobal who won Montrealers over, guiding them into the playoffs after Jose Theodore lost his mind? What will happen if Sergei Kostitsyn, and Guillaume Latendresse gain more consistency in the games to follow? What will happen if Gainey makes that one trade to put the Habs over the edge?

There’s certainly a lot to look forward to. There’s also certainly an antithesis to this whole equation. The Canadiens haven’t faced the adversity of major injury to their star-caliber players. What will they do if Huet loses his edge, and begins to play poorly? What would happen if Kovalev’s line got terribly cold?

There are 33 games remaining to figure it all out. There are 33 games to make the good things come true, and avoid the bad things. There are 33 games until the wildest playoffs in all of sports get underway. There are 33 games for your Canadiens to catch the Ottawa Senators, 6 of which will be played between the two rivals. There are 33 games remaining for the Canadiens to continue reversing problems they’ve suffered through for years. There are 33 games to prove to the rest of the dissenters that this team is for real…and playoff bound.
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Tonight marks the first test of many before this season ends. The Canadiens face a very hungry Capitals team. Washington is now 3 points out of the eighth, and final playoff spot, and they are 1 point out of third, just behind divisional rival Carolina. The Southeast division is proving to be the worst in the NHL, yet again. Nonetheless, the Capitals represent the biggest threat in that portion of the conference.

Washington boasts high-flying speed, and solid goaltending. They have balance in the sense that they can rely on more than Ovechkin to get the scoring done. Despite the absence of key forward, Michael Nylander, the emergence of Nick Backstrom as a star has been a catalyst to the Caps becoming a more confident group than the one that began this season. Semin is starting to heat up, and Mike Green has become the most offensive defenseman in the league. Watch tonight, there won’t be a single shift Green takes where he doesn’t rush. He has the stamina and ability to get his feet moving at top speed without letting up throughout his entire shift; essential to him joining the rush and not getting caught giving one up. Green leads defensemen with 14 goals this season. For those of you who don’t remember who he is, Green buried the Canadiens in OT last time they played. It was a tight game the Canadiens were leading, which was eventually dropped, and with it, so was Carey Price—down to the minors.

There’s only one way these Capitals are beating your Habs tonight. Washington never stops working. That’s the way they are. They do not boast the same depth or overall talent as some other teams in this league, but their willingness to work gives them the edge over many.

The Canadiens have got to start this new portion of the season with major urgency. The home record needs to be reversed starting tonight. They have the opportunity to make a statement, and they should be intently focused on doing so. The lineup is unchanged, as the Canadiens are riding two big wins against Boston and Jersey. It’s time to see what these guys are truly made of!! Big game tonight, then another in Washington come Thursday. The Habs will then change their routine to prepare for two afternoon games, Saturday and Sunday, vs. the Islanders and Rangers, respectively.

The Canadiens should be calling on their experience of taking late-season charges over the last two, in order to deal with the following portion of the schedule. A strong February means a slightly restful March. This would allow the team to have some energy headed into April. One thing is certain: It sure is fun to be a hockey fan of a league where everyone seemingly still has a shot at the playoffs!

Enjoy the game tonight!!!

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